Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary
Zephaniah 2:8
I have heard: either the prophet for himself, or for the people, speaks this; or else, more likely, in the name of God, assures the Jews that God had heard, observed, resented, and was highly displeased with that he heard. The reproach of Moab; a people of near kin to the Jews, born of Lot's daughter, seated eastward of Canaan, upon the Dead Sea and Jordan, a powerful people, and as proud; whose pride broke out on all occasions against the Jews, as appears from first to last: Isaiah 16:6, and Jeremiah 48:29,30, brand them as very proud. The revilings of the children of Ammon; a people as near as Moab to Jewish blood, and as bitter against them, Nehemiah 4:2,3, bitter scoffers and jeerers. Whereby they have reproached my people; either in the war, or at the taking of Jerusalem, or when the captive Jews were led by their borders into captivity: Ezekiel 25:3 puts these all together. Magnified themselves; either boasting what they themselves were, or what they would have done, or what they will do against Israel, recovering their old pretended right and estate. Against their border; invading their frontiers, and spoiling them with insolence. I have heard: either the prophet for himself, or for the people, speaks this; or else, more likely, in the name of God, assures the Jews that God had heard, observed, resented, and was highly displeased with that he heard. The reproach of Moab; a people of near kin to the Jews, born of Lot's daughter, seated eastward of Canaan, upon the Dead Sea and Jordan, a powerful people, and as proud; whose pride broke out on all occasions against the Jews, as appears from first to last: Isaiah 16:6, and Jeremiah 48:29,30, brand them as very proud. The revilings of the children of Ammon; a people as near as Moab to Jewish blood, and as bitter against them, Nehemiah 4:2,3, bitter scoffers and jeerers. Whereby they have reproached my people; either in the war, or at the taking of Jerusalem, or when the captive Jews were led by their borders into captivity: Ezekiel 25:3 puts these all together. Magnified themselves; either boasting what they themselves were, or what they would have done, or what they will do against Israel, recovering their old pretended right and estate. Against their border; invading their frontiers, and spoiling them with insolence. I have heard: either the prophet for himself, or for the people, speaks this; or else, more likely, in the name of God, assures the Jews that God had heard, observed, resented, and was highly displeased with that he heard. The reproach of Moab; a people of near kin to the Jews, born of Lot's daughter, seated eastward of Canaan, upon the Dead Sea and Jordan, a powerful people, and as proud; whose pride broke out on all occasions against the Jews, as appears from first to last: Isaiah 16:6, and Jeremiah 48:29,30, brand them as very proud. The revilings of the children of Ammon; a people as near as Moab to Jewish blood, and as bitter against them, Nehemiah 4:2,3, bitter scoffers and jeerers. Whereby they have reproached my people; either in the war, or at the taking of Jerusalem, or when the captive Jews were led by their borders into captivity: Ezekiel 25:3 puts these all together. Magnified themselves; either boasting what they themselves were, or what they would have done, or what they will do against Israel, recovering their old pretended right and estate. Against their border; invading their frontiers, and spoiling them with insolence. I have heard: either the prophet for himself, or for the people, speaks this; or else, more likely, in the name of God, assures the Jews that God had heard, observed, resented, and was highly displeased with that he heard. The reproach of Moab; a people of near kin to the Jews, born of Lot's daughter, seated eastward of Canaan, upon the Dead Sea and Jordan, a powerful people, and as proud; whose pride broke out on all occasions against the Jews, as appears from first to last: Isaiah 16:6, and Jeremiah 48:29,30, brand them as very proud. The revilings of the children of Ammon; a people as near as Moab to Jewish blood, and as bitter against them, Nehemiah 4:2,3, bitter scoffers and jeerers. Whereby they have reproached my people; either in the war, or at the taking of Jerusalem, or when the captive Jews were led by their borders into captivity: Ezekiel 25:3 puts these all together. Magnified themselves; either boasting what they themselves were, or what they would have done, or what they will do against Israel, recovering their old pretended right and estate. Against their border; invading their frontiers, and spoiling them with insolence.