Zefanya 3:16

3:16 On that day they will say ¹  to Jerusalem,

“Don’t be afraid, Zion!

Your hands must not be paralyzed from panic! ² 

Zefanya 3:18

3:18 “As for those who grieve because they cannot attend the festivals –

I took them away from you;

they became tribute and were a source of shame to you. ³ 

Zefanya 3:9

3:9 Know for sure that I will then enable

the nations to give me acceptable praise. ⁴ 

All of them will invoke the Lord’s name when they pray, ⁵ 

and will worship him in unison. ⁶ 

Zefanya 1:5

1:5 I will remove ⁷  those who worship the stars in the sky from their rooftops, ⁸ 

those who swear allegiance to the Lord ⁹  while taking oaths in the name of ¹⁰  their ‘king,’ ¹¹ 

Zefanya 3:2

3:2 She is disobedient; ¹² 

she refuses correction. ¹³ 

She does not trust the Lord;

she does not seek the advice of ¹⁴  her God.

Zefanya 1:1

Introduction

1:1 This is the prophetic message that the Lord gave to ¹⁵  Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah. Zephaniah delivered this message during the reign of ¹⁶  King Josiah son of Amon of Judah:

Zefanya 3:7

3:7 I thought, ¹⁷  ‘Certainly you will respect ¹⁸  me!

Now you will accept correction!’

If she had done so, her home ¹⁹  would not be destroyed ²⁰ 

by all the punishments I have threatened. ²¹ 

But they eagerly sinned

in everything they did. ²² 

Zefanya 3:12

3:12 I will leave in your midst a humble and meek group of people, ²³ 

and they will find safety in the Lord’s presence. ²⁴ 

Zefanya 1:8

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

I will punish the princes ²⁵  and the king’s sons,

and all who wear foreign styles of clothing. ²⁶ 

Zefanya 2:11

2:11 The Lord will terrify them, ²⁷ 

for ²⁸  he will weaken ²⁹  all the gods of the earth.

All the distant nations will worship the Lord in their own lands. ³⁰ 

Zefanya 1:18

1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them

in the day of the Lord’s angry judgment.

The whole earth ³¹  will be consumed by his fiery wrath. ³² 

Indeed, ³³  he will bring terrifying destruction ³⁴  on all who live on the earth.” ³⁵ 

Zefanya 3:19

3:19 Look, at that time I will deal with those who mistreated you.

I will rescue the lame sheep ³⁶ 

and gather together the scattered sheep.

I will take away their humiliation

and make the whole earth admire and respect them. ³⁷ 

Zefanya 1:9

1:9 On that day I will punish all who leap over the threshold, ³⁸ 

who fill the house of their master ³⁹  with wealth taken by violence and deceit. ⁴⁰ 

Zefanya 3:20

3:20 At that time I will lead you –

at the time I gather you together. ⁴¹ 

Be sure of this! ⁴²  I will make all the nations of the earth respect and admire you ⁴³ 

when you see me restore you,” ⁴⁴  says the Lord.

Zefanya 1:10

1:10 On that day,” says the Lord,

“a loud cry will go up ⁴⁵  from the Fish Gate, ⁴⁶ 

wailing from the city’s newer district, ⁴⁷ 

and a loud crash ⁴⁸  from the hills.

Zefanya 2:3

2:3 Seek the Lord’s favor, ⁴⁹  all you humble people ⁵⁰  of the land who have obeyed his commands! ⁵¹ 

Strive to do what is right! ⁵²  Strive to be humble! ⁵³ 

Maybe you will be protected ⁵⁴  on the day of the Lord’s angry judgment.

Zefanya 1:12

1:12 At that time I will search through Jerusalem with lamps.

I will punish the people who are entrenched in their sin, ⁵⁵ 

those who think to themselves, ⁵⁶ 

‘The Lord neither rewards nor punishes.’ ⁵⁷ 

Zefanya 3:11

3:11 In that day you ⁵⁸  will not be ashamed of all your rebelliousness against me, ⁵⁹ 

for then I will remove from your midst those who proudly boast, ⁶⁰ 

and you will never again be arrogant on my holy hill.

