Zephaniah 3:1 (DRB)

Passage

Woe to the provoking and redeemed city, the dove.

Nearby Context

Zephaniah 3:1 Woe to the provoking and redeemed city, the dove.

Zephaniah 3:2 She hath not hearkened to the voice, neither hath she received discipline: she hath not trusted in the Lord, she drew not near to her God.

Zephaniah 3:3 Her princes are in the midst of her as roaring lions: her judges are evening wolves, they left nothing for the morning.

Study Lenses

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

The next verse adds "She hath not hearkened to the voice...", so "provoking" and "redeemed" 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 "provoking" and "redeemed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.