---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Zephaniah 1"
description: "CHAPTER 1   :-. GOD"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/zephaniah/1"
---

CHAPTER 1

. GOD'S SEVERE
JUDGMENT ON JUDAH
FOR ITS IDOLATRY
AND NEGLECT OF HIM:
THE RAPID
APPROACH OF THE JUDGMENT,
AND THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF
ESCAPE.

**1. days of Josiah**—Had their
idolatries been under former kings, they might have said, Our kings
have forced us to this and that. But under Josiah, who did all in his
power to reform them, they have no such excuse.
**son of Amon**—the
idolater, whose bad practices the Jews clung to, rather than the good
example of Josiah, his son; so incorrigible were they in sin.
**Judah**—Israel's ten
tribes had gone into captivity before this.

**2. utterly consume**—from a root
to "sweep away," or "scrape off utterly." See , *Margin,* and here.
**from off the land**—of
Judah.

**3.** Enumeration in detail of the
"all things" ([Zephaniah 1:2](../../../kjv/zephaniah/1/2);
compare [Jeremiah 9:10](../../../kjv/jeremiah/9/10); [Hosea 4:3](../../../kjv/hosea/4/3)).
**the stumbling-blocks**—idols
which cause Judah to offend or stumble ([Ezekiel 14:3](../../../kjv/ezekiel/14/3);
[Ezekiel 14:4](../../../kjv/ezekiel/14/4); [Ezekiel 14:7](../../../kjv/ezekiel/14/7)).
**with the wicked**—The
idols and their worshippers shall be involved in a common
destruction.

**4. stretch out mine hand**—indicating
some remarkable and unusual work of vengeance ([Isaiah 5:25](../../../kjv/isaiah/5/25);
[Isaiah 9:12](../../../kjv/isaiah/9/12); [Isaiah 9:17](../../../kjv/isaiah/9/17);
[Isaiah 9:21](../../../kjv/isaiah/9/21)).
**Judah**—including
Benjamin. These two tribes are to suffer, which thought themselves
perpetually secure, because they escaped the captivity in which the
ten tribes were involved.
**Jerusalem**—the
fountainhead of the evil. God begins with His sanctuary ([Isaiah 9:21](../../../kjv/isaiah/9/21)), and those who are nigh Him ([Isaiah 9:21](../../../kjv/isaiah/9/21)).
**the remnant of Baal**—the
remains of Baal worship, which as yet Josiah was unable utterly to
eradicate in remote places. Baal was the Phoelignician tutelary god.
From the time of the Judges ([Isaiah 9:21](../../../kjv/isaiah/9/21)), Israel had fallen into this idolatry; and Manasseh lately
had set up this idol within Jehovah's temple itself ([2 Kings 21:3](../../../kjv/2-kings/21/3);
[2 Kings 21:5](../../../kjv/2-kings/21/5); [2 Kings 21:7](../../../kjv/2-kings/21/7)).
Josiah began his reformation in the twelfth year of his reign
([2 Chronicles 34:4](../../../kjv/2-chronicles/34/4); [2 Chronicles 34:8](../../../kjv/2-chronicles/34/8)),
and in the eighteenth had as far as possible completed it.
**Chemarims**—idol priests,
who had not reached the age of puberty; meaning "ministers of
the gods" [SERVIUS on
*Æneid,* 11], the same name as the Tyrian *Camilli, r* and
*l* being interchangeable (compare [2 Chronicles 34:8](../../../kjv/2-chronicles/34/8), *Margin*). Josiah is expressly said ([2 Chronicles 34:8](../../../kjv/2-chronicles/34/8), *Margin*) to have "put down the Chemarim."
The *Hebrew* root means "black" (from the *black
garments* which they wore or the *marks* which they branded
on their foreheads); or "zealous," from their idolatrous
fanaticism. The very "name," as well as themselves, shall
be forgotten.
**the priests**—of Jehovah,
of Aaronic descent, who ought to have used all their power to
eradicate, but who secretly abetted, idolatry (compare [Zephaniah 3:4](../../../kjv/zephaniah/3/4);
[Ezekiel 8:1-18](../../../kjv/ezekiel/8/1-18); [Ezekiel 22:26](../../../kjv/ezekiel/22/26);
[Ezekiel 44:10](../../../kjv/ezekiel/44/10)). From the *priests*
Zephaniah passes to the *people.*

