Zefanya 1:2--3:8
Konteks1:2 “I will destroy 1 everything from the face of the earth,” says the Lord.
1:3 “I will destroy people and animals;
I will destroy the birds in the sky
and the fish in the sea.
(The idolatrous images of these creatures will be destroyed along with evil people.) 2
I will remove 3 humanity from the face of the earth,” says the Lord.
and all who live in Jerusalem. 5
I will remove 6 from this place every trace of Baal worship, 7
as well as the very memory 8 of the pagan priests. 9
1:5 I will remove 10 those who worship the stars in the sky from their rooftops, 11
those who swear allegiance to the Lord 12 while taking oaths in the name of 13 their ‘king,’ 14
1:6 and those who turn their backs on 15 the Lord
and do not want the Lord’s help or guidance.” 16
1:7 Be silent before the Lord God, 17
for the Lord’s day of judgment 18 is almost here. 19
The Lord has prepared a sacrificial meal; 20
he has ritually purified 21 his guests.
1:8 “On the day of the Lord’s sacrificial meal,
I will punish the princes 22 and the king’s sons,
and all who wear foreign styles of clothing. 23
1:9 On that day I will punish all who leap over the threshold, 24
who fill the house of their master 25 with wealth taken by violence and deceit. 26
1:10 On that day,” says the Lord,
“a loud cry will go up 27 from the Fish Gate, 28
wailing from the city’s newer district, 29
and a loud crash 30 from the hills.
1:11 Wail, you who live in the market district, 31
for all the merchants 32 will disappear 33
and those who count money 34 will be removed. 35
1:12 At that time I will search through Jerusalem with lamps.
I will punish the people who are entrenched in their sin, 36
those who think to themselves, 37
‘The Lord neither rewards nor punishes.’ 38
1:13 Their wealth will be stolen
and their houses ruined!
They will not live in the houses they have built,
nor will they drink the wine from the vineyards they have planted.
1:14 The Lord’s great day of judgment 39 is almost here;
it is approaching very rapidly!
There will be a bitter sound on the Lord’s day of judgment;
at that time warriors will cry out in battle. 40
1:15 That day will be a day of God’s anger, 41
a day of distress and hardship,
a day of devastation and ruin,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and dark skies,
1:16 a day of trumpet blasts 42 and battle cries. 43
Judgment will fall on 44 the fortified cities and the high corner towers.
1:17 I will bring distress on the people 45
and they will stumble 46 like blind men,
for they have sinned against the Lord.
Their blood will be poured out like dirt;
their flesh 47 will be scattered 48 like manure.
1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them
in the day of the Lord’s angry judgment.
The whole earth 49 will be consumed by his fiery wrath. 50
Indeed, 51 he will bring terrifying destruction 52 on all who live on the earth.” 53
2:1 Bunch yourselves together like straw, 54 you undesirable 55 nation,
2:2 before God’s decree becomes reality 56 and the day of opportunity disappears like windblown chaff, 57
before the Lord’s raging anger 58 overtakes 59 you –
before the day of the Lord’s angry judgment overtakes you!
2:3 Seek the Lord’s favor, 60 all you humble people 61 of the land who have obeyed his commands! 62
Strive to do what is right! 63 Strive to be humble! 64
Maybe you will be protected 65 on the day of the Lord’s angry judgment.
2:4 Indeed, 66 Gaza will be deserted 67
and Ashkelon will become a heap of ruins. 68
Invaders will drive away the people of Ashdod by noon, 69
and Ekron will be overthrown. 70
2:5 Those who live by the sea, the people who came from Crete, 71 are as good as dead. 72
The Lord has decreed your downfall, 73 Canaan, land of the Philistines:
“I will destroy everyone who lives there!” 74
2:6 The seacoast 75 will be used as pasture lands 76 by the shepherds
and as pens for their flocks.
2:7 Those who are left from the kingdom of Judah 77 will take possession of it. 78
By the sea 79 they 80 will graze,
in the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down in the evening,
for the Lord their God will intervene for them 81 and restore their prosperity. 82
2:8 “I have heard Moab’s taunts
and the Ammonites’ insults.
