Zephaniah 3

Zephaniah 3:1-20 . RESUMPTION OF THE DENUNCIATION OF JERUSALEM, AS BEING UNREFORMED BY THE PUNISHMENT OF OTHER NATIONS: AFTER HER CHASTISEMENT JEHOVAH WILL INTERPOSE FOR HER AGAINST HER FOES; HIS WORSHIP SHALL FLOURISH IN ALL LANDS, BEGINNING AT JERUSALEM, WHERE HE SHALL BE IN THE MIDST OF HIS PEOPLE, AND SHALL MAKE THEM A PRAISE IN ALL THE EARTH.

1. filthy--MAURER translates from a different root, "rebellious," "contumacious." But the following term, "polluted," refers rather to her inward moral filth, in spite of her outward ceremonial purity [CALVIN]. GROTIUS says, the Hebrew is used of women who have prostituted their virtue. There is in the Hebrew Moreah; a play on the name Moriah, the hill on which the temple was built; implying the glaring contrast between their filthiness and the holiness of the worship on Moriah in which they professed to have a share.
oppressing--namely, the poor, weak, widows, orphans and strangers ( Jeremiah 22:3 ).

2. received not correction--Jerusalem is incurable, obstinately rejecting salutary admonition, and refusing to be reformed by "correction" ( Jeremiah 5:3 ).
trusted not in . . . Lord--Distrust in the Lord as if He were insufficient, is the parent of all superstitions and wickednesses [CALVIN].
drew not near to her God--Though God was specially near to her ( Deuteronomy 4:7 ) as "her God," yet she drew not near to Him, but gratuitously estranged herself from Him.

3. roaring--for prey ( Proverbs 28:15 , Ezekiel 22:27 , Amos 3:4 , Micah 2:2 ).
evening wolves--which are most ravenous at evening after being foodless all day ( Jeremiah 5:6 , Habakkuk 1:8 ).
they gnaw not the bones till the morrow--rather, "they put not off till to-morrow to gnaw the bones"; but devour all at once, bones and flesh, so ragingly ravenous are they [CALVIN].

4. light--in whose life and teaching there is no truth, gravity, or steadiness.
treacherous--false to Jehovah, whose prophets they profess to be ( Jeremiah 23:32 , Ezekiel 22:28 ).
polluted . . . sanctuary--by their profane deeds.

5-7. The Jews regard not God's justice manifested in the midst of them, nor His judgments on the guilty nations around.
The just Lord--Why then are ye so unjust?
is in the midst thereof--He retorts on them their own boast, "Is not the Lord among us" ( Micah 3:11 )? True He is, but it is for another end from what ye think [CALVIN]; namely, to lead you by the example of His righteousness to be righteous. Leviticus 19:2 , "Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy" [MAURER]. But CALVIN, "That ye may feel His hand to be the nearer for taking vengeance for your crimes: 'He will not do iniquity' by suffering your sins to go unpunished" ( Deuteronomy 32:4 ).
every morning--literally, "morning by morning." The time in the sultry East for dispensing justice.
bring . . . to light--publicly and manifestly by the teaching of His prophets, which aggravates their guilt; also by samples of His judgments on the guilty.
he faileth not--He is continually setting before you samples of His justice, sparing no pains. Compare Isaiah 5:4 , 50:4 , "he wakeneth morning by morning."
knoweth no shame--The unjust Jews are not shamed by His justice into repentance.

6. I had hoped that My people by My judgments on other nations would be led to amendment; but they are not, so blinded by sin are they.
towers--literally, "angles" or "corners"; hence the towers built at the angles of their city walls. Under Josiah's long and peaceful reign the Jews were undisturbed, while the great incursion of Scythians into Western Asia took place. The judgment on the ten tribes in a former reign also is here alluded to.