TEXT [Commentary]

  D.   An Exhortation in Light of the Judgment (2:1-3)

1 Gather together—yes, gather together,

you shameless nation.

2 Gather before judgment begins,

before your time to repent is blown away like chaff.

Act now, before the fierce fury of the LORD falls

and the terrible day of the LORD’s anger begins.

3 Seek the LORD, all who are humble,

and follow his commands.

Seek to do what is right

and to live humbly.

Perhaps even yet the LORD will protect you—

protect you from his anger on that day of destruction.

NOTES

2:1 Gather together—yes, gather together. This is a double imperative in the Hebrew: “gather together and assemble yourselves.” Zephaniah has utilized these denominative verbs to produce a play on ideas, their apparent derivation from qash [TH7179, ZH7990] (straw, stubble) accounting for their selection. They anticipate the reference to chaff blown away in 2:2 (as well as the figure of threshing) and provide an image that can be adapted to the sociopolitical and religious needs of the community. The metaphor is of judgment likened to winnowing. As one gathers the straw left from the threshing sledge and separates the grain from the chaff in the winnowing process, so the people of God will be divided into believers (straw) and unbelievers (chaff) by the winds of divine judgment. It was a time of spiritual harvest, and Zephaniah’s countrymen needed to assemble and “gather straw.” In genuine repentance they needed to entreat God to save them.

shameless. Hebrew lo’ niksap [TH3808/3700, ZH4202/4083]. Two derivations have been suggested for the Hebrew participle: (1) Akkadian kasapu (break off) and (2) Arabic kasafa (cut out)—hence, in derived stems “disappoint,” “put to shame” (cf. Aramaic kesap; “lose color, be ashamed”). The second etymology, however, has usually been assumed to lie behind the occurrences in Gen 31:30; Job 14:15; Pss 17:12; 84:2, where the meaning is “long for/desire,” and is favored by many for 2:1 (e.g., Berlin, Roberts). The first etymology may well be more apt, however. Sweeney (2000:511) links the verb with a root used for silver and remarks that it “thereby provides an appropriate play of words on those who ‘bear silver’ (Zeph 1:11) and who are condemned by the prophet in the initial address of Zeph 1:2-18. In the present instance, the term for ‘undesirable’ becomes ‘worthless’ and further indicates that their wealth will not save them on the Day of YHWH (Zeph 1:18).” If the underlying agricultural image of the preceding imperatives is to be carried through, perhaps “not threshed,” hence “wayward” is to be preferred. As grain must be broken off (threshed) into small pieces in preparation for winnowing, so a man must be broken spiritually in submission to God if he is to be delivered (cf. Pss 34:18; 51:17; 147:3).

2:2 before judgment begins. Lit., “before the birth of the decree.” The metaphor here likens the time for the inception of divine judgment to that of pregnancy. Thus, O’Connor (1980:248) translates, “Before the womb comes to term” and explains: “The line refers to a natural term for the prophet’s threat.” The difficulty of the Hebrew line has occasioned many emendations (cf. Roberts 1991:187-188). But as Berlin (1994:97) remarks, “The more the suggestions and emendations multiply, the less certain any one of them appears.”

the fierce fury of the LORD. Lit., “the burning anger of the LORD.” This phrase occurs 33 times in the OT. Notable is the A–B–A–B parallelism in the closing lines to emphasize the imminence of divine punishment, which urgently called for repentance.

2:3 Seek . . . to live humbly. Lit., “seek humility.” The noun “humility” occurs rarely: In 2 Sam 22:36 MT, it is used of God’s condescension (“gentleness,” KJV) on behalf of his people, and in Prov 15:33; 18:12; 22:4 it speaks of lowliness of spirit along with fear of the Lord as preconditions to greatness. Its derivation from ‘anah [TH6031, ZH6700] (be afflicted) and association with other words derived from this root reveal that inward affliction of soul and outward circumstances of affliction play a vital part in developing true humility (cf. Deut 8:2-3; Ps 34:6; Prov 16:19).

will protect. The traditional translation reflected here understands the Hebrew verb to be satar [TH5641, ZH6259] (hide). A case could also be made for the verb sur [TH5493, ZH6073] (turn aside) with infixed taw, hence “deliver oneself” or “escape” (see Dahood 1970:3.388-389).

COMMENTARY [Text]

In light of the horrifying spectacle of the judgment of the Day of the Lord, Zephaniah presses his fellow countrymen to gather together in repentance and humility before God. Utilizing images drawn from the process of separating straw from chaff, Zephaniah gives them a spiritual setting. He uses straw and its collection to symbolize the assembling of people for the purpose of collective repentance so as to escape the coming destruction (i.e., to be straw, not chaff; see notes on 2:1). He employed the concept of threshing to point to the necessity of being broken before God rather than going on in self-indulgent waywardness. He uses the idea of chaff in connection with the speed and ease with which it is blown away: Like chaff, the time before the day of judgment was rapidly disappearing; like chaff, wayward sinners would be destroyed in the Day of the Lord. They were not threshed; their hearts were unbroken and had no longing for God. Thus they could not survive the coming judgment, but like chaff they would soon be swept away in the winds of God’s winnowing judgment. The threat of exile was before them.[116]

Gathering together meant coming together in genuine repentance and submission to the will of God. Zephaniah’s plea was urgent, for God’s decree was settled and would soon be put into effect. Moreover, as Zephaniah had already indicated (1:7-18), its implementation would bring with it the “fierce fury” (2:2) or burning anger of the Lord.

Yet even here, Zephaniah retains the hope that complete destruction (1:18) could be avoided. Although the judgment is even now descending, a proper response on the people’s part could perhaps ameliorate or even avert the threatened disaster—and that before the full heat of the Lord’s burning anger arrived.

Building on such a glimmer of hope, Zephaniah urged his hearers to seek the Lord. He called upon those most likely to respond—the poor who were victimized by the wealthy leaders and merchants of Judah and Jerusalem. In addition, if, as it sometimes does, “poor” refers to those who have kept God’s commandments (Stuhlmueller 1986), this could have an additional emphasis. It should be noted, however, that Zephaniah’s intended audience includes all who are poor in spirit and are seeking God.[117] He urged them to react to his pleas with the two qualities necessary for spiritual productivity: righteousness and humility. By the first is meant those spiritual and ethical standards that reflect the nature and will of God; by the second, submission to and dependence on God.

To all such, then, Zephaniah holds out a ray of hope. Although he would not presume on the divine prerogative, he hinted that deliverance might come. Probably this reflected his confidence that he who helped the needy would hear the prayer of the repentant and submissive (Ps 10:12-17). “Perhaps” God would graciously deliver them, as his wrath descended in judgment (2:3).

The charge to “seek humility” is a reminder of the soil where the seed of repentance may take root. Humility is a necessary ingredient for salvation (Rom 3:27). Further, just as humility marked Jesus’ life (2 Cor 8:9; Phil 2:4-8), so it should mark the believer’s life (Matt 11:29-30). It begins with humble submission to Christ and proceeds in selfless service (John 13:1-17), whether individually or collectively (Mic 6:8; Rom 12:9-14; Phil 2:1-3).

How sad it is when people cast aside the standards of God and forge their own rules of righteousness and ethical behavior. They will “gain” for themselves the “rewards” of the Day of the Lord. How tragic the situation, also, where the righteous allow their standards to slip into the morass of unrighteousness and therefore find themselves caught up in the judgment of the unrighteous.[118] Yet a God of mercy offers hope to the humble spirit and repentant heart. May we be aware both of God’s fiery fury and his boundless mercy (Ps 145:17-20).