They 83 taunted my people
and verbally harassed those living in Judah. 84
2:9 Therefore, as surely as I live,” says the Lord who commands armies, the God of Israel,
“be certain that Moab will become like Sodom
and the Ammonites like Gomorrah.
They will be overrun by weeds, 85
filled with salt pits, 86
and permanently desolate.
Those of my people who are left 87 will plunder their belongings; 88
those who are left in Judah 89 will take possession of their land.”
2:10 This is how they will be repaid for their arrogance, 90
for they taunted and verbally harassed 91 the people of the Lord who commands armies.
2:11 The Lord will terrify them, 92
for 93 he will weaken 94 all the gods of the earth.
All the distant nations will worship the Lord in their own lands. 95
2:12 “You 96 Ethiopians 97 will also die by my sword!” 98
2:13 The Lord 99 will attack the north 100
and destroy Assyria.
He will make Nineveh a heap of ruins;
it will be as barren 101 as the desert.
2:14 Flocks and herds 102 will lie down in the middle of it,
as well as every kind of wild animal. 103
Owls 104 will sleep in the tops of its support pillars;
they will hoot through the windows. 105
Rubble will cover the thresholds; 106
even the cedar work 107 will be exposed to the elements. 108
2:15 This is how the once-proud city will end up 109 –
the city that was so secure. 110
She thought to herself, 111 “I am unique! No one can compare to me!” 112
What a heap of ruins she has become, a place where wild animals live!
Everyone who passes by her taunts her 113 and shakes his fist. 114
3:1 The filthy, 115 stained city is as good as dead;
the city filled with oppressors is finished! 116
she refuses correction. 118
She does not trust the Lord;
she does not seek the advice of 119 her God.
3:3 Her princes 120 are as fierce as roaring lions; 121
her rulers 122 are as hungry as wolves in the desert, 123
who completely devour their prey by morning. 124
3:4 Her prophets are proud; 125
they are deceitful men.
Her priests defile what is holy; 126
they break God’s laws. 127
3:5 The just Lord resides 128 within her;
he commits no unjust acts. 129
Every morning he reveals 130 his justice.
At dawn he appears without fail. 131
Yet the unjust know no shame.
their walled cities 133 are in ruins.
I turned their streets into ruins;
no one passes through them.
Their cities are desolate; 134
no one lives there. 135
3:7 I thought, 136 ‘Certainly you will respect 137 me!
Now you will accept correction!’
If she had done so, her home 138 would not be destroyed 139
by all the punishments I have threatened. 140
But they eagerly sinned
in everything they did. 141
3:8 Therefore you must wait patiently 142 for me,” says the Lord,
“for the day when I attack and take plunder. 143
I have decided 144 to gather nations together
and assemble kingdoms,
so I can pour out my fury on them –
all my raging anger.
For 145 the whole earth will be consumed
by my fiery anger.
[1:2] 1 tn The Hebrew text combines the infinitive absolute of אָסַף (’asaf, “gather up, sweep away”) with a Hiphil prefixed first person form of סוּף (suf, “come to an end”; see Jer 8:13 for the same combination). This can be translated literally, “Sweeping away, I will bring to an end.” Some prefer to emend the text so that the infinitive and finite form of the verb are from the same root (“I will certainly sweep away,” if from אָסַף [cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV]; “I will certainly bring to an end,” if from סוּף). For a discussion of proposals see J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 167, 169.
[1:3] 2 tn Heb “And the stumbling blocks [or, “ruins”] with the evil”; or “the things that make the evil stumble.” The line does not appear in the original form of the LXX; it may be a later scribal addition. The present translation assumes the “stumbling blocks” are idolatrous images of animals, birds, and fish. See J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 167, and Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB), 73-74.
[1:4] 4 tn Heb “I will stretch out my hand against,” is an idiom for hostile action.
[1:4] 5 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:4] 7 tn Heb “the remnant of Baal.”
[1:4] 8 tn Heb “name.” Here the “name” is figurative for the memory of those who bear it.
