Sofonias 1

Para o mestre de música. Para os meus instrumentos de cordas.

1 Palavra do SENHOR que veio a Sofonias, filho de Cuchi, neto de Gedalias, bisneto de Amarias e trineto de Ezequias, durante o reinado de Josias, filho de Amom, rei de Judá:

A Destruição Vindoura

2 “Destruirei^[a] todas as coisasna face da terra”;palavra do SENHOR.

3 “Destruirei tanto os homens quanto os animais;destruirei as aves do céue os peixes do mare os que causam tropeço junto com os ímpios.^[b]“Farei isso quando eu ceifar o homemda face da terra”,declara o SENHOR.

O Castigo de Judá

4 “Estenderei a mão contra Judáe contra todos os habitantes de Jerusalém.Eliminarei deste lugar o remanescente de Baal,os nomes dos ministros idólatras e dos sacerdotes,

5 aqueles que no alto dos terraçosadoram o exército de estrelase aqueles que se prostram jurando peloe também por Moloque;

6 aqueles que se desviam e deixam de seguir o SENHOR,não o buscam nem o consultam.

7 “Calem-se diante do Soberano, o SENHOR,pois o dia do SENHOR está próximo.O SENHOR preparou um sacrifício;consagrou seus convidados.

8 “No dia do sacrifício docastigarei os líderes e os filhos do reie todos os que estão vestidoscom roupas estrangeiras.

9 Naquele dia, castigareitodos os que evitam pisar a soleira dos ídolos^[c]e que enchem o templo de seus deuses^[d]com violência e engano.

10 “Naquele dia”, declara o SENHOR,“haverá gritos perto da porta dos Peixes,lamentos no novo distritoe estrondos nas colinas.

11 Lamentem-se, vocês que moram na cidade baixa;^[e]todos os seus comerciantes serão completamente destruídos,todos os que negociam com prata serão arruinados.

12 Nessa época vasculharei Jerusalém com lamparinase castigarei os complacentes,que são como vinho envelhecido deixado com os seus resíduos,que pensam: ‘O SENHOR nada fará,nem bem nem mal’.

13 A riqueza deles será saqueada,suas casas serão demolidas.Embora construam novas casas,nelas não morarão;plantarão vinhas,mas o vinho não beberão.

O Grande Dia do

14 “O grande dia do SENHOR está próximo;está próximo e logo vem.Ouçam! O dia do SENHOR será amargo;até os guerreiros gritarão.

15 Aquele dia será um dia de ira,dia de aflição e angústia,dia de sofrimento e ruína,dia de trevas e escuridão,dia de nuvens e negridão,

16 dia de toques de trombeta e gritos de guerracontra as cidades fortificadase contra as torres elevadas.

17 “Trarei aflição aos homens;andarão como se fossem cegos,porque pecaram contra o SENHOR.O sangue deles será derramado como poeira,e suas entranhas como lixo.

18 Nem a sua prata nem o seu ouropoderão livrá-losno dia da ira do SENHOR.“No fogo do seu zeloo mundo inteiro será consumido,pois ele dará fim repentinoa todos os que vivem na terra”.

Sofonias 1 Commentary

Chapter 1

Zephaniah excites to repentance, foretells the destruction of the enemies of the Jews, and comforts the pious among them with promises of future blessings, the restoration of their nation, and the prosperity of the church in the latter days.

Threatenings against sinners. (1-6) More threatenings. (7-13) Distress from the approaching judgments. (14-18)

Verses 1-6 Ruin is coming, utter ruin; destruction from the Almighty. The servants of God all proclaim, There is no peace for the wicked. The expressions are figurative, speaking every where desolation; the land shall be left without inhabitants. The sinners to be consumed are, the professed idolaters, and those that worship Jehovah and idols, or swear to the Lord, and to Malcham. Those that think to divide their affections and worship between God and idols, will come short of acceptance with God; for what communion can there be between light and darkness? If Satan have half, he will have all; if the Lord have but half, he will have none. Neglect of God shows impiety and contempt. May none of us be among those who draw back unto perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

Verses 7-13 God's day is at hand; the punishment of presumptuous sinners is a sacrifice to the justice of God. The Jewish royal family shall be reckoned with for their pride and vanity; and those that leap on the threshold, invading their neighbours' rights, and seizing their possessions. The trading people and the rich merchants are called to account. Secure and careless people are reckoned with. They are secure and easy; they say in their heart, the Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil; that is, they deny his dispensing rewards and punishments. But in the day of the Lord's judgment, it will clearly appear that those who perish, fall a sacrifice to Divine justice for breaking God's law, and because they have no interest by faith in the Redeemer's atoning sacrifice.

