Notes on Zephaniah
From the Original 1599 Geneva Bible Notes
Zep 1:1
1:1 The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.
The Argument - Seeing the great rebellion of the people, and that there was now no hope of amendment, he gives notice of the great judgment of God, which was at hand, showing that their country would be utterly destroyed, and they would be carried away captives by the Babylonians. Yet for the comfort of the faithful he prophesied of God's vengeance against their enemies, such as the Philistines, Moabites, Assyrians, and others, to assure them that God had a continual care over them. And as the wicked would be punished for their sins and transgressions, so he exhorts the godly to patience, and to trust to find mercy by reason of the free promise of God made to Abraham: and therefore quietly to wait until God shows them the effect of that grace, by which in the end they should be gathered to him, and counted as his people and children. Zep 1:3
1:3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the {a} fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.
(a) Not that God was angry with these dumb creatures, but because man was so wicked for whose cause they were created, God makes them to take part of the punishments with him.
Zep 1:4
1:4 I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, [and] the name of the {b} Chemarims with the priests;
(b) Who were an order of superstitious priests appointed to minister in the service of Baal, and were as his special chaplains; read 2Ki 23:5, Ho 10:5 .
Zep 1:5
1:5 And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship [and] that swear by the LORD, and that swear by {c} Malcham;
(c) He alludes to their idol Molech, which was forbidden; read Le 20:2 , yet they called him their king, and made him as a god: therefore he here notes those that will both say they worship God, and yet will swear by idols and serve them: which faltering is here condemned, as in Eze 20:39, 1Ki 18:21, 2Ki 17:33 .
Zep 1:8
1:8 And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD'S sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with {d} strange apparel.
(d) Meaning, the courtiers, who did imitate the strange apparel of other nations to win their favour by it, and to appear glorious in the eyes of all others; read Eze 23:14-15 .
Zep 1:9
1:9 In the same day also will I punish all those that {e} leap on the threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit.
(e) He means the servants of the rulers who invade other men's houses, and rejoice and leap for joy, when they can get any gain to please their master with.
Zep 1:10
1:10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, [that there shall be] the noise of a cry from the {f} fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.
(f) Signifying that all the corners of the city of Jerusalem would be full of trouble.
Zep 1:11
1:11 Howl, ye inhabitants of {g} Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.
(g) This is meant of the street of the merchants which was lower than the rest of the place around it.
Zep 1:12
1:12 And it shall come to pass at that time, [that] I will search Jerusalem with {h} candles, and punish the men that are settled {i} on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.
(h) So that nothing will escape me.
(i) By their prosperity they are hardened in their wickedness.
Zep 1:14
1:14 The great day of the LORD [is] near, [it is] near, and hasteth greatly, [even] the voice of the day of the LORD: {k} the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.
(k) They that trusted in their own strength and condemned the Prophets of God.
Zep 2:1
2:1 Gather {a} yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;
(a) He exhorts them to repentance, and wills them to descend into themselves and gather themselves, lest they be scattered like chaff.
Zep 2:3
2:3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which {b} have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.
(b) That is, who have lived uprightly and godly according as he prescribes by his word.
Zep 2:4
2:4 For {c} Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.
(c) He comforts the faithful in that God would change his punishments from them to the Philistines their enemies, and other nations.
Zep 2:5
2:5 Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea {d} coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD [is] against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.
(d) That is, Galilee: by these nations he means the people that dwelt near to the Jews, and instead of friendship were their enemies: therefore he calls them Canaanites, whom the Lord appointed to be slain.
Zep 2:7
2:7 And the coast shall be for the {e} remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the LORD their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.
(e) He shows why God would destroy their enemies, because their country would be a resting place for his Church.
Zep 2:8
2:8 I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and {f} magnified [themselves] against their border.
(f) These nations presumed to take from the Jews that country which the Lord had given them.
Zep 2:11
2:11 The LORD [will be] terrible unto them: {g} for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and [men] shall worship him, every one from his place, [even] all the isles of the heathen.
(g) When he will deliver his people and destroy their enemies and idols, his glory will shine throughout all the world.
Zep 2:14
2:14 And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the {h} cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; [their] voice shall sing in the windows; desolation [shall be] in the thresholds: for he shall uncover the cedar work.
Zep 2:15
2:15 This [is] the {i} rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I [am], and [there is] none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, [and] wag his hand.
(i) Meaning, Nineveh, which rejoicing so much of her strength and prosperity, should be thus made waste, and God's people delivered.
Zep 3:1
3:1 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing {a} city!
Zep 3:3
3:3 Her princes within her [are] roaring lions; her judges [are] evening wolves; they {b} gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
(b) They are so greedy, that they eat up bones and all.
Zep 3:5
3:5 The {c} just LORD [is] in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.
(c) The wicked thus boasted that God was ever among them, but the Prophet answers that that cannot excuse their wickedness: for God will not bear with their sins. Yet he did patiently abide and sent his Prophets continually to call them to repentance, but he profited nothing.
Zep 3:6
3:6 I have {d} cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant.
(d) By the destruction of other nations he shows that the Jews should have learned to fear God.
Zep 3:7
3:7 I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but {e} they rose early, [and] corrupted all their doings.
(e) They were most earnest and ready to do wickedly.
Zep 3:8
3:8 Therefore {f} wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination [is] to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, [even] all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
(f) Seeing that you will not repent, you can expect my vengeance as well as other nations.
Zep 3:9
3:9 For {g} then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.
(g) Lest any should then think that God's glory should have perished when Judah was destroyed, he shows that he will proclaim his grace through all the world.
Zep 3:10
3:10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, [even] the {h} daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.
(h) That is, the Jews will come as well as the Gentiles: which is to be understood as referring to the time of the Gospel.
Zep 3:11
3:11 In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for {i} all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain.
(i) For they will have full remission of their sins, and the hypocrites who boasted of the temple, which was also your pride in times past, will be taken from you.
Zep 3:15
3:15 The LORD hath taken away thy {k} judgments, he hath cast out thine {l} enemy: the king of Israel, [even] the LORD, [is] in the midst of {m} thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.
(k) That is, the punishment for your sin.
(l) As the Assyrians, Chaldaeans, Egyptians, and other nations.
(m) To defend you, as by your sins you have put him away, and left yourself naked, as in Ex 32:25 .
Zep 3:17
3:17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee [is] mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in {n} his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
(n) Signifying, that God delights to show his love and great affection toward his Church.
Zep 3:18
3:18 I will gather [them that are] sorrowful for the solemn assembly, [who] are of thee, [to whom] the reproach of {o} it [was] a burden.
(o) That is, those that were held in hatred and reviled for the Church, and because of their religion.
Zep 3:19
3:19 Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will {p} save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every {q} land where they have been put to shame.
(p) I will deliver the Church, which now is afflicted, as in Mic 4:6 .
(q) As among the Assyrians and Chaldaeans, who mocked them and put them to shame.
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