**5. worship the host of heaven**—*Saba:*
whence, in contrast to Sabeanism, Jehovah is called *Lord of
Sabaoth.*
**upon the housetops**—which
were flat ([2 Kings 23:5](../../../kjv/2-kings/23/5); [2 Kings 23:6](../../../kjv/2-kings/23/6);
[2 Kings 23:12](../../../kjv/2-kings/23/12); [Jeremiah 19:13](../../../kjv/jeremiah/19/13);
[Jeremiah 32:29](../../../kjv/jeremiah/32/29)).
**swear by the Lord**—rather,
"swear *to* JEHOVAH"
([2 Chronicles 15:14](../../../kjv/2-chronicles/15/14)); solemnly
dedicating themselves to Him (compare [Isaiah 48:1](../../../kjv/isaiah/48/1);
[Hosea 4:15](../../../kjv/hosea/4/15)).
**and**—"*and yet*
(with strange inconsistency, [1 Kings 18:21](../../../kjv/1-kings/18/21);
[Ezekiel 20:39](../../../kjv/ezekiel/20/39); [Matthew 6:24](../../../kjv/matthew/6/24))
swear by Malcham," that is, "*their king*"
[MAURER]: the same as
Molech (see on [Matthew 6:24](../../../kjv/matthew/6/24)), and
"Milcom the god of . . . Ammon" ([Matthew 6:24](../../../kjv/matthew/6/24)). If Satan have half the heart, he will have all; if the
Lord have but half offered to Him, He will have none.

**6.** This verse describes more
comprehensively those guilty of defection from Jehovah in any way
([Jeremiah 2:13](../../../kjv/jeremiah/2/13); [Jeremiah 2:17](../../../kjv/jeremiah/2/17)).

**7. Hold thy peace at the presence of
the Lord**— ([Habakkuk 2:20](../../../kjv/habakkuk/2/20)). Let
the *earth* be silent at His approach [MAURER].
Or, "Thou whosoever hast been wont to speak against God, as if
He had no care about earthly affairs, cease thy murmurs and
self-justifications; submit thyself to God, and repent in time"
[CALVIN].
**Lord . . . prepared a
sacrifice**—namely, a slaughter of the guilty Jews, the victims
due to His justice ([Isaiah 34:6](../../../kjv/isaiah/34/6);
[Jeremiah 46:10](../../../kjv/jeremiah/46/10); [Ezekiel 39:17](../../../kjv/ezekiel/39/17)).
**bid his guests**—literally,
"sanctified His called ones" (compare [Ezekiel 39:17](../../../kjv/ezekiel/39/17)). It enhances the bitterness of the judgment that the
heathen Chaldeans should be *sanctified,* or consecrated as it
were, by God as His priests, and be *called* to eat the flesh of
the elect people; as on feast days the priests used to feast among
themselves on the remains of the sacrifices [CALVIN].
*English Version* takes it not of the *priests,* but the
*guests bidden,* who also had to "sanctify" or purify
themselves before coming to the sacrificial feast ([1 Samuel 9:13](../../../kjv/1-samuel/9/13);
[1 Samuel 9:22](../../../kjv/1-samuel/9/22); [1 Samuel 16:5](../../../kjv/1-samuel/16/5)).
Nebuchadnezzar was *bidden* to come to take vengeance on guilty
Jerusalem ([Jeremiah 25:9](../../../kjv/jeremiah/25/9)).

**8. the princes**—who ought to
have been an example of good to others, but were ringleaders in all
evil.
**the king's children**—fulfilled
on Zedekiah's children ([Jeremiah 39:6](../../../kjv/jeremiah/39/6));
and previously, on Jehoahaz and Eliakim, the sons of Josiah ([2 Kings 23:31](../../../kjv/2-kings/23/31);
[2 Kings 23:36](../../../kjv/2-kings/23/36); [2 Chronicles 36:6](../../../kjv/2-chronicles/36/6);
compare also [2 Kings 20:18](../../../kjv/2-kings/20/18); [2 Kings 21:13](../../../kjv/2-kings/21/13)).
Huldah the prophetess ([2 Kings 22:20](../../../kjv/2-kings/22/20))
intimated that which Zephaniah now more expressly foretells.
**all such as are clothed with
strange apparel**—the *princes* or *courtiers* who
attired themselves in costly garments, imported from abroad; partly
for the sake of luxury, and partly to ingratiate themselves with
foreign great nations whose costume as well as their idolatries they
imitated, [CALVIN];
whereas in costume, as in other respects, God would have them to be
separate from the nations. GROTIUS
refers the "strange apparel" to garments forbidden by the
law, for example, men's garments worn by women, and vice versa, a
heathen usage in the worship of Mars and Venus ([2 Kings 22:20](../../../kjv/2-kings/22/20)).