[1:4] 9 tc Heb “of the pagan priests and priests.” The first word (כְּמָרִים, kÿmarim) refers to idolatrous priests in its two other appearances in the OT (2 Kgs 23:5, Hos 10:5), while the second word (כֹּהֲנִים, kohanim) is the normal term for “priest” and is used of both legitimate and illegitimate priests in the OT. It is likely that the second term, which is omitted in the LXX, is a later scribal addition to the Hebrew text, defining the extremely rare word that precedes (see J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah [OTL], 167-68; cf. also NEB, NRSV). Some argue that both words are original; among the modern English versions that include both are NASB and NIV. Possibly the first word refers to outright pagan priests, while the second has in view once-legitimate priests of the Lord who had drifted into idolatrous practices. Another option is found in Adele Berlin, who translates, “the idolatrous priests among the priests,” understanding the second word as giving the general category of which the idolatrous priests are a part (Zephaniah [AB 25A], 75).
[1:5] 10 tn The words “I will remove” are repeated from v. 4b for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 4b-6 contain a long list of objects for the verb “I will remove” in v. 4b. In the present translation a new sentence was begun at the beginning of v. 5 in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences.
[1:5] 11 tn Heb “those who worship on their roofs the host of heaven.” The “host of heaven” included the sun, moon, planets, and stars, all of which were deified in the ancient Near East.
[1:5] 12 tc The MT reads, “those who worship, those who swear allegiance to the
[1:5] 13 tn Heb “those who swear by.”
[1:5] 14 tn The referent of “their king” is unclear. It may refer sarcastically to a pagan god (perhaps Baal) worshiped by the people. Some English versions (cf. NEB, NASB, NRSV) prefer to emend the text to “Milcom,” the name of an Ammonite god (following some LXX
[1:6] 15 tn Heb “turn back from [following] after.”
[1:6] 16 tn Heb “who do not seek the
[1:7] 17 tn Heb “Lord
[1:7] 18 tn Heb “the day of the
[1:7] sn The origin of the concept of “the day of the
[1:7] 20 tn Heb “a sacrifice.” This same word also occurs in the following verse.
[1:7] sn Because a sacrificial meal presupposes the slaughter of animals, it is used here as a metaphor of the bloody judgment to come.
[1:7] 21 tn Or “consecrated” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[1:8] 22 tn Or “officials” (NRSV, TEV); NLT “leaders.”
[1:8] 23 sn The very dress of the royal court, foreign styles of clothing, revealed the degree to which Judah had assimilated foreign customs.
[1:9] 24 sn The point of the statement all who hop over the threshold is unclear. A ritual or superstition associated with the Philistine god Dagon may be in view (see 1 Sam 5:5).
[1:9] 25 tn The referent of “their master” is unclear. The king or a pagan god may be in view.
[1:9] 26 tn Heb “who fill…with violence and deceit.” The expression “violence and deceit” refers metonymically to the wealth taken by oppressive measures.
[1:10] 27 tn The words “will go up” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[1:10] 28 sn The Fish Gate was located on Jerusalem’s north side (cf. 2 Chr 33:14; Neh 3:3; 12:39).
[1:10] 29 tn Heb “from the second area.” This may refer to an area northwest of the temple where the rich lived (see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah [AB 25A], 86; cf. NASB, NRSV “the Second Quarter”; NIV “the New Quarter”).
[1:10] 30 tn Heb “great breaking.”
[1:11] 31 tn Heb “in the Mortar.” The Hebrew term מַכְתֵּשׁ (makhtesh, “mortar”) is apparently here the name of a low-lying area where economic activity took place.
[1:11] 32 tn Or perhaps “Canaanites.” Cf. BDB 489 s.v. I and II כְּנַעֲנִי. Translators have rendered the term either as “the merchant people” (KJV, NKJV), “the traders” (NRSV), “merchants” (NEB, NIV), or, alternatively, “the people of Canaan” (NASB).
[1:11] 33 tn Or “be destroyed.”
[1:11] 34 tn Heb “weigh out silver.”
[1:11] 35 tn Heb “be cut off.” In the Hebrew text of v. 11b the perfect verbal forms emphasize the certainty of the judgment, speaking of it as if it were already accomplished.
