The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the
son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days
of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.
The Argument - Seeing the great rebellion of the people, and that
there was now no hope of amendment, he gives notice of... [ Continue Reading ]
I will consume man and beast; I will consume the (a) fowls of the
heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the
wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.
(a) Not that God was angry with these dumb creatures, but because man
was so wicked for whose cause... [ Continue Reading ]
I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the
inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from
this place, [and] the name of the (b) Chemarims with the priests;
(b) Who were an order of superstitious priests appointed to minister
in the service of Baal, and wer... [ Continue Reading ]
And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them
that worship [and] that swear by the LORD, and that swear by (c)
Malcham;
(c) He alludes to their idol Molech, which was forbidden; read
(Leviticus 20:2), yet they called him their king, and made him as a
god: therefore he here n... [ Continue Reading ]
And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD'S sacrifice, that I
will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are
clothed with (d) strange apparel.
(d) Meaning, the courtiers, who did imitate the strange apparel of
other nations to win their favour by it, and to appear glor... [ Continue Reading ]
In the same day also will I punish all those that (e) leap on the
threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit.
(e) He means the servants of the rulers who invade other men's houses,
and rejoice and leap for joy, when they can get any gain to please
their master with.... [ Continue Reading ]
And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, [that there
shall be] the noise of a cry from the (f) fish gate, and an howling
from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.
(f) Signifying that all the corners of the city of Jerusalem would be
full of trouble.... [ Continue Reading ]
Howl, ye inhabitants of (g) Maktesh, for all the merchant people are
cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.
(g) This is meant of the street of the merchants which was lower than
the rest of the place around it.... [ Continue Reading ]
And it shall come to pass at that time, [that] I will search Jerusalem
with (h) candles, and punish the men that are settled (i) on their
lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will
he do evil.
(h) So that nothing will escape me.
(i) By their prosperity they are hardened... [ Continue Reading ]
The great day of the LORD [is] near, [it is] near, and hasteth
greatly, [even] the voice of the day of the LORD: (k) the mighty man
shall cry there bitterly.
(k) They that trusted in their own strength and condemned the Prophets
of God.... [ Continue Reading ]