Boks TemuanZephaniah 2:8--3:20
Konteks2:8 “I have heard Moab’s taunts
and the Ammonites’ insults.
They 1 taunted my people
and verbally harassed those living in Judah. 2
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, 3
filled with salt pits, 4
and permanently desolate.
Those of my people who are left 5 will plunder their belongings; 6
those who are left in Judah 7 will take possession of their land.”
2:10 This is how they will be repaid for their arrogance, 8
for they taunted and verbally harassed 9 the people of the Lord who commands armies.
2:11 The Lord will terrify them, 10
for 11 he will weaken 12 all the gods of the earth.
All the distant nations will worship the Lord in their own lands. 13
2:12 “You 14 Ethiopians 15 will also die by my sword!” 16
2:13 The Lord 17 will attack the north 18
and destroy Assyria.
He will make Nineveh a heap of ruins;
it will be as barren 19 as the desert.
2:14 Flocks and herds 20 will lie down in the middle of it,
as well as every kind of wild animal. 21
Owls 22 will sleep in the tops of its support pillars;
they will hoot through the windows. 23
Rubble will cover the thresholds; 24
even the cedar work 25 will be exposed to the elements. 26
2:15 This is how the once-proud city will end up 27 –
the city that was so secure. 28
She thought to herself, 29 “I am unique! No one can compare to me!” 30
What a heap of ruins she has become, a place where wild animals live!
Everyone who passes by her taunts her 31 and shakes his fist. 32
3:1 The filthy, 33 stained city is as good as dead;
the city filled with oppressors is finished! 34
she refuses correction. 36
She does not trust the Lord;
she does not seek the advice of 37 her God.
3:3 Her princes 38 are as fierce as roaring lions; 39
her rulers 40 are as hungry as wolves in the desert, 41
who completely devour their prey by morning. 42
3:4 Her prophets are proud; 43
they are deceitful men.
Her priests defile what is holy; 44
they break God’s laws. 45
3:5 The just Lord resides 46 within her;
he commits no unjust acts. 47
Every morning he reveals 48 his justice.
At dawn he appears without fail. 49
Yet the unjust know no shame.
their walled cities 51 are in ruins.
I turned their streets into ruins;
no one passes through them.
Their cities are desolate; 52
no one lives there. 53
3:7 I thought, 54 ‘Certainly you will respect 55 me!
Now you will accept correction!’
If she had done so, her home 56 would not be destroyed 57
by all the punishments I have threatened. 58
But they eagerly sinned
in everything they did. 59
3:8 Therefore you must wait patiently 60 for me,” says the Lord,
“for the day when I attack and take plunder. 61
I have decided 62 to gather nations together
and assemble kingdoms,
so I can pour out my fury on them –
all my raging anger.
For 63 the whole earth will be consumed
by my fiery anger.
3:9 Know for sure that I will then enable
the nations to give me acceptable praise. 64
All of them will invoke the Lord’s name when they pray, 65
and will worship him in unison. 66
3:10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, 67
those who pray to me 68 will bring me tribute.
3:11 In that day you 69 will not be ashamed of all your rebelliousness against me, 70
for then I will remove from your midst those who proudly boast, 71
and you will never again be arrogant on my holy hill.
3:12 I will leave in your midst a humble and meek group of people, 72
and they will find safety in the Lord’s presence. 73
3:13 The Israelites who remain 74 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 75 and lie down;
no one will terrify them.”
3:14 Shout for joy, Daughter Zion! 76
Shout out, Israel!
Be happy and boast with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem!
3:15 The Lord has removed the judgment against you; 77
he has turned back your enemy.
Israel’s king, the Lord, is in your midst!
You no longer need to fear disaster.
3:16 On that day they will say 78 to Jerusalem,
“Don’t be afraid, Zion!
Your hands must not be paralyzed from panic! 79
3:17 The Lord your God is in your midst;
he is a warrior who can deliver.
He takes great delight in you; 80
he renews you by his love; 81
he shouts for joy over you.” 82
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. 83
3:19 Look, at that time I will deal with those who mistreated you.
I will rescue the lame sheep 84
and gather together the scattered sheep.
I will take away their humiliation
and make the whole earth admire and respect them. 85
3:20 At that time I will lead you –
at the time I gather you together. 86
Be sure of this! 87 I will make all the nations of the earth respect and admire you 88
when you see me restore you,” 89 says the Lord.
[2:8] 1 tn Heb “who.” A new sentence was begun here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[2:8] 2 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.”
[2:9] 3 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] 4 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] 5 tn Or “The remnant of my people.”
[2:9] 6 tn Heb “them.” The actual object of the plundering, “their belongings,” has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:9] 7 tn Heb “[the] nation.” For clarity the “nation” has been specified as “Judah” in the translation.
[2:10] 5 tn Heb “this is for them in place of their arrogance.”
[2:10] 6 tn Heb “made great [their mouth?] against” (cf. the last phrase of v. 8).
[2:11] 7 tn Heb “will be awesome over [or, “against”] them.”
[2:11] 9 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] 10 tn Heb “and all the coastlands of the nations will worship [or, “bow down”] to him, each from his own place.”
[2:12] 9 sn Though there is no formal introduction, these words are apparently spoken by the
[2:12] 10 tn Heb “Cushites.” This is traditionally assumed to refer to people from the region south of Egypt, i.e., Nubia or northern Sudan, referred to as “Ethiopia” by classical authors (not the more recent Abyssinia).
[2:12] 11 tn Heb “Also you Cushites, who lie dead by my sword.”
[2:13] 11 tn Heb “He”; the referent (the
[2:13] 12 tn Heb “he will stretch out his hand against the north.”
[2:14] 13 tn Heb “flocks.” The Hebrew word can refer to both flocks of sheep and herds of cattle.
[2:14] 14 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] 15 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] 16 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] 17 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] 18 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word translated “cedar work” (so NASB, NRSV) is unclear; NIV has “the beams of cedar.”
[2:14] 19 tn Heb “one will expose.” The subject is probably indefinite, though one could translate, “for he [i.e., God] will lay bare.”
[2:15] 15 tn Heb “this is the proud city.”
[2:15] 16 tn Heb “the one that lived securely.”
[2:15] 17 tn Heb “the one who says in her heart.”
[2:15] 18 tn Heb “I [am], and besides me there is no other.”
[2:15] 19 tn Heb “hisses”; or “whistles.”
[2:15] 20 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.
[3:1] 17 tn The present translation assumes מֹרְאָה (mor’ah) is derived from רֹאִי (ro’i,“excrement”; see Jastrow 1436 s.v. רֳאִי). The following participle, “stained,” supports this interpretation (cf. NEB “filthy and foul”; NRSV “soiled, defiled”). Another option is to derive the form from מָרָה (marah, “to rebel”); in this case the term should be translated “rebellious” (cf. NASB, NIV “rebellious and defiled”). This idea is supported by v. 2. For discussion of the two options, see HALOT 630 s.v. I מרא and J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 206.
[3:1] 18 tn Heb “Woe, soiled and stained one, oppressive city.” The verb “is finished” is supplied in the second line. On the Hebrew word הוֹי (hoy, “ah, woe”), see the note on the word “dead” in 2:5.
[3:2] 19 tn Heb “she does not hear a voice” Refusing to listen is equated with disobedience.
[3:2] 20 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] 21 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).
[3:3] 22 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] 23 tn Traditionally “judges.”
[3:3] 24 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] 25 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.
[3:4] 23 sn Applied to prophets, the word פֹּחֲזִים (pokhazim, “proud”) probably refers to their audacity in passing off their own words as genuine prophecies from the
[3:4] 24 tn Or “defile the temple.”
[3:4] 25 tn Heb “they treat violently [the] law.”
[3:5] 25 tn The word “resides” is supplied for clarification.
[3:5] 26 tn Or “he does no injustice.”
[3:5] 27 tn Heb “gives”; or “dispenses.”
[3:5] 28 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.”
[3:6] 28 tn Heb “corner towers”; NEB, NRSV “battlements.”
[3:6] 29 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] 30 tn Heb “so that there is no man, without inhabitant.”
[3:7] 30 tn Or “fear.” The second person verb form (“you will respect”) is feminine singular, indicating that personified Jerusalem is addressed.
[3:7] 31 tn Or “dwelling place.”
[3:7] 33 tn Heb “all which I have punished her.” The precise meaning of this statement and its relationship to what precedes are unclear.
[3:7] 34 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.
[3:8] 31 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] 32 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] 33 tn Heb “for my decision is.”
[3:9] 33 tn Heb “Certainly [or perhaps, “For”] then I will restore to the nations a pure lip.”
[3:9] 34 tn Heb “so that all of them will call on the name of the
[3:9] 35 tn Heb “so that [they] will serve him [with] one shoulder.”
[3:10] 35 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] 36 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.
[3:11] 37 sn The second person verbs and pronouns are feminine singular, indicating that personified Jerusalem is addressed here.
[3:11] 38 tn Heb “In that day you not be ashamed because of all your actions, [in] which you rebelled against me.”
[3:11] 39 tn Heb “the arrogant ones of your pride.”
[3:12] 39 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] 40 tn Heb “and they will take refuge in the name of the
[3:13] 41 tn Or “the remnant of Israel.”
[3:13] 42 tn The words “peacefully like sheep” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[3:14] 43 sn This phrase is used as an epithet for the city and the nation. “Daughter” may seem extraneous in English but consciously joins the various epithets and metaphors of Israel and Jerusalem as a woman, a device used to evoke sympathy from the reader.
[3:15] 45 tn Heb “your judgments,” that is, “the judgments directed against you.” The translation reflects the implications of the parallelism.
[3:16] 47 tn Heb “it will be said.” The passive construction has been translated as active for stylistic reasons.
[3:16] 48 tn Heb “your hands must not go limp.”
[3:17] 49 tn Heb “he rejoices over you with joy.”
[3:17] 50 tc The MT reads, “he is silent in his love,” but this makes no sense in light of the immediately preceding and following lines. Some take the Hiphil verb form as causative (see Job 11:3) rather than intransitive and translate, “he causes [you] to be silent by his love,” that is, “he soothes [you] by his love.” The present translation follows the LXX and assumes an original reading יְחַדֵּשׁ (yÿkhaddesh, “he renews”) with ellipsis of the object (“you”).
[3:17] 51 tn Heb “he rejoices over you with a shout of joy.”
[3:18] 51 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.
[3:19] 53 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] 54 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.
[3:20] 55 tn In this line the second person pronoun is masculine plural, indicating that the exiles are addressed.
[3:20] 57 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] 58 tn Heb “when I restore your fortunes to your eyes.” See the note on the phrase “restore them” in 2:7.
