| The Book of Habakkuk | The Book of Haggai |
The brief genealogy in verse one traces Zephaniah back to Hizkiah. It is not known whether this individual was the same as Hezekiah the king, and the other names are not of known individuals. Nothing is known of the life of Zephaniah beyond what can be inferred from his book.
Zephaniah 1:1-6. What is the type of the Second Coming?
Zephaniah 1:1-9. Is This Prophecy of the Near or the Distant Future?
Beyond his message for Judah, Zephaniah asserted God's right and power to judge the whole earth. His design in cataloging all the various forms of life was to stress the complete scope of judgment. The reference to the wicked focuses attention on the main issue: sin and its inevitable consequences. (See D. Guthrie and J. A. Motyer, eds., The New Bible Commentary: Revised, p. 776.)This prophecy is in keeping with the dualism so common in the writings of Hebrew prophets. Zephaniah both anticipated Judah's impending disaster and foresaw the final destruction of all the wicked (see Ellis T. Rasmussen, An Introduction to the Old Testament and Its Teachings, 2:273). The phrase "day of the Lord" in Zephaniah 1:7 usually refers in the scriptures to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
Zephaniah 1:10-18. The Great Day Comes: The People Reap the Judgments
The imagery of these verses may be difficult to understand because Zephaniah used terms familiar to listeners in his day but unfamiliar to modern readers. The following information will be helpful:
1. The "fish gate" (v. 10) was on the north end of the city. People there would be the first to see an enemy invading from the north.
2. The fish gate opened into the part of the city known as the "second quarter" (v. 10), probably because it was an expansion of the original city of David. This quarter would be the first reached from the north.
3. "Maktesh" (v. 11) was the name of the merchant quarter, which lay in the second quarter; thus, the reference to merchants, "they that bear silver."
4. To "search with candles" (v. 12) suggests an exhaustive search, since in the poorly lighted houses of those times one would have to use a candle to look for a lost object at night.
5. "Settled upon their lees" (v. 12) is a figure drawn from wine making. The lees are the thick residue of the pulp of the grapes. "Good wine, when it remains for a long time upon its lees, becomes stronger; but bad wine becomes harsher and thicker" (Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary, 10:2:134). The interpretation of the symbol is that wicked men, like bad wine, remain apathetic about the true religion and become increasingly harsh and bitter.
Zephaniah 1:15-16. What will the Second Coming be a day of?
Zephaniah 2. Is There Hope of Any Escaping the Wrath When the Day of the Lord Comes?
Judah was not the only nation ripe for destruction. The foreign peoples who taunted and reviled Judah were even more worthy of annihilation. Each of them would share in the impending doom. Still, there was some hope."Those who see the worst in human nature are often the first to see a gleam of hope. Following the gloom, unmitigated and unrelieved in any way, Zephaniah sends one shaft of light into the darkness. A remnant may yet be saved [see vv. 2-3]. He does not see any way of escape for any but for the humble, whom he mentions in contrast to the proud who have provoked the jealous wrath of God." (Guthrie and Motyer, New Bible Commentary, p. 777.)
Zephaniah 2:3. What should we seek?
Zephaniah 3:1-7. A Warning and Promise
Zephaniah turned again to Jerusalem with both warning and promise. He condemned many groups in Judah's society, including the political leaders, the judges, the prophets, and the priests. Corruption was at every level. He stressed the constant righteousness and justice of the Lord, who continually brings down wicked people and nations. All hope was not to be lost, however, because there would still be a remnant with whom God could work and bring to pass His righteous purposes. In addition, there is always God's unbounded mercy. The righteous in any age can take comfort in their righteousness.Zephaniah 3:1-8. Why will all nations assemble at the Second Coming?
Zephaniah 3:8-20. Zephaniah's Final Message
The prophet concluded on a note of optimism. The day will come when God's people "shall not see evil any more" (Zephaniah 3:15). Those who have borne the burden of reproach shall be gathered from afar and become "a name and a praise" (v. 20) among men."Zephaniah saw our day and beyond. In it he both suffered and rejoiced. He suffered in spirit because of the desolation and destruction which he saw, but he was able to use this as a warning and threat to his own people. In the redemption and final blessings of Israel he saw a ray of hope to extend to Judah. No prophet has written more clearly or vigorously of the Day of the Lord. Zephaniah must be added to the list of prophets who give us a grave warning of disaster." (Sidney B. Sperry, The Voice of Israel's Prophets, p. 388.)
Zephaniah 3:9. Why will people have a pure language?
Zephaniah 3:17. How will the Lord reign in their midst?