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Zephaniah Chapter One

 

Zephaniah 1

The Great Day of the Lord (v.1~18)

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

INTRODUCTION TO ZEPHANIAH 1

After the title of the book Zephaniah 1:1 follows the Lord's threatening of the land of Judea with an utter consumption of it and of all creatures in it for the sins of its inhabitants especially their idolatry and apostasy Zephaniah 1:2 and this is represented under the notion of a sacrifice to which guests are bid; and which even princes and those of the blood royal should not escape nor ministers of state or such who filled their masters' houses with violence Zephaniah 1:7. Some particular places are mentioned where there should be a great noise of crying and howling and especially Jerusalem which should be diligently searched and its goods become a booty and its houses desolate Zephaniah 1:10. This destruction is spoken of as near at hand and is described as very terrible and distressing Zephaniah 1:14 and as inevitable; nothing would be able to deliver from it Zephaniah 1:18.

 

Zephaniah 1:1   The word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi the son of Gedaliah the son of Amariah the son of Hezekiah in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah.

   YLT  1A word of Jehovah that hath been unto Zephaniah son of Cushi son of Gedaliah son of Amariah son of Hezikiah in the days of Josiah son of Amoz king of Judah:

The word of the Lord which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi .... This is the title of the book which expresses the subject matter of it the word of the Lord; the word of prophecy from the Lord as the Targum; and shows the divine authority of it; that it was not of himself nor from any man but was of God; as well as describes the penman of it by his descent: who or what this his father was; whether a prophet according to the rule the Jews give that when the name of a prophet and his father's name are mentioned he is a prophet the son of a prophet; or whether a prince a person of some great family and even of the blood royal as some have thought is not certain; or who those after mentioned:

the son of Gedaliah the son of Amariah the son of Hizkiah; which last name consisting of the same letters with Hezekiah king of Judah some have thought as Aben Ezra that he is intended; and that Zephaniah was a great-grandson of his; and which some think is confirmed by his style and diction and by the freedom he used with the king's family Zephaniah 1:8 but it is objected that if so it was Hizkiah or Hezekiah would have been called king of Judah; that it does not appear that Hezekiah had any other son besides Manasseh; and that there was not a sufficient distance of time from Hezekiah for four descents; and that in fact there were but three generations from him to Josiah in whose days Zephaniah prophesied as follows; though it is very probable that these progenitors of the prophet were men of note and character and therefore mentioned as well as to distinguish him from others of the same name who lived

in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah: not Amos as the Arabic version: Amon and Manasseh who reigned between Hezekiah and Josiah were both wicked princes and introduced idolatrous worship among the Jews; which Josiah in the twelfth year of his reign began to purge the people from and endeavoured a reformation; but whether it was before or after that Zephaniah delivered out this prophecy is not certain; it may seem to be before by the corruption of the times described in it; and so it may be thought to have some influence upon the after reformation; though it is thought by many it was after; since had he been in this office before the finding of the book of the law he and not Huldah the prophetess would have been consulted 2 Kings 22:14 nor could the people so well have been taxed with a perversion of the law had it not been as yet found Zephaniah 3:4 and besides the reformation seems to be hinted at in this prophecy since mention is made of the remnant of Baal which supposes a removal of many of his images; and also notice is taken of some that apostatized after the renewal of the covenant Zephaniah 1:4 moreover the time of the Jews' destruction and captivity is represented as very near Zephaniah 1:7 which began a little after the death of Josiah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim; to which Dr. LightfootF6Works vol. 1. p. 117. adds that the prophet prophesies against the king's children Jehoahaz Jehoiakim and Zedekiah for their new fashions and newfangled apparel Zephaniah 1:8 and therefore it must be in the latter part of his reign; and if so it shows how a people may relapse into sin after the greatest endeavours for their good and the best of examples set them. Mr. WhistonF7Chronological Tables cent. 9. and Mr. BedfordF8Scripture Chronology p. 674. place him in the latter part of his reign about 611 or 612 B.C.: there were three that prophesied about this time Zephaniah Jeremiah and Huldah the prophetess; of whom the Jewish Rabbins say as Kimchi quotes them Jeremiah prophesied in the streets Zephaniah in the synagogues and Huldah among the women.

 

Zephaniah 1:2   2 “I will utterly consume everything From the face of the land ” Says the Lord;
   YLT 
2I utterly consume all from off the face of the ground An affirmation of Jehovah.

