Zephaniah 1:14
“The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The great day of the LORD is rushing near, so terrible that even the strongest will cry out in bitter anguish.
What Does Zephaniah 1:14 Mean?
The prophet quickens the pace. The great day of the LORD is near, near, and hastening fast. The repetition presses urgency on the listener. And then the most striking detail: even the mighty man, the warrior trained never to weep, will cry out bitterly. When God draws near in judgment, human strength dissolves.
There is a leveling power in the day of the LORD. The defenses people prize, courage, might, status, all fail before the holiness of God. The strongest soldier weeps because there is no shield against the Almighty. This is not meant only to terrify but to humble, to bring every heart low while there is still time to seek mercy. The same Lord whose day no warrior can withstand has opened a refuge for all who will come to Him in humility now.
In the Original Language
qarob (קָרוֹב), 'near' -- close at hand in time or space, repeated here to stress how imminent the day of the LORD has become.