**9. those that leap on the
threshold**—the servants of the princes, who, after having gotten
prey (like hounds) for their masters, leap exultingly on their
masters' thresholds; or, on the thresholds of the houses which they
break into [CALVIN].
JEROME explains it of
those *who walk up the steps into the sanctuary with haughtiness.*
ROSENMULLER translates,
"Leap *over* the threshold"; namely, in imitation of
the Philistine custom of not treading on the threshold, which arose
from the head and hands of Dragon being broken off on the threshold
before the ark ([1 Samuel 5:5](../../../kjv/1-samuel/5/5)). Compare
[Isaiah 2:6](../../../kjv/isaiah/2/6), "thy people . . .
are soothsayers *like the Philistines.*" CALVIN'S
view agrees best with the latter clause of the verse.
**fill . . . masters' houses
with violence,** &c.—that is, with goods obtained *with
violence,* &c.

**10. fish gate**— ([2 Chronicles 33:14](../../../kjv/2-chronicles/33/14);
[Nehemiah 3:3](../../../kjv/nehemiah/3/3); [Nehemiah 12:39](../../../kjv/nehemiah/12/39)).
Situated on the east of the lower city, north of the sheep gate
[MAURER]: near the
stronghold of David in Milo, between Zion and the lower city, towards
the west [JEROME]. This
verse describes the state of the city when it was besieged by
Nebuchadnezzar. It was through the fish gate that he entered the
city. It received its name from the fish market which was near it.
Through it passed those who used to bring fish from the lake of
Tiberias and Jordan. It answers to what is now called the Damascus
gate [HENDERSON].
**the second**—namely, the
gate which was *second* in dignity [CALVIN].
Or, the *second* or lower part of the city. Appropriately, the
fish gate, or extreme end of the lower part of the city, first
resounds with the cries of the citizens as the foe approaches; then,
as he advances further, that part of the city itself, namely, its
inner part; lastly, when the foe is actually come and has burst in,
the hills, the higher ones, especially Zion and Moriah, on which the
upper city and temple were founded [MAURER].
The *second,* or lower city, answers to Akra, north of Zion, and
separated from it by the valley of Tyropoeligon running down to the
pool of Siloam [HENDERSON].
The *Hebrew* is translated "college," [Nehemiah 12:39](../../../kjv/nehemiah/12/39); so VATABLUS
would translate here.
**hills**—not here those
outside, but those within the walls: Zion, Moriah, and Ophel.

**11. Maktesh**—rather, "the
mortar," a name applied to the valley of Siloam from its hollow
shape [JEROME]. The valley
between Zion and Mount Olivet, at the eastern extremity of Mount
Moriah, where the merchants dwelt. , "The Canaanite," namely, merchant [*Chaldee
Version*]. The Tyropoeligon (that is, *cheese-makers'*)
valley below Mount Akra [ROSENMULLER].
Better *Jerusalem itself,* so called as lying in the midst of
hills ([Isaiah 22:1](../../../kjv/isaiah/22/1); [Jeremiah 21:13](../../../kjv/jeremiah/21/13))
and as doomed to be the scene of its people being destroyed as corn
or drugs are pounded in a *mortar* ([Jeremiah 21:13](../../../kjv/jeremiah/21/13)) [MAURER].
Compare the similar image of a "pot" ([Ezekiel 24:3](../../../kjv/ezekiel/24/3);
[Ezekiel 24:6](../../../kjv/ezekiel/24/6)). The reason for the
destruction is subjoined, namely, its *merchant people's*
greediness of gain.
**all the merchant
people**—literally, the "Canaanite people": irony: all
the merchant people of Jerusalem are very *Canaanites* in greed
for gain and in idolatries (see on [Ezekiel 24:6](../../../kjv/ezekiel/24/6)).
**all . . . that bear
silver**—loading themselves with that which will prove but a
*burden* ([Habakkuk 2:6](../../../kjv/habakkuk/2/6)).

