Zephaniah 3:13

Zep 3:13 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make [them] afraid.

Ver. 13. The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity] Sanctity and security are here promised to all the citizens of the Church. Being justified by Christ they shall do righteousness and truth: there shall no way of wickedness be found in them, Psa 139:24, they shall be kept from foul flagitious practices, neither shall they wallow or allow themselves in any known sin unrepented of. Their spot, if any, shall be the spot of God’s children, Deu 32:5, involuntary and avoidable informity, such as there is a pardon of course for; only they must sue it out by praying daily, Forgive us our trespasses.

Nor speak lies] For that is a foul fault, and rarely found in a saint, Isa 63:8. For he said, "Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour." It was wont to be as current an argument, Christianus est, non mentietur, He is a Christian, he will not lie, as afterwards it was, Hic est frater, ergo mendax, This is a friar, and therefore a liar. Sophronius testifieth of Chrysostom, nunquam eum mentitum fuisse, that he was never heard to tell a lie. Whereas of Pilate Hegesippus telleth us, that he was vir nequam et parvi faciens mendacium, a naughty man, and one that made little conscience of a lie. It may seem so indeed by that scornful question of his, "What is truth?" Joh 18:38.

Neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth] Their pure lip, Zep 3:9, is not used to the language of hell, their spirit without guile, Psa 32:2, produceth speech without deceit; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, Mat 12:34. {See Trapp on "Mat 12:34"}

For they shall feed and lie down] Shall have all that heart can wish or need require; plenty, safety, security.

And none shall make them afraid] So as to make them do iniquity or speak lies; as very good men when frightened have dared to do; witness Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, but especially David, deeply guilty of this sin, 1Sa 21:2; 1Sa 21:8; 1Sa 27:8; 1Sa 27:10, In the sense of which sin he prayeth, "Remove from me the way of lying," Psa 119:29; we also should pray, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from that evil one," the father of lies. And having the shepherd of Israel to feed us and tend us, we should not fear, Psa 23:2-3, but choosing rather to die than to lie, to suffer than to shift, commit the keeping of our souls to him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator, 1Pe 4:19.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Zep_3:13

The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity.

The saved remnant

The remnant is those who are left after the sifting out. God is ever sifting out, and the unworthy fall through the meshes of the mighty sieve. They are swept up and east out, but the worthy remain. He sifted Israel. The Captivity tested them. He sifted the infant Church. Persecution proved its members. The text refers to the blessed privilege of those who shall endure.

I. Their number. Only a remnant It was but a remnant of those people who left Egypt that entered Canaan--only two men. It was only a remnant returned from the Captivity. It is only a remnant of those who hear the Gospel who are saved. Still, there is a remnant. There are always some who fear God. God never leaves Himself without witness of some sort.

II. Their character.

1. They are holy--Shall do no iniquity. But there must be great changes in our natures and circumstances before this promise is fulfilled.

2. They shall be faithful--Not speak lies. This is one branch of holiness, but it is a very important one, and is mentioned particularly in order to show us the thoroughness of their piety.

III. Their privileges. There are three here specified.

1. Provision--They shall feed. That is, have spiritual food. There is such a thing as spiritual starvation.

2. Rest--They shall lie down. There shall be no care, no anxiety, no toil.

3. Protection--None shall make them afraid. It is a blessed thing to endure the Lords sifting. Those who do so shall live for ever. (Homilist.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

nor speak lies--worshipping God in truth, and towards man having love without dissimulation. The characteristic of the 144,000 sealed of Israel.

none shall make them afraid--either foreign foe, or unjust prince (Zep 3:3), prophet, or priest (Zep 3:4).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 13. The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity] O what a change! And then, how different shall they be from their present selves! Iniquity, lying, and deceit shall not be found among them! A Jew once said to me, "Tere are shome of you Christians who are making wonderful efforts to convert the Tshews (Jews.) Ah, dere ish none but Gott Almighty dat can convert a Tshew." Truly I believe him. Only God can convert any man; and if there be a peculiar difficulty to convert any soul, that difficulty must lie in the conversion of the Jew.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

13. The remnant of Israel] After the great judgment of the day of the Lord, only a remnant shall be left (Joe_2:28-32). The idea that only a remnant shall be saved is common to all the prophets; Isaiah called his son Shear-jashub, “a remnant shall turn,” making him a living sign to king (Isa_7:3) and people of his conviction that a great judgment was impending. Cf. Isa_10:21-23.

shall not do iniquity] Comp. Zep_3:5, where it is said of the Lord “he doeth no iniquity.” In those days the people shall be like their God. His Spirit within them shall rule their life: Eze_36:25-27.

