Zephaniah 3:14–17 (TLV)
14Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult wholeheartedly,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15ADONAI has taken away your punishments.
He has turned back your adversary.
The King of Israel, ADONAI, is in your midst.
Never again will you fear harm.
16On that day, it will be said to Jerusalem,
‘Have no fear, O Zion,
Do not let your hands fall limp.
17ADONAI your God is in your midst—
a mighty Savior!
He will delight over you with joy.
He will quiet you with His love.
He will dance for joy over you with singing.’

Joy In G-d’s Faithfulness

The passage describes when G-d’s people will be blessed and urges them to rejoice in anticipation of this blessing. Like other psalms of salvation, the prophet instructs the people to praise Adonai for His past deeds, future deliverance, and loving presence among them as a king who inspires confidence. This short psalm may have been written for this specific prophecy or taken from previous use in G-d’s people’s worship as a suitable response to His grace.

It is possible that Zephaniah composed this self-contained psalm for his prophecy, or he might have borrowed it from its previous use in the liturgy of G-d’s people as a suitable response to Adonai’s renewed grace upon his people. This psalm follows the theme of G-d’s continued presence in Zion, the city of David, which was promised in the covenant mentioned in 2 Samuel 7 and later referenced in Isaiah and a few Psalms (like Psalms 2 and 89).

This hymn depicts the messianic era when the L-rd, their triumphant King, will be present among them once again, showing great joy in loving His people (as stated in Deuteronomy 30:9). The hymn concludes with the L-rd’s assurance of gathering and glorifying Israel after their punishment is complete.

Theological and Ethical Significance

From this passage, we can learn a valuable theological principle: G-d has designated a time when He will remove those who are proud, indifferent, and corrupt. However, those who earnestly seek the Lord with humility and trust and eagerly anticipate His redemption will find refuge on that day. They will experience great joy in His loving presence.