Notes on Zephaniah
From the Original 1599 Geneva Bible Notes


Zep 1:1

1:1 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 the great judgment of God, which was at hand, showing that their country would be utterly destroyed, and they would be carried away captives by the Babylonians. Yet for the comfort of the faithful he prophesied of God's vengeance against their enemies, such as the Philistines, Moabites, Assyrians, and others, to assure them that God had a continual care over them. And as the wicked would be punished for their sins and transgressions, so he exhorts the godly to patience, and to trust to find mercy by reason of the free promise of God made to Abraham: and therefore quietly to wait until God shows them the effect of that grace, by which in the end they should be gathered to him, and counted as his people and children. Zep 1:3

1:3 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.

Zep 1:4

1:4 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;

Zep 1:5

1:5 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;

Zep 1:8

1:8 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.

Zep 1:9

1:9 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.

Zep 1:10

1:10 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.

Zep 1:11

1:11 Howl, ye inhabitants of {g} Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.

Zep 1:12

1:12 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.

Zep 1:14

1:14 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.

Zep 2:1

2:1 Gather {a} yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;

Zep 2:3

2:3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which {b} have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.

Zep 2:4

2:4 For {c} Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.

Zep 2:5

2:5 Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea {d} coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD [is] against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.

Zep 2:7

2:7 And the coast shall be for the {e} remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the LORD their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.

Zep 2:8

2:8 I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and {f} magnified [themselves] against their border.

Zep 2:11

2:11 The LORD [will be] terrible unto them: {g} for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and [men] shall worship him, every one from his place, [even] all the isles of the heathen.

Zep 2:14

2:14 And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the {h} cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; [their] voice shall sing in the windows; desolation [shall be] in the thresholds: for he shall uncover the cedar work.

Zep 2:15

2:15 This [is] the {i} rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I [am], and [there is] none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, [and] wag his hand.

Zep 3:1

3:1 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing {a} city!

Zep 3:3

3:3 Her princes within her [are] roaring lions; her judges [are] evening wolves; they {b} gnaw not the bones till the morrow.

Zep 3:5

3:5 The {c} just LORD [is] in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.

Zep 3:6

3:6 I have {d} cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant.

Zep 3:7

3:7 I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but {e} they rose early, [and] corrupted all their doings.

Zep 3:8

3:8 Therefore {f} wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination [is] to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, [even] all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

Zep 3:9

3:9 For {g} then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.

Zep 3:10

3:10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, [even] the {h} daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.

Zep 3:11

3:11 In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for {i} all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain.

Zep 3:15

3:15 The LORD hath taken away thy {k} judgments, he hath cast out thine {l} enemy: the king of Israel, [even] the LORD, [is] in the midst of {m} thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.

Zep 3:17

3:17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee [is] mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in {n} his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

Zep 3:18

3:18 I will gather [them that are] sorrowful for the solemn assembly, [who] are of thee, [to whom] the reproach of {o} it [was] a burden.

Zep 3:19

3:19 Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will {p} save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every {q} land where they have been put to shame.


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