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 Argument – Seeing the great rebellion of the people, and that there was now no hope of amendment, he gives notice of the great judgment of God, which was at hand, showing that their country would be utterly destroyed, and they would be carried away captives by the Babylonians. Yet for the comfort of the faithful he prophesied of God's vengeance against their enemies, such as the Philistines, Moabites, Assyrians, and others, to assure them that God had a continual care over them. And as the wicked would be punished for their sins and transgressions, so he exhorts the godly to patience, and to trust to find mercy by reason of the free promise of God made to Abraham: and therefore quietly to wait until God shows them the effect of that grace, by which in the end they should be gathered to him, and counted as his people and children.
2 I will surely destroy all things from off the land, saith the Lorde.
3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume theNot that God was angry with these dumb creatures, but because man was so wicked for whose cause they were created, God makes them to take part of the punishments with him.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.
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 theWho were an order of superstitious priests appointed to minister in the service of Baal, and were as his special chaplains; read (2Ki_23:5; Hos_10:5).Chemarims with the priests;
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 byHe alludes to their idol Molech, which was forbidden; read (Lev_20:2), yet they called him their king, and made him as a god: therefore he here notes those that will both say they worship God, and yet will swear by idols and serve them: which faltering is here condemned, as in (Eze_20:39; 1Ki_18:21; 2Ki_17:33).Malcham;
6 And them that are turned backe from the Lord, and those that haue not sought the Lorde, nor inquired for him.
7 Be stil at the presence of the Lord God: for the day of the Lord is at hand: for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice, and hath sanctified his ghests.
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 withMeaning, the courtiers, who did imitate the strange apparel of other nations to win their favour by it, and to appear glorious in the eyes of all others; read (Eze_23:14-15).strange apparel.
9 In the same day also will I punish all those thatHe means the servants of the rulers who invade other men's houses, and rejoice and leap for joy, when they can get any gain to please their master with.leap on the threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit.
10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, [that there shall be] the noise of a cry from theSignifying that all the corners of the city of Jerusalem would be full of trouble.fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.
11 Howl, ye inhabitants ofThis is meant of the street of the merchants which was lower than the rest of the place around it.Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.
12 And it shall come to pass at that time, [that] I will search Jerusalem withSo that nothing will escape me.candles, and punish the men that are settledBy their prosperity they are hardened in their wickedness.on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.
13 Therefore their goods shall be spoyled, and their houses waste: they shall also build houses, but not inhabite them, and they shall plant vineyards, but not drinke the wine thereof.
14 The great day of the LORD [is] near, [it is] near, and hasteth greatly, [even] the voice of the day of the LORD:They that trusted in their own strength and condemned the Prophets of God.the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.
15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and heauinesse, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of obscuritie and darkenesse, a day of cloudes and blackenesse,
16 A day of the trumpet and alarme against the strong cities, and against the hie towres.
17 And I will bring distresse vpon men, that they shall walke like blind men, because they haue sinned against the Lorde, and their blood shall be powred out as dust, and their flesh as the dongue.
18 Neither their siluer nor their golde shalbe able to deliuer them in ye day of the Lords wrath, but the whole lande shalbe deuoured by the fire of his ielousie: for hee shall make euen a speedie riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
