Zefanya 1:12

1:12 At that time I will search through Jerusalem with lamps.

I will punish the people who are entrenched in their sin, ¹ 

those who think to themselves, ² 

‘The Lord neither rewards nor punishes.’ ³ 

Zefanya 2:15

2:15 This is how the once-proud city will end up ⁴  –

the city that was so secure. ⁵ 

She thought to herself, ⁶  “I am unique! No one can compare to me!” ⁷ 

What a heap of ruins she has become, a place where wild animals live!

Everyone who passes by her taunts her ⁸  and shakes his fist. ⁹ 

Zefanya 2:2

2:2 before God’s decree becomes reality ¹⁰  and the day of opportunity disappears like windblown chaff, ¹¹ 

before the Lord’s raging anger ¹²  overtakes ¹³  you –

before the day of the Lord’s angry judgment overtakes you!

Zefanya 1:4

1:4 “I will attack ¹⁴  Judah

and all who live in Jerusalem. ¹⁵ 

I will remove ¹⁶  from this place every trace of Baal worship, ¹⁷ 

as well as the very memory ¹⁸  of the pagan priests. ¹⁹ 

Zefanya 1:13

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.

Zefanya 1:2

The Lord’s Day of Judgment is Approaching

1:2 “I will destroy ²⁰  everything from the face of the earth,” says the Lord.

Zefanya 2:14

2:14 Flocks and herds ²¹  will lie down in the middle of it,

as well as every kind of wild animal. ²² 

Owls ²³  will sleep in the tops of its support pillars;

they will hoot through the windows. ²⁴ 

Rubble will cover the thresholds; ²⁵ 

even the cedar work ²⁶  will be exposed to the elements. ²⁷ 

Zefanya 3:13

3:13 The Israelites who remain ²⁸  will not act deceitfully.

They will not lie,

and a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouth.

Indeed, they will graze peacefully like sheep ²⁹  and lie down;

no one will terrify them.”

Zefanya 2:4

Judgment on Surrounding Nations

2:4 Indeed, ³⁰  Gaza will be deserted ³¹ 

and Ashkelon will become a heap of ruins. ³² 

Invaders will drive away the people of Ashdod by noon, ³³ 

and Ekron will be overthrown. ³⁴ 

Zefanya 1:3

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.) ³⁵ 

I will remove ³⁶  humanity from the face of the earth,” says the Lord.

Zefanya 3:6

The Lord’s Judgment will Purify

3:6 “I destroyed ³⁷  nations;

their walled cities ³⁸  are in ruins.

I turned their streets into ruins;

no one passes through them.

Their cities are desolate; ³⁹ 

no one lives there. ⁴⁰ 

Zefanya 3:17

3:17 The Lord your God is in your midst;

he is a warrior who can deliver.

He takes great delight in you; ⁴¹ 

he renews you by his love; ⁴² 

he shouts for joy over you.” ⁴³ 

Zefanya 1:1

Introduction

1:1 This is the prophetic message that the Lord gave to ⁴⁴  Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah. Zephaniah delivered this message during the reign of ⁴⁵  King Josiah son of Amon of Judah:

Zefanya 2:5

2:5 Those who live by the sea, the people who came from Crete, ⁴⁶  are as good as dead. ⁴⁷ 

The Lord has decreed your downfall, ⁴⁸  Canaan, land of the Philistines:

“I will destroy everyone who lives there!” ⁴⁹ 

Zefanya 3:2

3:2 She is disobedient; ⁵⁰ 

she refuses correction. ⁵¹ 

She does not trust the Lord;

she does not seek the advice of ⁵²  her God.

Zefanya 1:18

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 ⁵³  will be consumed by his fiery wrath. ⁵⁴ 

Indeed, ⁵⁵  he will bring terrifying destruction ⁵⁶  on all who live on the earth.” ⁵⁷ 

Zefanya 2:3

2:3 Seek the Lord’s favor, ⁵⁸  all you humble people ⁵⁹  of the land who have obeyed his commands! ⁶⁰ 

Strive to do what is right! ⁶¹  Strive to be humble! ⁶² 

Maybe you will be protected ⁶³  on the day of the Lord’s angry judgment.

Zefanya 2:7

2:7 Those who are left from the kingdom of Judah ⁶⁴  will take possession of it. ⁶⁵ 

By the sea ⁶⁶  they ⁶⁷  will graze,

in the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down in the evening,

for the Lord their God will intervene for them ⁶⁸  and restore their prosperity. ⁶⁹ 

Zefanya 3:5

3:5 The just Lord resides ⁷⁰  within her;

he commits no unjust acts. ⁷¹ 

Every morning he reveals ⁷²  his justice.

At dawn he appears without fail. ⁷³ 

Yet the unjust know no shame.

Zefanya 3:8

3:8 Therefore you must wait patiently ⁷⁴  for me,” says the Lord,

“for the day when I attack and take plunder. ⁷⁵ 

I have decided ⁷⁶  to gather nations together

and assemble kingdoms,

so I can pour out my fury on them –

all my raging anger.

For ⁷⁷  the whole earth will be consumed

by my fiery anger.

Zefanya 3:20

3:20 At that time I will lead you –

at the time I gather you together. ⁷⁸ 

Be sure of this! ⁷⁹  I will make all the nations of the earth respect and admire you ⁸⁰ 

when you see me restore you,” ⁸¹  says the Lord.

[1:12]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Heb “who say in their hearts.”

[1:12]  ³ tn Heb “The Lord does not do good nor does he do evil.”

[2:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “this is the proud city.”

[2:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “the one that lived securely.”

[2:15]  ⁶ tn Heb “the one who says in her heart.”

[2:15]  ⁷ tn Heb “I [am], and besides me there is no other.”

[2:15]  ⁸ tn Heb “hisses”; or “whistles.”

[2:15]  ⁹ 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.

[2:2]  ¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² tn Heb “the fury of the anger of the Lord.” The synonyms are combined to emphasize the extreme degree of the Lord’s anger.

[2:2]  ¹³ tn Heb “comes upon.” This phrase occurs twice in this verse.

[1:4]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “I will stretch out my hand against,” is an idiom for hostile action.

[1:4]  ¹⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[1:4]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “cut off.”

[1:4]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the remnant of Baal.”

[1:4]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “name.” Here the “name” is figurative for the memory of those who bear it.

[1:4]  ¹⁹ 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).

[1:2]  ²⁰ 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.

[2:14]  ²¹ tn Heb “flocks.” The Hebrew word can refer to both flocks of sheep and herds of cattle.

[2:14]  ²² 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]  ²³ 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]  ²⁴ 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]  ²⁵ 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]  ²⁶ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word translated “cedar work” (so NASB, NRSV) is unclear; NIV has “the beams of cedar.”

[2:14]  ²⁷ tn Heb “one will expose.” The subject is probably indefinite, though one could translate, “for he [i.e., God] will lay bare.”

[3:13]  ²⁸ tn Or “the remnant of Israel.”

[3:13]  ²⁹ tn The words “peacefully like sheep” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[2:4]  ³⁰ tn Or “for” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[2:4]  ³¹ 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]  ³² tn Or “a desolate place.”

[2:4]  ³³ 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]  ³⁴ 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).

[1:3]  ³⁵ 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.

[1:3]  ³⁶ tn Heb “cut off.”

[3:6]  ³⁷ tn Heb “cut off.”

[3:6]  ³⁸ tn Heb “corner towers”; NEB, NRSV “battlements.”

[3:6]  ³⁹ 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]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “so that there is no man, without inhabitant.”

[3:17]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “he rejoices over you with joy.”

[3:17]  ⁴² tc The MT reads, “he is silent in his love,” but this makes no sense in light of the immediately preceding and following lines. Some take the Hiphil verb form as causative (see Job 11:3) rather than intransitive and translate, “he causes [you] to be silent by his love,” that is, “he soothes [you] by his love.” The present translation follows the LXX and assumes an original reading יְחַדֵּשׁ (yÿkhaddesh, “he renews”) with ellipsis of the object (“you”).

[3:17]  ⁴³ tn Heb “he rejoices over you with a shout of joy.”

[1:1]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “The word of the Lord which came to.”

[1:1]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “in the days of.” The words “Zephaniah delivered this message” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[2:5]  ⁴⁶ 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]  ⁴⁷ 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]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “the word of the Lord is against you.”

[2:5]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “I will destroy you so there is no inhabitant [remaining].”

[3:2]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “she does not hear a voice” Refusing to listen is equated with disobedience.

[3:2]  ⁵¹ 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]  ⁵² 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).

[1:18]  ⁵³ tn Or “land” (cf. NEB). This same word also occurs at the end of the present verse.

[1:18]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “passion”; traditionally, “jealousy.”

[1:18]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “for.”

[1:18]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “complete destruction, even terror, he will make.”

[1:18]  ⁵⁷ tn It is not certain where the Lord’s words end and the prophet’s words begin. It is possible that Zephaniah begins speaking in the middle of v. 17 or at the beginning of v. 18 (note the third person pronouns referring to the Lord).

[2:3]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “seek the Lord,” but “favor” seems to be implied from the final line of the verse.

[2:3]  ⁵⁹ 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]  ⁶⁰ 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]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “Seek what is right.”

[2:3]  ⁶² tn Heb “Seek humility.”

[2:3]  ⁶³ tn Heb “hidden.” Cf. NEB “it may be that you will find shelter”; NRSV “perhaps you may be hidden.”

[2:7]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “the remnant of the house of Judah.”

[2:7]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “the coast will belong to the remnant of the house of Judah.”

[2:7]  ⁶⁶ 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]  ⁶⁷ 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]  ⁶⁸ tn Or “will care for them.”

[2:7]  ⁶⁹ 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).

[3:5]  ⁷⁰ tn The word “resides” is supplied for clarification.

[3:5]  ⁷¹ tn Or “he does no injustice.”

[3:5]  ⁷² tn Heb “gives”; or “dispenses.”

[3:5]  ⁷³ 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.”

[3:8]  ⁷⁴ 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]  ⁷⁵ 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).

[3:8]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “for my decision is.”

[3:8]  ⁷⁷ tn Or “certainly.”

[3:20]  ⁷⁸ tn In this line the second person pronoun is masculine plural, indicating that the exiles are addressed.

[3:20]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “for.”

[3:20]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “I will make you into a name and praise among all the peoples of the earth.” Here the word “name” carries the nuance of “good reputation.”

[3:20]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “when I restore your fortunes to your eyes.” See the note on the phrase “restore them” in 2:7.