Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
GoiCs Severe Judgment against Judah. ZEPHANIAII II. Exhortation to Repent ere Judgmmi, Ethiopia and Assyria. 1. Gather yourselves—<o a rc
[Calvin.] Or, ZTiesecondor lower partofthecity. Appropriately, the fish-gate, or extreme end of the lower part of the city, first resounds with the cries of tlie citizens as the foe approaclies; then, as he advances furtlier, tliat part of the city itself, viz., its inner part; lastly, when the foe ligioiis assembly, to avert the judgment by prayers (Joel i
16). [Grotius.] Or, so as not to be dissipated "as chaff" (v. 2). The Hebrnv is akin to a root meaning clatjf. Helfconfldence and corrupt desires are the dissipation from whicli they are exhorted to gather themselves. [Calvin.] The foe otherwise, like the wind, will scatter you "as the chaflT." Repentance is tlie gatliei ing of tliemsclvcs meant, nation not desired—(Cf. 2 Chronicles 21. 20), i. e., not desirable ; unworthy of the grace or favour of God ; and yet God so magnifies that grace as to be still solicitous foi their safety, though they had destroyed themselves and forfeited all claims on His grace. [Calvin.] Margin from Chaldee Version has, "not desirous," viz., of returning to God. Maurer and Gksenius translate, "Not waxing pale," i.e., dead to shame. Englisli Version is best. 2. Before the decree bring forth i. e.. Before God's deciee against you announced by me (ch. l.)haveits fulfilment. As the embryo lies hid in the womb, and then emerges to light in its own due time, so though God for a time hides His vengeance, yet He brings it forth at the proper season, before the day pass as the chaff—i. e., before the day for repentance pass, and with it you, the ungodly, pass away as </icc/io^(Job 21. 18; Psalm 1. 4). Maurer puts it parenthetically, " the day (i. e., time) passes as the chatT" (i. e., most ciuickly). Calvin, "before the decree bring forth " is actually come, and has burst in, the hills, the higher ones especially, Zion and Moriah, on which tlie upper city and temple were founded. [Maurer.] The second, or lower city, answers to Akra, north of Zion, and separated from it by the valley of Tyropoeon running down to the pool of Si loam. [Henderson.] The Hebrew is translated "college," 2 Kings 22.14; so Vatablus would translate here, hills—not here those outside, but those within the walls, Zion, Moriah, and Ophel. 11. MaUtesli—ratlier, " the mortar," a name applied to the valley of Siloam from its hollow shape. [Jerome.] The valley between Zion and Mount Olivet, at the eastern extremity of Mount Moriah, where the merchants dwelt. Zechariah 14. 21, "Tlie Canaanite," viz., merchant. [Chaldee Version.] The Tyropoeon (i. e., cheese-makers') valley below Mount Akra. [Rosenmuller.] Better Jerusalem itself, so called as lying in the midst of hills (Isaiah 22. 1 ; Jeremiah 21. 13), and as doomed to be the scene of its people being destroyed as corn or drugs are pounded in a mortar (Proverbs 27. 22). [Matjrer.] Cf. the similar image of a "pot" (Ezekiel 24.
3, 6). The reason for the destruction is subjoined, viz., its merchant people's greediness of gain, all tlie mercliant people lit., the Canaanite people : irony: all the mercliant people of Jerusalem are very Canaanites in greed for gain and in idolatries {Note, Hosea 12. 7). all . . . tUat bear silver—loading themselves with that which will prove but a fiurdera (Habakkuk 2. 6). 13. search . . . -with candles—or lamx>s; so as lo leave no dark corner in it wherein sin can escape the punishment, of which the Chaldeans are my instruments (cf. r.'. 13; Luke 15. 8). settled on their lees hardened or crusted. Image from the crust formed at the bottom of wines long left undisturbed (Jeremiah (the predicted vengeance), (then) the chaff (the Jews) shall pass in a day, i. e., in a moment, though they thought that it would be long before they could be overthrown. English Version is best; the latter clause being explanatory of the former, and so the before being understood, not expressed. 3. As in v. 1 (cf. Note, ch. 1. 12) he had warned the hardened among the people to humble themselves, so now he admonishes "the meek" to proceed in their right course, that so they may escape the general calamity (Psalm 76. 9). The meek bow themselves under God's chastisements to God's will, whereas the jngodly become only the more hardened by them. Seek y« the liord—in contrast to those that "sought not the Lord" (ch. 1. 