36 - Zephaniah PDF

Notes on
Zephaniah
2 0 1 7 E d i t i o n
Dr. Thomas L. Constable
Introduction
TITLE AND WRITER
The title of the book comes from the name of its writer. "Zephaniah" means "Yahweh
Hides [or Has Hidden]," "Hidden in Yahweh," "Yahweh's Watchman," or "Yahweh
Treasured." The uncertainty arises over the etymology of the prophet's name, which
scholars dispute. I prefer "Hidden by Yahweh."1
Zephaniah was the great-great-grandson of Hezekiah (1:1), evidently King Hezekiah of

Judah. This is not at all certain, but I believe it is likely. Only two other Hezekiahs appear
on the pages of the Old Testament, and they both lived in the postexilic period. The
Chronicler mentioned one of these (1 Chron. 3:23), and the writers of Ezra and Nehemiah
mentioned the other (Ezra 2:16; Neh. 7:21).
If Zephaniah was indeed a descendant of the king, this would make him the writing
prophet with the most royal blood in his veins, except for David and Solomon. Apart
from the names of his immediate forefathers, we know nothing more about him for sure,
though it seems fairly certain where he lived. His references to Judah and Jerusalem
(1:10-11) seem to indicate that he lived in Jerusalem, which would fit a king's
descendant.2
UNITY
Criticism of the unity of Zephaniah has not had great influence. Zephaniah's prediction of
Nineveh's fall (2:15; 612 B.C.) led criticswho do not believe that the prophets could
predict the futureto date the book after that event. Differences in language and style
influenced some critics to divide the book up and identify its various parts with diverse
sources. Yet the unity of the message and flow of the entire book, plus ancient belief in
its unity, have convinced most conservative scholars to regard Zephaniah as the product
of one writer.3
1Cf.Ronald B. Allen, A Shelter in the Fury, p. 20.

2See Vern S. Poythress, "Dispensing with Merely Human Meaning: Gains and Losses from Focusing on
the Human Author, Illustrated by Zephaniah 1:2-3," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 57:3
(September 2014):481-99.
3For further discussion of the book's unity, see Richard D. Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, pp.
290-92.
Copyright 2017 by Thomas L. Constable

Published by Sonic Light: http://www.soniclight.com/
2 Dr. Constable's Notes on Zephaniah 2017 Edition
DATE
Zephaniah ministered during the reign of King Josiah of Judah (640-609 B.C.; 1:1).
Scholars debate just when during his reign Zephaniah wrote, before4 or after5 Josiah's
reforms, which began about 622 B.C. There is support for both views.6 Zephaniah made
no explicit reference to Josiah's reforms, and the evidence is really insufficient to settle
the debate.7 However, Zephaniah alluded to Deuteronomy often. He may have done so
because the discovery of the Law, which triggered Josiah's reforms, had made the people
more aware of it than they had been before its discovery.
Zephaniah's reference to the future destruction of Nineveh (2:13) definitely fixed his
writing before that event in 612 B.C. So the prophet ministered between 640 and 612
B.C. His contemporaries were Nahum, Habakkuk, and Jeremiah, though Jeremiah's
ministry continued beyond the destruction of Jerusalem, which took place in 586 B.C.
PLACE OF COMPOSITION
References to Jerusalem in 1:10-11 seem to indicate that Zephaniah knew Jerusalem well.
Since he ministered to the Southern Kingdom, it is likely that he lived in Judah and
probably in Jerusalem.
AUDIENCE AND PURPOSE

The fact that Yahweh's word came to Zephaniah during Josiah's reign (640-609 B.C.),
means that he could not have ministered to the Northern Kingdom, because it fell in 722
B.C. Thus, Zephaniah's audience consisted of the people of Judah: the surviving Southern
Kingdom. He apparently ministered primarily to the upper echelons of society rather than
to the average Israelites, as evidenced by his references to the princes, judges, prophets,
and priests (1:8-9; 3:3-4).
The political situation in Judah during Josiah's reign was fairly peaceful. Following
Assyria's capture of Samaria in 722 B.C., the Assyrian Empire began to decline. With its
decline, Nabopolassar, the first of the Neo-Babylonian kings (626-605 B.C.), began to
lead Babylonia forward. Assyria declined, and Babylonia advanced until Babylonia,
assisted by the Medes and Scythians, destroyed Nineveh in 612 B.C., and a few years
later replaced Assyria as the dominant power in the ancient Near East. This happened in
605 B.C. when the Babylonians defeated the Assyrians and Egyptians at Carchemish.
Judah benefited during this transitional period in Near Eastern politics. Josiah was able to
get rid of some Assyrian religious practices, and he extended Judah's territory north into
the tribal territory of Naphtali. Unfortunately, Josiah died prematurely in 609 B.C. (cf.
2 Chron. 35:20-27).
4E.g., ibid., p. 276; E. B. Pusey, The Minor Prophets, 2:226; H. A. Hanke, "Zephaniah," in The Wycliffe
Bible Commentary, p. 883; David W. Baker, Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah, p. 91; Leon J. Wood, The
Prophets of Israel, p. 320; Bruce K. Waltke, An Old Testament Theology, p. 839; George L. Robinson, The
Twelve Minor Prophets, p. 132; et al.
5E.g., John D. Hannah, "Zephaniah," in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament, p. 1523; et al.
6See Patterson, pp. 275-6, and Ralph L. Smith, Micah-Malachi, pp. 121-23, for other scholars who held
each of these views.
7Tremper Longman III and Raymond B. Dillard, An Introduction to the Old Testament, p. 472.
2017 Edition Dr. Constable's Notes on Zephaniah 3
Josiah's evil predecessors, Manasseh (695-642 B.C.) and Amon (642-640 B.C.), had
encouraged the people of Judah to depart from the Lord for over 50 years, so wickedness
had become ingrained in them. In the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign (622 B.C.),
Hilkiah the priest discovered the Law of Moses in the temple, and after Josiah read it, he
instituted major reforms throughout Judah.
Josiah's reforms were good because they were official. He eliminated much of the display
of idolatry in the land, and revived the celebration of the Passover, among other things.
See 2 Kings 22:4-25 and 2 Chronicles 34:335:19 for the lists of Josiah's extensive
reforms. But unfortunately his reforms did not change the hearts of most of the people, as
Jeremiah revealed in his earlier prophecies. So the people to whom Zephaniah ministered
had a long history of formal religion without much real commitment to Yahweh.
God sent a prophetic word to Zephaniah because the Judeans of his day still needed to get
right with Him in their hearts. The prophet announced that God was going to send
judgment on Judah for her wickedness.
"The little prophecy of Zephaniah presents the dark side of the love of
God. He is a God of love, but He is also a God of judgment. Zephaniah
opens with the rumblings of judgment, and you will not find judgment
enunicated [sic enunciated] in any more harsh manner than it is in this
book."8
Zephaniah also assured the godly few in the nation, the remnant, that the Lord would
preserve them and remain true to His promises concerning ultimate worldwide blessing
for Israel in the future. Perhaps 1:7 summarizes what the book is all about better than any
other single verse: "Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the LORD is near."
"In a sense, the history of the times has nothing to say about Zephaniah's
message. Throughout the book there is a sense of distance from historical
events. . . . Zephaniah is rooted in the flow of history . . ., but his concern
is only with the goalthe eschatonthe day when calamitous human
efforts to run the world will coincide in an awesome climax with the
Lord's purposes of judgment and hope."9
". . . Zephaniah's purpose was to announce coming judgment on Judah in

the Day of the Lord. However, he said that judgment would extend to all
the nations of the earth, indicating that the Day of the Lord would also
bring deliverance for Israel and the Gentiles."10
"His theme, accordingly, is little less than 'the consummation of the

world's history.'"11
8J.Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, 3:862.