I will utterly consume all things from off the land saith the Lord. That is from the land of Judah by means of the Chaldeans or Babylonians: this is a general denunciation of the judgments of God the particulars follow: or "in gathering I will gather"; all good things out of the land; all the necessaries of life and blessings of Providence; all that is for the sustenance and pleasure of man as well as all creatures by death or captivity; and so the land should be entirely stripped and left naked and bare. The phrase denotes the certainty of the thing as well as the utter entire and total consumption that should be made and the vehemence and earnestness in which it is expressed.

 

Zephaniah 1:3   3 “I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of the heavens The fish of the sea And the stumbling blocks[a] along with the wicked. I will cut off man from the face of the land ” Says the Lord.

   YLT  3I consume man and beast I consume fowl of the heavens and fishes of the sea And the stumbling-blocks -- the wicked And I have cut off man from the face of the ground An affirmation of Jehovah

I will consume man and beast .... Wicked men for their sins and beasts for the sins of men; and as a punishment for them the creatures whom they have abused to the gratifying of their lusts:

I will consume the fowls of the heaven and the fishes of the sea; so that there shall be none for the use of man which are both delicate food; the latter were not consumed at the general deluge. Kimchi thinks this is said by way of hyperbole; but it is possible for these to be consumed as men by famine pestilence and captivity and beasts by murrain; so the fowls of the air by the noisomeness of it; and the fishes of the sea that is such as were in the sea of Tiberias and other lakes in Judea by the stagnation of the waters or by some disease sent among them; unless wicked men comparable to them are intended; though they are expressly mentioned both before and after:

and the stumblingblocks with the wicked: that is idols which are stumblingblocks to men and cause them to offend and fall; these together with those that made them and the priests that sacrificed unto them and the people that worshipped them should be consumed from off the land: or "the stumblingblocks of the wicked"; for את is sometimes used as a sign of the genitive case as NoldiusF9Ebr. Concord. Part. p. 122. observes; and so the Vulgate Latin version and the Targum render it:

and I will cut off men from off the land saith the Lord: this is repeated for the certainty of it; or else this designs another sort of men from the former; and that as before wicked men are designed here such as are not perfectly wicked as Kimchi observes; yea the righteous should be carried captive so that the land should be left desolate without men good or bad; for even good men may fall in a general calamity and be cut off from the land though not from the Lord. The Septuagint indeed here render it wicked men. The phrase "saith the Lord" is twice expressed for the certain confirmation of it; for it may be concluded it will be since God has said it again and again that it shall be.

 

Zephaniah 1:4   4 “I will stretch out My hand against Judah And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place The names of the idolatrous priests[b] with the pagan priests—
   YLT 
4And stretched out My hand against Judah And against all inhabiting Jerusalem And cut off from this place the remnant of Baal The name of the idolatrous priests with the priests

I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah .... Under whom the tribe of Benjamin is comprehended which are only designed; the ten tribes having been carried captive in Hezekiah's time many years before this: not "to Judah" as beckoning to come and hearken to him as calling to repentance and reformation; this he had done but was rejected and therefore determines to stretch out his hand "upon" them; nor "over Judah" to protect and defend them; but "upon Judah" exerting his power stirring up his wrath and executing his vengeance; and this is dreadful and intolerable to bear! and when his hand is stretched out it cannot be turned back; and when laid on can never be removed till he pleases:

and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the metropolis of Judea the royal seat of the kings of the house of David; where were the temple of the Lord; the ark the symbol of his presence; the altar where his priests sacrificed and the place where his people worshipped; and yet these inhabitants should not escape the hand of the Lord having sinned against him; nor should these things be any security to them:

and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place; either what of the idolatry of Baal or belonging to it remained among the Jews after the ten tribes were carried captive; which must be the sense if this prophecy was before the reformation was begun by Josiah; or if after the meaning is what was left unremoved by him as any of the images of Baal or altars erected for his worship or vessels consecrated to his service or groves that were for his use; all which would be cut off and destroyed by the Chaldeans as well as the worshippers of him that remained:

