Zephaniah 3:1 (DBY)

Passage

Woe to her that is rebellious and corrupted, to the oppressing city!

Nearby Context

Zephaniah 3:1 Woe to her that is rebellious and corrupted, to the oppressing city!

Zephaniah 3:2 She hearkened not to the voice; she received not correction; she confided not in Jehovah; she drew not near her God.

Zephaniah 3:3 Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves, that leave nothing for the morning.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "rebellious", "corrupted", "oppressing", and "city". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "rebellious" and "corrupted", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The next verse adds "She hearkened not to the voice she...", so "rebellious" and "corrupted" should be read forward into that movement. In Zephaniah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "rebellious" and "corrupted" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.