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Zephaniah Chapter Two

 

Zephaniah 2 Outlines

A Call to Repentance (v.1~3)

Judgment on Nations (v.4~15)

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

INTRODUCTION TO ZEPHANIAH 2

In this chapter the prophet exhorts the Jews to repentance; and foretells the destruction of several neighbouring nations. The body of the people of the Jews in general are first called upon to gather together and humble themselves who were a people neither desirable nor deserving of the favours of God nor desirous of them Zephaniah 2:1 and to this they are pressed from the consideration of God's decree of vengeance being ready to bring forth and break forth upon them Zephaniah 2:2 and then the few godly among them are exhorted to seek the Lord and what is agreeable to him; since there was at least a probability of their being protected by him in a time of general calamity Zephaniah 2:3 and that the destruction of this people might appear the more certain and that they might have no dependence on their neighbours the prophet proceeds to predict the ruin of several of them particularly the Philistines; several places belonging to them are by name mentioned and the whole land threatened with desolation; the maritime part of it to be only inhabited by shepherds and their flocks; and afterwards the coast possessed by the Jews on their return from their captivity Zephaniah 2:4. Next the Moabites and Ammonites are prophesied of; whose destruction should come upon them for their pride and for their contempt and reviling of the people of God; and which should be like that of Sodom and Gomorrah; and would issue in the abolition of idolatry and the setting up of the worship of God in their country and elsewhere Zephaniah 2:8. As for the Ethiopians they should be slain with the sword Zephaniah 2:12 and the whole monarchy of Assyria with Nineveh the metropolis of it should be utterly laid waste and become a desolation and a wilderness; and the habitation not only of flocks but of beasts and birds of prey Zephaniah 2:13.

 

Zephaniah 2:1   Gather yourselves together yes gather together O undesirable[a] nation
   YLT 
1Bend yourselves yea bend ye O nation not desired

Gather yourselves together .... This is said to the people of the Jews in general; that whereas the judgments of God were coming upon them as predicted in the preceding chapter Zephaniah 1:1 it was high time for them to get together and consider what was to be done at such a juncture; it was right to call a solemn assembly to gather the people priests and elders together to some one place as Joel directs Joel 1:14 the inhabitants of Jerusalem to the temple and the people of the land to their respective synagogues and there humble themselves before the Lord; confess their sins and declare their repentance for them; and pray that God would show favour to them and avert his wrath and judgments from them: or "gather the straw"F25התקששו "legite paleas vestras" Gussetius. קשש "proprie est stipulas colligere" Drusius Piscator Tarnovius. ; from yourselves and then gather it from others as follows: or "first adorn yourselves" and "then others" as in the TalmudF26T. Bab. Bava Metzia fol. 107. 2. & Bava Bathra fol. 60. 2. & Sanhedrin fol. 19. 1. ; and the sense is the same with the words of Christ "first cast out the beam out of thine own eye" &c. Matthew 7:3 and the meaning of both is first correct and amend yourselves and then reprove others: this sense is given by the Jewish commentators and is approved by GussetiusF1Ebr. Comment. p. 763. : or "search yourselves"F2"Scrutamini" Pagninus; "disquirite" Munster; "examinate" Vatablus; "perscrutamini" Cocceius. ; as some render the word; and that very diligently as stubble is searched into or any thing searched for in it; let the body of the people inquire among themselves what should be the cause of these things; what public sins prevailed among them for which they were threatened with an utter destruction; and let everyone search into his own heart and ways and consider how much he has contributed to the bringing down such sad calamities upon the nation: thus it became them to search and inquire into their state and circumstances of affairs in a way of self-examination; or otherwise the Lord would search them in a way of judgment as threatened Zephaniah 1:12 or "shake out"F3"Excutite vos" Junius & Tremellius Tarnovius; so Stockius p. 975. or "fan yourselves" as others; remove your chaff by repentance and reformation that you be not blown away like chaff in the day of God's wrath as afterwards suggested:

yea gather together; or "search" or "shake out" or "fan" as before: this is repeated to show the necessity and importance of it and the vehemency of the prophet in urging it:

O nation not desired; by other nations but hated by them as Abarbinel observes; not desirable to God or good men; not amiable or lovely for any excellencies and goodness in them but the reverse; being a disobedient and rebellious people; a seed of evildoers laden with iniquity who from the crown of the head to the sole of the feet were full of wounds bruises and putrefying sores; or of disorders and irregularities sins and transgressions comparable to them; and therefore instead of being desirable were loathsome and abominable: or as some render the word "O nation void of desire"F4לא נכסף "vacua desiderio" Junius & Tremellius Piscator; "quae nullo desiderio afficeris" Burkius; "quae nullo tenteris affectu" Munster. ; or "not affected" with it; who had no desire after God and the knowledge of his will; after his word and worship; after a return unto him and reconciliation with him; after his favour grace and mercy; not desirous of good things nor of doing any. So the Targum

"gather together and come and draw near this people who desire not to return to the law.'

Joseph Kimchi from the use of the word in the Misnic language renders it "O nation not ashamed": of their evil works being bold and impudent; and yet such was the goodness and grace of God to them that he calls them to repentance and gives them warning before he strikes the blow.

 

Zephaniah 2:2   2 Before the decree is issued Or the day passes like chaff Before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you Before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you!
   YLT 
2Before the bringing forth of a statute As chaff hath the day passed on While yet not come in upon you doth the heat of the anger of Jehovah While yet not come in upon you doth a day of the anger of Jehovah

Before the decree bring forth before the day pass as the chaff .... Which was like a woman big with child ready to be delivered. The decree of God concerning the people of the Jews was pregnant with wrath and ruin for their sins and just ripe for execution; and therefore before it was actually executed they are exhorted as above; not that the decree of God which was gone forth could be frustrated and made void by anything done by them; only that when it was put into execution such as repented of their sins might be saved from the general calamity; which they are called upon to do before the day come appointed by the Lord for the execution of this decree; which lingered not and was not delayed but slid on as swiftly as chaff before the driving wind. There is some difficulty in the rendering and sense of these words; some thus "before the day which passes as chaff brings forth the decree"F5בטרם לדת "antequam dies quae transit ut palea pariat decretum" Drusius; so Ben Melech. ; that is before the time which moves swiftly brings on the execution of the decree or of the thing decreed in it it is big with: others "before the decree brings forth the day that passeth as chaff"F6"Priusquam decretum Dei pariat deim veluti glumae transeuntis" Grotius. ; or in which the chaff shall be separated from the wheat pass away be dispersed here and there; that is before they were scattered about by it as chaff: and to this sense the Septuagint and Arabic versions "before ye are as a flower"; or as the Syriac "as chaff that passeth away"; and so the Targum more fully

"before the decree of the house of judgment come out upon you and ye be like chaff which the wind blows away and like a shadow which passes from before the day.' See Psalm 1:4.

