Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Zephaniah 3:14 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 14. 14Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
This verse opens the restoration song with four whole-hearted commands to Zion, Israel, and Jerusalem.
The song is grounded in a changed relation, not in denial
This verse is one part of that explanation in Zephaniah 3:14-17. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- Zephaniah 3:14-17
Read Zephaniah 3:14 with 3:14-17. This verse opens the restoration song with four whole-hearted commands to Zion, Israel, and Jerusalem. The complete unit establishes this movement: The movement into song is grounded in the LORD's changed relation to Zion: judgment and enemy are removed, the saving king is present, fear loses its rule, and human joy is answered by divine delight and singing.
Why This Verse Appears Here
The song interprets restoration as divine presence and relationship rather than bare survival; it also prepares concrete gathering by moving fear into joy. Within that movement, this verse opens the restoration song with four whole-hearted commands to Zion, Israel, and Jerusalem.
What Remains True
Joy belongs to real restoration and can be communal and embodied.
How It Can Shape Life
- Invite celebration after safety and repair without compelling traumatized people to perform happiness.
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Zephaniah 3:14-17 — Zion Sings because the Saving King Rejoices in Her MidstSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? probable
Where care is needed
The daughter-city personification is poetic and does not refer only to women or to one later community.
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact reader-facing Scripture wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
Exact location: Zephaniah 3:14-17, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Zephaniah
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew words, morphology, clause relationships, repeated roots, wordplays, names, and the base wording behind translation discussion.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v.2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Zeph.xml, 3:14-17
Open source ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible: Zephaniah with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2006
Supports: Verse-level translation, syntax, text-critical, poetic, historical, and uncertainty notes.
Exact location: NET Bible Zephaniah PDF, printed pp. 1783, translation and notes on 3:14-17
Open source ↗