and the name of the Chemarims with the priests; that is the priests of Baal with the priests of the tribe of Levi who sometimes tampered and officiated with them in idolatrous service; for the word "Chemarim" is translated "idolatrous priests" 2 Kings 23:5 said to be put down by Josiah in whose days Zephaniah prophesied; and must be the same with these and it is used for such in Hosea 10:5 so called either from the black garments they wore as some think; or from the colour of their faces smutted with the smoke of the incense they frequently offered; or of the fires in which they sacrificed or made the children to pass through to Molech. HillerusF11Onomastic. Sacr. p. 113. thinks they are the same with those heathen priests called "Phallophori"; deriving the word from one in the Arabic language which has the signification of the "Phalli"; which were obscene images carried about in an impudent manner by the priests of Bacchus in the performance of his sacred rites: the carrying of them was first instituted by Isis as PlutarchF12De Iside & Osiride. says; and if this was the case here it is no wonder they should be so severely threatened. Some take them to be a sort of servants or ministers to the priests of Baal who waited on them at the time of service; and so are distinguished from them in this clause taking the word "priests" in it to design the priests of Baal; and the Vulgate Latin version renders it "the name of sextons with the priests". The word is used now by the Jews for Popish monks that live in cloisters; and Elias LevitaF13Tishbi p. 163. Vid. Buxtorf. Lex. Talmud. in voce כמר. thinks these here are so called from their living in such like recluse places. The Targum is

"and the name of their worshippers with their priests;'

one and the other; priests of Baal and apostate priests of the Lord; the worshippers of Baal and those that attend upon his priests shall all feel the weight of Jehovah's hand and the lighting down of his arm with indignation.

 

Zephaniah 1:5   5 Those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops; Those who worship and swear oaths by the Lord But who also swear by Milcom;[c]
   YLT 
5And those bowing themselves On the roofs to the host of the heavens And those bowing themselves Swearing to Jehovah and swearing by Malcham

And upon them that worship the host of heaven upon the house tops .... The sun moon and stars which some worshipped upon their house tops; the roofs of their houses being flat as the roofs of the houses of the Jews generally were; from hence they had a full view of the host of heaven and worshipped them openly; and fancied the nearer they were to them the more acceptable was their service; see Jeremiah 19:13

and them that worship and that swear the Lord and that swear by Malcham; that is that worship the true God or at least pretend to do so and swear by him when they take an oath: or "that swear to the Lord"; as the wordsF14הנשבעים ליהוה "qui jurant Domino" Drusius; "qui jurant Jehovae" Cocceius; "jurantes Domino Jehovae" Burkius. may be rendered; that swear allegiance to him to be true and faithful to him to serve and obey him and to keep his statutes and ordinances; and yet they swear by Malcham also or Milchom or Melchom the same with Molech or Mo the god of the Ammonites. These were such as partly worshipped God and partly idols; they divided their religion and devotion between them sometimes served the one and sometimes the other; they halted between two opinions and were a sort of occasional conformists; and such were as detestable to God as those that worshipped idols; as the Papists are who pretend to worship God and their images or God in them and with them; and so all such persons that seek for justification and salvation partly by their own works and partly by Christ are displeasing to the Lord and miss of the thing; stumbling at the stumbling stone and so fall and perish.

 

Zephaniah 1:6   6 Those who have turned back from following the Lord And have not sought the Lord nor inquired of Him.”

   YLT  6And those removing from after Jehovah And who have not sought Jehovah nor besought Him.

And them that are turned back from the Lord .... Who once were worshippers of him but now become apostates and had turned their backs on him and his worship. Some think this describes those who renewed their covenant with God in Josiah's time and after that revolted from him who must be very abominable to him; and therefore he threatens to stretch out his hand and pour out his wrath upon them:

and those that have not sought the Lord nor inquired for him; profane abandoned sinners that lived without God in the world and as if there was no God; never concerned themselves about the worship of him having no faith in him love to him or fear and reverence of him; so far were they from seeking him in the first place diligently zealously and with their whole heart that they never sought him at all; nor took any pains to get any knowledge of him or of his mind and will and manner of worship; but were altogether careless about these things and unconcerned for them.

 

Zephaniah 1:7   7 Be silent in the presence of the Lord God; For the day of the Lord is at hand For the Lord has prepared a sacrifice; He has invited[d] His guests.

   YLT  7Hush! because of the Lord Jehovah For near [is] a day of Jehovah For prepared hath Jehovah a sacrifice He hath sanctified His invited ones.

Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God .... When he comes forth and appears in the way of his judgments do not dispute the point with him or pretend to offer reasons against his proceedings or in order to disprove the justice of them; stand in awe and reverence of him who is the Lord God omniscient and omnipotent holy just and true; humble yourselves under his mighty hand; be still and know that he is God; and let not one murmuring and repining word come out of your mouth. The Targum is

"let all the wicked of the earth perish from before the Lord God:'

for the day of the Lord is at hand; the time of his vengeance on the Jewish nation for their sins which he had fixed in his mind and had given notice of by his prophets: this began to take place at Josiah's death after which the Jews enjoyed little peace and prosperity; and his successor reigned but three months was deposed by the king of Egypt and carried thither captive and there died; and Jehoiakim that succeeded him in the fourth year of his reign was carried captive into Babylon or died by the way thither; so that this day might well be said to be at hand:

for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice: his people the Jews who were to fall a victim to his vengeance and a sacrifice to his justice to atone in some measure for the injury done to it by their sins; thus they that had offered sacrifice to idols and neglected the sacrifices of the Lord and especially the great sacrifice of Christ typified by them the only proper atoning one should themselves become a sacrifice to the just resentment of God; this he had prepared in his mind determined should be done and would bring about in his providence; see Isaiah 34:6

he hath bid his guests: or "called ones"F15קראיו "vocatos suos" Pagninus Montanus Cocceius Burkius; "invitatos suos" Vatablus Tigurine verson Junius & Tremellius Piscator Drusius. ; the Chaldeans whom he invited and called to this sacrifice and feast: or whom he "prepared" or "sanctified"F16הקדיש "praeparavit" Vatablus Junius & Tremellius Piscator; so Ben Melech; "sanctificavit" V. L. Montanus Cocceius Burkius. ; he prepared them in his purpose and providence; he set them apart for this service and called them to it; to be the sacrificers of this people and to feast upon them; to spoil them of their goods and riches and enjoy them. These guests may also design as Kimchi observes the fowls of the heaven and the beasts of the field invited to feast upon the slain; see Ezekiel 39:17.

 

Zephaniah 1:8   8 “And it shall be In the day of the Lord’s sacrifice That I will punish the princes and the king’s children And all such as are clothed with foreign apparel.
   YLT 
8And it hath come to pass In the day of the sacrifice of Jehovah That I have laid a charge on the heads And on sons of the king And on all putting on strange clothing.

And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lord's sacrifice .... When the above sacrifice prepared shall be offered and the slaughter of his people made when his wrath shall be poured out upon them within the time of its beginning and ending:

that I will punish the princes and the king's children; either the children of Josiah who though a good prince his children did evil in the sight of the Lord and were punished by him: Jehoahaz after a three months' reign was carried down to Egypt and died there; Jehoiakim his elder brother that succeeded him rebelling against the king of Babylon in the fourth year of his reign fell into his hands and died and was buried with the burial of an ass; and Jeconiah his son was carried captive into Babylon and there remained to the day of his death; and with him were carried the whole royal family and all the princes and all the mighty men of valour 2 Kings 24:14 or else the children of Zedekiah another son of Josiah and the last of the kings of Judah who was carried captive by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon who before his eyes slew his sons and all the princes of Judah and then put out his eyes and bound him in chains Jeremiah 52:10 and thus this prophecy had its accomplishment:

and all such as are clothed with strange apparel; either which they put on in honour of the idols they worshipped as Jarchi; so the heathens wore one sort of garments for one idol and another sort for another; or these were men of a pharisaical cast who wore garments different from others that they might be thought to be very holy and religious which sense is mentioned by Kimchi; or they were such which he also observes who seeing some to have plenty of good clothes stole them from them and put them on; or such who arrayed themselves in garments that did not belong to their sex men put on women's garments and women clothed themselves with men's and both strange apparel; or rather this points at such persons who in their apparel imitated the fashions and customs of foreign nations; which probably began with the king's children and courtiers and were followed by others. The Targum is

"and upon all those that make a noise at the worship of idols.'

 

Zephaniah 1:9   9 In the same day I will punish All those who leap over the threshold [e] Who fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.

   YLT  9And I have laid a charge on every one Who is leaping over the threshold in that day Who are filling the house of their masters [With] violence and deceit.