9J.Alec Motyer, "Zephaniah," in The Minor Prophets, p. 899.
10Charles H. Dyer, in The Old Testament Explorer, p. 809.
11Robinson, p. 133.
LITERARY FORM
"Zephaniah's style is chiefly characterized by a unity and harmony of
composition plus energy of style. Rapid and effective alternations of
threats and promises also characterize his style."12
"All of Zephaniah is poetry with the exception of 1:1 and 2:10-11."13
"The form of Habakkuk's prophecy was (as we might say) more

subjective; that of Zephaniah, more objective."14
"Zephaniah can hardly be considered great as a poet. He does not rank
with Isaiah, nor even with Hosea in this particular. . . . He had an
imperative message to deliver and proceeded in the most direct and
forceful way to discharge his responsibility. What he lacked in grace and
charm, he in some measure atoned for by the vigour and clarity of his
speech. He realised the approaching terror so keenly that he was able to
present it vividly and convincingly to his hearers. No prophet has made
the picture of the day of Yahweh more real."15
"Literary genres used include judgment oracles (1:2-3, 4-6, 8-9, etc.), calls
for response (1:7; 2:1-3; 3:8)including a call to praise and a psalm of
praise (3:14-17)as well as salvation oracles (3:9-13, 18-20)."16
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
The Book of Zephaniah has been called "a compendium of the oracles of the prophets."17
This is true for two reasons. First, Zephaniah's general message is similar to that of most
of the other writing prophets. Second, he used the same terms as several of the other
prophets (cf. 1:7 and Hab. 2:20; 1:7 and Joel 1:15; 1:7 and Isa. 34:6; 2:14 and Isa. 13:21;
34:11; 2:15 and Isa. 47:8). These parallels may indicate that Zephaniah was alluding to
these, and other, former writing prophets.18
"Zephaniah reintroduced the message of Joel and Obadiah; however, for

him the day of the Lord was both a day of world-wide judgment and a day
when Judah would be punished."19
"Obadiah, Joel, Amos, and Isaiah had all spoken of this day, but
Zephaniah alone emphasized more strenuously than them all the
12Larry Lee Walker, "Zephaniah," in Daniel-Malachi, vol. 7 of The Expositor's Bible Commentary, p. 540.
13Smith, p. 127.
14Pusey, 2:225.
15J. M. P. Smith, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Zephaniah and Nahum, p. 176.
16Baker, p. 87.
17Walker, p. 539.
18See Pusey, 2:230-32.
19Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Toward an Old Testament Theology, pp. 220-21.
universality of its judgment while also surprisingly predicting the

conversion of the nations as one of its fruits."20
Zephaniah contains more references to "the day of the LORD" than any other Old
Testament book. This phrase sometimes refers to the past, sometimes to the near future,
sometimes to the distant future, and sometimes to the far distant, eschatological future.
The phrase always refers to some period of time in which God is working in the world in
a recognizable way. It usually refers to a time of blasting, but sometimes it refers to a
time of blessing.
"The 'Day of Yahweh' may be seen as that theme which unifies the
entirety of the book of Zephaniah."21
Zephaniah 1:14-18 has been called "emergent apocalyptic."22 This pericope contains
material that would one day become prominent in Jewish apocalyptic literature.23
Theologically, Zephaniah stressed the sovereign justice of Yahweh (1:2-3, 7, 14-18; 3:8)
and His willingness to receive the repentant (2:3). He also emphasized the wickedness of
man (1:3-6, 17; 3:1, 4). The theme of Yahweh's relationship to Jerusalem is prominent in
Zephaniah as well (1:4-13; 3:1-7, 11-17).
"The instrument of God [in Judah's chastening] having been named by

Habakkuk [i.e., Babylon], Zephaniah does not even allude to him. Rather
he brings before Judah the other side, the agency of God Himself. God
would not have them forget Himself in His instruments. Hence all is
attributed to God."24
Structurally, the book is a carefully crafted collection of oracles that compose one
coherent message.25
"The Book of Zephaniah does not contain two or three prophetic

addresses, but the quintessence of the oral proclamations of the prophet
condensed into one lengthened prophecy . . ."26
"Zephaniah's prophecy has a more general character, embracing both

judgment and salvation in their totality, so as to form one complete
picture."27
20Ibid., p. 223.
21O. Palmer Robertson, The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, p. 257.
22Duane L. Christensen, "Zephaniah 2:4-15: A Theological Basis for Josiah's Program of Political
Expansion," Catholic Biblical Quarterly 46 (1984):682.
23For further discussion, see Patterson, pp. 285-88.
24Pusey, 2:226-27.
25See Motyer, p. 902, for a diagram of the chiasms, as he saw them.
26C. F. Keil, "Zephaniah," in The Twelve Minor Prophets, 2:121.
27Ibid., 2:122.
OUTLINE
I. Heading 1:1
II. The day of Yahweh's judgment 1:23:8
A. Judgment on the world 1:2-3
B. Judgment on Judah 1:42:3
1. The cause for Judah's judgment 1:4-6
2. The course of Judah's judgment 1:7-13
3. The imminence and horrors of Judah's judgment 1:14-18
4. A call to repentance 2:1-3
C. Judgment on Israel's neighbors 2:4-15
1. Judgment coming on Philistia 2:4-7
2. Judgment coming on Moab and Ammon 2:8-11
3. Judgment coming on Ethiopia 2:12
4. Judgment coming on Assyria 2:13-15
D. Judgment on Jerusalem 3:1-7
E. Judgment on all nations 3:8
III. The day of Yahweh's blessing 3:9-20
A. The purification of the nations 3:9
B. The transformation of Israel 3:10-20
1. Israel's purification 3:10-13
2. Israel's and Yahweh's rejoicing 3:14-17
3. Israel's regathering 3:18-20
MESSAGE
The key to the Book of Zephaniah is the phrase "the day of the Lord." This phrase
appears in most of the prophetic literature of the Old Testament. As the prophets used the
phrase, "the day of the Lord" can be a past day, a day in the relatively near future, or a
day in the far distant (eschatological) future. It is any day in which God is obviously at
work in human affairs.
Wherever we find the phrase "the day of the Lord," it always suggests a contrast with the
"day" of man. The day of man is any day when man appears to be in control of human
affairs. It Is a day of God's patience. The day of the Lord is any day when God is clearly
in control of human affairs. It is a day of God's judgment and or blessing. The phrase "the
day of the Lord" is by no means unique to Zephaniah, but it is the key to the message of
this book. Zephaniah used it more frequently than any other prophet. It was his burden,
and he explained the meaning of this phrase more than any other prophet.
Zephaniah ministered during the reign of King Josiah of Judah (1:1). It is rather
remarkable that the prophet did not refer to Josiah's reforms, which were his great
spiritual contribution to the history of Judah. Perhaps the reason for the lack of mention is
that Josiah's reforms were a result of his personal dedication to Yahweh, rather than the
result of a revival of spiritual life among the Judahites generally. Huldah's prophecy
reflects this difference (cf. 2 Kings 22:14-20; 2 Chron. 34:22-28). Zephaniah took no note
of Josiah's good heart, but addressed the spiritual need of the Judahites. The contrast
between this king and his subjects is striking.
The "day of the Lord" that Zephaniah predicted was an eschatological day in which God
would judge the people of Judah and Jerusalem. This judgment will take place during the
first part of the eschatological day of the Lord, the period we refer to as the Tribulation.
Zephaniah also predicted restoration following judgment (ch. 3). This refers to the second
part of the eschatological day of the Lord, the period we refer to as the Millennium.
But Zephaniah also had in mind an eschatological day of the Lord even after the
Millennium. This seems clear from the extent of devastation he described, as well as the
picture of restoration he painted. That "day of the Lord" will be the judgment of the Lord
at the end of the Millennium, including the destruction of the present earth and heavens,
which will be followed by the creation of new heavens and a new earth.
Other revelation helps us see that there are, in fact, two periods of future judgment
followed by restoration, not just one, which we might conclude if all we had was
Zephaniah's prophecy (cf. 2 Pet. 3; Rev.).
The timeless value of the Book of Zephaniah is its unveiling of the day of the Lord. The
book does not reveal exactly when that day will come. The only chronological reference
in the book is in the first verse, which locates Zephaniah's ministry in history. The book
pictures God judging in the undefined future. This is not judgment through armies of
invading soldiers, or through any human instrumentality. It is direct judgment from God
Himself.
There are three things that this book reveals about this coming day of the Lord: its
content, its extent, and its intent.
The content of the day of the Lord is clear from 1:2-3. God will visit earth with direct and
positive retribution, not in the general administrative sense of bringing people to account
eventually, but in the narrower sense of executing vengeance on humanity in cataclysmic
judgment (1:14-16). This judgment will fall in spite of human unbelief (1:12). When
people will be disregarding God, He will break into human history dynamically,
supernaturally, to judge. Peter's description of the day of the Lord is remarkably similar
(2 Pet. 3:1-10). People today are saying what these two prophets said they would say so
long ago. They are saying that God will never intervene in judgment this way. The great
statement of the Book of Zephaniah is that God will indeed do this in a day yet future.
What will be the extent of this judgment? Zephaniah reveals that it will be discriminating.
His people Israel will be the special target of this judgment, though all humanity will also
suffer (1:12). As we can see from this verse, the last stages of sin are complacency and
indifference.
It is an interesting fact of history that complacency and indifference have frequently

