Zephaniah 1:11

11 Yell ye, dwellers of Pila; all the people of Canaan was still together, all men wrapped in silver perished. (Yell, ye inhabitants of Maktesh; and then all the merchant people were altogether silent, or perished, and also all those dealing in silver perished.)

Zephaniah 1:11 Meaning and Commentary

Zephaniah 1:11

Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh
The name of a street in Jerusalem, as Aben Ezra; perhaps it lay low in the hollow of the city, and in the form of a mortar, from whence it might have its name, as the word ^F17 signifies; which is used both for a hollow place and for a mortar, ( Judges 15:19 ) ( Proverbs 27:22 ) unless it might be so called from such persons dwelling in it, that used mortars for spice, and other things. The Targum is,

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

and Jerom thinks the valley of Siloah is intended, which is the same; which, Adrichomius ^F18 says, was broad, deep, and dark, and surrounded the temple in manner of a foss, or ditch; and was disposed in the form of a mortar, called in Hebrew "machtes"; in Latin, "pila"; in which merchants and tradesmen of all kinds dwelt. It is thought by others to be the same which Josephus ^F19 calls "the valley of the cheese mongers", which lay between the two hills Zion and Acra. The reason of their howling is, for all the merchant people are cut down;
either cut to pieces by the sword of the enemy, and become silent, as the word ^F20 sometimes signifies, and the Vulgate Latin version here renders it; become so by death, and laid in the silent grave, and no more concerned in merchandise; or else stripped of all their wealth and goods by the enemy, and so cut down, broke, and become bankrupt, and could trade no more. The word for merchant signifies a Canaanite; and the Targum paraphrases it thus,

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

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

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

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 (vtkmh) "mortarii", Vatablus, Tigurine version; "cavi", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "loci concavi", Calvin.
F18 Theatrum Terrae Sanctae, p. 163.
F19 De Bello Jud. l. 5. c. 4. sect. 1.
F20 (hmdn) "conticuit", V. L. "in silentium redactus est", Drusius.

Zephaniah 1:11 In-Context

9 And I shall visit on each that proudly entereth on the threshold in that day, which fill the house of their Lord God with wickedness and guile. (And I shall punish all who proudly enter onto the threshold on that day, they who fill their lord's house with wickedness and deceit.)

10 And there shall be in that day, saith the Lord, a voice of cry from the gate of fishes, and yelling from the second gate, and great defouling from little hills. (And there shall be on that day, saith the Lord, loud cries from the Fish Gate, and yelling from the second gate, or from the second quarter, and great defiling from the little hills.)

11 Yell ye, dwellers of Pila; all the people of Canaan was still together, all men wrapped in silver perished. (Yell, ye inhabitants of Maktesh; and then all the merchant people were altogether silent, or perished, and also all those dealing in silver perished.)

12 And it shall be, in that time, I shall seek (throughout) Jerusalem with lanterns, and I shall visit on all men pitched in their dregs, which say in their hearts, The Lord shall not do well, and he shall not do evil. (And it shall be, at that time, I shall seek throughout Jerusalem with lanterns, and I shall punish all those pitched in their dregs, yea, those who say in their hearts, The Lord shall not do good, and he shall not do evil.)

13 And the strength of them shall be into ravishing, and the houses of them into desert; and they shall build houses, and shall not inhabit; and they shall plant vineyards, and they shall not drink the wine of them. (And their wealth shall be robbed, and their houses shall be made desolate, or deserted; and they shall build houses, but shall not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but they shall not drink their wine.)