In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold .... Not in a ludicrous way who by dancing and leaping made sport for persons and brought their masters much gain as the damsel possessed with a spirit of divination did Acts 16:16 rather that entered rashly and irreverently into the house of God; or else in an idolatrous way who when they went into an idol's temple did not tread upon the threshold but leaped over it as the priests of Dagon after the fall of that idol on the threshold 1 Samuel 5:4. So the Targum

"and I will visit all those that walk in the laws (or according to the customs) of the Philistines;'

whose idol Dagon was: but it seems better to interpret it of such who seeing houses full of good things in a rude bold insolent manner thrust themselves or jumped into them and took away what they pleased; or when they returned to their masters' houses with their spoil who set them on and encouraged them in these practices leaped over the threshold for joy of what they had got as Aben Ezra observes; which agrees with what follows:

which fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit; that is with goods got by rapine and force and by fraudulent ways and methods: this is to be understood of the servants of great men who to feed the ambition and avarice of their masters used very oppressive methods with inferior persons to get their substance from them and gratify their masters. Cocceius interprets these "three" verses of the day of Christ's coming in the flesh being at hand when the true sacrifice should be offered up and God would call his people to feed by faith upon it; when all civil power and authority in the sanhedrim and family of David should be removed from the Jews; and all friendship with the nations of the world signified by likeness of garments; and the priestly dignity the priests according to him being those that leaped over the threshold; that is of the house of the Lord the temple and filled it with the spoil of widows' houses unsupportable precepts and false doctrines.

 

Zephaniah 1:10   10 “And there shall be on that day ” says the Lord “The sound of a mournful cry from the Fish Gate A wailing from the Second Quarter And a loud crashing from the hills.
   YLT 
10And there hath been in that day An affirmation of Jehovah The noise of a cry from the fish-gate And of a howling from the Second And of great destruction from the hills.

And it shall come to pass in that day saith the Lord .... In the day of the Lord's sacrifice when he shall punish the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem by the Chaldeans; which as well as what follows shall surely come to pass because the Lord has said it; for not one word of his shall pass away but all be fulfilled:

that there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate; a gate of the city of Jerusalem so called which suffered as the rest in the destruction of the city by the Babylonians and after the captivity was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah Nehemiah 3:3 according to Jerom it was on the west side of the city and led to Diospolis and Joppa; and was the nearest road to the Mediterranean sea or any of the roads to Jerusalem from whence fish were brought and brought in by this gate; and very probably the fish market was near it from whence it had its name; though Cocceius places it in the north corner of the east side of the city and so was nearer Jordan the sea of Tiberias and the city of Tyre from whence fish might be brought hither and sold Nehemiah 13:16 however be it where it will the enemy it seems would attack it and enter in by it; upon which a hideous cry would be made either by the assailants the Chaldeans at their attack upon it and entrance through it; or by the inhabitants of it or that were nearest to it upon their approach or both:

and an howling from the second; either from the second gate; and if the fish gate is the same with the first gate Zechariah 14:10 then this may be pertinently called the second. Jarchi calls it the bird gate which was the second to the fish gate. So the Targum

"from the bird or the bird gate;'

though some copies of it read from the tower or high fortress: or else this designs the second wall and the gate in that which answered to the fish gate; for Jerusalem was encompassed with three walls; the fish gate was in the outermost and this was in the second to which the Chaldeans came next and occasioned a dreadful howling and lamentation in the people that dwelt near it. Kimchi interprets it of the school or university that was in Jerusalem; the same word is rendered the cottage in which Huldah the prophetess lived 2 Kings 22:14 and there by the Targum

"the house of doctrine or instruction;'

so then the sense is a grievous outcry would be heard from the university or school of the prophets; the enemy having entered it and were slaying the students or seizing them in order to carry them captive:

and a great crashing from the hills; either that were in Jerusalem as Mount Zion and Moriah on which the temple stood; or those that were round about it as Gareb and Goath and others; though some interpret this of the houses of nobles that stood in the higher parts of the city where there would be a shivering a breaking to pieces as the word signifies of doors and windows without and of furniture within.

 

Zephaniah 1:11   11 Wail you inhabitants of Maktesh![f] For all the merchant people are cut down; All those who handle money are cut off.

   YLT  11Howl ye inhabitants of the hollow place For cut off hath been all the merchant people Cut off have been all bearing silver.