Before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you before the day of the Lord's anger come upon you; these phrases explain the former and show what the decree was big with and ready to bring forth even the judgments of God in wrath and fierce anger; and what the day is said to pass as the chaff; the day of God's vengeance fixed by him which should come upon them and scatter them like chaff among the nations of the world: or rather the words may be rendered thus as by GussetiusF7Ebr. Comment. p. 305. "whilst as yet the decree hath not brought forth the day passeth away like chaff"; being neglected and spent in an useless and unprofitable manner; for which they are reproved; and therefore are exhorted to be wiser for the future and redeem precious time; and before the Lord's anger comes upon them do what is before exhorted to and particularly what follows:

 

Zephaniah 2:3   3 Seek the Lord all you meek of the earth Who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the Lord’s anger.

   YLT  3Seek Jehovah all ye humble of the land Who His judgment have done Seek ye righteousness seek humility It may be ye are hidden in a day of the anger of Jehovah.

Seek ye the Lord all ye meek of the earth .... Or "of the land" of the land of Judea. In this time of great apostasy there was a remnant according to the election of grace whom the Lord reserved for himself and bestowed his grace upon; and it is for the sake of these that the general exhortations to repentance and reformation are given out to whom alone they were to be useful that they might be protected and preserved from the general ruin; for such as are here described are persons the Lord takes great notice of; he gives them more grace; he lifts them up when bowed down; he beautifies them with salvation; he feeds them to full satisfaction; he teaches them his ways his mind and will; he dwells with them here and will cause them to inherit the new heaven and new earth hereafter: they are such who have a true sense of sin and the exceeding sinfulness of it which humbles them; and conscious of the imperfection of their own righteousness submit to the righteousness of Christ; acknowledge they are saved alone by the grace of God; and that all they have and expect to enjoy is owing to that; they are humble under the mighty hand of God in every afflictive providence; patiently take all wrongs abuses and injuries done them by men; and not envious at the superior gifts grace and usefulness of others but rejoice therein; have mean sentiments of themselves and very high ones of others that excel in grace and holiness; these are truly gracious persons; and are like unto and are followers of the meek and lowly Jesus: and are here exhorted "to seek the Lord": that is by prayer and supplication to know more of his mind and will and especially their duty in their present circumstances; implore his grace and mercy protection and safety in a day of common danger; and attend the public ordinances of his house in order to enjoy his presence and communion with him: for to seek the Lord is to seek his face and favour to have the light of his countenance and the discoveries of his love; and to seek his honour and glory in all things: particularly the Lord Christ may be meant who was to come in the flesh and good men sought for before he came and now he is come; and to him should men seek for righteousness and life; for peace and pardon; for grace and all supplies of it: and for everlasting salvation; and all this before as well as since his coming: and such seek him aright who seek him early in the first place and above all things; who seek him with their whole hearts sincerely diligently and constantly; and where he is to be found in the ministry of his word and ordinances:

which have wrought his judgment: the judgment of the Lord; acted according to his mind and will revealed in his word which is the rule of judgment both as to faith and practice; observed his laws and statutes; kept his ordinances as they were delivered; and did works of righteousness from right principles and with right views as fruits of faith and as meet for repentance:

seek righteousness; not their own and justification by that; for this would be doing what the carnal Jews did and in vain and is inconsistent with seeking the Lord as before; but the righteousness of God the kingdom of God and his righteousness even the righteousness of Christ who is God and which only gives a right unto the kingdom of God or heaven: seeking this supposes a want of righteousness which is in every man; a sense of that want which only some have; a view of a righteousness without a man in another even in Christ; and of the glory fulness and excellency of his righteousness which make it desirable and worth seeking for; though this exhortation may also include in it a living to him soberly and righteously as a fruit of divine grace and to the glory of God and according to his will without trusting in it and depending upon it for life and salvation:

seek meekness; even though they were meek ones already yet it became them to seek after more of this grace of meekness that they might increase therein and abound in the exercise of it and be careful that they failed not in it; since the enemy of souls often attacks the saints in that in which they most excel and succeeds: so Moses the meekest man on earth being off of his guard and provoked spoke unadvisedly with his lips; and it went ill with him on that account Numbers 12:3 besides this exhortation as well as the preceding may have a respect to their concern with others; that they should study as much as in them lay not only to do righteousness and exercise meekness themselves but to cultivate these among others; with which agrees Kimchi's note

"seek righteousness and meekness with others; as if it was said study with all your might and main to return them to the right way:'

it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger; in the time of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans when some were put to the sword and others carried captive: now there was a possibility yea a probability that such persons before described would be saved at this time from the general calamity; be hid protected and preserved by the power and providence of God Jeremiah Baruch and others were: this though it is not said as a certain thing because a corporeal blessing which the people of God cannot always be assured of in a time of public distress; yet not expressed in a doubting manner much less despairing; but rather as presuming at least hoping it would be being possible and probable; and so encouraging to the above exercises of religion; and such that have the grace of God and seek him and seek to Christ alone for righteousness and life may depend upon it that they shall be hid and be safe and secure when the wrath of God at the last day comes upon an ungodly world Isaiah 32:2. The Targum of the whole is

"seek the fear of the Lord all ye meek of the earth who do the judgments of his will; seek truth seek meekness; it may be there will be a protection for you in the day of the Lord's anger.'