[1:12] 36 tn Heb “who thicken on their sediment.” The imagery comes from wine making, where the wine, if allowed to remain on the sediment too long, will thicken into syrup. The image suggests that the people described here were complacent in their sinful behavior and interpreted the delay in judgment as divine apathy.
[1:12] 37 tn Heb “who say in their hearts.”
[1:12] 38 tn Heb “The
[1:14] 39 tn Heb “The great day of the
[1:14] 40 tn Heb “the sound of the day of the
[1:15] 41 tn Heb “a day of wrath.” The word “God’s” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[1:16] 42 tn Heb “a ram’s horn.” By metonymy the Hebrew text mentions the trumpet (“ram’s horn”) in place of the sound it produces (“trumpet blasts”).
[1:16] 43 sn This description of the day of the
[1:16] 44 tn Heb “against.” The words “judgment will fall” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[1:17] 45 tn “The people” refers to mankind in general (see vv. 2-3) or more specifically to the residents of Judah (see vv. 4-13).
[1:17] 47 tn Some take the referent of “flesh” to be more specific here; cf. NEB (“bowels”), NAB (“brains”), NIV (“entrails”).
[1:17] 48 tn The words “will be scattered” are supplied in the translation for clarity based on the parallelism with “will be poured out” in the previous line.
[1:18] 49 tn Or “land” (cf. NEB). This same word also occurs at the end of the present verse.
[1:18] 50 tn Or “passion”; traditionally, “jealousy.”
[1:18] 52 tn Heb “complete destruction, even terror, he will make.”
[1:18] 53 tn It is not certain where the
[2:1] 54 tn The Hebrew text combines a Hitpolel imperative of קָשַׁשׁ (qashash) with a Qal imperative of the same root. Elsewhere this root appears in the polel stem with the meaning “gather stubble.” Zephaniah’s command is ironic, implying the people are like stubble or straw. As such, they are vulnerable to the Lord’s fiery judgment that will quickly consume them (see 1:18). See Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB 25A), 96.
[2:1] 55 tn Some relate this word to an Aramaic cognate meaning “to be ashamed.” With the negative particle it would then mean “unashamed” (cf. NIV “shameful”; NRSV “shameless”). However, elsewhere in biblical Hebrew the verb means “to desire,” or with the negative particle “undesirable.” Cf. also NEB “unruly.”
[2:2] 56 tn Heb “before the giving birth of a decree.” For various alternative readings, see J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 187-88.
[2:2] 57 tn The second half of the line reads literally, “like chaff it passes by a day.” The translation above assumes the “day” is the brief time God is giving the nation to repent. The comparison of this quickly passing opportunity to chaff is consistent with the straw imagery of v. 1.
[2:2] 58 tn Heb “the fury of the anger of the
[2:2] 59 tn Heb “comes upon.” This phrase occurs twice in this verse.
[2:3] 60 tn Heb “seek the
[2:3] 61 tn Or “poor.” The precise referent of this Hebrew term is unclear. The word may refer to the economically poor or to the spiritually humble.
[2:3] 62 tn The present translation assumes the Hebrew term מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) here refers to God’s covenantal requirements and is a synonym for the Law. The word can mean “justice” and could refer more specifically to the principles of justice contained in the Law. In this case the phrase could be translated, “who have promoted the justice God demands.”
[2:3] 63 tn Heb “Seek what is right.”
[2:3] 64 tn Heb “Seek humility.”
[2:3] 65 tn Heb “hidden.” Cf. NEB “it may be that you will find shelter”; NRSV “perhaps you may be hidden.”
[2:4] 66 tn Or “for” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[2:4] 67 tn There is a sound play here in the Hebrew text: the name Gaza (עַזָּה, ’azzah) sounds like the word translated “deserted” (עֲזוּבָה, ’azuvah).
[2:4] 68 tn Or “a desolate place.”
[2:4] 69 tn Heb “[As for] Ashdod, at noon they will drive her away.”
[2:4] sn The reference to noon may suggest a sudden, quick defeat (see Jer 6:4; 15:8).
[2:4] 70 tn Heb “uprooted.” There is a sound play here in the Hebrew text: the name “Ekron” (עֶקְרוֹן, ’eqron) sounds like the word translated “uprooted” (תֵּעָקֵר, te’aqer).