For they shall feed] The figure is the very common one of flocks feeding and lying down in complete security. Cf. Isa_17:2; Eze_34:25; Eze_34:28. The word for does not assign their perfect security from all trouble without as the reason for the righteousness that shall prevail within, though of course security from all external evils would permit and help the peaceable expansion of the community and the growth of religious life among them. The words introduced by for rather restate under another aspect the peaceful and happy condition of the people, already described in Zep_3:12-13 a.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity This is the remnant, according to the election of grace, the few the Lord reserved for himself, left in the land, and in his church, for his own glory; who, being truly convinced of sin, and brought to believe in Christ, should leave and forsake their former course of sinning; not that they should be without sin, or none be committed by them; but should not live in it, and be workers of it; make a trade of sinning, and continue therein; or should not commit the sin against the Holy Ghost, as great numbers of the Jews did, in rejecting Jesus as the Messiah, against clear evidence, and the light of their own consciences: nor speak lies; in common talk and conversation; which a child of God, a true believer in Christ, a real Christian, should not and dare not do, ( Isaiah 63:8 ) or doctrinal lies, lies in hypocrisy; such doctrines as are not of the truth of the Gospel, but contrary to it; such as the doctrine of justification by works; atonement by ceremonial sacrifices; acceptance with God, through the merits of their fathers; and keeping the traditions of the elders; and other Jewish lies and fables of the same stamp; but rejected by those who have embraced the truth, as it is in Jesus: neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; having clean hearts created and right spirits renewed in them; being Israelites indeed, in whom there is no guile, and true followers of Jesus, in whom nothing of this kind could be found: for they shall feed, like a flock of sheep, to which they may be compared for their innocence and harmlessness, meekness and patience; feed in the fat pastures of the word and ordinances of Christ, under the care and guidance of him the good Shepherd; and so go in and out, and find pasture, food, and fulness of it, in him, his flesh, and blood; in his precious truths, and Gospel provisions made in his house: and lie down; in green pastures of ordinances, beside the still waters of everlasting love and divine grace, and in the good fold of the church; all which is a reason why they do not and cannot sin as others do; nor tell lies, and be guilty of deceit and falsehood; for they are better taught; and the grace of God, in giving them spiritual food and rest, influences and engages them to such a conduct and behaviour: or, "therefore they shall feed" F15 being truly gracious and sincere souls, who cannot indulge themselves in sin, nor act a false and deceitful part: and none shall make [them] afraid; of feeding in those pastures, and lying down in those folds; or shall deter them from an attendance on the word and ordinances; or joining in fellowship with the churches of Christ therein; neither Satan, the roaring lion, nor false teachers, and persecuting tyrants, those grievous wolves, and cruel bears; or so frighten them, that in their fright they shall tell lies, and use deceit. FOOTNOTES: F15 (yk) "ideo", Grotius.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The remnant of Israel - The same poor people, the “true Israel” of whom God said, “I leave over” (the word is the same) “a poor people,” few, compared with the rest who were blinded; of whom the Lord said, “I know whom I have chosen” Joh 13:18. These “shall not do iniquity nor speak lies.” Cyril: “This is a spiritual adorning, a most beautiful coronet of glorious virtues. For where meekness and humility are and the desire of righteousness, and the tongue unlearns vain words and sinful speech, and is the instrument of strict truth, there dawns a bright and most perfect virtue. And this beseems those who are in Christ. For the beauty of piety is not seen in the Law, but gleams forth in the power of Evangelic teachings.”

Our Lord said of Nathanael, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile” Joh 1:47, and to the Apostles, “I send you forth as sheep among wolves; be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves” Mat 10:16; and of the first Christians it is said, “they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house did eat their merit with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people” Act 2:46-47. This is the character of Christians, as such, and it was at first fulfilled; “whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin” 1Jo 3:9; “whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not” 1Jo 5:18. An Apologist, at the close of the second century, could appeal to the Roman Emperor , that no Christian was found among their criminals, “unless it be only as a Christian, or, if he be anything else, he is immediately no longer a Christian. We alone then are innocent! What wonder if this be so, of necessity? And truly of necessity it is so. Taught innocence by God, we both know it perfectly, as being revealed by a perfect Master; and we keep it faithfully, as being committed to us by an Observer, Who may not be despised.” : “Being so vast a multitude of men, almost the greater portion of every state, we live silently and modestly, known perhaps more as individuals than as a body, and to be known by no other sign than the reformation of our former sins.”

