Deeper Commentary

Zephaniah Chapter 3

Zephaniah 3:1 Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, the oppressing city!- This section could be applicable to both Jerusalem and Nineveh, which is the subject of the preceding verses. The relevance to Nineveh would be in that she had repented at the preaching of Jonah, so deeply that the Lord Jesus says that some of those Ninevites will be resurrected to salvation in His Kingdom. But the Ninevites had let it slip, and as explained in commentary on Nahum, the community of believers there had declined, despite having been joined by some captives from the ten tribes.

Jerusalem was the oppressing city exactly because they had oppressed Gentiles and other vulnerable people (s.w. Ez. 18:12; 22:7; 47:8; Jer. 22:3 and often). And yet the same word is used of how Gentiles oppressed them. Again we see that all Judah's judgments were in essence what they had done to others. Maarah, "rebellious", is a word play on Moriah. Such literary devices were important in an illiterate society, where the words of the prophet would be repeated and reflected upon.

Zephaniah 3:2 She didn’t obey the voice. She didn’t receive correction. She didn’t trust in Yahweh. She didn’t draw near to her God- This would be relevant to Nineveh, who had initially responded to the voice of God through Jonah, but now had slipped back into their old ways. We note the parallels between trust, obedience, receiving correction, and drawing near to God, which is an idiom for serving Him in the sanctuary. God had drawn near to His people (Dt. 4:7), but they would not respond. It is the scene of love unrequited, tragically so, seeing the colossal love of God was on offer. Judah "didn't receive correction" and this was the reason for giving her up to the Babylonians (Jer. 5:28; 7:28; 17:23; 32:33; 35:13 all use the very same phrase); :7 says that God tried to correct Judah so that she would not have to be given up to her enemies, but she refused to accept it. And yet in His grace, the punishment of destruction was also an attempted  correction. This is why there were waves of invasions before the final onslaught, both in the Assyrian and Babylonian contexts. God's desire to teach us is amazing. And life gets more messy, with more collateral damage, the more we refuse to hear.

Zephaniah 3:3 Her princes in the midst of her are as roaring lions, her judges are as evening wolves; they leave nothing until the next day- Lions were the symbol of Assyria, and the same language is used of Assyria / Babylon as it is of Judah. They acted like Gentiles, and so were treated as Gentiles. Hence the dual application of this passage to both Nineveh and Jerusalem. These words are quoted specifically concerning the prophets, the religious leadership of Judah, in Ez. 22:25. This is how God sees false teaching, when it is designed to abuse and get gain. They are pictured here as totally destroying Judah, 'leaving nothing'. As explained on Zeph. 1:3,4, God had planned a total cataclysm upon Judah which would wipe out the entire area, including all people and animals. But this was ammended, presumably because of the repentance of a minority, and the way that within His personality, the pole of His grace and pity is finally stronger than that of His anger and judgment.

Zephaniah 3:4 Her prophets are arrogant and treacherous people- We would likely have focused upon the actual false prophecies of the prophets; God focuses upon their arrogance. This is typical of the prophetic perspective, which sees pride as the cardinal sin, and all the more obvious sins and errors as arising fundamentally from that.

Her priests have desecrated the sanctuary; they have done violence to the law- It was the Babylonians and Romans who desecrated the sanctuary, but here the priests are described as having done this. Their actions were the judgment; sin is its own judgment and punishment. Is. 43:28 quotes these words in saying that "therefore have I desecrated / profaned the princes of the sanctuary". What they had done was done to them. There could therefore be no complaint on an ethical level concerning God's judgments of His people. These are the priests commented upon in Zeph. 1:4,8. Whilst professing obedience to the law, they taught breaking it by their legal 'get rounds' of Josiah's reforms. Again, as noted on Zeph. 1:1, we understand how Josiah's reforms were got around; the law which he personally tried to uphold was 'taken away violently' by the priests. The taking away of the Law in the Lord's death was simply doing what effectively the Jews had already done.

Zephaniah 3:5 Yahweh in the midst of her, He is righteous- Yahweh's presence remained within the temple until the Babylonian invasion; this is symbolized in Ezekiel by the visions of the cherubim of glory departing from Zion and accompanying the captives to Babylon. God doesn't operate 'guilt by association'; He remained in the midst of a sinful people for generations. His righteousness was not infringed by doing so. It is a very presumptuous attitude which claims that because God finally acted, therefore so should we in quitting association with the weak and sinful people of God. In terms of the individual sinners within Judah over those generations of patience, He remained patiently trying to correct them until throughout their lives. And who really can claim to have exercised the awesome patience of God before drawing a line and telling a fellow believer: 'That's it, you're out, I'm gone'. There may be short term discipline within the family of the local congregation, just as Yahweh tried to correct His people, but that isn't the same as a breaking of fellowship. the Jews thought that Yahweh's presence in their midst was their guarantee of salvation (Mic. 3:11 s.w.), just as many assume that their membership of a Christian group means that somehow all shall be eternally well with them.

