Zephaniah 1:4-18

4 “I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all who live in Jerusalem. I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place, the very names of the idolatrous priests—
5 those who bow down on the roofs to worship the starry host, those who bow down and swear by the LORDand who also swear by Molek,[a]
6 those who turn back from following the LORDand neither seek the LORD nor inquire of him.”
7 Be silent before the Sovereign LORD, for the day of the LORD is near. The LORD has prepared a sacrifice; he has consecrated those he has invited.
8 “On the day of the LORD’s sacrifice I will punish the officials and the king’s sons and all those clad in foreign clothes.
9 On that day I will punish all who avoid stepping on the threshold,[b]who fill the temple of their gods with violence and deceit.
10 “On that day,” declares the LORD, “a cry will go up from the Fish Gate, wailing from the New Quarter, and a loud crash from the hills.
11 Wail, you who live in the market district[c] ; all your merchants will be wiped out, all who trade with[d] silver will be destroyed.
12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, ‘The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.’
13 Their wealth will be plundered, their houses demolished. Though they build houses, they will not live in them; though they plant vineyards, they will not drink the wine.”
14 The great day of the LORD is near— near and coming quickly. The cry on the day of the LORD is bitter; the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.
15 That day will be a day of wrath— a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness—
16 a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers.
17 “I will bring such distress on all people that they will grope about like those who are blind, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the LORD’s wrath.” In the fire of his jealousy the whole earth will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live on the earth.

Zephaniah 1:4-18 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Cross References 40

  • 1. S Jeremiah 6:12
  • 2. Micah 5:13; Zephaniah 2:11
  • 3. S Jeremiah 15:6; S Hosea 10:5
  • 4. S Jeremiah 8:2
  • 5. S Leviticus 18:21; Jeremiah 5:7
  • 6. Isaiah 1:4; Jeremiah 2:13
  • 7. S Isaiah 9:13
  • 8. S Hosea 7:7
  • 9. S Isaiah 41:1; Habakkuk 2:20; Zechariah 2:13
  • 10. ver 14; Isaiah 13:6; S Ezekiel 7:19; S Joel 3:14; S Amos 5:18-20
  • 11. S Leviticus 3:9; Isaiah 34:6; S Jeremiah 46:10
  • 12. Isaiah 24:21
  • 13. Jeremiah 39:6
  • 14. 1 Samuel 5:5
  • 15. S Amos 3:10
  • 16. Isaiah 22:5
  • 17. S 2 Chronicles 33:14
  • 18. S Amos 5:16
  • 19. James 5:1
  • 20. Hosea 9:6
  • 21. Amos 6:1
  • 22. Jeremiah 48:11
  • 23. S 2 Kings 21:16; S Ezekiel 8:12
  • 24. S Job 22:13
  • 25. S 2 Kings 24:13; Jeremiah 15:13
  • 26. Deuteronomy 28:30,39; Lamentations 5:2; S Amos 5:11; Micah 6:15
  • 27. S ver 7; S Joel 1:15
  • 28. S Ezekiel 7:7; S Daniel 7:13
  • 29. S 1 Samuel 2:9
  • 30. S Isaiah 22:5; Joel 2:2; Mark 13:24-25
  • 31. S Jeremiah 4:19
  • 32. S Deuteronomy 28:52; S Isaiah 2:15; S Joel 2:1
  • 33. S Deuteronomy 28:52
  • 34. S Isaiah 59:10
  • 35. Psalms 79:3
  • 36. S Psalms 83:10; Jeremiah 9:22
  • 37. S Job 20:20; S Job 40:11; S Jeremiah 4:4; S Ezekiel 7:19
  • 38. S Deuteronomy 29:20
  • 39. S ver 2-3; Zephaniah 3:8
  • 40. S Genesis 6:7; S Ezekiel 7:11

Footnotes 4

Scripture quoted by permission.  Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.  NIV®.  Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica.  All rights reserved worldwide.