Zephaniah 3:3 (LSB)

Passage

Her princes in her midst are roaring lions; Her judges are wolves at evening; They leave nothing to gnaw for the morning.

Nearby Context

Zephaniah 3:1 Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, The oppressive city!

Zephaniah 3:2 She did not listen to any voice; She did not receive discipline. She did not trust in Yahweh; She did not draw near to her God.

Zephaniah 3:3 Her princes in her midst are roaring lions; Her judges are wolves at evening; They leave nothing to gnaw for the morning.

Zephaniah 3:4 Her prophets are reckless, treacherous men; Her priests have profaned the sanctuary. They have done violence to the law.

Zephaniah 3:5 Yahweh is righteous in her midst; He will do no injustice. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He does not fail. But the unjust knows no shame.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "princes", "midst", "roaring", "lions", "judges", "wolves", "evening", and "leave". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "princes" and "midst", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "She did not listen to any voice..." into verse 4's "Her prophets are reckless treacherous men Her...", so "princes" and "midst" belong inside that flow. In Zephaniah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

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