Zephaniah 3:2
“She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Jerusalem's sin is summed up in four refusals: she would not obey, accept correction, trust, or draw near to God.
What Does Zephaniah 3:2 Mean?
The prophet names Jerusalem's failure in four short, devastating clauses. She did not obey the voice; she did not receive correction; she did not trust in the LORD; she did not draw near to her God. Each clause closes a door the people themselves shut. This is not a list of dramatic crimes but of quiet, persistent refusals.
Here is the anatomy of a hardened heart: a refusal to listen, to be corrected, to trust, and to come close. Any one of these can begin a slow drift; together they describe a people who have shut God out at every level. Yet the verse, by naming what they would not do, points to the path back. The Lord still calls His people to listen, to receive His correction, to trust Him, and above all to draw near. The invitation of the gospel is exactly this: come near, and He will draw near to you.
In the Original Language
musar (מוּסָר), 'correction' -- discipline, instruction, or chastening meant to train and reform, here refused by a stubborn people.