TEXT [Commentary]

  I.   The Announcement of the Day of the Lord (1:2–2:3)

A.   Pronouncements of Judgment (1:2-6)

2 “I will sweep away everything

from the face of the earth,” says the LORD.

3 “I will sweep away people and animals alike.

I will sweep away the birds of the sky and the fish in the sea.

I will reduce the wicked to heaps of rubble,[*]

and I will wipe humanity from the face of the earth,” says the LORD.

4 “I will crush Judah and Jerusalem with my fist

and destroy every last trace of their Baal worship.

I will put an end to all the idolatrous priests,

so that even the memory of them will disappear.

5 For they go up to their roofs

and bow down to the sun, moon, and stars.

They claim to follow the LORD,

but then they worship Molech,[*] too.

6 And I will destroy those who used to worship me

but now no longer do.

They no longer ask for the LORD’s guidance

or seek my blessings.”

NOTES

1:2 I will sweep away. Here the Hebrew text puts together, in emphatic sequence, two verbs from two different roots: ’asap [TH622, ZH665] (gather/remove) and sup [TH5486, ZH6066] (come to an end), hence “I will utterly/totally sweep away.” Many suggestions for emending or reconstructing the text have been put forward because constructions such as these are more often built on a duplication of the same root in Hebrew.

Two arguments in defense of the MT are as follows: (1) The use of mixed roots is attested elsewhere (e.g., Isa 28:28; Jer 8:13); and (2) the skilled Masoretic scribes would hardly make such a “blunder” if it were unintelligible. Not only does the difficulty of the MT argue for its retention (Würthwein 1979:113-119), but the LXX already recognized the incongruity, rendering the phrase ekleipsei eklipetō [TG1587, ZG1722] (lit., “it will give out, let it fail”—hence, “let there be a complete failure”). Moreover, as Keil (1954:126-127) points out, the two verbs have a “kindred meaning,” the compatibility of the ideas of “gathering up things” so as to “put an end to them.”

from the face of the earth. The phrase is reminiscent of the warnings connected with the Flood (Gen 6:7; 7:4; 8:8, MT).

1:3 birds . . . humanity. Zephaniah’s dependence on the creation account may be seen in his list of the objects of divine judgment in the reverse order of their creation (Gen 1:20-26). It seems unlikely, however, that either reversing the creative order to pre-creation conditions or canceling man’s dominion over the lower creatures is being announced (De Roche 1980:104-109; Hannah 1978:1525). Indeed, the order of creation with man at its head is fixed by God and guaranteed in perpetuity (cf. Ps 8:5-9), a reality ultimately realized in Christ (Col 1:15-20; Heb 2:5-9).

reduce . . . to heaps of rubble. As Sabottka (1972:8) remarks, the latter phrase (only one word in Hebrew) has been “for translators a true stone of stumbling.” The NLT reading is mirrored by that of the NIV. Alternatively, the word involved may be translated, “the things that cause the wicked to stumble” (cf. Roberts 1991:166) or “the stumbling blocks along with the wicked” (Berlin 1994:73).

1:4 last trace. Lit., “the remnant.” The LXX reads, “the names of Baal,” probably in anticipation of “the names of the pagan (idolatrous) priests” in the succeeding line.

all the idolatrous priests. The term “idolatrous priests” is rendered “temple guardians” by the Vulgate, but the Peshitta transliterates the word and the LXX omits it altogether. The English versions have handled it variously: “idolatrous priests” (NASB, NKJV, NRSV), “the pagan . . . priests” (NIV), “priests” (NJB), “Chemarims” (KJV). Despite its presence in the Semitic languages as a term for priest, it occurs only twice elsewhere in the OT: (1) in Hos 10:5 of priests who officiated in the calf worship at Bethel, and (2) in 2 Kgs 23:5 of priests who led in rites associated with Baal and astral worship. In all three cases, then, the term refers to priests outside the established priesthood of Israel, each having a connection to Baalism.

