Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Zephaniah 3:3
Her princes within her [are] roaring lions; her judges [are] evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
3. Every class does evil, each in its own way. A very full parallel is Eze 22:25-28 (in Eze 22:25 read princes). The “princes” may be the royal house, or the magnates in whose hands lay the judicial and governing power. Ezek. describing the princes says, they are “like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure; they have made her widows many.” The “judges” are compared to evening wolves (Hab 1:8), less powerful than the lions but no less insatiable and murderous. Eze 22:27, “wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.” Judicial corruption and murder are often complained of by the prophets; Isa 1:23; Mic 3:11; cf. Jer 22:17; Eze 22:12.
gnaw not the bones till the morrow ] The term rendered “gnaw the bones” occurs Num 24:8, where, however, the word “bones” is expressed; also Eze 23:34, “thou shalt gnaw the sherds thereof.” With this sense the clause might mean, evening wolves that gnawed not (the) bones in the morning; the idea being that the wolves having had no prey in the morning were keen from hunger and ferocious in the evening. Others suppose the word to be different from that in Num 24:8, and to be allied to an Aramaic root signifying to cut off (a part), hence to reserve, leave over; and render, evening wolves that leave nothing over till the morning, their insatiable voracity devouring everything, hide and hair, at once. It must be acknowledged that this sense of leave over is somewhat conjectural.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The prophet having declared the wickedness of the whole city, rehearses how each in Church and state, the ministers of God in either, who should have corrected the evil, themselves aggravated it. Not enemies, without, destroy her, but
Her princes within her – In the very midst of the flock, whom they should in Gods stead feed with a true heart, destroy her as they will, having no protection against them. Her judges are evening wolves (see Hab 1:8); these who should in the Name of God redress all grievances and wrongs, are themselves like wild beasts, when most driven by famine. They gnaw not the bones until the morrow or on the morrow (literally, in the morning). They reserve nothing until the morning light, but do in darkness the works of darkness, shrinking from the light, and, in extreme rapacity, devouring at once the whole substance of the poor. As Isaiah says, Thy princes are rebellious and companions of thieves Isa 1:23, and The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of His people and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard: the spoil of the poor is in your houses Isa 3:14. And Ezekiel, Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves, ravening the prey to shed blood, to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain Eze 22:27.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 3. Her princes – are roaring lions] Tearing all to pieces without shadow of law, except their own despotic power.
Her judges are evening wolves] Being a little afraid of the lion-like princes, they practise their unjust dealings from evening to morning, and take the day to find their rest.
They gnaw not the bones till the morrow.] They devour the flesh in the night, and gnaw the bones and extract the marrow afterwards. They use all violence and predatory oppression, like wild beasts; they shun the light, and turn day into night by their revellings.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Her princes; persons of principal place and authority about the king, chief officers in civil matters. and, which is worse, her own princes, born and bred among them, who should have been most tender and just.
Are roaring lions; which hunt for prey, are ever tearing or threatening, affrighting or devouring. Such the Assyrian princes were, Nah 2:11,12. Such, and no better, are the princes in Judah and Jerusalem.
Her judges; elders of cities, magistrates of lower rank; or it may be the sanhedrim.
Evening wolves; most hungry, insatiable, and cruel, like wolves of the evening whetted with hunger and fasting, Hab 1:8.
They gnaw not the bones till the morrow; they leave nothing to be eat or the morrow, they devour all presently.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. roaringfor prey (Pro 28:15;Eze 22:27; Amo 3:4;Mic 2:2).
evening wolveswhichare most ravenous at evening after being foodless all day (Jer 5:6;Hab 1:8).