He will do no wrong. Every morning He brings His justice to light. He doesn’t fail, but the unjust know no shame- Court decisions were typically announced in the morning, as in the Lord's trial. Despite their injustice, Yahweh's justice was declared by simply allowing them to continue living day by day. And yet they had done wrong, and deserved justice. As explained throughout Romans 1-8, God's grace operates in such a way that those who justly deserve judgment are not immediately judged. Day by day they are allowed to continue living, with the intention that this goodness of God should lead them to repentance (Rom. 2:4). It was the same at this time; but the unjust would not repent, they refused to know shame, to realize and feel the shame of condemnation ahead of time, and to repent. For this is what repentance is all about; perceiving that we are worthy of the shame of condemnation, and changing that verdict by throwing ourselves in repentance upon God's grace. We need to imagine how it would be to appear at the judgment seat and be condemned. And in awe and deepest gratitude accept the change of verdict which there is in Christ.

Zephaniah 3:6 I have cut off nations, their battlements are desolate; I have made their streets waste, so that no one passes by. Their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, so that there is no inhabitant- The nations around Judah had been judged by the hoards of Scythians, Assyrians, Babylonians and Romans. The Olivet prophecy taught the same- that there would be a time of war and domination of other nations before it came to Israel. God's people were intended to learn from that, to perceive that they were no better than the Gentiles, and deserved the same judgment. It was likewise God's plan to so destroy Judah that not a man would be left, literally (Zeph. 1:3); only by grace was that plan changed.

Zephaniah 3:7 I said, Just fear Me. Receive correction, so that her dwelling won’t be cut off, according to all that I have appointed concerning her- The AV is correct: "I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction". We have here a classic example of the willful self-limitation of God. Just as He can limit His omnipotence, so He can limit His omniscience in order to fully enter into our experience and to engage with us in genuine relationship. Just as an educated, wealthy woman may self-limit in order to enter into a legitimate relationship of equals with an uneducated, simple man from a backward village in a developing country. Therefore God expresses shock, anger, disappointment, dashed hopes and expectations. "Surely they will reverence My Son..." is the greatest example (Mk. 12:6). God had appointed total destruction of Judah; see on Zeph. 1:3. But He was 'certain' that they would respond to all His repeated initiatives to correct and teach them. Hence His anger, disappointment and 'frustration' when they did not. 

 

But they rose early and corrupted all their doings- Judah abused God's amazing patience and entrance into their lives and limitations. They purposefully, intentionally corrupted themselves in unfaithfulness to Him; the kind of tragedy played out in the Hosea : Gomer relationship.

Zephaniah 3:8 Therefore wait for Me, says Yahweh, until the day that I rise up to seize the prey- God here likens Himself to a lion, the symbol of Babylon and Assyria.

For My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour on them My indignation, even all My fierce anger; for all the land will be devoured with the fire of My jealousy- God returns to His "determination" of Zeph. 1:3, to bring a cataclysm upon Judah which would totally eradicate all life from the area, including all the Gentile nations in the eretz promised to Abraham. But even then, He relented, such is His grace.

Zephaniah 3:9 For then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that they may all call on the name of Yahweh, to serve Him with one neck- As with the situation at the flood, God considered that a total destruction of the entire area was going to be necessary in order to produce a purified people; see on Zeph. 1:3. And that purified people would be comprised "of the peoples" dwelling within the area He would cleanse by literal fire (:8). As is true today, unity between the peoples would be achieved by a common consent to put their necks under His yoke. The Lord Jesus ultimately will fulfil this intention, seeing that He is the yoke which alone brings about unity between those who come beneath it in order to serve Yahweh; see on Mt. 11:30. It would be a reversal of Babel, when all the eretz was of one lip (s.w. Gen. 11:1). There is implied here a psychological change, brought about by the working of the Holy Spirit in the spirit of men; hence the GNB: "Then I will change the people of the nations, and they will pray to me alone". This is the work of the new covenant.

Zephaniah 3:10 From beyond the rivers of Cush, My worshippers, even the daughter of My dispersed people, will bring My offering- It is doubtful whether the Jews were ever dispersed beyond those rivers, presumably referring to the great river of Cush [an intensive plural], the Nile- referring to what is now South Sudan, "beyond" or at the limits of that river. This was part of the potential scenario which never quite came about because of God's grace and the intercession of a minority. But "the daughter of" the dispersed Jews could refer to a group similar to but not identical with them- perhaps to be fulfilled in Africans turning to the Lord Jesus and coming to Zion when the Kingdom is established on earth. We already have a spiritual foretaste of that in the conversions to Christ in those areas.