Zefanya 1:4

1:4 “I will attack ⁶¹  Judah

and all who live in Jerusalem. ⁶² 

I will remove ⁶³  from this place every trace of Baal worship, ⁶⁴ 

as well as the very memory ⁶⁵  of the pagan priests. ⁶⁶ 

Zefanya 3:10

3:10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, ⁶⁷ 

those who pray to me ⁶⁸  will bring me tribute.

Zefanya 3:3

3:3 Her princes ⁶⁹  are as fierce as roaring lions; ⁷⁰ 

her rulers ⁷¹  are as hungry as wolves in the desert, ⁷² 

who completely devour their prey by morning. ⁷³ 

Zefanya 1:6

1:6 and those who turn their backs on ⁷⁴  the Lord

and do not want the Lord’s help or guidance.” ⁷⁵ 

Zefanya 2:4

Judgment on Surrounding Nations

2:4 Indeed, ⁷⁶  Gaza will be deserted ⁷⁷ 

and Ashkelon will become a heap of ruins. ⁷⁸ 

Invaders will drive away the people of Ashdod by noon, ⁷⁹ 

and Ekron will be overthrown. ⁸⁰ 

Zefanya 1:17

1:17 I will bring distress on the people ⁸¹ 

and they will stumble ⁸²  like blind men,

for they have sinned against the Lord.

Their blood will be poured out like dirt;

their flesh ⁸³  will be scattered ⁸⁴  like manure.

Zefanya 2:7

2:7 Those who are left from the kingdom of Judah ⁸⁵  will take possession of it. ⁸⁶ 

By the sea ⁸⁷  they ⁸⁸  will graze,

in the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down in the evening,

for the Lord their God will intervene for them ⁸⁹  and restore their prosperity. ⁹⁰ 

Zefanya 2:2

2:2 before God’s decree becomes reality ⁹¹  and the day of opportunity disappears like windblown chaff, ⁹² 

before the Lord’s raging anger ⁹³  overtakes ⁹⁴  you –

before the day of the Lord’s angry judgment overtakes you!

Zefanya 1:16

1:16 a day of trumpet blasts ⁹⁵  and battle cries. ⁹⁶ 

Judgment will fall on ⁹⁷  the fortified cities and the high corner towers.

Zefanya 2:15

2:15 This is how the once-proud city will end up ⁹⁸  –

the city that was so secure. ⁹⁹ 

She thought to herself, ¹⁰⁰  “I am unique! No one can compare to me!” ¹⁰¹ 

What a heap of ruins she has become, a place where wild animals live!

Everyone who passes by her taunts her ¹⁰²  and shakes his fist. ¹⁰³ 

Zefanya 3:5

3:5 The just Lord resides ¹⁰⁴  within her;

he commits no unjust acts. ¹⁰⁵ 

Every morning he reveals ¹⁰⁶  his justice.

At dawn he appears without fail. ¹⁰⁷ 

Yet the unjust know no shame.

Zefanya 3:8

3:8 Therefore you must wait patiently ¹⁰⁸  for me,” says the Lord,

“for the day when I attack and take plunder. ¹⁰⁹ 

I have decided ¹¹⁰  to gather nations together

and assemble kingdoms,

so I can pour out my fury on them –

all my raging anger.

For ¹¹¹  the whole earth will be consumed

by my fiery anger.

Zefanya 1:7

1:7 Be silent before the Lord God, ¹¹² 

for the Lord’s day of judgment ¹¹³  is almost here. ¹¹⁴ 

The Lord has prepared a sacrificial meal; ¹¹⁵ 

he has ritually purified ¹¹⁶  his guests.

Zefanya 2:14

2:14 Flocks and herds ¹¹⁷  will lie down in the middle of it,

as well as every kind of wild animal. ¹¹⁸ 

Owls ¹¹⁹  will sleep in the tops of its support pillars;

they will hoot through the windows. ¹²⁰ 

Rubble will cover the thresholds; ¹²¹ 

even the cedar work ¹²²  will be exposed to the elements. ¹²³ 

Zefanya 2:9

2:9 Therefore, as surely as I live,” says the Lord who commands armies, the God of Israel,

“be certain that Moab will become like Sodom

and the Ammonites like Gomorrah.

They will be overrun by weeds, ¹²⁴ 

filled with salt pits, ¹²⁵ 

and permanently desolate.

Those of my people who are left ¹²⁶  will plunder their belongings; ¹²⁷ 

those who are left in Judah ¹²⁸  will take possession of their land.”

Zefanya 1:11

1:11 Wail, you who live in the market district, ¹²⁹ 

for all the merchants ¹³⁰  will disappear ¹³¹ 

and those who count money ¹³²  will be removed. ¹³³ 

Zefanya 2:10

2:10 This is how they will be repaid for their arrogance, ¹³⁴ 

for they taunted and verbally harassed ¹³⁵  the people of the Lord who commands armies.

Zefanya 3:13

3:13 The Israelites who remain ¹³⁶  will not act deceitfully.

They will not lie,

and a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouth.

Indeed, they will graze peacefully like sheep ¹³⁷  and lie down;

no one will terrify them.”

Zefanya 1:14

1:14 The Lord’s great day of judgment ¹³⁸  is almost here;

it is approaching very rapidly!

There will be a bitter sound on the Lord’s day of judgment;

at that time warriors will cry out in battle. ¹³⁹ 

Zefanya 3:15

3:15 The Lord has removed the judgment against you; ¹⁴⁰ 

he has turned back your enemy.

Israel’s king, the Lord, is in your midst!

You no longer need to fear disaster.

Zefanya 3:6

The Lord’s Judgment will Purify

3:6 “I destroyed ¹⁴¹  nations;

their walled cities ¹⁴²  are in ruins.

I turned their streets into ruins;

no one passes through them.

Their cities are desolate; ¹⁴³ 

no one lives there. ¹⁴⁴ 

[3:16]  ¹ tn Heb “it will be said.” The passive construction has been translated as active for stylistic reasons.

[3:16]  ² tn Heb “your hands must not go limp.”

[3:18]  ³ tn Heb “The ones grieving from an assembly I gathered from you they were, tribute upon her, a reproach.” Any translation of this difficult verse must be provisional at best. The present translation assumes three things: (1) The preposition מִן (min) prefixed to “assembly” is causal (the individuals are sorrowing because of the assemblies or festivals they are no longer able to hold). (2) מַשְׂאֵת (mas’et) means “tribute” and refers to the exiled people being treated as the spoils of warfare (see R. D. Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah [WEC], 385-86). (3) The third feminine singular suffix refers to personified Jerusalem, which is addressed earlier in the verse (the pronominal suffix in “from you” is second feminine singular). For other interpretive options see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB 25A), 146.

[3:9]  ⁴ tn Heb “Certainly [or perhaps, “For”] then I will restore to the nations a pure lip.”

[3:9]  sn I will then enable the nations to give me acceptable praise. This apparently refers to a time when the nations will reject their false idol-gods and offer genuine praise to the one true God.

[3:9]  ⁵ tn Heb “so that all of them will call on the name of the Lord.”

[3:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “so that [they] will serve him [with] one shoulder.”

[1:5]  ⁷ tn The words “I will remove” are repeated from v. 4b for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 4b-6 contain a long list of objects for the verb “I will remove” in v. 4b. In the present translation a new sentence was begun at the beginning of v. 5 in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences.

[1:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “those who worship on their roofs the host of heaven.” The “host of heaven” included the sun, moon, planets, and stars, all of which were deified in the ancient Near East.

[1:5]  ⁹ tc The MT reads, “those who worship, those who swear allegiance to the Lord.” The original form of the LXX omits the phrase “those who worship”; it may have been accidentally repeated from the preceding line. J. J. M. Roberts prefers to delete as secondary the phrase “those who swear allegiance” (J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah [OTL], 168).

[1:5]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “those who swear by.”

[1:5]  ¹¹ tn The referent of “their king” is unclear. It may refer sarcastically to a pagan god (perhaps Baal) worshiped by the people. Some English versions (cf. NEB, NASB, NRSV) prefer to emend the text to “Milcom,” the name of an Ammonite god (following some LXX mss, Syriac, and Vulgate) or “Molech,” a god to whom the Israelites offered their children (cf. NIV, NLT). For a discussion of the options, see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB 25A), 75-77.

[3:2]  ¹² tn Heb “she does not hear a voice” Refusing to listen is equated with disobedience.

[3:2]  ¹³ tn Heb “she does not receive correction.” The Hebrew phrase, when negated, refers elsewhere to rejecting verbal advice (Jer 17:23; 32:33; 35:13) and refusing to learn from experience (Jer 2:30; 5:3).

[3:2]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “draw near to.” The present translation assumes that the expression “draw near to” refers to seeking God’s will (see 1 Sam 14:36).

[1:1]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “The word of the Lord which came to.”

[1:1]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “in the days of.” The words “Zephaniah delivered this message” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[3:7]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “said.”

[3:7]  ¹⁸ tn Or “fear.” The second person verb form (“you will respect”) is feminine singular, indicating that personified Jerusalem is addressed.

[3:7]  sn God’s judgment of the nations (v. 6) was an object lesson for Israel’s benefit.

[3:7]  ¹⁹ tn Or “dwelling place.”

[3:7]  ²⁰ tn Heb “cut off.”

[3:7]  ²¹ tn Heb “all which I have punished her.” The precise meaning of this statement and its relationship to what precedes are unclear.

[3:7]  ²² tn Heb “But they got up early, they made corrupt all their actions.” The phrase “they got up early” probably refers to their eagerness to engage in sinful activities.

[3:12]  ²³ tn Heb “needy and poor people.” The terms often refer to a socioeconomic group, but here they may refer to those who are humble in a spiritual sense.

[3:12]  ²⁴ tn Heb “and they will take refuge in the name of the Lord.”

[3:12]  sn Safety in the Lord’s presence. From the time the Lord introduced his special covenant name (Yahweh) to Moses, it served as a reminder of his protective presence as Israel’s faithful deliverer.

[1:8]  ²⁵ tn Or “officials” (NRSV, TEV); NLT “leaders.”

[1:8]  ²⁶ sn The very dress of the royal court, foreign styles of clothing, revealed the degree to which Judah had assimilated foreign customs.

[2:11]  ²⁷ tn Heb “will be awesome over [or, “against”] them.”

[2:11]  ²⁸ tn Or “certainly.”

[2:11]  ²⁹ 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]  ³⁰ tn Heb “and all the coastlands of the nations will worship [or, “bow down”] to him, each from his own place.”

[1:18]  ³¹ tn Or “land” (cf. NEB). This same word also occurs at the end of the present verse.

[1:18]  ³² tn Or “passion”; traditionally, “jealousy.”

[1:18]  ³³ tn Or “for.”

[1:18]  ³⁴ tn Heb “complete destruction, even terror, he will make.”

[1:18]  ³⁵ tn It is not certain where the Lord’s words end and the prophet’s words begin. It is possible that Zephaniah begins speaking in the middle of v. 17 or at the beginning of v. 18 (note the third person pronouns referring to the Lord).

[3:19]  ³⁶ tn The word “sheep” is supplied for clarification. As in Mic 4:6-7, the exiles are here pictured as injured and scattered sheep whom the divine shepherd rescues from danger.

[3:19]  ³⁷ tn Heb “I will make them into praise and a name, in all the earth, their shame.” The present translation assumes that “their shame” specifies “them” and that “name” stands here for a good reputation.

[1:9]  ³⁸ 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]  ³⁹ tn The referent of “their master” is unclear. The king or a pagan god may be in view.

[1:9]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “who fill…with violence and deceit.” The expression “violence and deceit” refers metonymically to the wealth taken by oppressive measures.

[3:20]  ⁴¹ tn In this line the second person pronoun is masculine plural, indicating that the exiles are addressed.

[3:20]  ⁴² tn Or “for.”

[3:20]  ⁴³ 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]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “when I restore your fortunes to your eyes.” See the note on the phrase “restore them” in 2:7.

[1:10]  ⁴⁵ tn The words “will go up” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[1:10]  ⁴⁶ sn The Fish Gate was located on Jerusalem’s north side (cf. 2 Chr 33:14; Neh 3:3; 12:39).

[1:10]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “from the second area.” This may refer to an area northwest of the temple where the rich lived (see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah [AB 25A], 86; cf. NASB, NRSV “the Second Quarter”; NIV “the New Quarter”).

[1:10]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “great breaking.”

[2:3]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “seek the Lord,” but “favor” seems to be implied from the final line of the verse.

[2:3]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “poor.” The precise referent of this Hebrew term is unclear. The word may refer to the economically poor or to the spiritually humble.

[2:3]  ⁵¹ tn The present translation assumes the Hebrew term מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) here refers to God’s covenantal requirements and is a synonym for the Law. The word can mean “justice” and could refer more specifically to the principles of justice contained in the Law. In this case the phrase could be translated, “who have promoted the justice God demands.”

[2:3]  ⁵² tn Heb “Seek what is right.”

[2:3]  ⁵³ tn Heb “Seek humility.”

[2:3]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “hidden.” Cf. NEB “it may be that you will find shelter”; NRSV “perhaps you may be hidden.”

[1:12]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “who thicken on their sediment.” The imagery comes from wine making, where the wine, if allowed to remain on the sediment too long, will thicken into syrup. The image suggests that the people described here were complacent in their sinful behavior and interpreted the delay in judgment as divine apathy.

[1:12]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “who say in their hearts.”

[1:12]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “The Lord does not do good nor does he do evil.”

[3:11]  ⁵⁸ sn The second person verbs and pronouns are feminine singular, indicating that personified Jerusalem is addressed here.

[3:11]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “In that day you not be ashamed because of all your actions, [in] which you rebelled against me.”

[3:11]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “the arrogant ones of your pride.”

[1:4]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “I will stretch out my hand against,” is an idiom for hostile action.

[1:4]  ⁶² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[1:4]  ⁶³ tn Heb “cut off.”

[1:4]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “the remnant of Baal.”

[1:4]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “name.” Here the “name” is figurative for the memory of those who bear it.

[1:4]  ⁶⁶ tc Heb “of the pagan priests and priests.” The first word (כְּמָרִים, kÿmarim) refers to idolatrous priests in its two other appearances in the OT (2 Kgs 23:5, Hos 10:5), while the second word (כֹּהֲנִים, kohanim) is the normal term for “priest” and is used of both legitimate and illegitimate priests in the OT. It is likely that the second term, which is omitted in the LXX, is a later scribal addition to the Hebrew text, defining the extremely rare word that precedes (see J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah [OTL], 167-68; cf. also NEB, NRSV). Some argue that both words are original; among the modern English versions that include both are NASB and NIV. Possibly the first word refers to outright pagan priests, while the second has in view once-legitimate priests of the Lord who had drifted into idolatrous practices. Another option is found in Adele Berlin, who translates, “the idolatrous priests among the priests,” understanding the second word as giving the general category of which the idolatrous priests are a part (Zephaniah [AB 25A], 75).

[3:10]  ⁶⁷ tn Or “Nubia”; Heb “Cush.” “Cush” is traditionally assumed to refer to the region south of Egypt, i.e. Nubia or northern Sudan, referred to as “Ethiopia” by classical authors (not the more recent Abyssinia).

[3:10]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “those who pray to me, the daughter of my dispersed ones.” The meaning of the phrase is unclear. Perhaps the text is corrupt at this point or a proper name should be understood. For a discussion of various options see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB 25A), 134-35.

[3:10]  sn It is not certain if those who pray to me refers to the converted nations or to God’s exiled covenant people.

[3:3]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “officials.”

[3:3]  ⁷⁰ 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]  ⁷¹ tn Traditionally “judges.”

[3:3]  ⁷² 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]  ⁷³ 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.

[1:6]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “turn back from [following] after.”

[1:6]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “who do not seek the Lord and do not inquire of him.” The present translation assumes the first verb refers to praying for divine help and the second to seeking his revealed will through an oracle. Note the usage of the two verbs in 2 Chr 20:3-4.

[2:4]  ⁷⁶ tn Or “for” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[2:4]  ⁷⁷ tn There is a sound play here in the Hebrew text: the name Gaza (עַזָּה, ’azzah) sounds like the word translated “deserted” (עֲזוּבָה, ’azuvah).

[2:4]  ⁷⁸ tn Or “a desolate place.”

[2:4]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “[As for] Ashdod, at noon they will drive her away.”

[2:4]  sn The reference to noon may suggest a sudden, quick defeat (see Jer 6:4; 15:8).

[2:4]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “uprooted.” There is a sound play here in the Hebrew text: the name “Ekron” (עֶקְרוֹן, ’eqron) sounds like the word translated “uprooted” (תֵּעָקֵר, te’aqer).

[1:17]  ⁸¹ tn “The people” refers to mankind in general (see vv. 2-3) or more specifically to the residents of Judah (see vv. 4-13).

[1:17]  ⁸² tn Heb “walk.”

[1:17]  ⁸³ tn Some take the referent of “flesh” to be more specific here; cf. NEB (“bowels”), NAB (“brains”), NIV (“entrails”).

[1:17]  ⁸⁴ tn The words “will be scattered” are supplied in the translation for clarity based on the parallelism with “will be poured out” in the previous line.

[2:7]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “the remnant of the house of Judah.”

[2:7]  ⁸⁶ tn Or “the coast will belong to the remnant of the house of Judah.”

[2:7]  ⁸⁷ tc Heb “on them,” but the antecedent of the masculine pronoun is unclear. It may refer back to the “pasture lands,” though that noun is feminine. It is preferable to emend the text from עֲלֵיהֶם (’alehem) to עַל־הַיָּם (’al-hayyam, “by the sea”) an emendation that assumes a misdivision and transposition of letters in the MT (cf. NEB “They shall pasture their flocks by the sea”). See J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 192.

[2:7]  ⁸⁸ tn The referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) is unclear. It may refer (1) to the shepherds (in which case the first verb should be translated, “pasture their sheep,” cf. NEB), or (2) to the Judahites occupying the area, who are being compared to sheep (cf. NIV, “there they will find pasture”).

[2:7]  ⁸⁹ tn Or “will care for them.”

[2:7]  ⁹⁰ tn Traditionally, “restore their captivity,” i.e., bring back their captives, but it is more likely the expression means “restore their fortunes” in a more general sense (cf. NEB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[2:2]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “before the giving birth of a decree.” For various alternative readings, see J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 187-88.

[2:2]  ⁹² tn The second half of the line reads literally, “like chaff it passes by a day.” The translation above assumes the “day” is the brief time God is giving the nation to repent. The comparison of this quickly passing opportunity to chaff is consistent with the straw imagery of v. 1.

[2:2]  ⁹³ tn Heb “the fury of the anger of the Lord.” The synonyms are combined to emphasize the extreme degree of the Lord’s anger.

[2:2]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “comes upon.” This phrase occurs twice in this verse.

[1:16]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “a ram’s horn.” By metonymy the Hebrew text mentions the trumpet (“ram’s horn”) in place of the sound it produces (“trumpet blasts”).

[1:16]  ⁹⁶ sn This description of the day of the Lord consists of an initial reference to anger, followed by four pairs of synonyms. The joining of synonyms in this way emphasizes the degree of the characteristic being described. The first two pairs focus on the distress and ruin that judgment will bring; the second two pairs picture this day of judgment as being very dark (darkness) and exceedingly overcast (gloom). The description concludes with the pairing of two familiar battle sounds, the blast on the ram’s horn (trumpet blasts) and the war cries of the warriors (battle cries).

[1:16]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “against.” The words “judgment will fall” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[2:15]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “this is the proud city.”

[2:15]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “the one that lived securely.”

[2:15]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “the one who says in her heart.”

[2:15]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “I [am], and besides me there is no other.”

[2:15]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “hisses”; or “whistles.”

[2:15]  ¹⁰³ sn Hissing (or whistling) and shaking the fist were apparently ways of taunting a defeated foe or an object of derision in the culture of the time.

[3:5]  ¹⁰⁴ tn The word “resides” is supplied for clarification.

[3:5]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Or “he does no injustice.”

[3:5]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “gives”; or “dispenses.”

[3:5]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “at the light he is not missing.” Note that NASB (which capitalizes pronouns referring to Deity) has divided the lines differently: “Every morning He brings His justice to light; // He does not fail.”

[3:8]  ¹⁰⁸ tn The second person verb form (“you must wait patiently”) is masculine plural, indicating that a group is being addressed. Perhaps the humble individuals addressed earlier (see 2:3) are in view. Because of Jerusalem’s sin, they must patiently wait for judgment to pass before their vindication arrives.

[3:8]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “when I arise for plunder.” The present translation takes עַד (’ad) as “plunder.” Some, following the LXX, repoint the term עֵד (’ed) and translate, “as a witness” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV). In this case the Lord uses a legal metaphor to picture himself as testifying against his enemies. Adele Berlin takes לְעַד (lÿ’ad) in a temporal sense (“forever”) and translates “once and for all” (Zephaniah [AB 25A], 133).

[3:8]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “for my decision is.”

[3:8]  ¹¹¹ tn Or “certainly.”

[1:7]  ¹¹² tn Heb “Lord Lord.” The phrase אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה (adonai yÿhvih) is customarily rendered by Jewish tradition as “Lord God.”

[1:7]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “the day of the Lord.”

[1:7]  sn The origin of the concept of “the day of the Lord” is uncertain. It may have originated in the ancient Near Eastern idea of the sovereign’s day of conquest, where a king would boast that he had concluded an entire military campaign in a single day (see D. Stuart, “The Sovereign’s Day of Conquest,” BASOR 221 [1976]: 159-64). In the OT the expression is applied to several acts of divine judgment, some historical and others still future (see A. J. Everson, “The Days of Yahweh,” JBL 93 [1974]: 329-37). In the OT the phrase first appears in Amos (assuming that Amos predates Joel and Obadiah), where it seems to refer to a belief on the part of the northern kingdom that God would intervene on Israel’s behalf and judge the nation’s enemies. Amos affirms that the Lord’s day of judgment is indeed approaching, but he declares that it will be a day of disaster, not deliverance, for Israel. Here in Zephaniah, the “day of the Lord” includes God’s coming judgment of Judah, as well as a more universal outpouring of divine anger.

[1:7]  ¹¹⁴ tn Or “near.”

[1:7]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “a sacrifice.” This same word also occurs in the following verse.

[1:7]  sn Because a sacrificial meal presupposes the slaughter of animals, it is used here as a metaphor of the bloody judgment to come.

[1:7]  ¹¹⁶ tn Or “consecrated” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[2:14]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “flocks.” The Hebrew word can refer to both flocks of sheep and herds of cattle.

[2:14]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “[and] all the wild animals of a nation.” How גוֹי (goy, “nation”) relates to what precedes is unclear. It may be a corruption of another word. See J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 193.

[2:14]  ¹¹⁹ tn The Hebrew text reads here גַּם־קָאַת גַּם־קִפֹּד (gam-qa’at gam-qippod). The term קָאַת refers to some type of bird (see Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17) that was typically found near ruins (Isa 34:11); one of the most common translations is “owl” (cf. NEB “horned owl”; NIV, NRSV “desert owl”; contra NASB “pelican”). The term קִפֹּד may also refer to a type of bird (cf. NEB “ruffed bustard”; NIV, NRSV “screech owl”). Some suggest a rodent may be in view (cf. NASB “hedgehog”); this is not unreasonable, for a rodent or some other small animal would be able to sleep in the tops of pillars which would be lying in the ruins of the fallen buildings.

[2:14]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “a sound will sing in the window.” If some type of owl is in view, “hoot” is a more appropriate translation (cf. NEB, NRSV).

[2:14]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “rubble [will be] on the threshold.” “Rubble” translates the Hebrew word חֹרֶב (khorev, “desolation”). Some emend to עֹרֵב (’orev, “raven”) following the LXX and Vulgate; Adele Berlin translates, “A voice shall shriek from the window – a raven at the sill” (Zephaniah [AB 25A], 104).

[2:14]  ¹²² tn The meaning of the Hebrew word translated “cedar work” (so NASB, NRSV) is unclear; NIV has “the beams of cedar.”

[2:14]  ¹²³ tn Heb “one will expose.” The subject is probably indefinite, though one could translate, “for he [i.e., God] will lay bare.”

[2:9]  ¹²⁴ tn The Hebrew text reads מִמְשַׁק חָרוּל (mimshaq kharul, “[?] of weeds”). The meaning of the first word is unknown. The present translation (“They will be overrun by weeds”) is speculative, based on the general sense of the context. For a defense of “overrun” on linguistic grounds, see R. D. Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (WEC), 347. Cf. NEB “a pile of weeds”; NIV “a place of weeds”; NRSV “a land possessed by nettles.”

[2:9]  ¹²⁵ tn The Hebrew text reads וּמִכְרֵה־מֶלַח (umikhreh-melakh, “and a [?] of salt”). The meaning of the first word is unclear, though “pit” (NASB, NIV, NRSV; NKJV “saltpit”), “mine,” and “heap” (cf. NEB “a rotting heap of saltwort”) are all options. The words “filled with” are supplied for clarification.

[2:9]  ¹²⁶ tn Or “The remnant of my people.”

[2:9]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “them.” The actual object of the plundering, “their belongings,” has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:9]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “[the] nation.” For clarity the “nation” has been specified as “Judah” in the translation.

[1:11]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “in the Mortar.” The Hebrew term מַכְתֵּשׁ (makhtesh, “mortar”) is apparently here the name of a low-lying area where economic activity took place.

[1:11]  ¹³⁰ tn Or perhaps “Canaanites.” Cf. BDB 489 s.v. I and II כְּנַעֲנִי. Translators have rendered the term either as “the merchant people” (KJV, NKJV), “the traders” (NRSV), “merchants” (NEB, NIV), or, alternatively, “the people of Canaan” (NASB).

[1:11]  ¹³¹ tn Or “be destroyed.”

[1:11]  ¹³² tn Heb “weigh out silver.”

[1:11]  ¹³³ tn Heb “be cut off.” In the Hebrew text of v. 11b the perfect verbal forms emphasize the certainty of the judgment, speaking of it as if it were already accomplished.

[2:10]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “this is for them in place of their arrogance.”

[2:10]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “made great [their mouth?] against” (cf. the last phrase of v. 8).

[3:13]  ¹³⁶ tn Or “the remnant of Israel.”

[3:13]  ¹³⁷ tn The words “peacefully like sheep” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[1:14]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “The great day of the Lord.” The words “of judgment” are supplied in the translation here and later in this verse for clarity. See the note on the expression “day of judgment” in v. 7.

[1:14]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “the sound of the day of the Lord, bitter [is] one crying out there, a warrior.” The present translation does four things: (1) It takes מַר (mar, “bitter”) with what precedes (contrary to the accentuation of the MT). (2) It understands the participle צָרַח (tsarakh, “cry out in battle”) as verbal with “warrior” as its subject. (3) It takes שָׁם (sham, “there”) in a temporal sense, meaning “then, at that time.” (4) It understands “warrior” as collective.

[3:15]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “your judgments,” that is, “the judgments directed against you.” The translation reflects the implications of the parallelism.

[3:6]  ¹⁴¹ tn Heb “cut off.”

[3:6]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “corner towers”; NEB, NRSV “battlements.”

[3:6]  ¹⁴³ tn This Hebrew verb (צָדָה, tsadah) occurs only here in the OT, but its meaning is established from the context and from an Aramaic cognate.

[3:6]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “so that there is no man, without inhabitant.”