Zephaniah 3:14
“Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The prophet bursts into a call for joyful singing, urging God's people to rejoice with their whole heart.
What Does Zephaniah 3:14 Mean?
The tone of the book transforms completely into song. Sing, shout, be glad, rejoice with all the heart, the prophet cries to the daughter of Zion. After chapters of warning and woe, a flood of joy breaks loose. The commands pile up like an outpouring of celebration, calling God's people to rejoice not partly but with all the heart.
This is the destination toward which the whole book has been moving. The God of the terrible day is also the God who gives His people a reason to sing. Such joy is not denial of the judgment that came before; it is the fruit of restoration on the far side of it. The fullness of the joy, with all the heart, shows there is nothing held back, no shadow remaining. The redeemed have every reason to rejoice, for their God has turned mourning into dancing and silence into singing.
In the Original Language
ranan (רָנַן), 'sing' -- to cry out with joy, to shout or ring out in gladness, an exuberant, full-voiced rejoicing.