Verses 14-18 This warning of approaching destruction, is enough to make the sinners in Zion tremble; it refers to the great day of the Lord, the day in which he will show himself by taking vengeance on them. This day of the Lord is very near; it is a day of God's wrath, wrath to the utmost. It will be a day of trouble and distress to sinners. Let them not be laid asleep by the patience of God. What is a man profited if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? And what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Let us flee from the wrath to come, and choose the good part that shall never be taken from us; then we shall be prepared for every event; nothing shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Footnotes

• [a]. Ou "Tornarei a destruir"
• [b]. Ou "os ímpios terão apenas montões de destroços"
• [c]. Ver 1Sm 5.5.
• [d]. Ou "de seu senhor"
• [e]. Ou "moram no lugar onde se faz argamassa"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ZEPHANIAH

This book in some Hebrew copies is called "Sepher Zephaniah", the Book of Zephaniah. Its title, in the Vulgate Latin version, is, the Prophecy of Zephaniah; and, in the Syriac version, the Prophecy of the Prophet Zephaniah; and so the Arabic version calls him a prophet; and he is the last of the minor prophets that prophesied before the Babylonish captivity. The time of his prophesying, as well as his, parentage, are expressed Zep 1:1, and therefore need not be inquired into; only the sad mistake of Hobbes {a} may be observed, who makes him to be the most ancient of the prophets, and to be contemporary with Amaziah and Uzziah, kings of Judah, when he is expressly said to prophesy in the days of Josiah. Pseudo-Epiphanius {b} calls him a prophet of Sarabatha, of a mountain of that name, and says he was of the tribe of Simeon; and in this Isidore {c} agrees with him; and both affirm that he died and was buried in his own native place; but the author of the Cippi Hebraici {d} says he was buried at Geba, in Mount Lebanon, in the midst of a cave shut up, where his school continues; and from which place the clouds never depart, and where also are flowing fountains. His name, according to Jerom, signifies either "the Lord's watch tower", or "watchman"; or else "the secret of the Lord"; or, "his hidden one"; deriving his name, either from hpu, which signifies to "look out", as a watchman from his tower; or from Npu, "to hide"; which latter derivation is best; and some interpret it "a revealer of the secrets", or "hidden things, of the Lord"; and take it to be much the same with Zaphnathpaaneah, the name given to Joseph by Pharaoh, Ge 41:45, and is of the same signification: but Hillerus {e} interprets the name of Zephaniah, "the Lord hid himself"; which agrees with the times in which he lived. That this prophecy was wrote by himself, there need be no doubt of; nor of the authenticity of it, being always received by the Jewish synagogue as authentic; and as it appears to be from its style and manner of composition; from the subject matter of it agreeing with other parts of Scripture, especially with Jeremiah and Ezekiel; and from the accomplishment of various prophecies in it. There are indeed some spurious things which have been ascribed to him, as the "analepsis" or assumption of Zephaniah the prophet, and the prophecy of Zephaniah, consisting of six hundred verses; but these are apocryphal, and have no likeness to this prophecy; in which he foretells the destruction of the Jews by the Chaldeans for their sins, which he inveighs against, and calls them to repentance for them, as also the ruin of many other nations, all which came to pass; as well as he prophesies of the calling of the Gentiles, and the conversion of the Jews, and of the comfortable state of the church in Gospel times, and especially in the latter day.

{a} Leviathan, c. 33. {b} De Prophet. Vita & Interitu, c. 19. {c} De Vita & Morte Sanct. c. 48. {d} P. 50. Ed. Hottinger. {e} Onomastic. Sacr. p. 471, 952.

\\INTRODUCTION TO ZEPHANIAH 1\\

After the title of the book, Zep 1:1, follows the Lord's threatening of the land of Judea with an utter consumption of it, and of all creatures in it, for the sins of its inhabitants, especially their idolatry and apostasy, Zep 1:2-6, and this is represented under the notion of a sacrifice, to which guests are bid; and which even princes, and those of the blood royal, should not escape, nor ministers of state, or such who filled their masters' houses with violence, Zep 1:7-9. Some particular places are mentioned, where there should be a great noise of crying and howling, and especially Jerusalem, which should be diligently searched, and its goods become a booty, and its houses desolate, Zep 1:10-13. This destruction is spoken of as near at hand, and is described as very terrible and distressing, Zep 1:14-17 and as inevitable; nothing would be able to deliver from it, Zep 1:18.