Zephaniah 3:3 (KJV)

Passage

Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.

Nearby Context

Zephaniah 3:1 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!

Zephaniah 3:2 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God.

Zephaniah 3:3 Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.

Zephaniah 3:4 Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.

Zephaniah 3:5 The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "She obeyed not the voice she received..." into verse 4's "Her prophets are light and treacherous persons...", so "princes" and "within" 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 "within" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.