preceded the destruction of great empires of the past. Assyria fell to Babylonia because
she was complacent and indifferent (cf. Nahum). Remember the fall of the Babylonian
Empire that we read of in Daniel 5. The Roman Empire fell to the Visigoths from the
north because it had become complacent and indifferent. And earlier, the Northern
Kingdom of Israel, and later the Southern Kingdom of Judah, fell to Assyria and
Babylonia respectively for the same reasons.
The spirit that produces these conditions (complacency and indifference) is disregard for
God and His Word (3:1-2). The result of such a spirit is that the leaders of the people
forsake their proper servant role and turn to abusing the people to fatten themselves (3:3-
4).
Reading Zephaniah is somewhat like watching a science fiction movie about a nuclear
disaster, that leaves nothing but a sterile, uninhabited, windswept landscape with no life,
no flowers, no fruit, and no beauty. What produces this horrible condition? The reason is
the vast number of people who are complacent and indifferent, who disregard and ignore
God. They do not obey God's voice, receive His correction, trust in Him, or draw near to
Him. They are materialized, self-centered, living in luxury, and oblivious to their danger.
So God steps in and turns their complacency into chaos, disorganizes their orderly lives,
and purges them in their indifference. All that is left is a wind-swept desert (cf. the
Flood).
What is the intent of this terrible activity? It is the creation of a new order, with God
Himself enthroned among His creatures (3:17). Chapter 3 of this prophecy is such a
different picture of the future, from what we have in chapters 1 and 2, that some
commentators have said that a different person must have written it. Chapter 3 describes
songs instead of sorrow, service instead of selfishness, and solidarity instead of
scattering. That is the intent of this judgment. Marvelous restoration will follow
devastating judgment.
The living message of this book is twofold. We can rejoice in the assurance of this
coming judgment followed by restoration, and we have a responsibility in view of this
coming judgment followed by restoration.
It is our privilege to "rejoice in the hope of the glory of God" that will be manifested at
the end of God's judgment (cf. Rom. 5:2b). Even though the day of the Lord will involve
the destruction of all things that destroy, it will also begin a new era of singing, service,
and solidarity. That era will be the millennial reign of Christ first, and then the Eternal
State.
It is also our responsibility to live holy and godly lives as we anticipate the coming of
"new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness will dwell" (2 Pet. 3:11-13). We
need to be diligent to be found at peace with God, "spotless and blameless" in our lives
(2 Pet. 3:14). We need to be on guard that we do not fall away from our own faithfulness
because of the prevalent "error of unprincipled people" (i.e., complacency and

indifference; 2 Pet. 3:17). And we need to continue to "grow in grace and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Pet. 3:18). Rejoicing and responsible
living: these characteristics need to distinguish the lives of people who anticipate the day
of the Lord.
We could state the message of the book as follows: God will intervene in history,
catastrophically, to judge humanity's complacency and indifference, and to restore His
people to the conditions of blessing that He originally intended for them to enjoy.28
28Adapted from G. Campbell Morgan, Living Messages of the Books of the Bible, 1:2:289-301.
Exposition
I. HEADING 1:1
What follows is "the word" that Yahweh gave "to Zephaniah" during the reign of King
Josiah of Judah (640-609 B.C.). This "word" includes all that the Lord told the prophet
that He also led him to record for posterity (cf. Hos. 1:1; Joel 1:1; Mic. 1:1). This was a
divine revelation that God gave through one of His servants the prophets.
Zephaniah recorded his genealogy, the longest genealogy of a writing prophet in any
prophetical book. It goes back four generations to Zephaniah's great-great-grandfather, or
possibly more distant relative, Hezekiah. As noted in the "Writer" section of the
Introduction above, it is impossible to prove or to disprove that this Hezekiah was the
king of Judah with that name. Chronologically, he could have been, since people married
quite young during Israel's monarchy.
I think this Hezekiah probably was the king, since the name was not common, and since it
would make sense to trace the prophet's lineage back this far only if Hezekiah was an
important person (cf. Zech. 1:1).29 Normally the writing prophets who recorded their
ancestors named only their fathers (cf. Jon. 1:1; Joel 1:1). We have no complete
genealogy of King Hezekiah's descendants in the Old Testament.
II. THE DAY OF YAHWEH'S JUDGMENT 1:23:8

Zephaniah's prophecies are all about "the day of the LORD." He revealed two things about
this "day." First, it would involve judgment (1:23:8), and second, it would eventuate in
blessing (3:9-20). The judgment portion is the larger of the two sections of revelation.
This "judgment followed by blessing" motif is common throughout the Prophets.
Zephaniah revealed that judgment would come from Yahweh on the whole earth, Judah,
Israel's neighbors, Jerusalem, and all nations. The arrangement of this judgment section
of the book is chiastic.
A Judgment on the world 1:2-3

B Judgment on Judah 1:42:3
C Judgment on Israel's neighbors 2:4-15
B' Judgment on Jerusalem 3:1-7
A' Judgment on the all nations 3:8
A. THE JUDGMENT ON THE WORLD 1:2-3

Zephaniah presented three graphic pictures of the day of the LORD.30 The first is that of a
devastating universal flood.
29Seeibid., p. 898; J. M. P. Smith, pp. 182-83; George Adam Smith, The Book of the Twelve Prophets,
Commonly Called the Minor, 2:47; and Baker, p. 91.
30Warren W. Wiersbe, "Zephaniah," in The Bible Exposition Commentary/Prophets, pp. 426-27.
"These words not only introduce the particular judgment that would be
pronounced upon Judah (v. 4), but they also speak of the final judgment
that will usher in the kingdom of God on earth (see Rev. 19)."31
1:2 Yahweh revealed that He would "completely remove" everything "from

the face of the earth" (cf. 2 Pet. 3:10-12). This is one of the most explicit
announcements of the total devastation of planet Earth in the Old
Testament (cf. Isa. 24:1-6, 19-23). While it may involve some hyperbole,
it clearly seems to foretell a worldwide judgment.
"Its imminent reference, some think, was to the fact that the
barbaric Scythians, who had left their homeland north of
the Black Sea, were sweeping over western Asia and might
be expected to attack Judah at any moment. The ruthless
Scythians employed the scorched earth policy with fury and
vengeance."32
"As a computer screen might cause all words to disappear

at a keyed command, so the creation is about to vanish
from the screen of God's presence."33
1:3 This verse particularizes the general statement in verse 2 (cf. Gen. 1:1-2
and 3-31). The Lord will remove animal life, not that plants will survive
if animals die, plants will undoubtedly die toobut animal life was His
focus of interest. "Man and beast" includes human beings, beasts of all
types, birds, and fish, in other words, animal life on the land, in the air,
and in the water.
"Ruins" still standing from previous destructions, or perhaps from false

religious practices that have caused people to stumble, would perish, as
would the wicked. The Lord repeated that He would "cut off man" to
make that fact indisputable. This would be a reversal of Creation (cf. Gen.
1:20-26). The order in which things are listed for destruction is exactly the
reverse from which they appear in the Creation narrative.34 Zephaniah
pictured a judgment similar to the Flood in its scope (Gen. 6:17; 7:21-23).
"Zephaniah begins with words of such stunning judgment

we reel before them. He walks up, swings his fist in the
solar plexus, then hits again before we've caught our breath.
It's the Rambo approach to prophecy."35
31The Nelson Study Bible, p. 1526.

32Hanke, p. 884.
33Allen, p. 40.
34See M. DeRoche, "Zephaniah 1:2, 3: The 'Sweeping' of Creation," Vetus Testamentum 30 (1979):106.
35Allen, p. 35.
Does this prophecy refer to the judgments that will come during the Tribulation (Rev.
618) or at the end of the Millennium (2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 20:11-15)? In view of what
follows in this section describing judgment, especially 3:8, the parallel passage to 1:2-3,
I think it refers to the Tribulation judgments.
B. THE JUDGMENT ON JUDAH 1:42:3
Zephaniah gave more particulars concerning the fate of Judah (1:42:3) and Jerusalem
(3:1-7) than about the fate of the rest of humanity (1:2-3; 2:4-15; 3:8). He did this, both in
the section of the book dealing with coming judgment, and in the section about blessing.
In the section on blessing, he gave only one verse about the purification of the nations
(3:9), but 11 about the transformation of Israel (3:10-20).
1. The cause for Judah's judgment 1:4-6
1:4 Yahweh announced that He would "stretch out" His "hand against Judah"
and the people "of Jerusalem"in judgment.
"Zephaniah's methodology of spiraling from an outer rim to

an inner core in depicting the object of God's judgment
compares closely to the technique of Amos (cf. Amos
1:62:16)."36
"Stretching out the hand" is a figure of speech that implies a special work
of punishment (cf. Exod. 6:6; Deut. 4:34; 2 Kings 17:36; Isa. 14:26-27;
Jer. 27:5; 32:17; et al.). He promised to "cut off the remnant of Baal"
worshippers who remained in Judah, or perhaps the temple (cf. Deut. 12:5,
11; 1 Kings 8:29-30; Ezek. 42:13), as well as the priests of Baal and the
unfaithful priests of Yahweh. He would also terminate their reputations
and the memory of them (cf. 2 Kings 23:5; Hos. 10:5).
This reference has suggested to some interpreters that Zephaniah wrote

after Josiah began his reforms, since Josiah revived the worship of
Yahweh and triedunsuccessfullyto eliminate idolatry (2 Chron. 34:4).
Other interpreters use this verse to argue for a time of writing before
Josiah began his reforms.37 However, this verse may simply mean that the
Lord would judge the idolaters in Judah, "Baal" being a figure
(synecdoche) for all idolatry.
"Wherever excitement in religion becomes an end in itself

