Chapter Three

Verses 1–7. Turning from pagan nations again to the Judeans and chiefly to their capital and religious center—Jerusalem—the prophet finds it stained with many vices and completely deaf to the promptings of Yahweh and His law. 8. Therefore on the day of Yahweh’s wrath and judgment Jerusalem will also perish like Nineveh and other cities and entire kingdoms of the world. 9–10. But the day of God’s judgment over the wicked will mark the beginning of the renewal of all humanity, and the first to turn to the worship of Yahweh will be the pagans of different lands. 11–13. Then evil and sin will also disappear from within the theocratic community, which, though diminished in number, will qualitatively consist of righteous people. 14–20. As a consequence of the moral reformation of the chosen people, God’s attitude toward it will change and its external fortune will improve: Yahweh will revoke the sentence of its destruction, will again dwell graciously in the midst of His people, filling it with the good of His mercy and protection from all nations; the people of God’s former sufferings will now be replaced by peace, well-being, and glory throughout the earth.

Zephaniah 3:1. Woe to the city that is unclean and defiled, the city of oppression! The Hebrew text of the verse: goy mora venig’la hir ha’ona, Russian Synodal: “woe to the city unclean and defiled, oppressive,” and the Greek translation of the LXX: ὢ ἐπιφανὴς καὶ ἀπολελυτρωμένη πόλις ἡ περιστερά; Slavonic: “O Bright and freed city, dove!” have opposite meaning and significance, insofar as the Hebrew text gives a dark characterization of Jerusalem’s moral state, while the Greek text, on the contrary, exalts Jerusalem as a city of divine reverence and glory. The Vulgate in this case follows the LXX more, approaching the Masoretic text only in one second word: vae provocatrix et redempta civitas, columba. However, with the context of the prophet’s speech, precisely with the characterization immediately following, in Zeph 3:2-4, of the inhabitants of Jerusalem by him, the Masoretic text of verse 1 is in agreement, and therefore this text deserves preference in the whole composition of words of the verse. Thus, first of all, with the general characterization of the people inhabiting Jerusalem and Judea (vv. 2–4) the name of Jerusalem as a city of rebellion, defiance, Heb. mora, agrees well; poorly rendered by the LXX: ἐπιφανής. This word comes from the verb mara, whose main meaning is: to be disobedient, to resist (Deut 21:18-20), very often in relation of people to God (e.g., Num 20:24; 1 Sam 12:15; 1 Sam 13:21 and others). It is precisely this way that blessed Jerome conveys the meaning of this word in his interpretation: “Woe to the city Defiant, which is understood more clearly in Hebrew as the word taga—that is, παραπικραίνουσα, and which we can express in the words: offending God, that is, by its vice turning the merciful Lord to offense, so that He who wishes to be merciful is compelled to punishment” (p. 293). Similarly, the verb ga’al, from which the participle of the passive form produces the word nig’la, in this place should be given not the meaning of redeem, rescue (which it has in other cases), as do the LXX, Vulgate, and Slavonic, but the meaning: to defile, pollute (as in Mal 1:7), understood of course in a moral sense (cf. also Isa 59:3). Finally, the rendering of the word “ha’ona” by the word “dove” is completely inappropriate to this place (the dove in the Bible is usually a symbol of innocence, chastity). Therefore, justly, modern scholars derive this word from the verb yona, to oppress (cf. Jer 22:3; Ezek 18:7), so that the word ha’ona can be rendered: city of oppressions, or: oppressing city, which is fully confirmed by the indication in verse 3 of grievous violations of justice on the part of the aristocracy of Jerusalem.

