Zephaniah 1

The prophet denounces God’s severe judgments against Judah for their idolatry, and other heinous sins, Ver/ 1. J- HE tvord of the Lord that came to Zephaniah, tlie son of Cushi — the $on of Hizkiah.] Hizkiah is read with the same points in the Hebrew with Hezekiah, the name of the king pf Judah: but Zephauiah being here reckoned as the fourth by descent from Hizkiah, that person cannot be the same with king Hezekiah, there being not a sufficient distance of time between them for four descents. there shall be (he noise of a cry from the fish-gate.’] At that time, (see ver. 12.) there shall be an outcry of the Babylonish army coming to invade the city on the side of the fish-gate; i. e. the gate which stood near the fish-market, (See 2 Chron. xxxiii, 14. Nehem. iii. 3.) And. a howling from the second gate.] Or rather, From the middle part of the city. (See 2 Kings xxii. 14.) And a great crashing from the hills.] From the mountains of Sion and Moriah, whereon the temple* and the king’s palace were built. (See 2 Chron. iii. 1.)

Zephaniah 1:2

I will utterly consume all things from off the land-^Iwill consume man and beast, &c. A general desolation is threatened, by enumerating the particulars that sh^Il bo involved in it (See the note upon Hos. iv. 3.)

Zephaniah 1:3

And the stumbling-blocks with the wicked. Or, Of the wicked; for the particle eth often denotes the genitive case. (Sec Noldius, p. 122.) Stumbling-blocks are the same with idols, called the stumbling-blocks of iniquity, Ezek. vii. 19. xiv. 3, 4.

Zephaniah 1:4

And I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place. Those altars, or places of worship, dedicated to the service of Baal, which escaped the reformation of king Josiah, 2 Kings xxiii. 5. compare Jer. iii. G. And tlie names of the Chemarims with the priests.’] Or, The names of the idolatrous priests; for so the word Chemarimis translated, 2 Kings xxiii. 5. (compare Hos. x.5.) I will destroy these together with the priests of the tribe of Levi, who have joined in the worship of idols. (See Ezck.xliv.10.)

Zephaniah 1:5

And them that worship the host of heaven upon the house-tops. See the note upon Jer. xix. 13. And them that worship and swear by the Lord, and that swear by Malcham.] That join the worship of idols to that of the true God, who is a jealous God, and will not admit of any rival in his worship. (See Hos. iv. 15.) Malcham is the same with Moloch, to whom the people of Judah continued to offer their children, as Jeremiah upbraids them, vii. 31. xix. 5. notwithstanding the reformation that Josiah had made, 2 Kings xxiii. 10. Swearing is an act of religious worship, or a solemn invocation of God, as a witness and a judge, (see Deut. x. 20.) and therefore expressly forbid to be used to idols, (Josh, xxiii. 7.) Ver, G. And them that are turned back from tlie Lord; and those that have not sought the Lord.] Both those that are apostates to idolatry, and such as live without any sense of religion, and without God in the world.

Zephaniah 1:7

Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God: for the day of the Lord is at hand. Keep silence in token of an awful reverence towards God, now he is coming to execute his judgments upon the land. (Compare Psal. lxxvi. 8, 9. Habak. ii. 20. Zcch. ii. 13.) Humble thyself under his mighty hand, without repining or murmuring at his corrections, which thy sins do justly deserve. -(See Psal. xxxix. 9.) For the Lord hath prepared his sacrifice, he liath bid his guests.] The slaughter of the wicked is called a sacrifice, because it is in some sense an atonement to God’s justice. (Compare Isa. xxxiv. G. Jer. xlvi. 10. Ezek. xxxix. 17. Rev. xix. 17.) The latter part of the sentence alludes to the custom of those that offered sacrifice, which was to invite their friends to partake of the feast which accompanied it So God will call the Chaldeans to have a share in this slaughter.