and wherever the cult of 'what helps' replaces joy in 'what's
true,' Baal is worshiped."38
36Robertson, p. 260.
37E.g.,
Leon J. Wood, A Survey of Israel's History, p. 370.
38Motyer, p. 912.
1:5 The Lord would also judge those who worshipped "the host of heaven"
the sun, moon, stars, and planetswhich the idolatrous Israelites did on
their flat "housetops" (cf. Deut. 4:19; 2 Kings 21:3, 5; 23:4-5; Jer. 19:13).
This superstition persists today among believers in horoscopes. He would
also punish the Judeans who worshipped both Yahweh and the pagan gods
of the nations (cf. 2 Kings 16:3; 21:6; Jer. 32:35).
"Milcom" (Molech, the god of Ammon; 1 Kings 11:33) probably
represents all foreign gods. Syncretism also exists today whenever
someone worships the true God but at the same time chooses something
over Him. Swearing to and by a deity meant pronouncing an oath that
called on that god to punish the oath-taker if he or she failed to do what he
or she promised. Swearing by another god involved acknowledging its
authority, which God prohibited in Israel.
"A great many people think that if a building has a steeple
on it, a bell in that steeple, an organ, a big center aisle for
weddings, a pulpit down front, and a choir loft, these make
it a church. My friend, it may be one of the worst spots in
town! It may be worse than any barroom, any gambling
establishment, or any brothel in town. This is the thing that
is so deceptive. The thing that undermined the nation of
Judah is that they pretended that they were serving the
living and true God, but they were giving themselves over
to Molech idolatry."39
1:6 Judgment would come, too, on all God's people who had apostatized,
namely, departed from loving and following Yahweh, and had stopped
praying to Him. They might not have participated in pagan idolatry, but if
their love had grown cold, they were still guilty (cf. Rev. 2:1-7). The Lord
commanded His people to love Him wholeheartedly (cf. Deut. 6:5). They
may have forgotten Him, but He had not forgotten them.
"There were some who had at first heeded Josiah's call to
repentance, and who had sought for a time to obey the
voice of the Lord; but, putting their hand to the plow, they
looked back and relapsed into their old idolatrous ways.
There were others who had never known, nor cared to
know, the mind of God. All must perish in the common
destruction that was coming."40
"Sometimes it is the apathetic and indifferent who are more
responsible for a nation's moral collapse than those who are
actively engaged in evil, or those who have failed in the
responsibilities of leadership."41
39McGee, 3:866.
40Harry A. Ironside, Notes on the Minor Prophets, p. 304.
41Peter C. Craigie, Twelve Prophets, 2:114.
In this pericope, the prophet identified three types of idolatry: "the overtly pagan, the
syncretistic, and the religiously indifferent."42 Practitioners of all three would draw
punishment from Yahweh.
How does this promise to judge the Israelites harmonize with the earlier prophecy that
God would destroy the whole earth (vv. 2-3)? This is an example of a prophet's
foreshortened view of the future, in which he could not see the difference in time between
some events that he predicted (cf. Isa. 61:1-3; Dan. 11:35-36; et al.). God judged Israel
when the Babylonians overran Judah and destroyed Jerusalem in 586 B.C. He will also
judge the Israelites in the Tribulation (cf. Jer. 30:7; Rev. 618; et al.). Zephaniah
described God's judgment of the people of Judah without specifying exactly when He
would judge them. Most of what Zephaniah prophesied in this pericope found fulfillment,
at least initially, in 586 B.C.
2. The course of Judah's judgment 1:7-13

Zephaniah's second picture of the day of the LORD is that of a great sacrifice.
1:7 In view of the inevitability and imminence of coming judgment for

idolatry, it was appropriate for the Judeans to "be silent" or quiet before
sovereign Yahweh (cf. Hab. 2:20).
"This is a call to the people of Judah to cease every manner

of opposition to God's word and will, to bow down in
submissive obedience, in unconditional surrender, in loving
service, to their Covenant God."43
This is Zephaniah's first reference to "the day of the LORD," to which he

referred 24 times in this book.44
References to the day of the LORD References to the day of the LORD
as a time of judgment as a time of blessing
The day of the LORD 1:7, 14 (2) That day 3:11, 16
The day of the LORD's sacrifice 1:8 That time 3:19, 20
That day 1:9, 10, 15 The time 3:20
That time 1:12
A day of the LORD's wrath 1:18
The day 2:2; 3:8
The day of the LORD's anger 2:2, 3
A day 1:15 (5), 16
42Hannah, p. 1526.
43T.Laetsch, The Minor Prophets, p. 358.
44For a brief excursus on the day of the Lord, see Robert B. Chisholm Jr., "A Theology of the Minor
Prophets," in A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, pp. 417-18.
"The day of the LORD" was a time when God works, in contrast to man's
day, in which he works.
"As employed by the prophets, the Day of the Lord is that

time when for His glory and in accordance with His
purposes God intervenes in human affairs in judgment
against sin or for the deliverance of His own."45
Many amillennialists believe that the cosmic judgments of the Day of the
Lord will take place at Christ's Second Coming.46 Premillennialists
typically believe that they will occur at various times in the future: the
Tribulation, the Second Coming, and the destruction of the present
heavens and earth at the end of Christ's millennial reign on earth.
Here the prophet announced that the Lord's day was "near"; He was about
to intervene in human history (e.g., the Flood). The Lord had prepared "a
sacrifice," namely, Judah (cf. Isa. 34:6; Jer. 46:10), and He had set apart
"guests" to eat it, namely, the Babylonians (cf. Jer. 10:25; Hab. 1:6).
Another view is that the invited guests were the Judeans who, ironically,
would also serve as the sacrifice.47
1:8 When the Lord slaughtered Judah like a sacrifice, He would "punish . . .
the king's sons," and those who wore foreign clothing. The king's sons, the
future rulers of the nation, bore special responsibility for conditions in the
land. Josiah's sons did indeed suffer Yahweh's punishment. Jehoahaz was
taken captive to Egypt (2 Kings 23:34). Jehoiakim was defeated by
Nebuchadnezzar and died in Jerusalem (2 Kings 24:1-6). Josiah's
grandson, Jehoiachin, was taken captive to Babylon (2 Kings 24:8-16).
The last son of Josiah to rule over Judah, Zedekiah, was blinded and also
taken captive to Babylon (2 Kings 24:1825:7).
Wearing "foreign garments" evidently was a custom that expressed love

and support for non-Israelite values, and so incurred God's wrath (cf.
Num. 15:38; Deut. 22:11-12).48 This reference to foreign garments may
also imply that those who wore them were greedily practicing extortion
against their neighbors and, possibly, participating in religious rites
associated with exotic clothing.49 The Israelites' garments were to be
distinctive, including tassels on the corners with a blue cord in the tassels
(Num. 15:38).
1:9 The Lord would also punish those who leaped over the thresholds of their
neighbors in their zeal to plunder them, and who filled the temple with
45Patterson, p. 310. Cf. Allen, p. 66.

46E.g., Robertson, p. 273.
47Baker, p. 95.
48Keil, 2:131.
49The Nelson . . ., p. 1527; Robertson, p. 278.
gifts taken through "violence and deceit."50 Another view of "leaping over
the threshold" is that this expression describes a superstition that anyone
who walked on a building's threshold would have bad luck (cf. 1 Sam.
5:5).51
Still another view is that this expression describes people who claimed
their neighbors' houses as their own.52 A fourth view is that the phrase
"who avoid stepping on the threshold" (NIV) implies that the Judahites
were worshiping pagan deities in the temple courts, which had been
established for the worship of Yahweh.53
In this passage, the temple in view might be the temple of Baal. "Their
lord" is literally "Their Baal" (cf. v. 4).
1:10 When the Lord brought judgment on Judah, there would be crying out
from various parts of Jerusalemrepresenting the total destruction of the
city. The "Fish Gate" was the gate through which the fishermen normally
entered the city with their catches. It was a gate that pierced Jerusalem's
north wall close to the fish market (cf. 2 Chron. 33:14; Neh. 3:3; 12:39). It
was probably through this gate that Nebuchadnezzar entered Jerusalem,
since he invaded it from the north. The modern name of this gate is the
Damascus Gate.54
The "Second (or New) Quarter" was a district of Jerusalem northwest of
the temple area (cf. 2 Kings 22:14; 2 Chron. 34:22). "The hills" may refer
to the hills on which Jerusalem stood, or the hills surrounding the city, or
both. In any case, the Babylonian army doubtless caused loud crashing on
all the hills, in and around Jerusalem, as the soldiers destroyed the whole
city and its environs.
1:11 Zephaniah called on the "inhabitants of the Mortar," the market or
business district of Jerusalem, to "wail," because judgment was coming.
This section of Jerusalem may have received the name "mortar" (bowl)
because it lay in the somewhat geographically depressed Tyropoeon
Valley. Another view is that the "mortar" refers to the entire city of
Jerusalem, since it was surrounded by higher hills.55
The Canaanites ("people of Canaan" or "merchant people") who did
business there would fall silent because business would cease. Or perhaps
it was the Judeans, who were behaving like Canaanites, that were on
Zephaniah's mind.56 Those who weighed silveri.e., who conducted
commercial transactionswould also perish from the city.
50Keil, 2:132; Charles Lee Feinberg, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Malachi, p. 48.
51The Nelson . . ., p. 1527.
52Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible, p. 1167.
53Allen, p. 54.
54McGee, 3:867.
56Keil, 2:133.
"Commerce is the Baal of the hour. In the accumulation of