Howl ye inhabitants of Maktesh .... The name of a street in Jerusalem as Aben Ezra; perhaps it lay low in the hollow of the city and in the form of a mortar from whence it might have its name as the wordF17המכתש "mortarii" Vatablus Tigurine version; "cavi" Junius & Tremellius Piscator; "loci concavi" Calvin. signifies; which is used both for a hollow place and for a mortar Judges 15:19 unless it might be so called from such persons dwelling in it that used mortars for spice and other things. The Targum is

"howl all ye that dwell in the valley of Kidron;'

and Jerom thinks the valley of Siloah is intended which is the same; which AdrichomiusF18Theatrum Terrae Sanctae p. 163. says was broad deep and dark and surrounded the temple in manner of a foss or ditch; and was disposed in the form of a mortar called in Hebrew "machtes"; in Latin "pila"; in which merchants and tradesmen of all kinds dwelt. It is thought by others to be the same which JosephusF19De Bello Jud. l. 5. c. 4. sect. 1. calls "the valley of the cheese mongers" which lay between the two hills Zion and Acra. The reason of their howling is

for all the merchant people are cut down; either cut to pieces by the sword of the enemy and become silent as the wordF20נדמה "conticuit" V. L. "in silentium redactus est" Drusius. sometimes signifies and the Vulgate Latin version here renders it; become so by death and laid in the silent grave and no more concerned in merchandise; or else stripped of all their wealth and goods by the enemy and so cut down broke and become bankrupt and could trade no more. The word for merchant signifies a Canaanite; and the Targum paraphrases it thus

"for all the people are broken whose works are like the works of the people of the land of Canaan:'

all they that bear silver are cut off; that have large quantities of it and carry it to market to buy goods with it as merchants; these shall be cut off and so a great loss to trade and a cause of howling and lamentation; or such that wear it in their garments embroidered with it; or rather in their purses who are loaded with this thick clay abound with it. The Targum is

"all that are rich in substance shall be destroyed.'

 

Zephaniah 1:12   12 “And it shall come to pass at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps And punish the men Who are settled in complacency [g] Who say in their heart ‘The Lord will not do good Nor will He do evil.’
   YLT 
12And it hath come to pass at that time I search Jerusalem with lights And I have laid a charge on the men Who are hardened on their preserved things Who are saying in their heart: Jehovah doth no good nor doth He evil.

And it shall come to pass at that time that I will search Jerusalem with candles .... To find out the sins of the inhabitants of it and the authors of them and punish them for them however hid and concealed from the eyes of others or thought to be: this must be understood consistent with the omniscience of God who knows all persons and things; nothing is hid from him; men may fancy their sins are hid being privately and secretly committed; but all will be manifest sooner or later; if not now yet at the day of judgment; and sometimes they are made manifest by God in this life as here; for what the Lord here says he would do he did it by instruments by the Chaldeans whom he sent to Jerusalem; and to whom the gates of the city the doors of houses and the innermost recesses of them were opened and plundered by them; and all for the sins of the people which were hereby exposed. So the Targum

"and it shall be at that time that I will appoint searchers and they shall search Jerusalem as they that search with candles;'

and no doubt but this was literally true of the Chaldeans who with candles might search vaults and cellars and such like dark places where they supposed goods and riches were concealed. The allusion may be to the searching with lamps for leaven on the fourteenth of Nisan when the passover began in every corner of a house and when they found it burnt itF21Vid. Misn. Pesachim c. 1. sect. 1 4. ; or in general to searching for anything which lies concealed in dark places where the light of the sun comes not and can only be discovered by the light of candles; and denotes that nothing should escape the sight and knowledge of God by whom a full discovery would be made of their persons and sins and cognizance taken of them in a vindictive way as follows:

and punish the men that are settled on their lees; like wine on the lees quiet and undisturbed; in a good outward estate and condition abounding in wealth and riches and trusting therein; and which as the Targum paraphrases it they enjoy in great tranquillity; Moab like having never been emptied from vessel to vessel Jeremiah 48:11 and so concluded they should ever remain in the same state and became hardened in sin or "curdled" and thickened as the wordF23הקפאים "concreti sunt" Junius & Tremellius Piscator; "congelati" Calvin; "coagulatos" Montanus Cocceius; "qui concreverunt glaciei vel casei ad instar" Burkius. signifies; and were unconcerned about the state of religion or the state of their own souls; and fearless and thoughtless of the judgments of God; but should now be visited disturbed in their tranquil state and be troubled and punished:

that say in their heart; not daring to express with their lips the following atheism and blasphemy; but God who searched and tried their hearts knew it:

The Lord will not do good neither will he do evil; which is a flat denial of his providence; saying that he takes no notice of what is done by men on earth whether good or bad; and neither rewards the one nor punishes the other. So the Targum as Kimchi quotes it

"it is not the good pleasure of God to do good to the righteous or to do evil to the wicked;'

than which nothing is more false! the Lord does good to all in a providential way and to many in a way of special grace; and rewards with a reward of grace all good men both here and hereafter; and though he does not do any moral evil yet he executes the evil of punishment in this world and in that to come on evildoers.

 

Zephaniah 1:13   13 Therefore their goods shall become booty And their houses a desolation; They shall build houses but not inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards but not drink their wine.”

   YLT  13And their wealth hath been for a spoil And their houses for desolation And they have built houses and do not inhabit And they have planted vineyards And they do not drink their wine.

Therefore their goods shall become a booty .... To the enemy; the riches they trusted in and thought themselves so secure of; and therefore denied divine Providence which ought to be depended upon amidst the greatest affluence; or otherwise the Lord has various ways by which he can soon strip men of all their enjoyments and dispose of them to others:

and their houses a desolation; be pulled down by the enemy; or left uninhabited they being killed or carried captive even their whole families:

they shall also build houses but not inhabit them; not long at least; not always as they expected and promised themselves when they built them:

and they shall plant vineyards and not drink the wine thereof: but before the vines planted by them bring forth grapes and these are pressed and wine made of them they should fall into the hands of the enemy who would drink it and not they; and all this agreeably to what was threatened them in the law of Moses which they ought to have regarded Deuteronomy 28:30.

 

Zephaniah 1:14   14 The great day of the Lord is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out.
   YLT 
14Near [is] the great day of Jehovah Near and hasting exceedingly The noise of the day of Jehovah Bitterly shriek there doth a mighty one.

The great day of the Lord is near it is near and hasteth greatly .... Not the day of judgment but the day of God's vengeance upon the Jews which yet bore some resemblance to that day of the Lord and it may be therefore so called; as the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans had some likeness to it and therefore the signs of the one and of the other are given together by our Lord in Matthew 24:1 and this was a day in which he would do great things by the Chaldeans and against the Jews; and this is represented as very "near"; and repeated again for the confirmation of it and to arouse the thoughtless and careless about it and who put away this evil day far from them; yea it is said to make great haste and to fly away swiftly even faster than time usually does; though in common it has wings ascribed unto it:

even the voice of the day of the Lord; in which the Lord's voice will be heard; not his voice of grace and mercy as in the day of salvation; but of wrath and vengeance which will be terrible; hence it follows:

the mighty men shall cry there bitterly; not the voice of the mighty men besieging the city making a hideous noise to animate the soldiers in making the assault as some; but the mighty men within the city of Jerusalem besieged who when they see the city broken up would be in the utmost terror and cry bitterly like women and children being quite dismayed and dispirited; even the men of war upon the walls and in the garrisons with their officers and generals; and if this would be the case with them how must it be thought to be with others the weak and timorous?

 

Zephaniah 1:15   15 That day is a day of wrath A day of trouble and distress A day of devastation and desolation A day of darkness and gloominess A day of clouds and thick darkness
   YLT 
15A day of wrath [is] that day A day of adversity and distress A day of waste and desolation A day of darkness and gloominess A day of cloud and thick darkness.

That day is a day of wrath .... Both of the wrath of God against his people for their sins; these judgments being the effects of his wrath provoked by their iniquities; and of the wrath and cruelty of the Chaldeans exercised in a furious manner:

a day of trouble and distress; to the inhabitants of Jerusalem they being taken and led captive their houses plundered and demolished and the whole city and temple laid in ruins:

a day of wasteness and desolation; of the whole country of Judea and the metropolis of it; of their houses fields and vineyards:

a day of darkness and gloominess a day of clouds and thick darkness: as it might be in a natural sense; the displeasure of God being shown in the very heavens by the darkness and gloominess of them and the thick clouds with which they were covered; and made still more dark and gloomy by the burning of the city and the smoke of it; and in such circumstances gloominess and melancholy must sit upon the minds of men: and thick clouds and darkness portend greater troubles and calamities coming on; and the whole is expressive of great adversity; for as light frequently designs prosperity so darkness adversity.