Zephaniah 3:2. She does not listen to the voice, does not accept instruction, does not trust in the Lord, does not draw near to her God. Zephaniah 3:3. Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions, her judges are evening wolves, they leave nothing for the morning. Zephaniah 3:4. Her prophets are rash and faithless men; her priests profane the sanctuary, they do violence to the law. The opening verse of the section, verse 2, contains a general, disheartening characterization of Jerusalem’s population in a moral sense. The religious and moral life of the Jerusalemites contemporary to the prophet is in complete decline: the people “do not listen to the voice”—do not heed the commandments of Yahweh’s law (see Ps 94:7) and do not observe them in life (cf. Deut 28:1-2), “do not accept instruction”—all kinds of moral and educational means: word or act of teaching (Prov 1:2). Divine instruction of people of various kinds through manifestations (Job 5:17; Isa 26:16; Prov 3:11), as well—rebuke and instruction of the chosen people through the prophets (Jer 7:21-28); this is not enough: the people seem to have lost all faith in Yahweh and His power—“does not trust in the Lord”—relying solely on the strength and importance of their material possessions (cf. Zeph 1:12), “and does not draw near to her God”—turning to various false cults (cf. Zeph 1:4-6). In the following two verses, 3–4, a more specific characterization is given of the ruling classes of Jerusalem’s population, namely: the civil rulers—princes and judges (v. 3) and the spiritual, religious leaders of the people: prophets and priests (v. 4). The entire characterization of these leading members of the people closely resembles the one later given by the prophet Ezekiel (Ezek 22:25-28). In verse 3 are mentioned separately “princes,” Heb. sarim, those administratively high-placed in the state, namely here—members of the royal house together with important court officials—judges, shofetim—persons who presided over justice in the state. The former are compared to roaring lions, greedily pouncing on prey—the customary image in the Old Testament in relation to violent men of power (Prov 28:15; Ezek 19:2; Amos 3:4); like lions roaring as they rush at prey (Isa 5:29; Ps 103:21), Jerusalem’s nobility constantly strives toward self-aggrandizement, plundering and violence, and, like lions, remain completely unpunished. Similarly, the judges of the people, who, forgetting justice and law, turned their service into a craft for self-enrichment (see Mic 3:11), and in the pursuit of greed resemble greedy wolves, occupied all night with hunting prey, but by their greed manage to consume it before dawn, “her judges are predators who leave for others nothing that could be plundered” (blessed Jerome, p. 293). The expression “evening wolves,” Heb. zeeve-erev, is poorly rendered by the LXX (as if the original Hebrew read: ‘erev: Λύκοι Ἀραβίας), as in Hab 1:8. In both cases, by common opinion of scholars and commentators, the truth—is on the side of the Masoretic Hebrew text. Alongside the organs of civil authority—the nobles and judges (v. 3)—the spiritual representatives of the Judean people are not high in a moral sense, and they should be mediators between God and His people—prophets and priests. The prophets are charged (Heb. puhazim) with the criminal frivolity with which they accept their own opinions and dreams as divine revelations (cf. Jer 23:32); LXX: πνευματοφόροι, Slavonic: “wind-bearers” (cf. Ezek 22:28). Acting thus, they deceived God and people, committed in the proper sense deception and treachery, Heb. bogdot, in religion. The priests act no less criminally. Set by God to serve the sanctification of God’s people (Lev 11:44), the priests above all must themselves strictly distinguish between the sacred (Heb. kodesh) and the non-sacred, worldly (kol), and then teach others ritual and moral purity (Lev 10:10-11; Exod 29:23). But instead the priests themselves defiled the sanctuary (cf. Ezek 22:26) and knowingly violated the law even in the place of sacred action—“in the place of the holy place committed sacrilege and, acting contrary to the law, according to the prescriptions of the law brought sacrifices” (blessed Jerome, p. 293).

Zephaniah 3:5. The Lord is righteous in the midst of it; He does no wrong. Every morning He shows His justice, never failing; but the wrongdoer does not know shame. Zephaniah 3:6. I have destroyed the nations; their fortifications are laid waste. I have made their streets desolate, with no one walking in them. Their cities are destroyed, with not a single person left, not even an inhabitant. Zephaniah 3:7. I said: ‘You will fear Me, you will accept instruction!’ and his dwelling will not be destroyed, and all the calamity I have decreed will not strike him; but they eagerly set about to corrupt all their deeds. “Now the perfect righteousness and faithfulness of Yahweh are depicted in opposition to the wickedness of the chosen people—those qualities of God which determine Yahweh’s relation to violators of His theocratic commands. Since they acted unjustly, the righteous Lord will not act unjustly but will requite the wicked city according to its deserts. In the morning, that is, completely openly and without any mercy will carry out righteous judgment upon it, and nothing will be hidden from Him. The Lord will do this so that the corrupted city might turn to better things. But the wicked Israel did not feel confusion and did not understand the afflictions struck upon it to such a degree as to bring repentance.” (blessed Jerome, p. 294). “Soon the Lord will lay punishment on those who dared to do so much harm... And the Lord will do this, overthrowing the boldness of injustice and not allowing it to prevail to the end” (blessed Theodoret, p. 52). From verse 6 speaking is Yahweh Himself, and first of all, in proof that He “every morning shows His justice unfailingly” (v. 5), points out the constant manifestation of Divine Justice over the wicked nations, instructive examples are served by numerous historical cases of the destruction of whole nations with all their culture (the Canaanites and others); whole once densely populated lands have become desolate to the end (cf. Jer 2:15). Yet all these examples of God’s judgment over sinners passed without a trace for God’s people. “After such threats the Lover of Mankind again exhorts and advises to fear what has been said and to learn this proper lesson—to escape the threatened destruction brought on by lawlessness, not to delay and not to postpone, but quickly to repent,” (blessed Theodoret, p. 52). The text of the LXX and Slavonic of verse 7 contains much that is unintelligible, and in interpreting it one should better follow the Hebrew text and that consistent with it the Latin translation of the Vulgate and the Russian Synodal.