great wealth, conscience and Christianity are pressed to the
wall. Gold is king and god. For gold men will sacrifice
every principle, human and divine. Covetousness is the
ruling passion of the age. All else must go down before
it."57
1:12 The Lord would carefully search among the residents of Jerusalem then, as
one searches by using a lamp (cf. Luke 15:8). He would punish the people
whose love for Him had stagnated, like wine left undisturbed too long (cf.
Rev. 3:15-16), and who concluded indifferently that He was complacent
and would not act (cf. Isa. 32:9; Ezek. 30:9; Amos 6:1). Their
complacency led them to believe that He was similarly complacent.
1:13 The treasures of the Jerusalemites, and all the Judeans, would "become
plunder" for the enemy, and "their houses" would become vacant if not
destroyed. They would "build houses"but "not" be able to live in
thembecause the Babylonian invasion would come quickly. They would
"plant vineyards"but "not" be able to "drink their wine"for the same
reason (cf. Lev. 26:32-33; Deut. 28:30, 39; Amos 5:11; Mic. 6:15).
"Rather than condemning the use of alcohol, as the passage

could be understood (NEB), Zephaniah condemns
apathy."58
3. The imminence and horrors of Judah's judgment 1:14-18
Zephaniah's third picture of the day of the LORD is that of a great battle.
1:14 Zephaniah reported that this "great day of the LORD" was "near," very
near, and "coming very quickly." His hearers needed to realize that it
would be a day in which Yahweh would act (cf. v. 12). When it came,
warriors would cry out bitterly because that day would involve fierce
fighting. The first deportation of Judeans to Babylon came in 605 B.C.,
not many years from whenever Zephaniah must have first announced this
message.
1:15-16 The prophet wanted to emphasize, even more strongly, the danger his
complacent hearers faced. He described the effects of "the day of wrath"
on people by using five synonymous word pairs. It would be a day marked
by emotional "distress" and anguish ("trouble"), as well as physical
"destruction" and devastation ("desolation"; cf. Deut. 28:53, 55, 57). The
prophet described the terror as "darkness and gloom," and "clouds and"
blackness ("thick darkness"; Deut. 4:11). "Trumpet" blast "and battle cry"
57Ironside, p. 305.
58Baker, p. 98.
picture the tumult of that day. The "fortified cities" of Judah would face
invasion, and the "high corner towers" of their walls would come under
siege.
1:17 The Lord would "distress" His people so severely that they would grope
around as though they were "blind." He would do this because they had
sinned against Him (cf. Deut. 28:28-29). Their precious "blood" would lie
all over the ground like common "dust," and their dead "flesh" would lie
in the streets like putrid, decaying "dung."
"Humans may categorize their sins into the serious, the

mediocre, and the insignificant. To Zephaniah (see James
2:10-11) the mere fact of sin excited and merited the whole
weight of divine rage. The simple statement 'they have
sinned' is sufficient."59
1:18 The Judeans would not be able to buy themselves out of their trouble
when the Lord poured forth His "wrath" (cf. Ezek. 7:19). He would devour
the whole earth with "the fire" of His jealous rage, "jealousy" provoked by
His people's preference for various forms of idolatry (vv. 4-6; cf. Deut.
32:21-22). He would destroy completely, and terribly, "all the inhabitants
of the earth" (cf. vv. 2-3; cf. Joel 2:1-11).
"It has been quite interesting that this nation in which I live
has spent billions of dollars throughout the world trying to
buy friends, trying to win friends and influence people. But
we are hated throughout the world todaywe are not
loved. You cannot buy love; you cannot win people over
with silver and gold. But in this country we still believe that
money solves all the ills of this life, that money is the
answer to all the problems."60
The comprehensive nature of this judgment suggests that, at this point, the
prophet's perspective again lifted towhat we can now seewill be the
eschatological fulfillment of this prophecy. The Babylonian invasion only
previewed it. Another possibility is that we should understand "all the
earth" as referring only to the Promised Land. However, other descriptions
of the worldwide extent of God's eventual judgment of sin and sinners, in
this book and others, make this interpretation unattractive.
4. A call to repentance 2:1-3

This section of the book (1:42:3) concludes with an appeal to the Judeans to repent,
and so avoid the punishment destined to come on them if they did not repent.
59Motyer, p. 924.
60McGee, 3:869.
"The prophet meant in that terrible description of approaching judgments

not to drive the people to despair, but to drive them to God and to their
dutynot to frighten them out of their wits, but to frighten them out of
their sins."61
2:1-2 Zephaniah called for the shameless people of Judah to "gather . . .

together," evidently in a nationwide public assembly, to repent (cf. 1:6;
Joel 2:12-14). They needed to do so before the Lord's decree to punish
them took effect, and His "burning anger" overtook them. Nineveh had
repented at the preaching of Jonah, and the Lord relented from judging it.
Perhaps He would do the same if the Judeans repented. That day was
coming as swiftly as chaff blows before the wind, so they needed to act
immediately.
2:3 The prophet urged his "humble" hearers, who had sought to be obedient to
the Lord, to continue to seek Him in prayerful dependence. He was
appealing to the faithful remnant in particular (cf. 3:12; Isa. 11:4; Amos
8:4; Matt. 5:3). They needed to continue to pursue righteous behavior, and
to place themselves under the Lord's sovereign authority, by listening to
Him and obeying Him. If they did this, the Lord might "hide" them when
He poured out His "anger" on the unrepentant.62
"This is a beacon of hope for the committed, not an escape

clause for the half-hearted."63
Here Zephaniah made a play on words (paronomasia) with his own name:
"Hidden by Yahweh." The Hebrew word satar is the root of the word
translated "hidden." Satar is a synonym of saphan, which may be part of
Zephaniah's name. If it is, "Zephaniah" probably means "Hidden by
Yahweh." Thus his name could have had connection with his message of
preservation for the godly remnant.
Repentance was open to anyone. God did indeed protect some Judeans
from destruction when the Babylonians invaded (cf. 2 Kings 24:14-16).
Zephaniah's exhortation appears to have been effective.
Zephaniah called on the "humble of the earth" to seek the Lord. While the
Promised Land may be in view, this is probably a worldwide invitation.
All people need to seek the Lord by repenting.
61Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible, p. 1168.

62See Wiersbe, pp. 433-35, for an excursus on "the company of the concerned."
63Allen, p. 98.
C. JUDGMENT ON ISRAEL'S NEIGHBORS 2:4-15

Since all people need to seek the Lord (v. 3), Zephaniah revealed that judgment was
headed for the nations around Judah as well as for Judah. He selected nations that lived in
four directions from Judah to represent all the nations. Philistia lay west of Judah, Moab
and Ammon east, Ethiopia south, and Assyria north.
"He [God] would also judge nations that were near as well as nations that
were far away. Those near would be plundered and possessed by Judah.
Those far away would simply be destroyed by the Lord."64
Zephaniah prophesied to the people of Judah about these nations rather than to these
nations themselves, though they might have heard about Zephaniah's prophecies. His
prophecies about the nations reminded the Judeans that Yahweh was sovereign over all
the earth, and that He was not just singling out Judah for punishment.
1. Judgment coming on Philistia 2:4-7

2:4 The prophet announced that destruction would overtake four of the five
cities of the Philistine pentapolis (cf. Isa. 14:28-32; Jer. 47; Ezek. 25:15-
17; Amos 1:6-8). He listed them from south to north. Gath had evidently
declined already (cf. 2 Chron. 26:6; Amos 1:6-8; Zech. 9:5-7), or perhaps
Zephaniah selected only four towns to preserve literary parallelism.65
A better option follows:
"Uzziah and Hezekiah had kept Gath in subjection. 2 Kings

18:8 and 2 Chronicles 26:6."66
"Gaza" and "abandoned" sound similar in Hebrew, as do "Ekron" and

"uprooted." Being "driven out at noon" may imply an unexpected time,
since people normally rested during the hottest part of the day.
2:5 Zephaniah announced "woe" on the "Philistines" ("Emigrants") because

destruction was coming on them. They inhabited the Mediterranean
"seacoast," and they had come from Crete (cf. 1 Sam. 30:14; 2 Sam. 8:18;
20:23; 1 Chron. 18:17; Ezek. 25:16). Yahweh's powerful word was all it
took to afflict them, and it would come against them. He promised to
"destroy" them and their land, the coastal plain of Canaan, so no one
would live there any longer. Pharaoh Neco II of Egypt (609-594 B.C.)
initially fulfilled this prophecy (cf. Jer. 47).
2:6-7 The flat Philistine "seacoast" would become depopulated "pastures," and
its "caves"there are many in Judah and Mt. Carmelwould serve as
refuges "for shepherds and folds for flocks" of sheep. After this
64Dyer, pp. 810-11.

