Albert Barnes Commentary Zephaniah 3:11

"In that day shalt thou not be put to shame for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me; for then I will take away out of the midst of thee thy proudly exulting ones, and thou shalt no more be haughty in my holy mountain." — Zephaniah 3:11 (ASV)

In that day you shall not be ashamed for all your doings - Because God, forgiving them, will blot them out and no more remember them. This was first fulfilled in the Gospel. Cyril says: “No one can doubt that when Christ came in the flesh, there was an amnesty and remission to all who believed. For we are justified not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His great mercy. But we have been released from shame. For He has restored us to freedom of access to God, Who for our sakes arose from the dead, and for us ascended to heaven in the presence of the Father. For Christ, our Forerunner, has ascended for us now to appear in the presence of God. So then He took away the guilt of all and freed believers from failures and shame.”

Peter, even in heaven, must remember his denial of our Lord, yet not so as to be ashamed or pained anymore, since the exceeding love of God will remove all shame or pain.

Rupertus says: “Mighty promise, mighty consolation. Now, before that Day comes, the Day of My Resurrection, you will be ashamed and not without reason, since you acknowledge by a true confession, ‘all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags’ (Isaiah 64:6).

But at that Day it will not be so, especially when that shall be which I promise you in the prophets and the Psalms, ‘There shall be a Fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness’ (Zechariah 13:1); and so David also, exulting in good hope of the Holy Spirit, says, ‘Thou shalt wash me and I shall be whiter than snow’ (Psalms 51:7).

For though he elsewhere says, ‘they looked unto Him and were lightened, and their faces were not ashamed’ (Psalms 34:5), yet in this mortal life, when the Day of My Resurrection does not fully shine upon you, you are somewhat ashamed; as it is written, ‘What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed?’ (Romans 6:21), but that shame will bring glory, and, when that glory comes in its place, will wholly pass away. But when the fullness of that day shall come, the fullness of My Resurrection, when the members shall rise, as the Head has risen, will the memory of past foulness bring any confusion?

Indeed, the very memory of the miseries will be the richest subject of singing, according to that, ‘My song shall be alway of the loving-kindness of the Lord’ (Psalms 89:1).” For how shall the redeemed forget the mercies of their redemption, or how could they still feel a painful shame even of the very miseries, out of which they were redeemed by the fullness of the overstreaming Love of God?

For then will I take away out of the midst of you them that rejoice in your pride - (Those of you who exult in pride.) All confusion will cease, because all pride, the parent of sin and confusion, will cease.

The very gift of God becomes to the carnal a source of pride. Pride was to the Jew also the great hindrance to the reception of the Gospel.

He made his boast of the law, indeed, in God Himself, that he knew His will, and was a guide of others (Romans 2:17–20, 23), and so was the more indignant that the pagan was made equal to him, and that he too was called to repentance and faith in Christ.

So, going about to establish his own righteousness, he did not submit himself to the righteousness of God (Romans 10:3), but shut himself out from the faith and grace and salvation of Christ, and rejected Himself.

So, Rupertus says: “Your pride may be the pride in being the people of God and having Abraham for their father. And thou shalt no more be haughty in My holy mountain, but you shall stand in the great and everlasting abiding-place of humility, knowing perfectly that you now knowest in part only, and confess truly that no one ever could or can by his own works be justified in the sight of God. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).”

Pride, which is always offensive to God, is yet more hideous in a holy place or a holy office, in Mount Sion where the temple was or in the Christian priesthood.