**12. search . . . with candles**—or
lamps; so as to leave no dark corner in it wherein sin can escape the
punishment, of which the Chaldeans are My instruments (compare
[Zephaniah 1:13](../../../kjv/zephaniah/1/13); [Luke 15:8](../../../kjv/luke/15/8)).
**settled on their
lees**—"hardened" or crusted; image from the crust
formed at the bottom of wines long left undisturbed ([Luke 15:8](../../../kjv/luke/15/8)). The effect of *wealthy undisturbed ease* ("lees")
on the ungodly is *hardening:* they become stupidly secure
(compare [Psalms 55:19](../../../kjv/psalms/55/19); [Amos 6:1](../../../kjv/amos/6/1)).
**Lord will not do good . . .
evil**—They deny that God regards human affairs, or renders good
to the good; or evil to the evil, but that all things go haphazard
([Psalms 10:4](../../../kjv/psalms/10/4); [Malachi 2:17](../../../kjv/malachi/2/17)).

**13. Therefore their goods shall
become a booty,** c.—Fulfilling the prophecy in [Deuteronomy 28:30](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/28/30)
[Deuteronomy 28:39](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/28/39) (compare [Deuteronomy 28:39](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/28/39)).

**14. voice of . . . day of . . .
Lord**—that is, Jehovah ushering in that day with a roar of
vengeance against the guilty ([Jeremiah 25:30](../../../kjv/jeremiah/25/30);
[Amos 1:2](../../../kjv/amos/1/2)). They who will not now
heed ([Zephaniah 1:12](../../../kjv/zephaniah/1/12)) His voice by
His prophets, must heed it when uttered by the avenging foe.
**mighty . . . shall cry . . .
bitterly**—in hopeless despair; the might on which Jerusalem now
prides itself, shall then fail utterly.

**15. wasteness . . . desolation**—The
*Hebrew* terms by their similarity of sounds, *Shoah,
Umeshoah,* express the dreary monotony of desolation (see on ).

**16. the trumpet**—namely, of the
besieging enemy ([Amos 2:2](../../../kjv/amos/2/2)).
**alarm**—the war shout
[MAURER].
**towers**—literally,
"angles"; for city walls used not to be built in a direct
line, but with sinuous curves and angles, so that besiegers advancing
might be assailed not only in front, but on both sides, caught as it
were in a cul-de-sac; towers were built especially at the angles. So
TACITUS describes the
walls of Jerusalem [*Histories,* 5.11.7].

**17. like blind men**—unable to
see whither to turn themselves so as to find an escape from existing
evils.
**flesh**—*Hebrew,*
"bread"; so the *Arabic* term for "bread" is
used for "flesh" ().

**18. Neither . . . silver nor . . .
gold shall . . . deliver them,** c.— ().
**fire of his jealousy**—
([Ezekiel 38:19](../../../kjv/ezekiel/38/19)) His wrath jealous
for His honor consuming the guilty like fire.
**make even a speedy riddance
of all**—rather, a "consummation" (complete
destruction: "full end," [Jeremiah 46:28](../../../kjv/jeremiah/46/28);
[Ezekiel 11:13](../../../kjv/ezekiel/11/13)) "*altogether*
sudden" [MAURER]. "A
consumption, *and that* a sudden one" [CALVIN].

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com","name":"Real Bible Believers","description":"RBB","publisher":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/search?q={search_term_string}","query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/zephaniah/1#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/images/missing.jpg","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/images/missing.jpg","width":640,"height":370,"caption":"Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Zephaniah 1"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/zephaniah/1#webpage","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/zephaniah/1","name":"Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Zephaniah 1","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/zephaniah/1#primaryimage"},"datePublished":null,"dateModified":null,"author":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"description":"CHAPTER 1   :-. GOD'S SEVERE\nJUDGMENT ON JUDAH\nFOR ITS IDOLATRY\nAND NEGLECT OF HIM:\nTHE RAPID\nAPPROACH OF THE JUDGMENT,\nAND THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF\nESCAPE. 1","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/zephaniah/1#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/zephaniah/1"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/zephaniah/1#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","name":"Home"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries","name":"Commentaries"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible","name":"Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/zephaniah","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/zephaniah","name":"Zephaniah"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/zephaniah/1","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/zephaniah/1","name":"1"}}]},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","width":512,"height":512},"logo":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo"},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/RBiblebeliever","https://www.facebook.com/RBibleBelievers"]}]}
```