65Keil,2:140.
66Feinberg, p. 55.
destruction, the survivors from Judah would take possession of the coastal
plain and pasture their sheep there. They would also take over the
"houses" in "Ashkelon" and make them their homes, because Yahweh
would "care for" this remnant "and restore their fortune" (cf. 3:20; Gen.
15:18-20).
"This prophecy is a picture of a scene that can be

demonstrated any day of the year, although it may change
tomorrow. However, I do not consider what we see there
today as a fulfillment of prophecy, because I believe that
Israel will be driven from that land again before their final
return under God."67
2. Judgment coming on Moab and Ammon 2:8-11
2:8 Probably Zephaniah linked "Moab" and "Ammon" because both nations
descended from Lot (Gen. 19:30-38), as well as because both lay to
Judah's east. Both nations had "taunted" and reviled the Israelites from
their earliest history. They had repeatedly lifted themselves up as enemies
of God's chosen people (cf. Num. 22; 24:17; Judg. 3:12-14; 10:7-9; 11:4-
6; 1 Sam. 11:1-11; 2 Sam. 10:1-14; 2 Kings 3).
2:9 The LORD swore by Himself: "As I live!"
"Life specially belongs to God, since He Alone is

Underived Life."68
Because of their hostility toward the Israelites, Almighty Yahweh, Israel's

God, would definitely destroy these nations as He had "Sodom" and
"Gomorrah" (cf. Isa. 1516; Jer. 48:149:22; Ezek. 25:1-14; 35; Amos
1:112:3). God had completely destroyed these citiesthat stood in the
territory later occupied by Moabshortly before either of these nations
came into existence (Gen. 19:23-29).
Sodom and Gomorrah had become a notorious "perpetual desolation," a

place of "salt pits" where nothing but "nettles" grew (cf. Jer. 48:9), and
that would be what Yahweh would make of Moab and Ammon. The
"remnant of" Israelites would "plunder" these neighbors and take over
their territory as an inheritance from their God (cf. Isa. 11:14).
2:10 Yahweh of armies would bring this fate on these nations because of "their
pride" and "arrogant" ridicule of His people Israel (cf. Isa. 16:6; Jer. 48:26,
29; Ezek. 25:5-6, 8).
67McGee, 3:872.
68Pusey, 2:270.
"The curse resting upon these lands will not be entirely

removed till the completion of the kingdom of God on
earth. This view is proved to be correct by the contents of
ver. 11, with which the prophet passes to the announcement
of the judgment upon the nations of the south and north."69
2:11 The Lord would terrify them. He would remove the inhabitants of these
nations from the face of the earth so they would not be able to offer
sacrifices to their pagan gods. As a result, these "gods" would "starve."
What kind of a god needs the sacrifices of mortals to sustain it? People
from "all" the "nations," pictured as living on "the coastlands" of the
world, would worship Yahweh (cf. Mal. 1:11).
"That the final fulfillment of these predictions is yet future to our day can
be seen from the connection of verses 8 to 10 with verse 11."70
"After this statement of the aim of the judgments of God, Zephaniah

mentions two other powerful heathen nations as examples, to prove that
the whole of the heathen world will succumb to the judgment."71
3. Judgment coming on Ethiopia 2:12
Zephaniah's oracle against Ethiopia is very brief (cf. Isa. 1820; Jer. 46; Ezek. 2932).
Patterson suggested that Zephaniah may have meant Egypt rather than Ethiopia.72
Biblical Ethiopia occupied the territory now held by southern Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, and
northern Ethiopia. The "Ethiopians" were the southernmost (really southwestern-most)
people known to the Judeans. God promised to send His "sword" against this nation. His
instrument of judgment proved to be Nebuchadnezzar, who defeated Ethiopia shortly
after overrunning all of Judah in 586 B.C. (cf. Ezek. 30:4-5, 9, 24-25). The prophet gave
no reason for this overthrow, though it must be that Ethiopia shared the same disregard
for Yahweh that the other nations He condemned held.
4. Judgment coming on Assyria 2:13-15

2:13 Zephaniah also prophesied the destruction of "Assyria" to Judah's north
(really northeast), and her capital "Nineveh" (cf. Isa. 14:24-27; Nah.).
Since Nineveh fell to the combined forces of Babylonia, Media, and
Scythia in 612 B.C., Zephaniah must have uttered this prophecy before
that date. The Lord would make Nineveh a "parched . . . desolation" (cf.
Nah. 3). Until her fall, Nineveh had much water surrounding and
circulating through it, but in the future she would be dry (cf. Nah. 1:8; 2:6,
8).
69Keil, 2:144.
70Feinberg, pp. 56-57.
71Keil, 2:146.
72Patterson, pp. 349-50.
"Nineveh is part of Scripture's early-warning system."73
2:14 Beautiful Nineveh would become a dwelling place for wild animals
("beasts") and "birds," rather than populated with multitudes of
sophisticated citizens. The very idea must have seemed incredible in
Zephaniah's day because Nineveh was the greatest city in the ancient Near
East.74
"The entire imagery depicts a reversal of creation's order.

Humanity originally had been given the responsibility for
exercising dominion over the whole of creation. But now
the creation seizes power from the greatest of human
empires and transforms it into a bestial wilderness.
Organized chaos has supplanted civilization."75
2:15 In Zephaniah's day, Nineveh was proud, carefree, and apparently

impregnable. Its residents boasted of being citizens of the most important
city in the world (cf. Isa. 10:12). Yet in the future, it would become a
desolate "resting place for beasts" rather than barons. Passersby would
ridicule the pride of Nineveh verbally, by reviling it, and bodily, by
shaking their fists at it after its fall (cf. Nah. 3:19).
Motyer summarized five principles that Zephaniah taught in this section (2:4-15). First,
the Lord is the God of all the earth. Second, the Lord plans for the spiritual needs of the
world. Third, the Lord is in charge of the whole historical process. Fourth, the Lord's
people are central to His world purposes. And fifth, the Lord is the fierce enemy of
pride.76
D. JUDGMENT ON JERUSALEM 3:1-7
Having announced that divine judgment would come on the nations around Judah (2:4-
15), the prophet returned to the subject of Yahweh's judgment on the Chosen People (cf.
1:42:3), but this time he focused more particularly on Jerusalem. Though he did not
mention Jerusalem by name, it is clearly in view.
"Like Isaiah and Micah, he is a prophet of the city, open-eyed to its faults;
unlike them, his focus is almost wholly civic and religious. But he draws
the fundamental dividing line in the same place: whatever the basis on
which the world is judged, the people of God are judged for turning from
revealed truth (Amos 2:4) and for neglecting proffered spiritual privileges
(Isa. 65:2).
73Motyer, p. 937.
74M.R. Wilson, "Nineveh," in Major Cities of the Biblical World, p. 186.
76Motyer, pp. 938-39.
"Like Amos, Zephaniah uses the rhetorical device of condemning

surrounding nations, but all the whileunannounced to his hearers
bringing their own condemnation ever closer."77
3:1 Zephaniah pronounced another "woe" (cf. 2:5), this time on Jerusalem,
which he described as "rebellious," "defiled," and "tyrannical." Rebels are
those who refuse to submit to God's will. The defiled are those polluted by
sinful practices. Tyrants disregard the rights of others, particularly those
whom they can take advantage of.
"Jerusalem's sin is threefold, actively rebelling against God;

then, inwardly defiled by sin; then cruel to man. So then,
toward God in herself, toward man, she is wholly turned to
evil, not in passing acts, but in her abiding state,
1) rebellious, 2) defiled, 3) oppressive."78
3:2 There were four evidences that the people of Jerusalem had been
rebellious against Yahweh (v. 1). They had been unresponsive to the
prophets whom God had sent them. They were unteachable and refused to
accept any correction. They "did not trust in" Yahweh, and "they did not
draw near to . . . God" in repentance and prayer (cf. 1:6).
"Here Yahweh is a father with a broken heart. The love of

his life, his own daughter, has spurned him thoroughly."79
"Our practical relation to God is summed up in the four

words, 'Mistrust self; trust God.' Man reverses this and
when 'self-trust' has of course failed him, then he 'mistrusts
God.'"80
3:3 Evidence that they were oppressing the weak (v. 1): the greedy behavior
of Jerusalem's civil rulers ("princes") and "judges." Like vicious "lions"
and "wolves," they gobbled up all the possessions of vulnerable people
that they couldas fast as they could (cf. 1:8; Ezek. 3:9-10; Mic. 2:1-3, 9-
10).
3:4 Jerusalem's religious leaders, the (false) "prophets" and "priests," provided
examples of the city's defiled condition (v. 1). The prophets were
"reckless" in the way they announced their own advice as divine
revelation, and "treacherous" in deceiving the people into thinking that
their words were authoritative. The priests did not observe the laws of
holiness that God had prescribed for worship, and they twisted the
meaning of the Mosaic Law to suit their purposes (cf. 1:4-5).
77Ibid.,p. 941.
78Pusey, 2:278.
79Allen, p. 109.
80Pusey, 2:278.
3:5 In contrast to these crooked leaders, Yahweh was straight, and He was still
in Jerusalem. He would "do no injustice," as the civil and religious leaders
did. He performed "justice" every day, as faithfully as the rising of the sun
(cf. Deut. 32:4). Yet the "unjust" leaders of Jerusalem knew "no shame" in
the wickedness that they consistently practiced.
3:6 The Lord reminded the Jerusalemites that He had already destroyed other
"nations." This probably refers to the nations around Judah that He had
already allowed to fall to the Assyrians. He compared such a fallen nation
to a city with strong "corner towers" that now lay in ruin because of the
enemy's destruction. The "streets" of this representative "city" also lay
deserted. The real "cities" of these already defeated nations were in ruins,
without any inhabitants. Samaria was one such city, and the numerous
towns of the former Northern Kingdom were others.
3:7 The Lord expected the people of Jerusalem to learn from the fate of the
Northern Kingdom and other fallen nations. They should respect Him,
since He was behind the destruction, and obey His word. They should
have done this so He would not similarly judge them, as He had threatened
to do. But they were more eager to pursue sinful self-indulgence, and to
become thoroughly "corrupt" in "their deeds."
"Great is the enticement of sin and great is the penalty it