The Vulgate Latin version is "seek the Lord--seek the just seek the meek One"; as expressive of a person even the Lord Christ the just and Holy One the meek and lowly Jesus.

 

Zephaniah 2:4   4 For Gaza shall be forsaken And Ashkelon desolate; They shall drive out Ashdod at noonday And Ekron shall be uprooted.
   YLT 
4For Gaza is forsaken And Ashkelon [is] for a desolation Ashdod! at noon they do cast her forth And Ekron is rooted up.

For Gaza shall be forsaken .... Therefore seek the Lord; and not to the Philistines since they would be destroyed to whom Gaza and the other cities later mentioned belonged; so Aben Ezra connects the words suggesting that it would be in vain to flee thither for shelter or seek for refuge there; though others think that this and what follows is subjoined either to assure the Jews of their certain ruin since this would be the case of the nations about them; or to alleviate their calamity seeing their enemies would have no occasion to insult them and triumph over them they being or quickly would be in the like circumstances. Gaza was one of the five lordships of the Philistines; a strong and fortified place as its name signifies; but should be demolished stripped of its fortifications and forsaken by its inhabitants. It was smitten by Pharaoh king of Egypt; and was laid waste by Nebuchadnezzar Jeremiah 47:1 and afterwards taken by Alexander the great; and having gone through various changes was in the times of the apostles called Gaza the desert Acts 8:26. There is a beautiful play on words in the words not to be expressed in an English translationF8עזה עזובה. . According to Strabo's accountF9Geograph. l. 16. p. 502. the ancient city was about a mile from the haven for which (he says) it was formerly very illustrious; but was demolished by Alexander and remained a desert. And so JeromF11De locis Hebraicis fol. 91. K. says in his time the place where the ancient city stood scarce afforded any traces of the foundations of it; for that which now is seen (adds he) was built in another place instead of that which was destroyed: and which he observes accounts for the fulfilment of this prophecy: and so Monsieur ThevenotF12Travels par. 1. B. 2. c. 36. p. 180. says the city of Gaza is about two miles from the sea; and was anciently very illustrious as may be seen by its ruins; and yet even this must be understood of new Gaza; so a Greek writerF13Apud Reland. Palestina Illustrata l. 2. p. 509. of an uncertain age observes this distinction; and speaks of this and the following places exactly in the order in which they are here

"after Rhinocorura lies new Gaza which is the city itself; then "Gaza the desert" (the place here prophesied of); then the city Askelon; after that Azotus (or Ashdod); then the city Accaron' (or Ekron):

and Ashkelon a desolation; this was another lordship belonging to the Philistines that suffered at the same time as Gaza did by Nebuchadnezzar Jeremiah 47:5. This place was ten miles from Gaza as Mr. SandysF14Travels p. 151. says and who adds and now of no note; and StraboF15Geograph. l. 16. p. 502. speaks of it in his time as a small city; indeed new Ashkelon is said by Benjamin of TudelaF16Itinorarium p. 51. to be a very large and beautiful city; but then he distinguishes it from old Ashkelon here prophesied of; and which (he says) is four "parsoe" or sixteen miles from the former and now lies waste and desolate:

they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day that is the Chaldeans shall drive out the inhabitants of Ashdod another of the principalities of the Philistines; the same with Azotus Acts 8:40 "at noon day" openly and publicly and with great ease; they shall have no occasion to use any secret stratagems or to make night work of it; and which would be very incommodious and distressing to the inhabitants to be turned out at noon day and be obliged to travel in the heat of the sun which in those eastern countries at noon day beats very strong. This place was distant from old Ashkelon four "parsae" or twenty four miles as Benjamin TudelensisF17Ibid. affirms; and with which agrees Diodorus SiculusF18Bibliothec. l. 19. p. 723. who says that from Gaza to Azotus are two hundred and seventy furlongs which make thirty four miles ten from Gaza to Ashkelon and twenty four from thence to Azotus or Ashdod. This place according to the above Jewish travellerF19Itinerarium p. 51. is now called Palmis which he says is the Ashdod that belonged to the Philistines now waste and desolate; by which this prophecy is fulfilled. It was once a very large and famous city strong and well fortified; and held out a siege of twenty nine years against Psamittichus king of Egypt as HerodotusF20Euterpe sive l. 2. c. 157. relates but now destroyed; see Isaiah 20:1

and Ekron shall be rooted up; as a tree is rooted up and withers away and perishes and there is no more hope of it: this denotes the utter destruction of this place. There is here also an elegant allusion to the name of the placeF21עקרון תעקר. not to be imitated in a version of it: this was another of the lordships of the Philistines famous for the idol Beelzebub the god of this place. JeromF23De locis Heb. fol. 88. D. observes that some think that Accaron (or Ekron) is the same with Strato's tower afterwards called Caesarea; and so the Talmudists sayF24T. Bab. Megilla fol. 6. 1. Ekron is Caesarea; which is not at all probable: he further observes that there is a large village of the Jews which in his days was called Accaron and lay between Azotus and Jamnia to the east; but BreidenbachiusF25Apud Adrichom. Theatrum Terrae Sanctae p. 20. relates that in his time Accaron was only a small cottage or hut yet retaining its ancient name; so utterly rooted up is this place which once was a considerable principality. Gath is not mentioned which is the other of the five principalities because it was now as Kimchi says in the hands of the kings of Judah.

 

Zephaniah 2:5   5 Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast The nation of the Cherethites! The word of the Lord is against you O Canaan land of the Philistines:
“I will destroy you; So there shall be no inhabitant.”

   YLT  5Ho! O inhabitants of the sea-coast Nation of the Cherethites A word of Jehovah [is] against you Canaan land of the Philistines And I have destroyed thee without an inhabitant.

Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coasts the nation of the Cherethites .... Which is a name of the Philistines in general as Kimchi and Ben Melech; or these were a particular tribe belonging to them that inhabited the southern part of their country; see 1 Samuel 30:14 those on the sea coast the coast of the Mediterranean sea and so lay between that and Judea: out of this nation in the times of David and Solomon were some choice soldiers selected called the Cherethites and Pelethites who were their bodyguards as JosephusF1Antiqu. l. 7. c. 5. sect. 4. and c. 11. sect. 8. Vid. Opitii Exercitat. de Crethi & Plethi. calls them; a royal band which never departed from the king's person; see 2 Samuel 15:18. The Septuagint version calls them "strangers of the Cretians"; and are thought by some to be a colony of the Cretians; a people that came originally from the island of Crete and settled here; but on the contrary rather Crete was a colony of the Philistines and had its name from them; for by the ArabiansF2Giggeius apud Bochart. Canaan l. 1. c. 15. col. 422. the country of Palestine or the Philistines is called Keritha; and by the Syrians Creth; and by the Hebrews the inhabitants thereof are called Cherethites as here and in Ezekiel 25:16 and so the south of the Cherethites in 1 Samuel 30:14 is in Ezekiel 25:16 called the land of the Philistines. In all the above places where they are spoken of as the attendants of Solomon and David they are in the Targum called "archers"; and it is a clear case the Philistines were famous for archery whereby they had sometimes the advantage of their enemies; see 1 Samuel 31:3 and bows and arrows were the arms the Cretians made use of and were famous for as BochartF3Ibid. col. 423. from various writers has shown; the use of which they learned very probably from the Philistines from whom they sprung; though SolinusF4Polyhistor. c. 16. says they were the first that used arrows; and according to Diodorus Siculus Saturn introduced the art of using bows and arrows into the island of Crete; though others ascribe it to ApolloF5Diodor. Sicul. Bibliothec. l. 5. p. 334 341. ; and it is said that Hercules learnt this art from Rhadamanthus of Crete; which last instance seems to favour the notion of those that these Cherethites were Cretians or sprung from them; to which the Septuagint version inclines; and CalmetF6Dictionary in the word "Caphtor". (1) Fortunati Scacchi Elaeochrism Myrothec. l. 3. c. 18 19. (2) Kimchi & Ben Gersom in 2 Sam. viii. 18. and xv. 18. is of opinion that Caphtor from whence the Philistines are said to come Amos 9:7 and who are called the remnant of the country of Caphtor Jeremiah 47:4 is the island of Crete; and that the Philistines came from thence into Palestine; and that the Cherethites are the ancient Cretians; the language manners arms religion and gods of the Cretians and Philistines being much the same; though so they might be as being a colony of the Philistines; See Gill on Amos 9:7 though a learned man (1) who gives into the opinion that these were royal guards yet thinks they were not strangers and idolaters but proselytes to the Jewish religion at least; and rather Israelites choice selected men men of strength and valour of military courage and skill picked out of the nation to guard the king's person; and who were called Cherethites and Pelethites from the kind of shields and targets they wore called "cetra" and "pelta": and it is a notion several of the Jewish writers (2) have that they were two families in Israel; but it seems plain and evident that a foreign nation is here meant which lay on the sea coast and belonged to the Philistines. Another learned manF7Texelii Phoenix. l. 3. c. 21. sect. 4. p. 389 390. thinks they are the Midianites the same with the Cretians that Luke joins with the Arabians Acts 2:11 as the Midianites are with the Arabians and Amalekites by JosephusF8Antiqu. l. 5. c. 6. sect. 1. ; however a woe is denounced against them and they are threatened with desolation. The Vulgate Latin version is "a nation of destroyed ones": and the Targum

"a people who have sinned that they might be destroyed:'

the word of the Lord is against you; inhabitants of the sea coast the Cherethites; the word of the Lord conceived in his own mind his purpose to destroy them which cannot be frustrated. So the Targum

"the decree of the word of the Lord is against you;'

and the word pronounced by his lips the word of prophecy concerning them by the mouth of former prophets as Isaiah Isaiah 14:29 and by the mouth of the present prophet:

O Canaan the land of the Philistines; Palestine was a part of Canaan; the five lordships of the Philistines before mentioned belonged originally to the Canaanite Joshua 13:3 and these belonged to the land of Israel though possessed by them out of which now they should be turned and the country wasted as follows:

I will even destroy thee that there shall be no inhabitant; so great should be the desolation; all should be removed from it either by death or by captivity; at least there should be no settled inhabitant.

 

Zephaniah 2:6   6 The seacoast shall be pastures With shelters[b] for shepherds and folds for flocks.
   YLT 
6And the sea-coast hath been habitations Cottages [for] shepherds and folds [for] a flock.

And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds .... That tract of land which lay on the coast of the Mediterranean sea inhabited by the Philistines should now become so desolate that instead of towns and cities full of merchants and sea faring persons and houses full of inhabitants and warehouses full of goods there should now only be seen a few huts and cottages for shepherds to dwell in to shelter them from the heat by day and where they watched their flocks by night and took their proper repose and rest. The last word is by some rendered "ditches"F9כרות "fossas" Tigurine version; "fossuris" Junius & Tremellius Piscator; so Ben Melech; but disapproved of by Gussetius. p. 402. which were dug by them to receive rainwater for their use: or rather may signify "cottages dug by shepherds"F11"Mansiones effossionum pastorum Drusius; caulae effossionum pastorum" i. e. "effossae a pastoribus" Bochart. ; in subterraneous places whither they retired in the heat of the day to shelter themselves from the scorching sun; and some of them were so large as to receive their flocks also; such was the cave of Polyphemus as BochartF12Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 2. c. 45. Colossians 467 468. observes in which the cattle namely the sheep and goats lay down and slept; and in Iceland such are used to secure them from the cold; where we are toldF13Horrebow's Natural History of Iceland c. 29. p. 46. there are caverns in the mountains capable of sheltering a hundred sheep or more: and whither they very cordially retreat in bad weather. These holes are in such mountains as have formerly burned and are of infinite service to them both winter and summer; in the winter for shelter and in the summer for very good pastures which they find in plenty all around. Such sort of huts and cottages as these in hot countries Jerom seems to have respect unto when speaking of Tekoa he saysF14Prooem in Amos. there is not beyond it any little village nor indeed any field cottages like to ovens (subterraneous ones CalmetF15Dictionary in the word "Shepherds". calls them) which the Africans call "mapalia": these SallustF16Bell. Jugurth. p. 51. describes as of an oblong figure covered with tiles and like the keels of ships or ships turned bottom upwards; and according to PlinyF17Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 3. they were movable and carried from place to place in carts and waggons; and therefore cannot be such as before described; and so Dr. ShawF18Travels p. 220. Ed. 2. says the Bedouin Arabs now as their great ancestors the Arabians live in tents called "hhymas" from the shelter which they afford the inhabitants; and adds they are the very same which the ancients call "mapalia":