[2:5] 71 tn Heb “Kerethites,” a people settled alongside the Philistines in the coastal areas of southern Palestine (cf. 1 Sam 30:14; Ezek 25:16). They originally came from the island of Crete.
[2:5] 72 tn Heb “Woe, inhabitants of the coast of the sea, nation of Kerethites.” The Hebrew term הוֹי (hoy, “ah, woe”), is used to mourn the dead and express outwardly one’s sorrow (see 1 Kgs 13:30; Jer 22:18; 34:5). By using it here the prophet mourns in advance the downfall of the Philistines, thereby emphasizing the certainty of their demise (“as good as dead”). Some argue the word does not have its earlier connotation here and is simply an attention-getting interjection, equivalent to “Hey!”
[2:5] 73 tn Heb “the word of the
[2:5] 74 tn Heb “I will destroy you so there is no inhabitant [remaining].”
[2:6] 75 tn The NIV here supplies the phrase “where the Kerethites dwell” (“Kerethites” is translated in v. 5 as “the people who came from Crete”) as an interpretive gloss, but this phrase is not in the MT. The NAB likewise reads “the coastland of the Cretans,” supplying “Cretans” here.
[2:6] 76 tn The Hebrew phrase here is נְוֹת כְּרֹת (nÿvot kÿrot). The first word is probably a plural form of נָוָה (navah, “pasture”). The meaning of the second word is unclear. It may be a synonym of the preceding word (cf. NRSV “pastures, meadows for shepherds”); there is a word כַּר (kar, “pasture”) in biblical Hebrew, but elsewhere it forms its plural with a masculine ending. Some have suggested the meaning “wells” or “caves” used as shelters (cf. NEB “shepherds’ huts”); in this case, one might translate, “The seacoast will be used for pasturelands; for shepherds’ wells/caves.”
[2:7] 77 tn Heb “the remnant of the house of Judah.”
[2:7] 78 tn Or “the coast will belong to the remnant of the house of Judah.”
[2:7] 79 tc Heb “on them,” but the antecedent of the masculine pronoun is unclear. It may refer back to the “pasture lands,” though that noun is feminine. It is preferable to emend the text from עֲלֵיהֶם (’alehem) to עַל־הַיָּם (’al-hayyam, “by the sea”) an emendation that assumes a misdivision and transposition of letters in the MT (cf. NEB “They shall pasture their flocks by the sea”). See J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 192.
[2:7] 80 tn The referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) is unclear. It may refer (1) to the shepherds (in which case the first verb should be translated, “pasture their sheep,” cf. NEB), or (2) to the Judahites occupying the area, who are being compared to sheep (cf. NIV, “there they will find pasture”).
[2:7] 81 tn Or “will care for them.”
[2:7] 82 tn Traditionally, “restore their captivity,” i.e., bring back their captives, but it is more likely the expression means “restore their fortunes” in a more general sense (cf. NEB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[2:8] 83 tn Heb “who.” A new sentence was begun here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[2:8] 84 tn Heb “and they made great [their mouth?] against their territory.” Other possible translation options include (1) “they enlarged their own territory” (cf. NEB) and (2) “they bragged about [the size] of their own territory.”
[2:9] 85 tn The Hebrew text reads מִמְשַׁק חָרוּל (mimshaq kharul, “[?] of weeds”). The meaning of the first word is unknown. The present translation (“They will be overrun by weeds”) is speculative, based on the general sense of the context. For a defense of “overrun” on linguistic grounds, see R. D. Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (WEC), 347. Cf. NEB “a pile of weeds”; NIV “a place of weeds”; NRSV “a land possessed by nettles.”
[2:9] 86 tn The Hebrew text reads וּמִכְרֵה־מֶלַח (umikhreh-melakh, “and a [?] of salt”). The meaning of the first word is unclear, though “pit” (NASB, NIV, NRSV; NKJV “saltpit”), “mine,” and “heap” (cf. NEB “a rotting heap of saltwort”) are all options. The words “filled with” are supplied for clarification.
[2:9] 87 tn Or “The remnant of my people.”