incurs, but man rushes headlong into it, nevertheless."81
E. JUDGMENT ON ALL NATIONS 3:8
The people of Jerusalem needed to "wait" a little longer. The Lord would soon "rise up"
as a devouring animal to consume His prey. He had determined to "gather nations" and
"kingdoms" that were wicked, including Judah, and "pour" His "burning anger,"
"indignation," and wrath on them. Yahweh's fiery "zeal" will devour "all" nations,
because the world will again become thoroughly corrupt (as in the days of Noah, cf. Gen.
6:5-7; Zeph. 1:2-3). According to Charles Feinberg, this is the only verse in the Old
Testament that contains all the letters of the Hebrew alphabet.82
"The Book of Zephaniah is like a Florida hurricane, a Texas tornado, a

Mississippi River flood, a Minnesota snowstorm, and a California
earthquake all rolled into one."83
The world is still waiting for the Lord to pour out His wrath on all nations. He has not
done so yet because He is patient and is giving people time to repent (cf. 2 Pet. 3:9). Yet
that day will surely come (2 Pet. 3:10). In view of its coming, Christians need to be holy
in conduct and godly in character, looking for and hastening that day (by our prayers and
81Feinberg,
p. 65.
82Ibid.,
p. 66.
83McGee, 3:877.
preaching, 2 Pet. 3:11). The great outpouring of divine wrath on the earth predicted here
will take place during the Tribulation, before our Lord returns to set up His kingdom (cf.
2:2; Zech. 14:2; Rev. 16:14, 16).
Zephaniah's final reference to the destruction of nations all over the world (v. 8) brings
the section of his prophecy that deals with judgment (1:23:8) full circle.
A Judgment on the world 1:2-3

B Judgment on Judah 1:42:3
C Judgment on Israel's neighbors 2:4-15
B' Judgment on Jerusalem 3:1-7
A' Judgment on all nations 3:8
III. THE DAY OF YAHWEH'S BLESSING 3:9-20
Having finished the revelation dealing with God's judgment of the world in a coming day
(1:23:8), Zephaniah now announced that He would bring great blessing to all
humankind after that judgment (3:9-20). As in the section of the book on judgment, he
first briefly revealed God's plans for the Gentile nations, and then spoke extensively
about His plans for Israel.
"In what follows, the aim and fruit of the judgment are given; and this
forms an introduction to the announcement of salvation."84
"Why did the prophets consistently close their books with messages of
hope? For at least three reasons. To begin with, hope is a great motivation
for obedience, and the prophets wanted to encourage God's people to
submit to God's will and do what He commanded. God's covenant
blessings come to His people only when they obey His covenant
conditions.
"A second reason is the prophets' emphasis on the faithfulness of God. The
Lord will keep His promises and one day establish the kingdom; and since
God is faithful to keep His promises, we ought to be faithful obeying His
Word. . . .
"Finally, the closing message of hope was an encouragement to the

faithful remnant in the land, who were true to God and suffered because of
their devotion to Him. It's difficult to belong to that 'company of the
committed' who stand true to the Lord and His Word no matter what
others may do or say. Knowing that God would one day defeat their
enemies and reign in righteousness would encourage the believers remnant
to persist in their faithful walk with the Lord."85
84Keil, 2:155.
85Wiersbe, p. 429.
A. THE PURIFICATION OF THE NATIONS 3:9

"Then" signals a major change in time, as well as in the focus of Zephaniah's prophecy. It
is a hinge word that serves as a transition from judgment in the Tribulation to blessing in
the Millennium. Then, after these judgments (1:23:8), the Lord promised to give the
peoples of the world "purified lips" that would speak truth and grace, rather than lies and
defiled speech (cf. Isa. 6:5-7).
"Lip does not stand for language, but is mentioned as the organ of speech,
by which a man expresses the thoughts of his heart, so that purity of the
lips involves or presupposes the purification of the heart."86
Yahweh will effect this change in all the people of the world, so that they will worship
Him (cf. Gen. 4:26) and serve Him as one united family of nations. This event has been
seen as a reversal of Babel (Gen. 11:1, 6-7, 9).87 This revelation indicates that everyone
living on the earth at the beginning of the Millennium will be a believer in Jesus Christ
(cf. Matt. 25:31-46).
B. THE TRANSFORMATION OF ISRAEL 3:10-20

Zephaniah had received from the Lord much more revelation about what He would do for
Israel following the period of worldwide punishment. This section is also chiastic in its
thought structure.
A Israel's purification 3:10-13

B Israel's and Yahweh's rejoicing 3:14-17
A' Israel's regathering 3:18-20
1. Israel's purification 3:10-13

3:10 The descendants of the Lord's "dispersed ones," the Jews, will bring Him
offerings of worship from the farthest corners of the earth. "The rivers of
Ethiopia," probably the Nile and its tributaries (the Atbara, the Astasobas,
the Blue Nile, and the White Nile88), were at the edge of the known world
in the prophet's day (cf. 2:12). The implication is that the Jews will come
to Jerusalem, the city the Lord chose as the place where He would dwell
among His people (cf. Deut. 30:1-10; Isa. 66:18, 20).
"We prefer with others to understand the words 'my

suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed' as the object
of the verb and not the subject. In other words, the Lord's
people dispersed in Ethiopia will be brought by the
Gentiles to their homeland as an offering to the Lord."89
86Keil, 2:156. Cf. Isa. 6:5-7.

87Craigie, 2:128; Allen, p. 114.
88Feinberg, p. 67.
89Ibid., p. 68.
"The meaning is therefore the following: The most remote

of the heathen nations will prove that they are worshippers
of Jehovah, by bringing to Him the scattered members of
His nation, or by converting them to the living God."90
3:11 "In that day," the day of blessing to follow the day of judgment,
Zephaniah's hearers, the Jews, will not feel any more "shame" for all their
previous rebellion against the Lord. This is because He will remove all the
pride from their hearts (cf. Ezek. 20:34-38; Matt. 25:1-13). They "will
never again" lift up themselves in haughtiness against Yahweh on His
"holy mountain" Jerusalem (Ps. 2:6; Dan. 9:16; Joel 2:1; Obad. 16; et al.).
A feeling of shame comes from an awareness of guilt, but they will not
feel guilty any longer, because they will be humble rather than proud.
"The congregation, being restored to favour, will be

cleansed and sanctified by the Lord from every sinful
thing."91
3:12 The Israelites of that day will be "humble and lowly" in heart (cf. 2:3), and
they will seek the Lord as their "refuge," rather than turning from Him to
idols and self-exaltation. Seeking the Lord is an indication of humility,
whereas forsaking Him, even by not praying, demonstrates a spirit of
independence from God (cf. 1:6). Again, "Hidden by Yahweh,"
Zephaniah's name, comes into view. God would hide His peopleHe
would be their hiding place, and they would "take refuge" in Him.
"God's desire is not to vaporize mankind, but to make man

fit to live in his presence."92
3:13 In contrast to their conduct since the Exodus, the Jews "will do no wrong,"
"tell no lies," and practice no deceit (cf. 3:1-4). They will resemble a flock
of sheep at peace, grazing and lying down with nothing to disturb them
(cf. Ps. 23; Mic. 4:4).
"When the Creator is worshipped and served as he ought to be, paradise is

regained."93
2. Israel's and Yahweh's rejoicing 3:14-17

"One of the most awesome descriptions of the wrath of God in judgment
found anywhere in Scripture appears in the opening verses of Zephaniah.
The totality of the cosmos shall be consumed in his burning anger. The
very order of creation shall be overturned.
90Keil,2:157.
91Ibid.,2:158.
92Allen, p. 112.
93Baker, p. 117.
"One of the most moving descriptions of the love of God for his people
found anywhere in Scripture appears in the closing verses of Zephaniah.
God and his people attain heights in the ecstasy of love that are hard to
comprehend."94
"After the promises of the taking away of sin, here follow promises of the
taking away of trouble; for when the cause is removed the effect will
cease."95
Zephaniah arranged this psalm of joy over salvation as another chiasm.
"A Zion singing (3:14a)