and folds for flocks; in which they put them to lie down in at evening. The phrases express the great desolation of the land; that towns should be depopulated and the land lie untilled and only be occupied by shepherds and their flocks who lead them from place to place the most convenient for them.

 

Zephaniah 2:7   7 The coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; They shall feed their flocks there; In the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening. For the Lord their God will intervene for them And return their captives.

   YLT  7And the coast hath been for the remnant of the house of Judah By them they have pleasure In houses of Ashkelon at even they lie down For inspect them doth Jehovah their God And He hath turned back [to] their captivity.

And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah .... The same tract of land become so desolate through the Chaldeans should in future time when those that remained of the Jews were returned from their captivity in Babylon be inhabited by them. This was fulfilled in the times of the Maccabees when the cities of Palestine being rebuilt were subdued by the Jews and fell into their hands; and it is plain that in the times of the apostles those places were inhabited by the Jews as Gaza Ashdod and others Acts 8:26 and perhaps will have a further accomplishment in the latter day when they shall be converted and return to their own land:

they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening; either the shepherds shall feed their flocks here and cause them to lie down in the evening on the very spot of ground where the houses of Ashkelon stood. This place is very properly represented as on the sea coast; for so it was; PhiloF19Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 8. p. 398. says who some time dwelt there that it was a city of Syria by the sea: or rather the remnant of Israel shall feed and dwell here and lie down in safety; and this was made good in a spiritual sense when the apostles of Christ preached the Gospel in those parts and were the instruments of converting many; and there they fed them with the word and ordinances and caused them to lie down in green pastures in great ease and security:

for the Lord their God shall visit them: in a way of grace and mercy bringing them out of Babylon into their own land and enlarging their borders there; and especially by raising up Christ the horn of salvation for them; and by sending his Gospel to them and making it effectual to their conversion and salvation:

and turn away their captivity; in a literal sense from Babylon; and in a spiritual sense from sin Satan and the law; and may have a further respect to their present captivity in both senses.

 

Zephaniah 2:8   8 “I have heard the reproach of Moab And the insults of the people of Ammon With which they have reproached My people And made arrogant threats against their borders.
   YLT 
8I have heard the reproach of Moab And the revilings of the sons of Ammon Wherewith they reproached My people And magnify [themselves] against their border.

I have heard the reproach of Moab and the revilings of the children of Ammon .... Two people that descended from Lot through incest with his daughters; and are therefore mentioned together as being of the same cast and complexion and bitter enemies to the people of the Jews; whom they reproached and reviled for the sake of their religion because they adhered to the word and worship of God: this they did when the Jews were most firmly attached to the service of the true God; and the Lord heard it and took notice of it; and put it down in the book of his remembrance to punish them for it in due time; even he who hears and sees and knows all things:

whereby they have reproached my people; whom he had chosen and avouched to be his people; and who were called by his name and called on his name and worshipped him and professed to be his people and to serve and obey him; and as such and because they were the people of God they were reproached by them; and hence it was so resented by the Lord; and there being such a near relation between God and them he looked upon the reproaches of them as reproaches of himself:

and magnified themselves against their border; either they spoke reproachfully of the land of Israel and the borders of it and especially of the inhabitants of the land and particularly those that bordered upon them; or they invaded the borders of their land and endeavoured to add it to theirs; or as the Jews were carried captive by the Chaldeans as they passed by the borders of Moab and Ammon they insulted them and jeered them and expressed great pleasure and joy in seeing them in such circumstances; see Ezekiel 25:3. Jarchi represents the case thus; when the children of Israel went into captivity to the land of the Chaldeans as they passed by the way of Ammon and Moab they wept and sighed and cried; and they distressed them and said what do you afflict yourselves for? why do ye weep? are not you going to the house of your father beyond the river where your fathers dwelt of old? thus jeering them on account of Abraham's being of Ur of the Chaldees.

 

Zephaniah 2:9   9 Therefore as I live ” Says the Lord of hosts the God of Israel “Surely Moab shall be like Sodom And the people of Ammon like Gomorrah— Overrun with weeds and saltpits And a perpetual desolation. The residue of My people shall plunder them And the remnant of My people shall possess them.”

   YLT  9Therefore I live An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts God of Israel Surely Moab is as Sodom And the sons of Ammon as Gomorrah An overrunning of nettles and salt-pits And a desolation -- unto the age. A residue of My people do seize them And a remnant of My nation inherit them.