Zephaniah 3:8. Therefore wait for Me, says the Lord, until the day when I rise for plunder; for I have determined to gather the nations, to assemble the kingdoms, to pour out upon them My indignation, all the fury of My wrath; for the whole earth will be consumed by the fire of My jealousy. Verse eight represents an unusual in prophetic speeches transition from threats to consoling promises (cf. Isa 10:24; Jer 16:14; Ezek 39:25). The content of this preliminary consolation to God’s people is served by the final act of world judgment according to prophetic eschatology (cf. Joel 3:1 (Hebrew IV), Ezek 38:1-39:1; cf. Mic 4:12): the final gathering of all pagan nations before Jerusalem and their final destruction in decisive battle. If earlier, Zeph 2:4, the prophet spoke of the coming punishment on individual foreign nations, and precisely—on the territories of their habitation, then now he in his thought gathers all the peoples of the world to Jerusalem, announcing on behalf of Yahweh that “the whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy.” Of course, the expression “the whole earth,” Heb. kol-haaretz, here should allow for restrictive interpretation: only the elements opposed to God in His religion among the pagans and Judeans will be destroyed—“throughout the whole earth will be destroyed all earthly things—everything relating to the deeds of the earth, that is, the flesh; the flame of My jealousy will consume to the end all her thorns and prickly shrubs” (blessed Jerome, p. 303). The prophet’s vision is by no means limited to a dark picture of Yahweh’s judgment over the sinful world; rather, it penetrates much further and in a distant perspective sees the dawn of a better future not only for Israel but for all humanity: after judgment evil will disappear from the earth, first moral, then physical, and the true Kingdom of God will come. The first blessing and immeasurably important consequence of God’s judgment will be the complete conversion of the pagans to faith in Yahweh (vv. 9–10).

Zephaniah 3:9. Then I will give the nations pure lips, so that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve Him with one accord. Zephaniah 3:10. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, My suppliants, the children of My scattered people, will bring me gifts. This event of utmost importance—the transition of countless people from the darkness of false belief to the light of true knowledge of God, from falsehood to eternal truth—the prophet represents as an extraordinary deed of special creative act of cleansing by God the lips of countless people: az egeah el-ammim safa berura, then again “I will give the nations pure lips.” By “pure lips,” Heb.: safa berura, Vulg.: labium electum, many Jewish rabbis understood the Hebrew language, in which, they thought, all nations would speak after their conversion to God: “just as before the tower of Babel, when all nations spoke one language, so after the conversion of all to the worship of the true God, all will speak Hebrew, and the whole world will serve the Lord” (blessed Jerome, p. 301). In reality, the prophet, speaking of giving peoples clean lips by God (Aquila and Theodotion: “chosen lips”), understands this—the work of God by analogy with that cleansing act which, according to Isa 6:5-7, was performed, by God’s command, by one of the Seraphim on the lips of the prophet Isaiah, as a result of his lamentation over the uncleanness of his lips and the lips of his people: the Seraph took with tongs a burning coal from the altar and, touching the prophet’s lips with it, said: “Your guilt has departed from you, and your sin is forgiven.” Purity of lips here presupposes purity of thoughts, feelings—the whole spiritual content of a person. By analogy with this one should understand that collective cleansing of lips which the prophet announces to the nations on behalf of God: he has in mind the granted cleanliness of religious faith. The lips of the pagans were defiled and unclean by the calling upon false gods (Hos 2:19; Ps 115:4); “but pure lips means the lips that name not gods but God” (blessed Theodoret, p. 53). “To give pure lips” means: to effect such a change in the inner disposition of the pagans that all of them would duly honor God and express their sentiments in speech filled with true piety and free from all trace of pagan superstitions, as well as in corresponding religious and moral life—“that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve Him with one accord.” To a similar effect God spoke through the lips of Isaiah: those who were silent will soon learn to speak peace (Isa 32:4), and again: the speech of those with stammering lips will be clear (Isa 35:6). Therefore, those people trained in polytheism He will turn and make chosen and pure, so that all will call on the name of the Lord and all nations will serve “under one yoke” (blessed Theodoret, p. 53). This universality of the future spread of true knowledge and worship of God among all peoples is confirmed in verse 10 by the example of the inhabitants of Ethiopia—the most distant southern country known in the geography of that time (cf. Zeph 2:12; Isa 18:1), watered by “rivers”—the White and Blue Nile. “Those dwelling on the outermost limits” of the earth, having received the teaching from the scattered everywhere preachers of Mine, will bring to Me a sacrifice of praise. So Symmachus translated: from the ends of the rivers of Ethiopia, praying to me, the children of the scattered ones of Mine will bring Me a gift; that is, becoming children of the scattered ones of Mine throughout all nations to preach piety, they will bring Me spiritual gifts (blessed Theodoret, pp. 53–54). The thought of verses 9 and 10 had already been foreshadowed earlier in verse Zeph 2:11 and is now disclosed more fully and further (cf. Isa 66:20; Mal 1:11). Here it is shown that the beneficial effect of God’s judgment on pagans will as beneficially affect the Judeans. Namely, further first, Zeph 3:11-13, is depicted the moral change of the Judean community, and then, Zeph 3:14-20, is drawn a magnificent picture of the great mercies which Yahweh is to pour upon the remnant of His people purified by the afflictions of captivity.