B Israel's shouts (3:14b)
C Jerusalem's joy (3:14c)
D Yahweh's deliverance (3:15a, b)
E Presence of Yahweh the king (3:15c)
F No more fear (3:15d)
G Jerusalem's future message (3:16a)
F' No more fear (3:16b, c)
E' Presence of Yahweh the God (3:17a)
D' The mighty deliverer (3:17b)
C' God's joy (3:17c)
B' Yahweh's silence (3:17d)
A' Yahweh's singing (3:17e)"96
3:14 In view of these wonderful prospects, Zephaniah called for the people of
Jerusalem, and all the Israelites, to "shout for joy with all" their hearts.
"Although the command is aimed at the future Jerusalem,

no doubt the message would not be lost on the godly
worshipers of Zephaniah's own day."97
The phrase "daughter of" is a way of referring to the citizens of Zion

(Jerusalem) as the children of the city. Children born in any city are the
children of that city, in a metaphorical sense, as well as the children of
their physical parents in a literal sense. Elsewhere, "daughters of
Jerusalem" sometimes refers to the villages surrounding Jerusalem, those
little communities that Jerusalem spawned. Here, however, Zephaniah
probably meant that Jerusalem was Yahweh's daughter, not that Jerusalem
had a daughter.98
95Henry, p. 1170.
96Baker, p. 87.
97Patterson, p. 377.
98Allen, p. 117.
3:15 The reason for rejoicing is that Yahweh will have removed His
"judgments" and Israel's "enemies" from her presence and life (cf. vv. 8,
19). Yahweh, Israel's true and omnipotent King, will be in the "midst" of
His people (in the person of Messiah, Jesus Christ, during the Millennium;
v. 17; cf. Isa. 9:7; 44:6; Zech. 14:9). Consequently, they "will fear disaster
no more" (v. 13).
3:16-17 "The battle cry on the day of judgment (1:14) will be

replaced by the poignant hush of the reuniting of two
lovers."99
"In that day" of blessing, the people of "Jerusalem" will have plenty of
reasons not to fear. One reason is that Yahweh their God will be in their
midst (v. 15). He will be "a victorious Warrior," having defeated all His
enemies and all opposition worldwide (1:2-3; 3:8). Like a bridegroom, He
will take "joy" in His people Israel, and they will rest quietly "in" the
security of "His love" for them as His bride (cf. Deut. 28:63; 30:9).
Yahweh will even shout with joy over His beloved Israel!
"Now the prophet moves into the 'holy of holies' by a

rapturous description of the love of God for his people.
This verse [v. 17] is the John 3:16 of the OT."100
"This must be one of the most astounding texts in all the

word of God."101
"Most often the Lord's love is expressed by the Hebrew

word hesed. This is the love that issues in commitment, the
'ever-unfailing' fidelity of love, love that lives in the will as
much as in the heart. Here, however, the word is 'ahaba,
the passionate love of Jacob for Rachel (Gen. 29:20) and of
Michal for David (1 Sam. 18:28), the fond love of Jacob for
Joseph (Gen. 37:3), Uzziah's devotion to gardening
(2 Chron. 26:10), Jonathan's deep friendship with David
(1 Sam. 18:3), the devotee's delight in the Lord's law (Ps.
119:97). This too is the Lord's love for his people (Hos.
3:1), a love that delights him (Zeph. 3:17c), makes him
contemplate his beloved with wordless adoration (v. 17d), a
love that cannot be contained but bursts into elated singing
(v. 17e)."102
99Baker, p. 119.
101Allen, pp. 120-21.
102Motyer, p. 958.
"We can find hope in times of difficulty if we focus on God's power,

God's deliverance, and God's love. He is our King (3:15), our Savior
(3:16-17a), and our Beloved (3:17b)."103
3. Israel's regathering 3:18-20
3:18 In the past, Jews who lived far from Jerusalem were very sad because they
could not travel to Jerusalem to observe Israel's annual "feasts." They
suffered a certain criticism from their fellow Jews for living far away from
Jerusalem. But in this time of blessing (the Millennium), the Lord will
enable them to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the feasts. The feasts of
Israel during the Millennium will be somewhat different from those that
the Old Covenant specified, but there will be annual feasts in Jerusalem in
the Millennium (cf. Ezek. 45:946:24).
"Why would the Lord restore religious practices that have

now been fulfilled? Possibly as a means of teaching Israel
the meaning of the doctrine of salvation through Jesus
Christ."104
3:19-20 Having dealt with the Jews' "oppressors" (cf. vv. 8-15; 2:4-15; Gen. 12:3),
the Lord will deliver even the weak ("lame") and dispersed ("outcasts") of
His people, and give them a worldwide reputation for goodness (cf. Deut.
26:19). He will regather them in their land and give them a good
reputation when He restores their fortunes (cf. v. 15; Gen. 12:1-7; 13:14-
17; 15:7-21; 17:7-8; Deut. 26:19; 2 Sam. 7:16; Ps. 89:3-4; Isa. 9:6-7; Dan.
7:27).
"Suffering does not have to be the continued experience of

God's people even when the judgment they suffer here on
earth is deserved."105
Zephaniah concluded his book by affirming that such was Yahweh's

declaration. He would indeed "restore" His people.
"The whole message of Zephaniah is finally united in one

grand inclusio, in that it begins and ends with Yahweh,
Israel's just but caring covenant God, whose word (1:1) is
spoken (3:20)."106
103Dyer, p. 812.
104Wiersbe, p. 432.
105Stephen J. Bramer, "Suffering in the Writing Prophets (Isaiah to Malachi)," in Why, O God? Suffering
and Disability in the Bible and the Church, p. 154.
106Baker, p. 88.
An inclusio is a repetition of key elements, either words or motifs, at the

beginning and end of a literary unit.
Eight times in verses 18-20, in the NASB, the Lord said, "I will," "I am going to," or
"When I." The future restoration and blessing of Israel in the world will be something
that Yahweh Himself will accomplish "in that day" (i.e., the day of the LORD). No one but
He could ever accomplish it, and no one but He would and will!
Bibliography
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Multnomah Press, 1986.
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Notes on

Zephaniah was the great-great-grandson of Hezekiah (1:1), evidently King Hezekiah of

1Cf.Ronald B. Allen, A Shelter in the Fury, p. 20.

Copyright 2017 by Thomas L. Constable

AUDIENCE AND PURPOSE

". . . Zephaniah's purpose was to announce coming judgment on Judah in

"His theme, accordingly, is little less than 'the consummation of the

8J.Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, 3:862.

"The form of Habakkuk's prophecy was (as we might say) more

"Zephaniah reintroduced the message of Joel and Obadiah; however, for

universality of its judgment while also surprisingly predicting the

"The instrument of God [in Judah's chastening] having been named by

"The Book of Zephaniah does not contain two or three prophetic

"Zephaniah's prophecy has a more general character, embracing both

It is an interesting fact of history that complacency and indifference have frequently

because of the prevalent "error of unprincipled people" (i.e., complacency and

II. THE DAY OF YAHWEH'S JUDGMENT 1:23:8

A Judgment on the world 1:2-3

A. THE JUDGMENT ON THE WORLD 1:2-3

1:2 Yahweh revealed that He would "completely remove" everything "from

"As a computer screen might cause all words to disappear

"Ruins" still standing from previous destructions, or perhaps from false

"Zephaniah begins with words of such stunning judgment

31The Nelson Study Bible, p. 1526.

B. THE JUDGMENT ON JUDAH 1:42:3

1. The cause for Judah's judgment 1:4-6

"Zephaniah's methodology of spiraling from an outer rim to

This reference has suggested to some interpreters that Zephaniah wrote

"Wherever excitement in religion becomes an end in itself

2. The course of Judah's judgment 1:7-13

1:7 In view of the inevitability and imminence of coming judgment for

"This is a call to the people of Judah to cease every manner

This is Zephaniah's first reference to "the day of the LORD," to which he

"As employed by the prophets, the Day of the Lord is that

Wearing "foreign garments" evidently was a custom that expressed love

45Patterson, p. 310. Cf. Allen, p. 66.

"Commerce is the Baal of the hour. In the accumulation of

"Rather than condemning the use of alcohol, as the passage

3. The imminence and horrors of Judah's judgment 1:14-18

"Humans may categorize their sins into the serious, the

4. A call to repentance 2:1-3

"The prophet meant in that terrible description of approaching judgments

2:1-2 Zephaniah called for the shameless people of Judah to "gather . . .

"This is a beacon of hope for the committed, not an escape

61Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible, p. 1168.

C. JUDGMENT ON ISRAEL'S NEIGHBORS 2:4-15

1. Judgment coming on Philistia 2:4-7

"Uzziah and Hezekiah had kept Gath in subjection. 2 Kings

"Gaza" and "abandoned" sound similar in Hebrew, as do "Ekron" and

2:5 Zephaniah announced "woe" on the "Philistines" ("Emigrants") because

64Dyer, pp. 810-11.

"This prophecy is a picture of a scene that can be

2. Judgment coming on Moab and Ammon 2:8-11

2:9 The LORD swore by Himself: "As I live!"

"Life specially belongs to God, since He Alone is

Because of their hostility toward the Israelites, Almighty Yahweh, Israel's

Sodom and Gomorrah had become a notorious "perpetual desolation," a

"The curse resting upon these lands will not be entirely

"After this statement of the aim of the judgments of God, Zephaniah