Zefanya 1:9

1:9 On that day I will punish all who leap over the threshold, ¹ 

who fill the house of their master ²  with wealth taken by violence and deceit. ³ 

Zefanya 3:3

3:3 Her princes ⁴  are as fierce as roaring lions; ⁵ 

her rulers ⁶  are as hungry as wolves in the desert, ⁷ 

who completely devour their prey by morning. ⁸ 

Zefanya 3:15

3:15 The Lord has removed the judgment against you; ⁹ 

he has turned back your enemy.

Israel’s king, the Lord, is in your midst!

You no longer need to fear disaster.

[1:9]  ¹ 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]  ² tn The referent of “their master” is unclear. The king or a pagan god may be in view.

[1:9]  ³ tn Heb “who fill…with violence and deceit.” The expression “violence and deceit” refers metonymically to the wealth taken by oppressive measures.

[3:3]  ⁴ tn Or “officials.”

[3:3]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ tn Traditionally “judges.”

[3:3]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ 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.

[3:15]  ⁹ tn Heb “your judgments,” that is, “the judgments directed against you.” The translation reflects the implications of the parallelism.