1. Zephaniah 3:20 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

What do the closing words, “says the Lord,” underline about the prophecy?

Zephaniah 3:20 (ESV)

20 At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” says the LORD.

Says is in the perfect tense in Hebrew, indicating definiteness. The book closes where it began, by identifying its contents as from the Lord (see Zephaniah 1:1). In this way the author connects the whole of the book to the Lord, emphasizing the seriousness of the book’s commands, the certainty of its predictions, and the trustworthiness of its promises.1 What the Lord has said, he will do.