they gnaw not the bones tillthe morrowrather, “they put not off till to-morrow tognaw the bones”; but devour all at once, bones and flesh, soragingly ravenous are they [CALVIN].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Her princes within her [are] roaring lions,…. Or, “as roaring lions”; there being a defect of the note of similitude; which is supplied by the Targum, Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions. This is to be understood, not of the princes of the blood; but of civil magistrates in common; the members of the grand sanhedrim; the princes of the Jewish world, that crucified the Lord of glory; and who gaped upon him with their mouths like ravening and roaring lions, as is foretold they should, Ps 22:12 and who breathed out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of Christ; and by their menaces endeavoured to frighten and deter them from preaching in his name, and from a profession of him; see 1Co 2:8:
her judges [are] evening wolves; or, like them, cruel, voracious, never satisfied; especially are very ravenous in the evening, having had no food all day; not daring to go abroad in the daytime to seek their prey; see Jer 5:6. The Septuagint and Arabic versions read “wolves of Arabia”; but wrongly; [See comments on Hab 1:8] such rapacious covetous judges were there in Christ’s time; who gives us an instance in one, by which we may judge of the rest, who feared not God, nor regarded men, Lu 18:2 such as these were hungry and greedy after gifts and bribes to pervert judgment, and to devour the poor, the widow, and the fatherless, on whom they had no mercy:
they gnaw not the bones till the morrow; or rather, “in the morning” z; that is, either they leave not the bones till the morning, as Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it; they are so hungry, that they eat up bones and all at once, and reserve nothing for the next day; which expresses both the greediness of these judges, and the total consumption of the estates of men made by them: or else the sense is, that not having gnawn any bones in the morning, or eaten anything that day, hence they are so greedy in the evening; and so this last clause gives a reason why evening wolves are so voracious; for which such cruel judges are compared to them.
z “in mane”, Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius; “matutino”, Cocceius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Prophet now explains what we have stated respecting plunder and fraud. He confirms that he had not without reason called Jerusalem היונה, eiune, a rapacious city, or one given to plunder; for the princes were like lions and the judges like wolves. And when he speaks of judges, he does not spare the common people; but he shows that all orders were then corrupt: for though no justice or equity is regarded by the people, there will yet remain some shame among the judges, so as to retain the people at least within some limits, that an extreme licentiousness may not prevail: but when robbery is practiced in the court of justice, what can be said of such a city? We hence see that the Prophet in these words describes an extreme confusion: The princes of Jerusalem, he says, are lions. And we have elsewhere similar declarations; for the Prophets, when it was their object to condemn all from the least to the greatest, did yet direct their discourse especially to the judges.
And this is worthy of being noticed, for there was then no Church of God, except at Jerusalem. Yet the Prophet says, that the judges, and prophets, and priests, were all apostates. What comfort could the faithful have had? But we hence see that the fear of God had not wholly failed in his elect, and that they firmly and with an invincible heart contended against all offenses and trials of this kind. Let us also learn to fortify ourselves at this day with the same courage, so that we may not faint, however much impiety may everywhere prevail, and all religion may seem extinct among men.
But we may also hence learn, how foolishly the Papists pride themselves in their vain titles, as though they thought that God was bound as it were to them, because they have bishops and pastors. But the Prophet shows, that even those who performed the ordinary office of executing the laws could yet be the wicked and perfidious despisers of God. He also shows, that neither prophets nor priests ought to be spared; for when God sets them over his Church, he gives them no power to tyrannize, so that they might dare to do anything with impunity, and not be reproved. For though the priesthood under the law was sacred, we yet see that it was subject to correction. So let no one at this day claim for himself a privilege, as though he was exempt from all instruction and reproof, while occupying a high station among the people of God.
