Zephaniah 1:7
“Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The prophet calls for reverent silence, for the day of the LORD is near and God has prepared a sacrifice.
What Does Zephaniah 1:7 Mean?
A hush is commanded: hold thy peace before the Lord GOD. The day of the LORD is at hand, that decisive moment when God acts in judgment and salvation. Then comes a startling image. God has prepared a sacrifice and invited guests, but here the sacrifice is the guilty themselves, and the invited guests are the instruments of judgment.
Silence is the right response when God draws near to act. There are moments when argument and excuse must cease and the creature simply stands still before the Creator. The image of a prepared sacrifice is heavy, yet it points beyond itself. The dread of being the sacrifice is answered in the gospel by One who became the sacrifice in our place, so that we might be invited not as victims but as welcomed guests to the feast of the Lord.
In the Original Language
yom YHWH (יוֹם יְהוָה), 'the day of the LORD' -- the appointed time when God intervenes decisively to judge and to save, a central theme woven through Zephaniah.