1:5 Molech. Lit., “their king.”At least three renderings have been given to the Hebrew consonants found here (mlkm): (1) Many understand the form to refer to Milcom (cf. 1 Kgs 11:5-7), the detested Ammonite deity (cf. Vulgate, Peshitta, NASB, NKJV, NJB, NRSV; so also Roberts 1991:168). (2) Some (e.g., Robertson, Sabottka, Sweeney) follow the pointing of the MT and understand “their king” (Hulst 1960:253), especially as an epithet of Baal, whose worship was a continued syncretistic fascination for Israel (2 Kgs 23:5-10). (3) Others take the form to be Molech (NIV), understanding the noun either as the name of a particular deity or as a divine epithet associated with the ritual passing of children through fire. The NLT has followed the last alternative. Sweeney (2000:502-503) proposes that the reference to Yahweh and their king reflects the fact of their close relationship in Jewish thinking (cf. Pss 2:2, 7-9, 12; 89:26-27; Isa 8:21).

1:6 those who used to worship. Lit., “those who turn back.” Although the verbal root of this Hebrew word is used of natural movement (cf. Arabic sa’ga, “go and come”), the verb itself is commonly employed of vacillating or faithless behavior toward people (Jer 38:22) or God (Ps 53:3[4]). When it occurs in the Niphal stem (as here), it denotes a willful turning of oneself away or back from someone or something. When that someone is God (cf. Isa 59:12-13), it is a deadly condition.

ask . . . seek. The first verb lays stress on personal emotion in seeking or asking someone; the latter emphasizes the person’s concern in the inquiry and hence is often used in prophetic encouragements to repentance (cf. Amos 5:4-6). The two verbs occur in parallel elsewhere in contexts dealing with seeking the Lord (e.g., Deut 4:29; 2 Chr 20:3-4; Ps 105:4).

COMMENTARY [Text]

Zephaniah begins his messages with God’s doubly reinforced declaration: God will destroy everything upon the face of the earth, sweeping away all life before him whether on land, in the air, or in the water; and God will wipe away all humanity. The pronouncement is solemn—its phraseology reminiscent of the Noahic flood (cf. Gen 6:17; 7:21-23). The disaster envisioned here, however, is more cataclysmic, for although every living thing that lived on the land or inhabited the air died at that time, the fish remained.

Zephaniah’s catalog of victims is arranged in inverse order to God’s creative work: man, beast, the creatures of the air, those of the sea (cf. Gen 1:20-27). The order of creation found its climax in man, who was made in God’s image and appointed as his representative. The coming destruction will begin with man, who has denied his Creator (1:6) and involved in his sin all that is under his domain. Man’s sin is thus weighty, involving not only himself but his total environment (1:2-3).

The judgment that begins with man also concludes with man. All that alienates people from their Creator and Lord will be swept away, and each person will be left alone to face God. Last of all, people will be cut off from the land that has given them sustenance. Though the language is hyperbolic, it emphasizes the seriousness of sin and the universal extent of God’s judgment.

God’s announced purpose to sweep away everything in his just judgment is continued with an indication of his ultimate intentions (1:4-6). He will stretch out his hand of chastisement against Judah and Jerusalem. The motif of the outstretched hand of God emphasizes God’s omnipotence (Jer 32:17) and is also used in connection with his creative power and sovereign disposition of history (Isa 14:26-27; Jer 27:5). It is especially used concerning God’s relations with Israel, whether in deliverance (Exod 6:6; Deut 4:34; 5:15; 7:19; 9:29; 26:8; 2 Kgs 17:36; Jer 32:21; Ezek 20:33-34) or in judgment (Isa 5:25; 9:12, 17, 21; 10:4; Jer 21:5). It is the latter of these that is in view here. God’s people needed to be reminded that the God of the universe and of all individuals and nations is Israel’s God in particular. To him they owed their allegiance. When such was not forthcoming, when sin and apostasy set in, Israel could expect God’s outstretched hand of judgment.

Both Judah’s leadership and its people were guilty of gross sin in pursuing paganism, while feigning worship of the Lord. Sadly, Judah displayed little interest or concern for the Lord who redeemed his people (cf. Jer 2:13, 32-35; 3:6-10; 5:2-13; etc.). Outright apostasy is bad enough, but when hypocrisy and apathy hold sway, those involved are in grave spiritual danger. All too often it begins with a spirit of self- sufficiency and grows into indifference toward spiritual matters. As Zephaniah pointed out, such people will not commune with God. How vastly different the experience of the faithful believer who fellowships with God (see Pss 63:4-5; 73:23-28; 84:1-4).