6). The meek are not to regard what the multitude do, but seek God at once, his judgment—i. e., law. The true way of "seeking the Lord" Is to "work judgment," not merely to be zealous about outward ordinances, seek meekness— not perversely murmuring against God's dealings, but patiently submitting to them, and composedly waiting for deliverance. It maybe ye shall be hid—(Isaiah 26. 20 ; Amos 5. 6.) This phrase does not imply doubt of the deliverance of the godly, but expresses the ditficulty of It, as well that the ungodly may see the certainty of their doom, as also that the faithful may value the more the grace of God in their case (1 Peter
48. 11). The efl Tect of wealthy undisturbed ease ("lees") on the ungodly is hardening : they become stupidly secure (cf. Psalm 55. 19; Amos 6. 1). liord will not do good . . . evil—they deny that God regards human afl'airs, or renders good to the good, or evil to the evil, but that all things go hap-hazard (Psalm 10. 4; Malachi 2. 17). 13. Fulfilling the prophecy Deuteronomy 28. 30, 39 (cf. Amos
5. 11). 14:. voice of . . . day of . . . £>ord i. e., Jehovah ushering in that day with a roar of vengeance against tlie guilty (Jeremiah 25. 30 ; Amos 1. 2). They who will not now heed {v. 12) His voice by His prophets, must heed it when uttered by tlie avenging foe. mighty . . . shall cry . . . bitterly—in hopeless despair; the might on which Jerusalem now prides itself, shall then fall utterly. 15. vvasteness . . . desolation—the JJefrrert) terms by their similarity of sounds, Shoah, Umeshoah, express the dreary monotony of desolation (cf. Note, Nahum 2. 10). 16. the trumpet viz., of the besieging enemy (Amos 2. 2). alarm —the war-shout. [Maurer.] towers lit., angles ; for city walls used not to be built in a direct line, but with sinuous curves and angles, so that besiegers advancing might be assailed not only in front, but on both sides, caught us
4. 17-19). [Calvin.] Cf. 2 Kings 25. 12. *. For-He makes the punishment awaiting the neighbouring states an argument why the ungodly should repent {v. 1) and the godly persevere, viz., that so they may escape from the general calamity. Gaza shall be forsaken—In the Hebrew there is a play of similar sounds, Gaza Oaztibah ; Gaza shall be forsaken, as its name implies. So the Hebreiv of the next clause, Ekron teeakeer. at the noonday —when on account of the heat Orientals usually sleep, and military operations are suspended (2 Samuel 4. 5, Ac). Hence an attack at noon implies one sudden and unexpected (Jeremiah 6. 4, 5; 15. 8). Ekron—iowr cities of the Philistines are mentioned, whereas yire was the normal number of their leading cities. OaiA is omitted, being at this time under the Jews' dominion. David had subjugated it(l Chronicles 18.1). Under Joram the Philistines almost regained It (2 Chronicles 21. 16), but Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26. 6) and Hezekiah (2 Kings 18. 8) having conquered them, it remained under the Jews. Amos 1. 6. &c., Zechariah 9.5,6, Jeremiah 25. 20, similarly mention only four cities of the Philistines. 5. Inhabitants of the seacoast—the Philistines dwelling on the strip of sea-coast south-west of Canaan. Lit., tlie cord or line of sea (ct Jeremiah 47. 7 ; Ezekiel 25. 16). the Chercthltes—the Creit were in a "cul-de-sac;" towers were built especially at the angles. So Tacitus describes the walls of Jerusalem, Hist. 5. 11. 7. 17. like blind men—unable to see whither to turn themselves so as to find an escape from existing evils, flesh Hebrew, bread; so the Arabic term for bread is used for Jtesh (Matthew 26. 26). 18. Neither . . . silver nor . . . gold shall . . . deliver them, &c.—(Proverbs 11.
4. ) lire of his Jealousy—(Ezekiel 38. 19.) His wrath Jealous for His honour consuming the guilty like flre. make even a speedy riddance of all—rather, a consummation (complete destruction: " full end," Jeremiah 46. 28; Ezekiel 11. 13) altogether sudden," &c. [Maurer.] "A consumption, and that a sudden one," &c. [Calvin.]
CHAPTER II. tans, a name applied to the Philistines as sprung from Crete (Deuteronomy 'i.'£i Jeremiah 47.4; Amos 9.7).
Ver. 1-15. Exhortation to Repent ere the ChaluicAN Invaders come. Doom of Judah's Foes, the iPhii.istinbs, Moab, Ammon, with their Idols, and Philistine means "an emigrant." Canaan . . . land of