[2:9] 88 tn Heb “them.” The actual object of the plundering, “their belongings,” has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:9] 89 tn Heb “[the] nation.” For clarity the “nation” has been specified as “Judah” in the translation.
[2:10] 90 tn Heb “this is for them in place of their arrogance.”
[2:10] 91 tn Heb “made great [their mouth?] against” (cf. the last phrase of v. 8).
[2:11] 92 tn Heb “will be awesome over [or, “against”] them.”
[2:11] 94 tn The meaning of this rare Hebrew word is unclear. If the meaning is indeed “weaken,” then this line may be referring to the reduction of these gods’ territory through conquest (see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah [AB 25A], 110-11). Cf. NEB “reduce to beggary”; NASB “starve”; NIV “when he destroys”; NRSV “shrivel.”
[2:11] 95 tn Heb “and all the coastlands of the nations will worship [or, “bow down”] to him, each from his own place.”
[2:12] 96 sn Though there is no formal introduction, these words are apparently spoken by the
[2:12] 97 tn Heb “Cushites.” This is traditionally assumed to refer to people from the region south of Egypt, i.e., Nubia or northern Sudan, referred to as “Ethiopia” by classical authors (not the more recent Abyssinia).
[2:12] 98 tn Heb “Also you Cushites, who lie dead by my sword.”
[2:13] 99 tn Heb “He”; the referent (the
[2:13] 100 tn Heb “he will stretch out his hand against the north.”
[2:14] 102 tn Heb “flocks.” The Hebrew word can refer to both flocks of sheep and herds of cattle.
[2:14] 103 tn Heb “[and] all the wild animals of a nation.” How גוֹי (goy, “nation”) relates to what precedes is unclear. It may be a corruption of another word. See J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 193.
[2:14] 104 tn The Hebrew text reads here גַּם־קָאַת גַּם־קִפֹּד (gam-qa’at gam-qippod). The term קָאַת refers to some type of bird (see Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17) that was typically found near ruins (Isa 34:11); one of the most common translations is “owl” (cf. NEB “horned owl”; NIV, NRSV “desert owl”; contra NASB “pelican”). The term קִפֹּד may also refer to a type of bird (cf. NEB “ruffed bustard”; NIV, NRSV “screech owl”). Some suggest a rodent may be in view (cf. NASB “hedgehog”); this is not unreasonable, for a rodent or some other small animal would be able to sleep in the tops of pillars which would be lying in the ruins of the fallen buildings.
[2:14] 105 tn Heb “a sound will sing in the window.” If some type of owl is in view, “hoot” is a more appropriate translation (cf. NEB, NRSV).
[2:14] 106 tn Heb “rubble [will be] on the threshold.” “Rubble” translates the Hebrew word חֹרֶב (khorev, “desolation”). Some emend to עֹרֵב (’orev, “raven”) following the LXX and Vulgate; Adele Berlin translates, “A voice shall shriek from the window – a raven at the sill” (Zephaniah [AB 25A], 104).
[2:14] 107 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word translated “cedar work” (so NASB, NRSV) is unclear; NIV has “the beams of cedar.”
[2:14] 108 tn Heb “one will expose.” The subject is probably indefinite, though one could translate, “for he [i.e., God] will lay bare.”
[2:15] 109 tn Heb “this is the proud city.”
[2:15] 110 tn Heb “the one that lived securely.”
[2:15] 111 tn Heb “the one who says in her heart.”
[2:15] 112 tn Heb “I [am], and besides me there is no other.”
[2:15] 113 tn Heb “hisses”; or “whistles.”
[2:15] 114 sn Hissing (or whistling) and shaking the fist were apparently ways of taunting a defeated foe or an object of derision in the culture of the time.
[3:1] 115 tn The present translation assumes מֹרְאָה (mor’ah) is derived from רֹאִי (ro’i,“excrement”; see Jastrow 1436 s.v. רֳאִי). The following participle, “stained,” supports this interpretation (cf. NEB “filthy and foul”; NRSV “soiled, defiled”). Another option is to derive the form from מָרָה (marah, “to rebel”); in this case the term should be translated “rebellious” (cf. NASB, NIV “rebellious and defiled”). This idea is supported by v. 2. For discussion of the two options, see HALOT 630 s.v. I מרא and J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 206.
