Zephaniah 1:18 (KJV)

Passage

Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

Nearby Context

Zephaniah 1:16 A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.

Zephaniah 1:17 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.

Zephaniah 1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "neither", "silver", "gold", "shall", "able", "deliver", "lord", and "wrath". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "neither" and "silver", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "And I will bring distress upon men...", giving immediate footing for "neither" and "silver". In Zephaniah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "neither" and "silver" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.