Zefanya 1:2-3

The Lord’s Day of Judgment is Approaching

1:2 “I will destroy ¹  everything from the face of the earth,” says the Lord.

1:3 “I will destroy people and animals;

I will destroy the birds in the sky

and the fish in the sea.

(The idolatrous images of these creatures will be destroyed along with evil people.) ² 

I will remove ³  humanity from the face of the earth,” says the Lord.

Zefanya 2:11

2:11 The Lord will terrify them, ⁴ 

for ⁵  he will weaken ⁶  all the gods of the earth.

All the distant nations will worship the Lord in their own lands. ⁷ 

Zefanya 3:3

3:3 Her princes ⁸  are as fierce as roaring lions; ⁹ 

her rulers ¹⁰  are as hungry as wolves in the desert, ¹¹ 

who completely devour their prey by morning. ¹² 

Zefanya 3:20

3:20 At that time I will lead you –

at the time I gather you together. ¹³ 

Be sure of this! ¹⁴  I will make all the nations of the earth respect and admire you ¹⁵ 

when you see me restore you,” ¹⁶  says the Lord.

Zefanya 2:1

The Prophet Warns the People

2:1 Bunch yourselves together like straw, ¹⁷  you undesirable ¹⁸  nation,

Zefanya 1:8

1:8 “On the day of the Lord’s sacrificial meal,

I will punish the princes ¹⁹  and the king’s sons,

and all who wear foreign styles of clothing. ²⁰ 

[1:2]  ¹ tn The Hebrew text combines the infinitive absolute of אָסַף (’asaf, “gather up, sweep away”) with a Hiphil prefixed first person form of סוּף (suf, “come to an end”; see Jer 8:13 for the same combination). This can be translated literally, “Sweeping away, I will bring to an end.” Some prefer to emend the text so that the infinitive and finite form of the verb are from the same root (“I will certainly sweep away,” if from אָסַף [cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV]; “I will certainly bring to an end,” if from סוּף). For a discussion of proposals see J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 167, 169.

[1:3]  ² tn Heb “And the stumbling blocks [or, “ruins”] with the evil”; or “the things that make the evil stumble.” The line does not appear in the original form of the LXX; it may be a later scribal addition. The present translation assumes the “stumbling blocks” are idolatrous images of animals, birds, and fish. See J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 167, and Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB), 73-74.

[1:3]  ³ tn Heb “cut off.”

[2:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “will be awesome over [or, “against”] them.”

[2:11]  ⁵ tn Or “certainly.”

[2:11]  ⁶ tn The meaning of this rare Hebrew word is unclear. If the meaning is indeed “weaken,” then this line may be referring to the reduction of these gods’ territory through conquest (see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah [AB 25A], 110-11). Cf. NEB “reduce to beggary”; NASB “starve”; NIV “when he destroys”; NRSV “shrivel.”

[2:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “and all the coastlands of the nations will worship [or, “bow down”] to him, each from his own place.”

[3:3]  ⁸ tn Or “officials.”

[3:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “her princes in her midst are roaring lions.” The metaphor has been translated as a simile (“as fierce as”) for clarity.

[3:3]  ¹⁰ tn Traditionally “judges.”

[3:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “her judges [are] wolves of the evening,” that is, wolves that prowl at night. The translation assumes an emendation to עֲרָבָה (’aravah, “desert”). For a discussion of this and other options, see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB 25A), 128. The metaphor has been translated as a simile (“as hungry as”) for clarity.

[3:3]  ¹² tn Heb “they do not gnaw [a bone] at morning.” The precise meaning of the line is unclear. The statement may mean these wolves devour their prey so completely that not even a bone is left to gnaw by the time morning arrives. For a discussion of this and other options, see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB 25A), 129.

[3:20]  ¹³ tn In this line the second person pronoun is masculine plural, indicating that the exiles are addressed.

[3:20]  ¹⁴ tn Or “for.”

[3:20]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “I will make you into a name and praise among all the peoples of the earth.” Here the word “name” carries the nuance of “good reputation.”

[3:20]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “when I restore your fortunes to your eyes.” See the note on the phrase “restore them” in 2:7.

[2:1]  ¹⁷ tn The Hebrew text combines a Hitpolel imperative of קָשַׁשׁ (qashash) with a Qal imperative of the same root. Elsewhere this root appears in the polel stem with the meaning “gather stubble.” Zephaniah’s command is ironic, implying the people are like stubble or straw. As such, they are vulnerable to the Lord’s fiery judgment that will quickly consume them (see 1:18). See Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB 25A), 96.

[2:1]  ¹⁸ tn Some relate this word to an Aramaic cognate meaning “to be ashamed.” With the negative particle it would then mean “unashamed” (cf. NIV “shameful”; NRSV “shameless”). However, elsewhere in biblical Hebrew the verb means “to desire,” or with the negative particle “undesirable.” Cf. also NEB “unruly.”

[1:8]  ¹⁹ tn Or “officials” (NRSV, TEV); NLT “leaders.”

[1:8]  ²⁰ sn The very dress of the royal court, foreign styles of clothing, revealed the degree to which Judah had assimilated foreign customs.