Therefore as I live saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel .... The Lord here swears by himself by his life; partly to show how provoked he was at and how grievously he resented the injuries done to his people; and partly to observe the certain fulfilment of what is after declared; and it might be depended upon it would surely be done not only because of his word and oath which are immutable; but because of his ability to do it as "the Lord of hosts" of armies above and below; and because of the covenant relation that subsisted between him and Israel being their God; and therefore would avenge the insults and injuries done them:

surely Moab shall be as Sodom and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah; that is should be utterly destroyed as these cities were; whose destruction is often made use of to express the utter ruin and destruction of any other people; otherwise it is not to be supposed that these countries were to be destroyed or were destroyed in like manner by fire from heaven; the similitude lies in other things after expressed:

even the breeding of nettles; or "left to nettles"F17ממשק חרול "locus urticae derelictus" Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 1. col. 872. Stockius p. 629.; "derelictio urticae" Burkius. So R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed fol. 68. 2. ; or rather to "thorns" as the Targum: and so the Vulgate Latin version renders it "the dryness of thorns" though to a very poor sense. In general the meaning of the phrase is that those countries should be very barren and desolate like such places as are overrun with nettles thorns briers and brambles; and these so thick that there is no passing through them without a man's tearing his garments and his flesh: for SchultensF18De Defect. Hodiern. Ling. Heb. p. 32. from the use of the wordF19"laceravit laceratus est" Golius col. 2231. Castel. col. 2165. in the Arabic language shows that the words are to be rendered a "thicket of thorns which tear"; and cut the feet of those that pass through them; and even their whole body as well as their clothes; and wherever these grow in such plenty it is a plain sign of a barren land as well as what follow:

and saltpits and a perpetual desolation; signifying that the countries of Moab and Ammon should be waste barren and uncultivated as the above places were where nothing but nettles grew as do in great abundance in desolate places; and where saltpits should be or heaps of salt as Kimchi interprets it; and wherever salt is found as PlinyF20Nat. Hist. l. 31. c. 7. "Salsa autem tellus----frugibus infelix." Virgil. Georgic. l. 2. says it is a barren place and produces nothing; though HerodotusF21Melpomene sive l. 4. c. 182 183. speaks of places where were hillocks of salt and very fruitful; and where the people used salt in manuring and improving their ground; which must be accounted for by the difference of climate and soil: this passage is produced by RelandF23Palestina Illustrata l. 1. c. 38. p. 254 255. to prove that the lake Asphaltites is not the place as is commonly believed where Sodom and Gomorrah stood; since those cities were not overflown or immersed in and covered with water but were destroyed by fire and brimstone and so became desolate; and had no herbs and plants but nettles and such like things; and such these countries of Moab and Ammon should be and ever remain so at least for a long time; and especially should be desolate and uninhabited by the former possessors of it; see Deuteronomy 29:23 this was fulfilled about five years after the destruction of Jerusalem when Nebuchadnezzar as JosephusF24Antiqu. l. 10. c. 9. sect. 7. relates led his army into Coelesyria and made war upon the Ammonites and Moabites and subjected them to him who were the inhabitant of it as the same writer saysF25Ibid. l. 1. c. 11. sect. 5. :

the residue of my people shall spoil them and the remnant of my people shall possess them; that is the Jews the remnant of them that returned from Babylon: now these in the times of the Maccabees and those that descended from them seized on several places in these countries and possessed them; for after these countries had been subdued and made desolate by Nebuchadnezzar they became considerable nations again. JosephusF26Antiqu. l. 1. c. 11. sect. 5. says the Moabites in his time were a great nation; though in the third century as OrigenF1Comment. in Job fol. 2. 1. A. relates they went under the common name of Arabians; and even long before the times of Josephus they were called Arabian Moabites as he himself observes; when he tells us that Alexander Jannaeus subdued them and imposed a tribute on them; and who also gives us an account of the cities of the Moabites which were taken and demolished by them as Essebon Medaba Lemba Oronas Telithon Zara the valley of the Cilicians and Pella; these he destroyed because the inhabitants would not promise to conform to the rites and customs of the JewsF2Antiqu. l. 13. c. 13. sect. 5. c. 15. sect. 4. De Bello Jud. l. 1. c. 4. sect. 2. ; though Josephus ben Gorion who also makes mention of these cities as taken by the same prince saysF3Hist. Heb. l. 4. c. 12. p. 297. he did not demolish them because they entered into a covenant and were circumcised; and he speaks of ten fortified cities of the king of Syria added at the same time to the kingdom of Israel not destroyed: likewise the children of Ammon after their captivity by Nebuchadnezzar became a powerful people: we read of the country of the Ammonites in

"Then Jason who had undermined his own brother being undermined by another was compelled to flee into the country of the Ammonites.' (2 Maccabees 4:26)

and in the times of Judas Maccabeus Timotheus their general got together a strong and numerous army which being worsted by Judas he took their city Jasoron or Jaser

"Afterward he passed over to the children of Ammon where he found a mighty power and much people with Timotheus their captain.' (1 Maccabees 5:6)

carried their wives and children captive and burnt their cityF4Joseph. Antiqu. l. 12. c. 8. sect. 1. 1 Maccab. v. 6. ; and this people as well as the Moabites in the third century as before observed were swallowed up under the general name of Arabians; and neither of them are any more; all which has fulfilled this prophecy and those of Jeremiah and Amos concerning them: this likewise in a spiritual sense might have a further accomplishment in the first times of the Gospel when it was preached in these countries by the apostles and churches were formed in them; and may be still further accomplished in the latter day when those parts of the world shall be possessed by converted Jews and by Gentile Christians. Kimchi owns it may be interpreted as future of what shall be in the times of the Messiah.

 

Zephaniah 2:10   10 This they shall have for their pride Because they have reproached and made arrogant threats Against the people of the Lord of hosts.
   YLT 
10This [is] to them for their arrogancy Because they have reproached And they magnify [themselves] against the people of Jehovah of Hosts.

This shall they have for their pride .... This calamity shall come upon their land the land of the Moabites and Ammonites for their pride which often goes before a fall; and has frequently been the cause of the ruin of kingdoms and states and of particular persons; and indeed seems to have been the first sin of the apostate angels and of fallen man. Of the pride of Moab see Isaiah 16:6

because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts; they looked with disdain upon them as greatly below them; and spoke contemptibly of them of their nation and religion; and "made" themselves "great" and set up themselves "above" them opened their mouths wide and gave their tongues great liberties in blaspheming and reviling them: what was done to them is taken by the Lord as done to himself; see Jeremiah 48:42.

 

Zephaniah 2:11   11 The Lord will be awesome to them For He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; People shall worship Him Each one from his place Indeed all the shores of the nations.

   YLT  11Fearful [is] Jehovah against them For He made bare all gods of the land And bow themselves to Him each from his place Do all islanders of the nations.