[3:1] 116 tn Heb “Woe, soiled and stained one, oppressive city.” The verb “is finished” is supplied in the second line. On the Hebrew word הוֹי (hoy, “ah, woe”), see the note on the word “dead” in 2:5.
[3:1] sn The following verses show that Jerusalem, personified as a woman (“she”), is the referent.
[3:2] 117 tn Heb “she does not hear a voice” Refusing to listen is equated with disobedience.
[3:2] 118 tn Heb “she does not receive correction.” The Hebrew phrase, when negated, refers elsewhere to rejecting verbal advice (Jer 17:23; 32:33; 35:13) and refusing to learn from experience (Jer 2:30; 5:3).
[3:2] 119 tn Heb “draw near to.” The present translation assumes that the expression “draw near to” refers to seeking God’s will (see 1 Sam 14:36).
[3:3] 121 tn Heb “her princes in her midst are roaring lions.” The metaphor has been translated as a simile (“as fierce as”) for clarity.
[3:3] 122 tn Traditionally “judges.”
[3:3] 123 tn Heb “her judges [are] wolves of the evening,” that is, wolves that prowl at night. The translation assumes an emendation to עֲרָבָה (’aravah, “desert”). For a discussion of this and other options, see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB 25A), 128. The metaphor has been translated as a simile (“as hungry as”) for clarity.
[3:3] 124 tn Heb “they do not gnaw [a bone] at morning.” The precise meaning of the line is unclear. The statement may mean these wolves devour their prey so completely that not even a bone is left to gnaw by the time morning arrives. For a discussion of this and other options, see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB 25A), 129.
[3:4] 125 sn Applied to prophets, the word פֹּחֲזִים (pokhazim, “proud”) probably refers to their audacity in passing off their own words as genuine prophecies from the
[3:4] 126 tn Or “defile the temple.”
[3:4] sn These priests defile what is holy by not observing the proper distinctions between what is ritually clean and unclean (see Ezek 22:26).
[3:4] 127 tn Heb “they treat violently [the] law.”
[3:5] 128 tn The word “resides” is supplied for clarification.
[3:5] 129 tn Or “he does no injustice.”
[3:5] 130 tn Heb “gives”; or “dispenses.”
[3:5] 131 tn Heb “at the light he is not missing.” Note that NASB (which capitalizes pronouns referring to Deity) has divided the lines differently: “Every morning He brings His justice to light; // He does not fail.”
[3:6] 133 tn Heb “corner towers”; NEB, NRSV “battlements.”
[3:6] 134 tn This Hebrew verb (צָדָה, tsadah) occurs only here in the OT, but its meaning is established from the context and from an Aramaic cognate.
[3:6] 135 tn Heb “so that there is no man, without inhabitant.”
[3:7] 137 tn Or “fear.” The second person verb form (“you will respect”) is feminine singular, indicating that personified Jerusalem is addressed.
[3:7] sn God’s judgment of the nations (v. 6) was an object lesson for Israel’s benefit.
[3:7] 138 tn Or “dwelling place.”
[3:7] 140 tn Heb “all which I have punished her.” The precise meaning of this statement and its relationship to what precedes are unclear.
[3:7] 141 tn Heb “But they got up early, they made corrupt all their actions.” The phrase “they got up early” probably refers to their eagerness to engage in sinful activities.
[3:8] 142 tn The second person verb form (“you must wait patiently”) is masculine plural, indicating that a group is being addressed. Perhaps the humble individuals addressed earlier (see 2:3) are in view. Because of Jerusalem’s sin, they must patiently wait for judgment to pass before their vindication arrives.
[3:8] 143 tn Heb “when I arise for plunder.” The present translation takes עַד (’ad) as “plunder.” Some, following the LXX, repoint the term עֵד (’ed) and translate, “as a witness” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV). In this case the Lord uses a legal metaphor to picture himself as testifying against his enemies. Adele Berlin takes לְעַד (lÿ’ad) in a temporal sense (“forever”) and translates “once and for all” (Zephaniah [AB 25A], 133).