Now in the Church, which “our earth dimm’d eyes behold,” we can but say, as in regard to the cessation of war under the Gospel, that God’s promises are sure on His part, that still “they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts,” that the Gospel is “a power of God unto salvation” Rom 1:16, that “the preaching of the Cross is, unto us which are saved, the power of God” 1Co 1:18; “unto them that are called, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God” 1Co 1:24; that those who will, “are kept by God through faith unto salvation” 1Pe 1:5; but that now too “they are not all Israel, which are of Israel” Rom 9:6, and that “the faithlessness of man does not make the faith of God of none effect” Rom 3:3. : “The Church of God is universally holy in respect of all, by institutions and administrations of sanctity; the same Church is really holy in this world, in relation to all godly persons contained in it, by a real infused sanctity; the same is farther yet at the same time perfectly holy in reference to the saints departed and admitted to the presence of God; and the same Church shall hereafter be most completely holy in the world to come, when all the members, actually belonging to it, shall be at once perfected in holiness and completed in happiness.”

Most fully shall this be fulfilled in the Resurrection. Rup.: “O blessed day of the Resurrection, in whose fullness no one will sin in word or deed! O great and blessed reward to every soul, which, although it hath now “done iniquity” and “spoken falsehood,” yet willeth not to do it further! Great and blessed reward, that he shall now receive such. immovableness, as no longer to be able to do iniquity or speak falsehood, since the blessed soul, through the Spirit of everlasting love inseparably united with God its Creator, shall now no more be capable of an evil will!”

For they shall feed - On the hidden manna, Dionysius: “nourished most delicately by the Holy Spirit with inward delights, and spiritual food, the bread of life.” In the things of the body too was “distribution made unto every man according as he had need” Act 4:35. “And they shall lie down” in the green pastures where He foldeth them; “and none shall make them afraid” 1Pe 1:5, “for they were ready to suffer and to die for the Name of the Lord Jesus” Act 21:13. “They departed from the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name” Act 5:41. Before the Resurrection and the sending of the Holy Spirit, how great was the fearfulness, unsteadfastness, weakness of the disciples; how great, after the infusion of the Holy Spirit, was their constancy and imperturbableness, it is delightsome to estimate in their Acts,” when they “bare His Name before the Gentiles and kings, and the children of Israel” Act 9:15, and he who had been afraid of a little maid, said to the high priest, “We ought to obey God rather than men” Act 5:29. Cyril: “When Christ the Good Shepherd Who laid down His life for His sheep, shone upon us, we are fed in gardens and pastured among lilies, and lie down in folds; for we are folded in Churches and holy shrines, no one scaring or spoiling us, no wolf assailing nor lion trampling on us, no robber breaking through, no one invading us, to steal and kill and destroy; but we abide in safety and participation of every good, being in charge of Christ the Saviour of all.”

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Israel. They shall be more submissive, and afraid of yielding to idolatry. Yet the synagogue was far from the perfection of the primitive Christianity, or even from that of many pious souls in these days of relaxation. --- Afraid. The Jews were not much molested till the time of Epiphanes, nor was the country ravaged as it had been, Micheas ii. 12. This peace is however of a spiritual nature, granted by Christ to those who fight against their passions, John xiv. 27. (Calmet) --- They shall feed on the word of God and on the blessed Eucharist. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The remnant of Israel, preserved in captivity and dispersion, purified in the furnace of affliction, and now returned to their own land, shall not do iniquity; shall not commit the sins they formerly committed, not provoke God with their abominations as before; it is not a prediction of a sinless, but of a reformed state; they shall be righteous, and taught of God, no more idolaters.

Nor speak lies; they shall love truth, and speak truth, or, in a larger sense, shall be honest and upright amongst men.

A deceitful tongue; a false accuser or witness, like Doeg, or Jezebel’s evidences against Naboth; according to that, Psa 15:2; 24:4.

For they shall feed; or, they shall feed also, &c.; so it will be a blessing added as a crown of their piety and truth. Or if you read it,

for they shall feed, & c., it gives you a reason why they shall not by frauds and lies, as formerly, sin against one another; they shall have a sufficiency by honest ways, and from God’s blessing, and shall not be under any great temptation to dishonesty and lying.

None shall make them afraid: frights made David, Abraham, and others to forget truth; here none should fright them, and they should not fear to speak the truth: their lips pure, Zep 3:9; they trust in the Lord, Zep 3:12; therefore shall not lie. Here is a cluster of spiritual promises with the temporal.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The remnant of Israel (see note on ver. 12). Though they claim no worldly eminence, the true Israelites shall be conspicuous for spiritual graces. Shall not do iniquity. Their acts shall be just and holy; their daily conduct such as becomes the children of God"s election. (1Jn_3:9) Nor speak lies. There shall be no lying prophets there, and all fraud and double-dealing shall be abolished. The proof of their righteous conduct is found in the favour of the Lord and the security in which they shall live. For they shall feed, etc. The remnant is compared to a "little fleck", (Luk_12:32) of which the Lord is the Shepherd. (Mic_7:14) The blessing is that promised to Israel in the Law if she kept the commandments. (Lev_26:5, Lev_26:6)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Shall feed - Shall enjoy peace and plenty.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

remnant

(See Scofield "Jer 15:21")

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.