Zephaniah 3:11 In that day you will not be ashamed for all your doings in which you have transgressed against Me- The total removal of shame is the sign of forgiveness so deep that it involves the psychological action on the mind of the forgiven, so that they feel no shame any more. This is the work of the Spirit promised in the new covenant. The process of judgment reveals all our "doings", our sins; and yet we are left able to see them all tabulated, as it were- and yet we are without shame, so confident are we that they have all been dealt with.

For then I will take away out of the midst of you your proud exulting ones, and you will no more be arrogant in My holy mountain- Again, for all the sins committed on Mount Zion, it is pride and arrogance which was seen as the worst. A difference is made between those who "transgressed against Me", and those who were "proud exulting ones". The idea of the original is that they were proud about "My holy mountain"; they were proud of the externalities of their religion, but would not exalt [s.w. "be arrogant"] God Himself (Is. 13:3 s.w.). This is intensely relevant to those who were raised as Christian believers and socialized into their denomination and all its symbols of faith, rather than grasping the wonder of who God really is on a personal level. The same Hebrew words are used here as in Is. 13:3, where the faithful are those who exult in God's pride or highness.

Zephaniah 3:12 But I will leave in the midst of you an afflicted and humbled people, and they will take refuge in the name of Yahweh- This appears to be a flashback explaining how the situation in :11 is arrived at. The tiny remnant were intended to repent and be humbled, and turn to God, the only "refuge" from the tribulation. But this didn't happen after the Assyrian and Babylonian invasions, nor after the Roman one. So the prophecy is rescheduled to the latter day tribulation, which will elicit this humbled and repentant people out of Judah. There may be a parallel with :5, where Yahweh Himself is "in the midst of you"; manifest through the humbled and afflicted. We noted on Zeph. 1:3 that God had intended to bring upon Judah a cataclysm as total as the flood. There are allusions to the flood narrative throughout Zephaniah. "Leave" here is the same word used in Gen. 7:23 of how only Noah and the chosen animals "remained alive". This was how small the minority was to be. But the people were urged to be "humbled" before the tribulation came (Zeph. 2:3 s.w.); but they would not, and so they had to go through the tribulation in order to be humbled. And it is the same for God's people in the last days; whether or not they pass through the tribulation depends upon whether they have responded to His word in the lead up to it (see on Rev. 3:10). Again, God's plans are in this sense open ended.

Zephaniah 3:13 The remnant of Israel will not do iniquity, nor speak lies- This quotes :5, which states these things about God who will be in the midst of Israel. Yet as noted on :12, it is the humbled and afflicted remnant who will be left "in the midst". The remnant will have taken refuge in the Name of Yahweh (:12), which refers to His characteristics. They will have the Name counted to the, just as we do through baptism into that Name. All that is true of God, His righteousness, is counted to us.

Neither will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth, for they will feed and lie down, and no one will make them afraid- They will be so at peace with God, without fear of men, that they will no longer need to be deceitful. Out of all their many sins, having a deceitful tongue might be thought to be well down the list. But typical of the prophetic perspective, this is focused upon. These words are alluded to in Rev. 14:4,5, where they are applied to the latter day repentant Jews.

Zephaniah 3:14 Sing, daughter of Zion! Shout, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem- The mention of "Israel" rather than Judah suggests the final reunion of God's people when they repent and marvel together at the extent of their forgiveness. For common experience of grace, repentance and forgiveness is what binds together. Disunity is caused by a lack of personal experience of these things.

These words in the LXX are applied by Gabriel to Mary in Lk. 1:28-31. The teenage, poor village girl Mary is set up as the representative and epitome of all Israel / the people of God should have been. She was the seed of David, the daughter of Zion from whom Messiah came. The “highly favoured…blessed” woman (Lk. 1:28) is the daughter of Zion of Joel 2:21-27; Zeph. 3:14-17; Zech. 2:14,15; 9:9. She “rejoiced” as the daughter of Zion was to rejoice at the coming of her king. She was the “servant Israel”, the “handmaiden” (the female form of “servant”) who was now “helped” by God (Lk. 1:54). The daughter of Zion had not responded as she ought to have done; and so Zephaniah's words were reapplied and rescheduled, to be fulfilled both in the last days and in Mary and her Messianic child.

Zephaniah 3:15 Yahweh has taken away your judgments- To "take away" judgments means to not carry out legal judgments; the same phrase is translated to "decline from... sentences / judgments" in the sense of not carrying out judicial decrees (Dt. 17:11). Here again we have an Old Testament version of Paul's argument in Romans. The judgment is and was to condemnation; but it has been taken away, it will not be carried out, because as explained on :13, God has imputed righteousness to His repentant people who have identified themselves with His Name, just as we are baptized into that Name and abide within it.