 

Zephaniah 1:16   16 A day of trumpet and alarm Against the fortified cities And against the high towers.

   YLT  16A day of trumpet and shouting against the fenced cities And against the high corners.

A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities .... The trumpet of the enemy sounding the alarm of war against the fenced cities of Judea which were taken before Jerusalem; calling and gathering the soldiers together and animating them to the assault of them; and blowing them in a way of triumph; and as expressive of victory having got possession of them:

and against the high towers; or "corners"F24פנות "pinnas" Montanus Castalio; "angulos" Junius & Tremellius Burkius. ; towers being usually built corner-wise and full of corners and on the corners of walls of cities; sometimes these signify princes magistrates and great men Zechariah 10:4.

 

Zephaniah 1:17   17 “I will bring distress upon men And they shall walk like blind men Because they have sinned against the Lord; Their blood shall be poured out like dust And their flesh like refuse.”

   YLT  17And I have sent distress to men And they have walked as the blind For against Jehovah they have sinned And poured out is their blood as dust And their flesh [is] as dung.

And I will bring distress upon men .... Not upon men in general but particularly on the men of Judea and inhabitants of Jerusalem; and especially those that were in the fenced cities and high towers; and who might think themselves safe and secure; but being besieged should be distressed with famine and pestilence and with the enemy; and more especially when stormed and a breach made and the enemy just entering:

that they shall walk like blind men; not knowing which way to go where to turn themselves what methods to take or course to steer no more than a blind man. The phrase is expressive of their being at their wits' ends void of all thought and consultation:

because they have sinned against the Lord; and therefore he gives them up not only into the hand of the enemy but unto an infatuation of spirit and a judicial blindness of mind:

and their blood shall be poured out as dust; in great quantities like that without any regard to it without showing any mercy and as if it was of no more value than the dust of the earth. The Targum is

"their blood shall be poured out into the dust;'

or on it and be drunk up by it:

and their flesh as the dung; or their carcasses as the same paraphrase; that is their dead bodies shall lie unburied and rot and putrefy and shall be cast upon fields like dung to fatten them. The word for "flesh" in the Hebrew language signifies bread or food; because dead bodies are food for worms; but in the Arabic language as Aben Ezra and Jarchi observe it signifies "flesh".

 

Zephaniah 1:18   18 Neither their silver nor their gold Shall be able to deliver them In the day of the Lord’s wrath; But the whole land shall be devoured By the fire of His jealousy For He will make speedy riddance Of all those who dwell in the land.

   YLT  18Even their silver even their gold Is not able to deliver them in a day of the wrath of Jehovah And in the fire of His jealousy consumed is the whole land For only a hastened end doth He make Of all the inhabitants of the land!

Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath .... Which they have gotten in an unjust way and have hoarded up and put their confidence in; these were the lees on which they were settled; but now as they would be disregarded by the Lord as insufficient to atone for their sins and appease his wrath and procure his favour; see Job 36:18 so they would be of no avail to them to deliver from their enemies who would not be bribed therewith to save their lives; the same is said of the Medes at the taking of Babylon Isaiah 13:17

but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy; his zeal against sin and for his own glory shall burn like fire; which shall consume the whole land and all the inhabitants of it and was not to be stopped by anything that could be done by them; so furious and raging would it be:

for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land; burn up at once all the briers and thorns even all that offend and do iniquity and spare neither root nor branch; or as when a field is cleared of the stubble on it after the wheat is gathered in; or a grain floor of its chaff after the wheat is separated from it; thus with the besom of destruction would the Lord sweep away the sinful inhabitants of Judea and clear it of them as he did by the sword by famine by pestilence and by captivity.

 

──John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible

 

New King James Version (NKJV)

Footnotes:

  1. Zephaniah 1:3 Figurative of idols
  2. Zephaniah 1:4 Hebrew chemarim
  3. Zephaniah 1:5 Or Malcam an Ammonite god also called Molech (compare Leviticus 18:21)
  4. Zephaniah 1:7 Literally set apart consecrated
  5. Zephaniah 1:9 Compare 1 Samuel 5:5
  6. Zephaniah 1:11 Literally Mortar a market district of Jerusalem
  7. Zephaniah 1:12 Literally on their lees that is settled like the dregs of wine