Zefanya 1:9

1:9 On that day I will punish all who leap over the threshold, ¹ 

who fill the house of their master ²  with wealth taken by violence and deceit. ³ 

Zefanya 2:8

2:8 “I have heard Moab’s taunts

and the Ammonites’ insults.

They ⁴  taunted my people

and verbally harassed those living in Judah. ⁵ 

Zefanya 2:13

2:13 The Lord ⁶  will attack the north ⁷ 

and destroy Assyria.

He will make Nineveh a heap of ruins;

it will be as barren ⁸  as the desert.

[1:9]  ¹ sn The point of the statement all who hop over the threshold is unclear. A ritual or superstition associated with the Philistine god Dagon may be in view (see 1 Sam 5:5).

[1:9]  ² tn The referent of “their master” is unclear. The king or a pagan god may be in view.

[1:9]  ³ tn Heb “who fill…with violence and deceit.” The expression “violence and deceit” refers metonymically to the wealth taken by oppressive measures.

[2:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “who.” A new sentence was begun here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[2:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “and they made great [their mouth?] against their territory.” Other possible translation options include (1) “they enlarged their own territory” (cf. NEB) and (2) “they bragged about [the size] of their own territory.”

[2:13]  ⁶ tn Heb “He”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:13]  ⁷ tn Heb “he will stretch out his hand against the north.”

[2:13]  ⁸ tn Or “dry.”