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 word, &c. Compare Hosea 1:1 .Joel 1:1 .Micah 1:1 .
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
came = became: i.e. came to, or was communicated. Compare Luke 3:2 . See App-82 .
Zephaniah = hidden of Jehovah, or he whom Jehovah hath hidden (Psalms 27:5 ; Psalms 31:19 , Psalms 31:20 ; Psalms 83:3 ). For the connection See Zephaniah 2:3 .
Hizkiah = Hezekiah.
2.
I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.
utterly consume. Note the Figure of speech Paronomasia ( App-6 ), for emphasis. Hebrew. 'asoph 'aseph = to end, I end.
consume = take away, or make an end of.
all. Omit "things" = All; as in Job 42:2 .Psalms 8:6 . Isaiah 44:24 .
the land. Figure of speech Pleonasm. ( App-6 ) = the face of the land.
land = soil, or ground.
saith the Lord = [is] Jehovah's oracle.
3.
I will consume man and beast; I will consume the 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.
I will consume. Note the Figure of speech Anaphora . Three times repeated.
man. Hebrew. 'adam with ' eth = humanity App-14 .
and. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton ( App-6 ), for emphasis.
stumblingblocks = ruin. Occurs only here, and Isaiah 3:6 . Figure of speech Metalepsis. "Stumblingblocks" put first for the idols and idolatry, and then idolatry put for the ruin brought about by them.
with = together with. Hebrew. 'eth .
the wicked = the lawless ones. Hebrew. rasha'. App-44 .
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 Chemarims with the priests;
Mine hand. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia, App-6 .
remnant. Septuagint reads "names", reading shem instead of she'ar, as in the next clause.
and. Some codices, with three early printed editions, Aramaean, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read this "and" in the text.
Chemarims = Kemarim = black-robed, or cassocked. From Hebrew. Kamar, to be black. Used of idolatrous priests because so clothed; not Kohen, as appointed by Jehovah. Occurs only here; 2 Kings 23:5 , and Hosea 10:5 .
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 Malcham;
worship the host of heaven. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 4:19 ; Deuteronomy 17:3 ). App-92 . Compare 2 Kings 23:11 , 2 Kings 23:12 .Jeremiah 19:13 .
Malcham = king-god, or king-idol. Syriac and Vulgate read "Milcom".
6.
And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor inquired for him.
from = from after.
sought . . . enquired. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 4:29 , where the two Hebrew verbs are in the same order, and are rendered "seek . . . seek"). App-92 .
LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. (with ' eth) = Jehovah Himself.
7.
Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.
Hold thy peace, &c. See Amos 6:10 . Habakkuk 2:20 . Zec 3:13 .
the Lord. Hebrew Adonai. App-4 .
God. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
a sacrifice. Septuagint reads "His sacrifice".
bid = separated. Hebrew sanctified. See note on Exodus 3:5 .
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 strange apparel.
the day of the Lord's sacrifice. See notes on Isaiah 2:12 ; Isaiah 13:6 .
day. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6 , for the judgments executed in it.
punish = visit upon. Reference to Pentateuch (Exodus 32:34 ). App-92 . Compare Jeremiah 9:25 ; Jeremiah 11:22 ; Jeremiah 13:21 , &c.
children = sons: i.e. the royal house. Compare 1 Kings 22:26 . 2 Kings 11:2 .Jeremiah 36:26 ; Jeremiah 38:6 , &c.
strange = foreign.
9.
In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit.
those that leap, &c. No reference to idolatrous practice, as in 1 Kings 18:26 ; but to the servants of rulers sent to enter the houses of others and steal Figure of speech Periphrasis ( App-6 ), for robbers.
on = over.
violence and deceit. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), App-6 , for the booty procured.
10.
And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.
the noise of a cry. Figure of speech Pleonasm. App-6 .
the second = the new city. See note on 2 Kings 22:14 ,
11.
Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.
Maktesh = the mortar. Probably the local name of the merchants' quarter in the Tyropoeon valley, west of Zion. App-68 . So called from its basin-like shape.
cut down = laid low.
12.
And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.
candles = lamps.
evil = harm. Hebrew. ra'a'. App-44 .
13.
Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.
they shall also build, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 28:30 , Deuteronomy 28:39 ). Compare Amos 5:11 .Micah 6:15 ; and contrast Isaiah 65:21 .Amos 9:14 .
wine. Heb yayin. App-27 .
14.
The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.
The great day, &c. Compare Isaiah 22:5 .Joel 2:1 , &c.
is near, &c. Hebrew [is] near, near. Figure of speech Epizeuxis , for emphasis: i.e. very near.
mighty man. Hebrew. gibbor. App-14 .
15.
That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,
wrath. trouble, &c. Note the Figure of speech Synonymia ( App-6 ).
16.
A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.
the trumpet and alarm = an alarming trumpet. Figure of speech Hendiadys = a trumpet, yea, a trumpet [call] "to arms"! Compare Zephaniah 2:2 .
towers. Hebrew corners. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6 , for the towers usually fixed there.
17.
And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.
they shall walk, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 28:29 ).
18.
Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
land. Not the same word as in verses: Zephaniah 2:3 . for, Ginsburg thinks this should be "yea".