He distinguishes between princes and judges; and the reason is, because the kingdom was as yet standing. So the courtiers, who were in favor and authority with the king, drew a part of the spoil to themselves, and the judges devoured another part. Though Scripture often makes no difference between these two names, yet I doubt not but he means by שרים, sherim, princes, the chiefs who were courtiers; and he calls them שפטים, shepthim, judges, who administered justice. And he says that the judges were evening wolves, that is, hungry, for wolves become furious in the evening when they have been roaming about all day and have found nothing. As their want sharpens the savageness of wolves, so the Prophet says that the judges were hungry like evening wolves, whose hunger renders them furious. And for the same purpose he adds, that they broke not the bones in the morning; that is, they waited not till the dawn to break the bones; (107) for when they devoured the flesh they also employed their teeth in breaking the bones, because their voracity was so great. We now apprehend the Prophet’s meaning. It afterwards follows—
(107) This is the explanation of Grotius, Mede, and Henderson. The latter’s version is—“They gnaw no bones in the morning;” i.e., all is devoured in the night. Newcome, adopting the conjecture of Houbigant, supposes the true reading to be [ ידמו ], and gives this rendering—“They wait not until the morning,” which seems to have no meaning in this connection. What Cocceius proposes is more probable—“Who have not gnawed in the morning;” and on this account they were exceedingly voracious in the evening. But the idea of our common version is very appropriate; it implies that they were like wild beasts prowling all night, and carrying as it were their prey to their dens, that they might devour it there in the morning. This is the view taken by Henry. “They devour the flesh,” says Adam Clarke, “in the night, and gnaw the bones, and extract the marrow afterwards.”— Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(3) Till the morrow.Better, on the morrow. The meaning is just the opposite to that given in the Authorised Version. They are so greedy that they devour their prey instantly, leaving no portion of it for the morrow.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Zep 3:3 Her princes within her [are] roaring lions; her judges [are] evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
Ver. 3. Her princes within her are roaring lions ] Roaring over the meaner sort, and tearing them with their claws. See Trapp on “ Mic 3:1 “ See Trapp on “ Mic 3:2 “ See Trapp on “ Mic 3:3 “
Her judges are evening wolves
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
gnaw not: or, reserve not.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
princes: Job 4:8-11, Psa 10:8-10, Pro 28:15, Isa 1:23, Jer 22:17, Eze 22:6, Eze 22:25-27, Mic 3:1-4, Mic 3:9-11
evening: Jer 5:6, Hab 1:8
Reciprocal: Gen 49:27 – at night Exo 21:6 – the judges Deu 16:19 – wrest 1Sa 22:18 – he fell 2Ch 36:14 – all the chief Job 24:5 – rising Pro 4:17 – General Pro 30:14 – to devour Ecc 3:16 – General Isa 59:6 – their works Jer 5:5 – but these Jer 6:13 – For Jer 23:1 – pastors Jer 34:19 – princes Lam 4:13 – the sins Eze 7:23 – for Eze 11:6 – General Eze 22:3 – sheddeth Eze 22:12 – taken gifts Eze 22:26 – priests Eze 22:27 – princes Eze 33:26 – stand Eze 34:2 – Woe Eze 34:3 – ye kill Hos 6:9 – so Hos 9:15 – all Amo 2:7 – pant Mic 3:2 – pluck Mic 3:10 – build up Zion Mic 3:11 – heads Mic 6:12 – the rich Nah 2:11 – the dwelling Zec 11:3 – a voice Mat 7:15 – are Luk 10:3 – wolves Luk 11:39 – ravening Luk 13:32 – that fox Joh 10:8 – came Act 20:29 – wolves
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Zep 3:3. The leading men in Jerusalem were so cruel toward their brethren that they were compared to roaring lions. Evening wolves. A beast that had been without food all day would be especially ravenous. Moffatt renders the last clause, “leave not a bone till the morning,” which agrees with the context that describes a greedy beast.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Zep 3:3-4. Her princes are roaring lions Are like devouring lions, who roar in the act of seizing their prey. Her judges are evening wolves Like so many beasts of prey. The princes and judges devour the people by injustice and oppression. They gnaw not the bones till the morrow That is, they greedily devour every thing immediately, as soon as they lay hold on it. This expresses very forcibly the violence and oppression of which the great men in Jerusalem were guilty toward the poor, and their greediness after gain. Her prophets are light and treacherous persons This is to be understood of the false prophets, who seduced the people by lying pretences to inspiration. Her priests have polluted the sanctuary, &c. They have presumed to attend upon my service in the temple, after they had polluted themselves with idolatry, and thereby have profaned my holy place, (see chap. Zep 1:4,) and have broken the ordinances of my law in many things.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
3:3 Her princes within her [are] roaring lions; her judges [are] evening wolves; they {b} gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
(b) They are so greedy, that they eat up bones and all.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Evidence that they were oppressing the weak (Zep 3:1) was the greedy behavior of Jerusalem’s civil rulers and judges. Like vicious lions and wolves they gobbled up all the possessions of vulnerable people that they could as fast as they could (cf. Zep 1:8; Eze 3:9-10; Mic 2:1-3; Mic 2:9-10).