The Lord will be terrible unto them .... To the Moabites and Ammonites in the execution of his judgments upon them and make their proud hearts tremble; for with him is terrible majesty; he is terrible to the kings of the earth and cuts off the spirit of princes Job 37:22 or as Kimchi observes this may be understood of the people of God reproached by the Moabites and Ammonites by whom the Lord is to be feared and reverenced with a godly and filial fear: so it may be rendered "the Lord is to be feared by them"F5נורא יהוה עליהם "timendus Jehovah super ipsis" Cocceius Burkius. ; and to this inclines the Targum

"the fear of the Lord is to redeem them;'

for he will famish all the gods of the earth; particularly of those countries mentioned in the context the Philistines Moabites Ammonites Ethiopians and Assyrians; as Dagon Chemosh Molech Bel and others; called "gods of the earth" in distinction from the God of heaven to whom they are opposed; and because made of earthly matter and worshipped by earthly and carnal men; these the Lord who is above them and can destroy them at pleasure threatens to "famish"; or to bring "leanness"F6רזה "emaciabit" Junius & Tremellius Piscator; "quasi macie consumit" Vatablus; "quum emaciaverit" Cocceius; "quia emaciavit" Burkius. upon them as the word signifies; to bring them into a consumption and cause them to pine away gradually by little and little till they are no more; and that by reducing the number of their worshippers so that they shall not have the worship and honour paid them nor the sacrifices offered to them supposed by the heathens to be the food of their gods; and this being the case their priests would be starved and become lean who used to be fat and plump. The Septuagint version renders it "he will destroy all the gods of the nations of the earth"; which is approved of by Noldius and preferred by him to other versions. This had its accomplishment in part when these nations were subdued by Nebuchadnezzar; for idols were usually demolished when a kingdom was taken; and more fully when the Gospel was spread in the Gentile world by the apostles of Christ and first ministers of the word; whereby the oracles of the heathens were struck dumb and men were turned everywhere from the worship of idols; the idols themselves were destroyed and their temples demolished or converted to better uses; and will have a still greater accomplishment in the latter day at the conversion of the Jews and the bringing in the fulness of the Gentiles when the worship of idols will cease everywhere. The Syriac version renders it "all the kings of the earth"; very wrongly:

and men shall worship him everyone from his place; or "in his place"F7ממקומו. ; that is every man shall worship the true God in the place where he is; he shall not go up to Jerusalem to worship but in every place lift up holy bands to God pray unto him praise and serve him; the worship of God will be universal; he will be King over all the earth and his name and service one and shall not be limited and confined to any particular place Malachi 1:11

even all the isles of the heathen; or "Gentiles"; not only those places which are properly isles as ours of Great Britain and Ireland; though there may be a particular respect had to such and especially to ours who have been very early and long favoured with the Gospel and yet will be; but all places beyond the seas or which the Jews went to by sea they called isles.

 

Zephaniah 2:12   12 “You Ethiopians also You shall be slain by My sword.”

   YLT  12Also ye O Cushim pierced of My sword [are] they.

Ye Ethiopians also .... Or "as for ye Ethiopians also"F8גם א־תאם כושים "etiam ad vos Aethiopes quod attinet" Piscator. ; not the Ethiopians in Africa beyond Egypt at a distance from the land of Israel and the countries before mentioned; but the inhabitants of Arabia Chusea or Ethiopia which lay near to Moab and Ammon; these should not escape but suffer with their neighbours who sometimes distressed the people of the Jews and made war with them being nigh them; see 2 Chronicles 14:9

ye shall be slain by my sword; or "the slain of my sword are they"F9חללי חרבי המה "interfecti gladio meo ipsi" Montanus. ; R. Japhet thinks here is a defect of the note of similitude "as" which should be supplied thus "ye" are or shall be "the slain of my sword" as they; as the Moabites and Ammonites; that is these Ethiopians should be slain as well as they by the sword of Nebuchadnezzar; which is called the sword of God because he was an instrument in the hand of God for punishing the nations of the earth. This was fulfilled very probably when Egypt was subdued by Nebuchadnezzar with whom Ethiopia was confederate as well as near unto it Jeremiah 46:1. The destruction of these by the Assyrians is predicted Isaiah 20:4.

 

Zephaniah 2:13   13 And He will stretch out His hand against the north Destroy Assyria And make Nineveh a desolation As dry as the wilderness.
   YLT 
13And He stretcheth His hand against the north And doth destroy Asshur And he setteth Nineveh for a desolation A dry land like a wilderness.

And he will stretch out his hand against the north .... Either the Lord or Nebuchadnezzar his sword; who as he would subdue the nations that lay southward he would lead his army northward against the land of Assyria which lay to the north of Judea as next explained:

and destroy Assyria; that famous monarchy which had ruled over the kingdoms of the earth now should come to an end and be reduced to subjection to the king of Babylon:

and will make Nineveh a desolation; which was the capital city the metropolis of the Assyrian monarchy: Nahum prophesies at large of the destruction of this city:

and dry like a wilderness; which before was a very watery place situated by rivers particularly the river Tigris; so that it was formerly like a pool of water Nahum 2:6 but now should be dry like a heath or desert Dr. Prideaux places the destruction of Nineveh in the twenty ninth year of Josiah's reign; but Bishop Usher earlier in the sixteenth year of his reign; and if so then Zephaniah who here prophesies of it must begin to prophesy in the former part of Josiah's reign.

 

Zephaniah 2:14   14 The herds shall lie down in her midst Every beast of the nation. Both the pelican and the bittern Shall lodge on the capitals of her pillars; Their voice shall sing in the windows; Desolation shall be at the threshold; For He will lay bare the cedar work.
   YLT 
14And crouched in her midst have droves Every beast of the nation Both pelican and hedge-hog in her knobs lodge A voice doth sing at the window `Destruction [is] at the threshold For the cedar-work is exposed.'

