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Zephaniah 2:3

Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’s anger.

KJV

Quærite Dominum, omnes mansueti terræ, qui judicium ejus estis operati ; quærite justum, quærite mansuetum, si quomodo abscondamini in die furoris Domini.

Vulgate

ζητήσατε τὸν κύριον, πάντες ταπεινοὶ γῆς· κρίμα ἐργάζεσθε καὶ δικαιοσύνην ζητήσατε, καὶ ἀποκρίνεσθε αὐτά, ὅπως σκεπασθῆτε ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆς Κυρίου.

LXX

Seek ye Jehovah, all ye meek of the earth, that have kept his ordinances; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye will be hid in the day of Jehovah’s anger.

ASV

בַּקְּשׁ֤וּ אֶת יְהוָה֙ כָּל עַנְוֵ֣י הָ/אָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִשְׁפָּט֖/וֹ פָּעָ֑לוּ בַּקְּשׁוּ צֶ֨דֶק֙ בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ עֲנָוָ֔ה אוּלַי֙ תִּסָּ֣תְר֔וּ בְּ/י֖וֹם אַף יְהוָֽה

Hebrew

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In the original Hebrew

15 distinct Hebrew words appear in this verse.

אֲשֶׁר
'shr
particle · 5461×
אֶ֣רֶץ
'rts
noun · 2484×
אֶת
't
pronoun · 10895×
אוּלַ֛י
'vly
adverb · 45×
בַקֵּ֥שׁ
bqsh
verb · 225×
וֹ
v
noun · 275×
י
y
noun · 422×
יְהוָ֖ה
yhvh
proper_noun · 6455×
יּ֣וֹם
yvm
noun · 2285×
כָּל
kl
noun · 5376×
נִי
ny
verb · 82×
עֲנָוִ֣ים
'nvym
adjective · 26×
עֲנָוָֽה
'nvh
noun · 4×
פֹּ֣עֲלֵי
p'ly
verb · 55×
צֶ֑דֶק
tsdq
noun · 116×

Themes

Historic Christian voices

5 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

§711"Behold, I am doing a new thing."78 Two prophetic lines were to develop, one leading to the expectation of the Messiah, the other pointing to the announcement of a new Spirit. They converge in the small Remnant, the people of the poor, who await in hope the "consolation of Israel" and "the redemption of Jerusalem."79 We have seen earlier how Jesus fulfills the prophecies concer…
§716The People of the "poor"87 - those who, humble and meek, rely solely on their God's mysterious plans, who await the justice, not of men but of the Messiah - are in the end the great achievement of the Holy Spirit's hidden mission during the time of the promises that prepare for Christ's coming. It is this quality of heart, purified and enlightened by the Spirit, which is expres…

Cross-references

  • 1Pet 1:22 — Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
  • 1Pet 3:4 — But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
  • 1Thess 4:1 — Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
  • 2Chr 34:27 — Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and did
  • 2Pet 3:18 — But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
  • Amos 5:4 — For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:
  • Amos 5:4 — For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:
  • Amos 5:14 — Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.
  • Col 3:2 — Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
  • Eph 4:2 — With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
  • Exod 12:27 — That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowe
  • Ezek 14:20 — Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.
  • Gen 7:1 — And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
  • Hos 10:12 — Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
  • Isa 1:17 — Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
  • Isa 3:10 — Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
  • Isa 11:4 — But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay
  • Isa 11:4 — But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay
  • Isa 26:20 — Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
  • Isa 29:19 — The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
  • Isa 51:1 — Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.
  • Isa 55:6 — Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
  • Jas 1:21 — Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
  • Jas 1:21 — Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
  • Jas 3:13 — Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
  • Jer 3:13 — Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the L
  • Jer 29:12 — Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
  • Jer 39:18 — For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.
  • Jer 45:5 — And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.
  • Joel 2:13 — And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
  • Joel 2:14 — Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?
  • Jonah 3:9 — Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
  • Matt 5:5 — Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
  • Matt 5:5 — Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
  • Matt 7:7 — Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
  • Mic 6:8 — He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
  • Phil 3:13 — Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
  • Prov 18:10 — The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
  • Ps 22:26 — The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
  • Ps 25:8 — Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.