Old Testament Commentary - Zephaniah 2

by Don R. Hender


Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
                   CHAPTER 2                   

Seek righteousness; seek meekness—Judgment shall come upon the Philistines, Moab, the children of Ammon, the Ethiopians, and the Assyrians.

 1 GATHER yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;
 2 Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD's anger come upon you.
 3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye ameek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek brighteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the cday of the LORD's angera.
 3a it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD's anger Those who have successfully sought unto the Lord may be spared the great destructions of the Lord's anger against the wicked. With the people of the world seeking more towards that which is worldly and wicked in the sight of God, the day of the Lord's vengence will shorely and likely shortly come. The prudent ought to now seek unto the Lord in humility and meekness, forsaking the ways of the earth and walking in the ways of godliness that they may be spared the wrath of the Lord in that day of the LORD's anger.
 4 ¶ For Gaza shall be forsaken, and aAshkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.
 5 Woe unto the inhabitants of the asea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan, the land of the bPhilistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.
 6 And the sea coast shall be adwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.
 7 And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the LORD their God shall visit them, and turn away their acaptivity.
 8 ¶ I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the arevilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and bmagnified themselves against their border.
 9 Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as aSodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even bthe breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.
 10 This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts.
 11 The LORD will be aterrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall bworship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the cheathen.
 12 ¶ Ye aEthiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword.
 13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy aAssyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness.
 14 And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the acormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds: for he shall uncover the cedar work.
 15 This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and awag his hand.