He has thrown out your enemy. The King of Israel, Yahweh, is in the midst of you- God has stated that He was right then in the midst of them (:5). Yet here, the time in view is clearly that of the Messianic Kingdom of the future, seeing that in practice the remnant refused to fully repent and accept their king. The Kingdom age will therefore be but a literal manifestation of the spiritual situation which there already is amongst God's people, for whom He is already their King in their midst, and they His dominion or kingdom.

You will not be afraid of evil any more- This must therefore speak of the last days.

Zephaniah 3:16 In that day it will be said to Jerusalem, Don’t be afraid, Zion- This is the same message to Zion as recorded in Is. 40. Zion will be assured that she need not fear God's judgments any more; for she really has been forgiven. The preachers of that message will be us, and indeed we ought to be telling Jewish people right now.

Don’t let your hands be weak- The words spoken to the returned exiles as they rebuilt Jerusalem (Ezra 4:4; Neh. 6:9). But those exiles did not finally restore the temple nor the kingdom as intended; the temple commands of Ez. 40-48 were not fulfilled in that they were not obeyed. Weak hands were a result of fear of Divine judgment to come (Ez. 7:17; 21:7 s.w.). But the reassurance of the new covenant and of God's gracious forgiveness meant that they need not have fear nor weak hands.

Zephaniah 3:17 Yahweh your God is in the midst of you, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy, He will calm you in His love, He will rejoice over you with singing- They needed calming from their fear of judgment for their sins. His strength and might are particularly manifest in His desire to save, even the most sinful. Any review of His majesty in creation must be taken further to this very personal conclusion; that all that might and power are nothing compared to His might and power to save and transform sinners. 'Rejoicing over with joy' is the language of the groom rejoicing over the bride (s.w. Is. 62:5; 65:19). God presents Himself as in love, with all the giddiness of emotion when finally the intended climax of commitment is reached with the beloved. He is presented as He Himself singing as an expression of that joy. Zion, the beloved, is presented as the young woman who needs calming before the expression of all this love, fearful and nervous. And this is on one hand the only appropriate response, for we who are so unworthy to become the object of such love. This rejoicing over Judah to do them good could have come about at the restoration from Babylon (s.w. Jer. 32:41), had the returning exiles entered into the new covenant. It was indeed tragic that they did not.

Zephaniah 3:18 I will gather those who mourn with longing for the appointed feasts, you will no longer suffer reproach- They could have gathered themselves before the traumas of captivity (Zeph. 2:1); but chose not to. And so the tribulation had to come, so that they would desire to be gathered. Again the primary reference is to the captives, unable to keep the feasts in captivity but longing to do so, mocked as they sat by the rivers of Babylon. But when they were "gathered" through the decree of Cyrus allowing them to return, relatively few did; and as the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai and Malachi make clear, those who did return were not very penitent and had their own selfish agendas rather than any desire to re-establish God's Kingdom. So much potential was wasted. And so the prophecies of the restoration, which form a large part of the prophets, became reapplied and rescheduled to those who wish to appropriate them to themselves in Christ now, and to the remnant of Judah who will repent in future, around the time of the Lord's return.

Zephaniah 3:19 Behold, at that time I will deal with all those who afflict you- The restoration from Babylon didn't lead to this; Judah's lack of repentance meant that the intended scenario didn't happen as planned. But as noted on :18, it will happen in the last days.

And I will save those who are lame, and gather those who were driven away- The allusion is to limping Jacob being regathered to his own land after "the time of Jacob's trouble" in the last days (Dan. 12:1). Jacob, like Judah and Israel, was driven away for his own deceit and sinfulness. And yet the focus is upon the joy of restoration, rather than mentioning the past sins. The language of "driven away" is used of the exiles who were once driven away being regathered (Neh. 1:9 s.w.); but they refused to realize the huge potential for restoration.

I will give them praise and honour, those whose shame was once in all the earth- The gift of such honour alludes to the gift of imputed righteousness, covering the shame associated with condemnation, which we have alluded to above.

Zephaniah 3:20 At that time will I bring you in, and at that time will I gather you- The repeated emphasis upon "at that time" (as in :19) is to underline the point that Judah's triumphant return will coincide with the time of judgment upon their enemies. The fall of Babylon was supposed to be the signal for Judah to return of their own will. But they didn't; and so as soon as Cyrus was established over Babylon, in the first year of his reign, he was moved by God to make a decree urging the Jews to return, offering them material incentives to do so. The fact the majority still didn't return is a tragic example of men refusing to go the way God's grace wishes them to. And so the prophecies will have their rescheduled fulfilment in the salvation of the repentant remnant at the fall of latter day Babylon.

For I will give you honour and praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I return your captives before your eyes, says Yahweh- This 'giving' is the gift of grace, of imputed righteousness, as noted on :19.