Princes and Judges Zephaniah 3:3

According to Zephaniah, the people in Jerusalem would not obey the voice of the LORD, would not receive correction from the LORD, did not trust in the LORD and did not draw near to the LORD. Therefore, “Woe” was to be upon them as the judgment of the LORD fell. In chapter three and verse three of his prophecy, Zephaniah declared how their infectious corruption had reached their princes and judges where we read:

Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves;

they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.

The verse begins, “Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves;” Zephaniah began with, “Her princes” which were “the rulers, leaders, chiefs, officials, vassals, nobles and officers” “within” or “in her midst, among and in the inner part” “her are roaring” which means “conquering or cry of distress” “lions” which means “violent and piercing as a lion”. Zephaniah added, “her judges” or “governors, vindicators, law givers, punishers and deciders of controversy” “are evening” which means “nighttime or sunsetting” “wolves” or “like unto wolves which frighten the flock”. In other words, the rulers and governors of the city were ravenous scare-mongers who took advantage of and intimidated the people of Jerusalem and kept them in a frightened state.

The verse goes on to say, “they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.” Zephaniah continued, “they gnaw not the bones” which is one Hebrew word “garam” which means “cut off, reserve, lay aside, leave, save, and break” “till the morrow” or “till the break of day or end of the night”. The idea is these leaders are so harsh with the people they leave themselves more time to relish in their cruelty until the next day.

When we consider these words of Zephaniah, can imagine ourselves living under such horrific leadership? Not only did these leaders take advantage of the people, but they relished in their cruelty and desired that it endure. Is it any wonder the LORD prophesied “Woe” upon them? Those within leadership should take heed to the characteristics of these apostate “princes and judges”, and should they find any of their traits within themselves, let them repent before the LORD Jesus Christ before their “woeful” state is like unto these ravenous men.

Next time Zephaniah shares the city's “prophets and priests”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ;