Zephaniah
Chapter 1
When Josiah, son of Ammon, reigned in Judah, the word of the Lord was addressed to Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah.
Destruction
“I will wipe out everything from the face of the earth.
I will put an end to humans, animals, the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea. I will erase humankind from the earth’s surface.
I will raise my hand to punish Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will remove from that place all the remnants of Baal along with their priests.
I will also drive away those who kneel on the roofs to worship the stars, those who invoke both the Lord and Milcom at the same time,
and those who have abandoned the Lord, no longer looking toward or consulting him.
Days of Wrath
Silence before the Lord! For his day is near: The Lord has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests.
The Lord says: ‘On the day that sacrifice is made, I will call to account the officials, the king’s sons, and all who clothe themselves in foreign fashion.
I will also give the corresponding punishment to everyone who jumps over the threshold without stepping on it and fills the house of their lords with the fruits of their crimes and thefts.’
On that day, a loud cry will be heard from the Fish Gate, a wail from the new city, and a terrible noise from the nearby hills.
Wail, residents of the lower district, for all the traders have vanished, and everyone who counted the silver has died.
On that day, I will explore Jerusalem with torches and hold accountable those who have fallen into their vices and think to themselves: Well, the Lord does neither good nor evil!
Their riches will be stolen, and their houses will be destroyed. You have built houses, but you won’t live in them. You have planted vineyards, but you won’t taste the wine.”
The great day of the Lord is near; it is already here. Its sound is so frightening that even the brave cry out in terror.
It is a day of wrath, anguish, and distress, a day of destruction and devastation, gloom and darkness. It is a day of dark clouds
and fog, when the trumpet sounds the call for battle, and the enemy attacks the fortresses and the tall, fortified towers.
I will bring misfortune upon these people, and they will stumble around like the blind. Their blood will be shed like dust, and their bodies will lie like dung.
Neither their gold nor their silver will save them when God’s anger burns against them. The land of Judah will be set on fire by his zeal as he destroys every trace of those who live there.
Commentaries
Title of the Book.
The name Zephaniah means “The Lord has hidden or protected.” The genealogy provided appears to trace back to Hezekiah, king of Judah, who reigned from 716 to 687 B.C. King Josiah (640-609 B.C.) carried out a major religious reform based on the book of Deuteronomy. It was during this time that Zephaniah prophesied, attempting to awaken a people still entrenched in idolatry.
Destruction.
The reason for the Lord’s anger is idolatry. Baal is the Canaanite god of rain and fertility, and Milcom is a god of the Ammonites, a people who lived in the Transjordan region. Following the religious decline during the reign of Manasseh (698-643 B.C.), King Josiah initiated a major religious reform to purify and renew the people, as instructed in Moses’ discourse in Deuteronomy. These oracles of Zephaniah show the strong opposition that this reform encountered.
Days of Wrath.
The prophet announces the imminence of the Lord’s judgment, which will come not only upon Jerusalem (1:8-13) but also upon all nations (1:14-18). In the face of the terrible day of the Lord, silence is enforced (1:7). “Climbing the terrace” (1:9) may refer to a Philistine ritual dedicated to Dagon (1 Sam 5:5), indicating the main reason for God’s wrath: idolatry. Another reason is the passivity and laziness of those who persist in their stubborn sin and deceive themselves into thinking He will not judge them (1:12). Faced with this situation; the prophet makes a heartfelt plea to the humble not to be carried away by the prevailing wickedness and corruption (2:3).