Zephaniah 1:8

I willpunish theprinces, and the king’s children. As having been the eneouragers of idolatry, by their authority and ill example. Both the sons of Josiah who succeeded him in the throne, are said to have done evil in the sight of the Lord, 2 Kings xxiii. 32. 37. And all such as are clothed with strange apparel.’] There were peculiar vestments belonging to the worship of each idol. (See 2 Kings x. 22.) So in aftertimes there were peculiar habits belonging to the priests of Saturn, and priestesses of Ceres, which are mentioned in the martyrdom of Perpctua and Fclieitas, cap. 18. and in Tertullian, de Pallio, cap. 4. The text may likewise be explained of such men as wore women’s apparel, and such women as wore that belonging to men; which was contrary to an express law, Deut. xxii. 5. and was a rite observed in the worship of some idols.

Zephaniah 1:9

In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold. Or rather, Leap over the threshold. The expression probably denotes some idolatrous rite, like that which was practised in the temple of Dagon, where the priests didnot tread upon the threshold, 1 Sam. v. 5. To this sense, the Chaldee paraphrast interprets it of those, that walk after the laws or rites of the Philistines. Others expound it of those, who enter into other men’s houses, and take away their goods by violence; according to what follows: who fill their masters* houses with violence and deceit.

Zephaniah 1:10

And it shall come to pass in that day — that

Zephaniah 1:11

Hoivl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh. A part, or street, of Jerusalem: the Chaldee interprets it of the inhabitants near the brook Kidron. For all the merchant people are cut down, &c] They that carry on their trades by going to marts or fairs, with great sums of ready money. The original reads, The people of Canaan, which word signifies a merchant: (Hos-*xii. 7.) but the Chaldee understands it of those who resemble the Canaanites in their idolatries and corrupt manners: so Judah’s mother is called a Hittite, and her father an Amorite, because they did after the works of the Canaanites, the ancient inhabitants of the land, Ezek. xvi. 45.

Zephaniah 1:12

And it shall come to pass at that time, that I tcill search Jerusalem with candles. I will deliver up Jerusalem into the hands of the Chaldeans, who shall let no corner of it escape them, but shall diligently search the houses, and plunder the wealth of them. (See the following verse.) And punish the men that are settled on their lees, &c] “Who having lived securely in ease and plenty, (compare Jer. xlviiL 11.) have not God in all their thoughts 9 but imagine that he doth not concern himself with the affairs of the world, and that neither good nor evil is brought to pass by his providence.

Zephaniah 1:13

Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, and not inliabit them, &c. The enemy shall plunder their goods, and then demolish their houses; so that they shall not enjoy these possessions which they have gotten by fraud or violence. (See ver. 0. and Amos v. 11.)

Zephaniah 1:14

The great day of tlie Lord is near — (compare Joel ii. 1. 11.) even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. A* great noise and distraction shall attend the taking of Jerusalem. (See ver. 10. Isa. xxii. 5.) Some translate the latter part of the sentence thus, The voice of the day of the Lord is bitter: then the mighty man crieth out. The adverb sham, translated there, signifies time as well as place. (See the note upon Isa. xlviii. 1G. Hos. ii. 15;)

Zephaniah 1:15

Tfiat day is a day of wrath, of trouble and distress, &c. See ver. 18. Joel ii. 2. Amos v. 18. Ver. 1G. A day of the trumpet and alarm.] See Jer. iv. 19.

Zephaniah 1:17

And I will bring distress upon wen, and they sliall walk as blind men, &c. Not knowing whither to go, or which way to take for safety. (Compare Deut xxviii. 29. Isa. lix. 10.) And their blood shall. be poured out as the dust, and their flesh as the dung.] Or, Their carcasses as the dung: so the Chaldee explains the word flesh. The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be slain in the streets of the city, and their carcasses left there to rot and putrefy.

Zephaniah 1:18

Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them. This is spoken of the merchants and rich citizens. (See ver. 11 — 13. and compare Ezek. vii. 19.) But the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy.] God’s vengeance is frequently compared to fire; see Nahum i. 6. This sliall consume the land and its inhabitants for their heinous offences, and chiefly for their idolatry; because that sin does peculiarly entrench upon his honour, which is incommunicable to others, whereupon he is called & jealous God, E£od. xx. 5. xxi. 14.