Zephaniah 3.5b-The Second and Third Assertions about the Lord's Character
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday June 28, 2016
Zephaniah: Zephaniah 3:5b-The Third and Fourth Assertions About the Lord’s Character
Lesson # 67
Zephaniah 3:5 The LORD is righteous within her; He will do no injustice. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He does not fail. But the unjust knows no shame. (NASB95)
“Every morning He brings His justice to light” is composed of the following: (1) preposition b (בְּ), “every morning” (2) articular masculine singular noun bō·qěr (בֹּקֶר), “every morning” (3) preposition b (בְּ), “every morning” (4) articular masculine singular noun bō·qěr (בֹּקֶר), “every morning” (5) masculine singular construct form of the noun mišpāṭ (מִשְׁפָּט), “justice” (6) third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû (הוּא), “His” (7) third person masculine singular qal active imperfect form of the verb nātan (נָתַן), “He brings” (8) preposition l (לְ), “to” (9) articular masculine singular form of the noun ʾôr (אוֹר), “light.”
Once again, we have the figure of asyndeton and this time it is used by the prophet to emphasize the statement to follow that the Lord brings justice to light every morning so that the reader will meditate or reflect upon this assertion so that the people of Jerusalem make personal application.
Repentance would be the application for those living in this city.
This assertion would applicable to not only those Jews living in her during the seventh century B.C. but also those living in her during the seventieth week of Daniel which will complete God’s discipline of this city and the nation of Israel as a whole.
Next, we have the expression babbōqer babbōqer (בַּבֹּ֨קֶר בַּבֹּ֜קֶר), “every morning” which actually means “morning by morning” or “morning after morning.”
So we have two prepositional phrases which are exact same as each other.
In each of these two prepositional phrases, the noun bō·qěr means “morning” referring to the early part of the daytime period, which can vary from early daybreak, to an undetermined time before midday when the sun is at its apex.
In each instance the word bō·qěr appears it is articular.
The first articular construction serves to distinguish the morning from the evening part of the day.
The second time, the article is anaphoric meaning that the second time this noun is used it has the same referent and meaning as it did in the first prepositional phrase.
In each instance this noun bō·qěr is the object of the preposition b which in each instance is a temporal marker and specifically a marker of an extent of time within a larger unit of time.
Here it speaks of that part of a twenty-four period which is the morning.
Therefore, this expression babbōqer babbōqer (בַּבֹּ֨קֶר בַּבֹּ֜קֶר) literally means “during the morning, during the morning” but the idea in the Hebrew is “morning by morning” or “morning after morning.”
The verb nātan is in the qal stem and means “to cause” since it is a marker of causative relation.
The third person masculine singular form of this word is referring to the masculine singular proper noun yhwh, “the Lord.”
This verb’s direct object is the noun mišpāṭ which means “justice” since it pertains to a state or condition of fairness towards people.
It speaks of the maintenance or administration of what is just especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments and denotes being impartial and fair as a judge.
This noun mišpāṭ is modified by the third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû (הוּא), which means “His” since it is referring to the Lord.
The noun ʾôr means “light” but in a figurative sense referring to public knowledge.
The articular construction of this word indicates that this light is well-known in the sense of speaking something being made public knowledge.
This noun is also the object of the preposition l which means “to” since it marks this noun as the indirect object of the verb nātan meaning it receives the direct object of this verb.
This means that the public or people everywhere are receiving the Lord’s justice morning by morning in that they are experiencing His judgments every morning.
Therefore, this prepositional phrase literally means “to the light” but the idiom in the Hebrew is “to be revealed, to be manifested, to made public knowledge.”
Therefore, this third assertion expresses the idea that every morning people everywhere around the globe are experiencing His justice in that they are either being judged or blessed by Him, they are either meriting rewards or punishment for their conduct.
It also expresses the idea that every morning the Lord is impartially and fairly administrating His justice with regards to human beings.
“He does not fail” is composed of the following: (1) negative particle lōʾ (לֹא), “not” (2) third person masculine singular niphal passive participle form of the verb ʿādar (עָדַר), “He does fail.”
Zephaniah uses the figure of asyndeton for the fourth time in Zephaniah 3:5 and this time it is used by the prophet to emphasize the fourth assertion to follow which states that the Lord does not fail which is related to the second and third assertions in this verse.
The verb ʿādar is in the niphal stem and means “to fail” since it pertains to not attaining to some measure or standard and speaks of failing to do something or to leave something undone.
The third person masculine singular form of this verb is referring to the masculine singular proper noun yhwh, “the Lord.”
This verb’s meaning is emphatically negated by the negative particle lōʾ which is employed here as a marker of emphatic negation since it is used in relation to God’s immutable character.
The niphal stem of this verb is a middle niphal meaning that the subject acts for his or her own benefit and here it expresses the idea that “for His own benefit” or “for His own glory,” He never fails to cause His justice to be revealed to the human race.
The participle form of this verb is functioning as a predicate adjective meaning it is making an assertion about the Lord, namely that for His own glory, He never fails to cause His justice to be revealed to human beings.
Therefore, this fourth assertion means “for His own glory, He never fails” and is connected with second and third assertions in Zephaniah 3:5.
It expresses the idea that God glorifies Himself by never failing to act justly towards the human race by making just decisions when administrating His governmental affairs with regards to the human race.
Zephaniah 3:5 The Lord is righteous within her midst. He never acts in an unjust manner. Morning after morning, He causes His justice to be manifested. For His own glory, He never fails. However, in contrast to Him, the unrighteous person never experiences shame. (My translation)
Zephaniah 3:5 contains five assertions, four of which are describing the Lord, the God of Israel and one is describing unrighteous people.
The third assertion about the Lord’s character in Zephaniah 3:5 states that morning after morning, the Lord causes His justice to be revealed or manifested to human beings.
It means that the people everywhere are receiving the Lord’s justice morning by morning in that they are experiencing His judgments every morning.
It expresses the idea that every morning people everywhere around the globe are experiencing His justice in that they are either being judged or blessed by Him.
They are either meriting rewards or punishment for their conduct.
It also expresses the idea that every morning the Lord is impartially and fairly administrating His justice with regards to human beings.
The fourth assertion which appears here in Zephaniah 3:5 states that for His own glory, the Lord never fails which means that for His own glory, He never fails to cause His justice to be revealed to the human race.
This fourth assertion is connected with second and third assertions in Zephaniah 3:5 and expresses the idea that God glorifies Himself by never failing to act justly towards the human race by making just decisions when dealing with them.