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INTRODUCTION

ZEPHANIAH, ninth in order of the minor prophets, prophesied "in the days of Josiah"

(Zep 1:1),

that is, between 642 and 611 B.C. The name means "Jehovah hath guarded," literally, "hidden"

(Ps 27:5; 83:3).

The specification in the introductory heading, of not only his father, but also his grandfather, and great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather, implies that the latter were persons of note, or else the design was to distinguish him from another Zephaniah of note at the time of the captivity. The Jews' supposition, that persons recorded as a prophet's ancestors were themselves endowed with the prophetic spirit, seems groundless. There is no impossibility of the Hezekiah, who was Zephaniah's great-great-grandfather, being King Hezekiah as to the number of generations; for Hezekiah's reign of twenty-nine years, and his successor's reign of fifty-five years, admit of four generations interposing between. Yet the omission of the designation, "king of Judah," is fatal to the theory (compare

Pr 25:1; Isa 38:9).

He must have flourished in the earlier part of Josiah's reign. In

Zep 2:13-15

he foretells the doom of Nineveh, which happened in 625 B.C.; and in

Zep 1:4

he denounces various forms of idolatry, and specially that of Baal. Now Josiah's reformation began in the twelfth and was completed in the eighteenth year of his reign. Zephaniah, therefore, in denouncing Baal worship, co-operated with that good king in his efforts, and so must have prophesied somewhere between the twelfth and eighteenth years of his reign. The silence of the historical books is no argument against this, as it would equally apply against Jeremiah's prophetical existence at the same time. Jewish tradition says that Zephaniah had for his colleagues Jeremiah, whose sphere of labor was the thoroughfares and market places, and Huldah the prophetess, who exercised her vocation in the college in Jerusalem.

The prophecy begins with the nation's sin and the fearful retribution coming at the hands of the Chaldeans. These are not mentioned by name, as in Jeremiah; for the prophecies of the latter, being nearer the fulfilment, become more explicit than those of an earlier date. The second chapter dooms the persecuting states in the neighborhood as well as Judea itself. The third chapter denounces Jerusalem, but concludes with the promise of her joyful re-establishment in the theocracy.

The style, though not generally sublime, is graphic and vivid in details (compare

Zep 1:4-12).

The language is pure, and free from Aramaisms. There are occasional coincidences with former prophets (compare

Zep 2:14, with Isa 34:11;

Zep 2:15, with Isa 47:8;

Zep 3:10, with Isa 18:1;

Zep 2:8, with Isa 16:6;

also

Zep 1:5, with Jer 8:2;

Zep 1:12, with Jer 48:11).

Such coincidences in part arise from the phraseology of Hebrew prophetic poetry being the common language of the inspired brotherhood. The New Testament, at

Ro 15:6,

seems to refer to

Zep 3:9.

Zep 1:1-18.

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

Jer 8:13,

Margin, and here.

from off the land--of Judah.

3. Enumeration in detail of the "all things"

(Zep 1:2;

compare

Jer 9:10; Ho 4:3).

the stumbling-blocks--idols which cause Judah to offend or stumble

(Eze 14:3, 4, 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

(Isa 5:25; 9:12, 17, 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

(Eze 9:6),

and those who are nigh Him

(Le 10:3).

the remnant of Baal--the remains of Baal worship, which as yet Josiah was unable utterly to eradicate in remote places. Baal was the Phœnician tutelary god. From the time of the Judges

(Jud 2:13),

Israel had fallen into this idolatry; and Manasseh lately had set up this idol within Jehovah's temple itself

(2Ki 21:3, 5, 7).

Josiah began his reformation in the twelfth year of his reign

(2Ch 34:4, 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

Ho 10:5,

Margin). Josiah is expressly said

(2Ki 23:5,

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

Zep 3:4; Eze 8:1-18; 22:26; 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

(2Ki 23:5, 6, 12; Jer 19:13; 32:29).

swear by the Lord--rather, "swear to JEHOVAH"

(2Ch 15:14);

solemnly dedicating themselves to Him (compare

Isa 48:1; Ho 4:15).

and--"and yet (with strange inconsistency,

1Ki 18:21; Eze 20:39; Mt 6:24)

swear by Malcham," that is, "their king" [MAURER]: the same as Molech (see on

Am 5:25),

and "Milcom the god of . . . Ammon"

(1Ki 11:33).

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

(Jer 2:13, 17).

7. Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord--

(Hab 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

(Isa 34:6; Jer 46:10; Eze 39:17).

bid his guests--literally, "sanctified His called ones" (compare

Isa 13:3).

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

(1Sa 9:13, 22; 16:5).

Nebuchadnezzar was bidden to come to take vengeance on guilty Jerusalem

(Jer 25:9).