And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her .... In the midst of the city of Nineveh; in the streets of it where houses stood and people in great numbers walked; but now only should be seen the cottages of shepherds and flocks of sheep feeding or lying down as is before observed of the sea coast of the Philistines Zephaniah 2:6

all the beasts of the nations; that is all sorts of beasts especially wild beasts in the several parts of the world should come and dwell here; instead of kings and princes nobles merchants and the great men thereof who once here inhabited now there should be beasts of prey terrible to come nigh unto; for these are to be understood properly and literally and not figuratively of men for their savageness and cruelty comparable to beasts:

both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; of the doors of the houses in Nineveh: or "on its pomegranates"F11בכפתוריה "in malogranatis ejus" Junius & Tremellius Piscator Tarnovius. ; the figures of these being often put on chapiters turrets pinnacles pillars and posts in buildings and over porches of doors; and on these those melancholy and doleful creatures here mentioned which delight in solitary places should take up their abode. The "cormorant" is the same with the "corvus aquaticus" or "sea raven" about the size of a goose; it builds not only among rocks but often on trees: what is called the "shagge" is a species of it or the lesser cormorant a water fowl common on our northern coasts; is somewhat larger than a common duck and builds on trees as the common cormorantF12Vid Supplement to Chambers's Dictionary in the words "Cormorant Cornus Aquaticus" and "Shagge". . BochartF13Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 1. c. 24. col. 294. takes it to be the "pelican" which is here meant; and indeed whatever bird it is it seems to have its name from vomiting; and this is what naturalistsF14Aristot. Hist. Animal. l. 9. c. 10. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 40. Aelian de Animal. l. 3. c. 20. observe of the pelican that it swallows down shell fish which being kept awhile in its stomach are heated and then it casts them up which then open easily and it picks out the flesh of them: and it seems to delight in desolate places since it is called the pelican of the wilderness Psalm 102:6. Isidore saysF15Originum l. 12. c. 7. it is an Egyptian bird dwelling in the desert by the river Nile from whence it has its name; for it is called "canopus Aegyptus"; and the Vulgate Latin version renders the word here "onocrotalus" the same with the pelican; and Montanus translates it the "pelican"; and so do others. The "bittern" is a bird of the heron kind; it is much the size of a common heron; it is usually found in sedgy and reedy places near water and sometimes in hedges; it makes a very remarkable noise and from the singularity of it the common people imagine it sticks its beak in a reed or in the mud in order to make it; hence it is sometimes called the "mire drum"F16Supplement ut supra (Chambers's Dictionary) in the word "Bittern". . It is said it will sometimes make a noise like a bull or the blowing of a horn so as to be heard half a German mile or one hour's journey; hence it is by some called "botaurus" as if "bootaurus" because it imitates the bellowing of a bullF17Schotti Physica Curiosa par. 2. l. 9. c. 24. p. 1160. . The Tigurine version renders it the "castor" or "beaver"F18Vid. Fuller. Miscel. Saer. l. 1. c. 18. ; but BochartF19Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 3. c. 36. col. 1036. takes it to be the "hedgehog"; and so the word is rendered in the Vulgate Latin Septuagint Syriac and Arabic versions and by others: which is a solitary creature and drives away all other animals from society with it by its prickles:

their voice shall sing in the windows: of desolate houses the inhabitants being gone who used to be seen looking out of them; but now these creatures before named should dwell here and utter their doleful sounds who otherwise would not have come near them:

desolation shall be in the thresholds; there being none to go in and out over them. The Septuagint version and which is followed by the Vulgate Latin and Arabic versions render it "the ravens shall be in its gates": mistaking הדב "desolation" for ערב "a raven":

for he shall uncover the cedar work; the enemy Nebuchadnezzar or Nabopolassar when he should take the city would unroof the houses panelled with cedar and expose all the fine cedar work within to the inclemencies of the air which would soon come to ruin. All these expressions are designed to set forth the utter ruin and destruction of this vast and populous city; and which was so utterly destroyed as Lucian says that there is no trace of it to be found; and according to modern travellers there are only heaps of rubbish to be seen which are conjectured to be the ruins of this city; See Gill on Nahum 1:8.

 

Zephaniah 2:15   15 This is the rejoicing city That dwelt securely That said in her heart “I am it and there is none besides me.” How has she become a desolation A place for beasts to lie down! Everyone who passes by her Shall hiss and shake his fist.

   YLT  15This [is] the exulting city that is dwelling confidently That is saying in her heart `I [am] and beside me there is none ' How hath she been for a desolation A crouching-place for beasts Every one passing by her doth hiss He doth shake his hand!

This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly .... Once exceeding populous and the inhabitants full of mirth and gaiety abounding with wealth and riches and indulging themselves in all carnal delights and pleasures; and being well fortified thought themselves out of all danger and were careless and unconcerned not fearing any enemy that should attack them; imagining their city was impregnable and invincible: these are the words of the prophet concluding his prophecy concerning the destruction of this city and having by a spirit of prophecy a foresight of its ruin and desolation; or of passengers and what they should say when they saw it lie in its ruins:

that said in her heart I am and there is none besides me; or "is there any besides me?"F20אני ואפסי עזר "et praeter me adhuc quiequam est?" Cocceius. there is none no city in the world to be compared to it for the largeness of the place the strength of its walls the number of its inhabitants its wealth and riches: at least so she thought within herself and was elated with these things; and concluded it would never be otherwise with her; "I am" and shall always continue so:

how is she become a desolation! what a desolate place is this! its walls broken down its houses demolished its wealth and riches plundered its inhabitants destroyed; and now the hold and habitation of beasts of prey and hateful birds:

a place for beasts to lie down in! and not for men to dwell in: this is said either as wondering or as rejoicing at it as follows:

everyone that passeth by her; and sees her in this ruinous condition:

shall hiss and wag his hand; in scorn and derision as pleased with the sight and having no pity and compassion for her remembering her cruelty to and oppression of others when in her prosperity; see Nahum 3:19.

 

──John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible

 

New King James Version (NKJV)

Footnotes:

  1. Zephaniah 2:1 Or shameless
  2. Zephaniah 2:6 Literally excavations either underground huts or cisterns