Zephaniah 3:11. On that day you will not be ashamed for any of your deeds by which you have sinned against Me; for then I will remove from your midst those who exalt in your pride, and you will no longer be arrogant on My holy mountain. Zephaniah 3:12. But I will leave in your midst a humble and lowly people, and they will take refuge in the name of the Lord. Zephaniah 3:13. The remnant of Israel will do no wrong, will not speak lies, and no deceitful tongue will be found in their mouth. But they will feed and lie down, and no one will terrify them. After God’s judgment a better future will dawn for the Judeans as well. “When this comes to pass and the pagans are granted salvation; then you, living in Jerusalem, having received salvation through faith, will be freed from former wickedness, will not despise My commandments and will not be arrogant about the ancient temple”—thus blessed Theodoret paraphrases verse 11 (p. 54). The means of cleansing the moral and social condition of the contemporary Jewish community from its moral diseases, the prophet here as before, Zeph 1:4-6, points out in the destruction of the wicked, in the removal of all that does not correspond to the ideals of theocracy, first of all pride and presumption. On the other hand, the better part of the people will be saved from destruction, namely those humble and afflicted (v. 12) whom the prophet earlier, Zeph 2:2, singled out from the general sinful mass of people and called to a life worthy of God’s people. These pious people from the harsh school of the afflictions of the time of captivity will take out an experiential consciousness of the impotence of captivity and complete dependence of its well-being on God; therefore they will be wholly devoted to the will of God, in all things placing their hope in God (v. 12b.). At the same time, the community formed of them will be a community of truly righteous people: falsehood, injustice, wrong, and in general all kinds of moral evil will have no place among the members of this community. And such a moral height of the community will correspond to an external, carefree and safe life of it (v. 13). Of course, all the moral perfection indicated here in the post-captivity Jewish community was realized only in part, and in full measure it is applicable only to the times of the Gospel and Christianity. Blessed Theodoret notes to verses 12–13: “this clearly points to us the apostolic order, praising which, the Master said: [‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth’ (Matt 5:5); and again: ‘Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls’ (Matt 11:29). These are the ones blessed Zephaniah calls ‘the meek and humble people,’ because the Israelites are not such, but ‘foolish and unwise people’ (Deut 32:6) and according to another prophet: ‘I have a stiff neck and a bronze forehead’ (Isa 48:4) (p. 54).

Zephaniah 3:14. Rejoice, daughter of Zion! Shout, Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem! Zephaniah 3:15. The Lord has removed the judgment against you, He has turned back your enemies. The Lord, the King of Israel, is in your midst. Never again will you fear any evil. Zephaniah 3:16. On that day it will be said to Jerusalem: “Do not be afraid, Zion; do not let your hands grow weak. Zephaniah 3:17. The Lord your God is in your midst, a Mighty One who will save. He will delight over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will exult over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:18. I will gather those who mourn for the appointed feasts—your own, upon whom rests the burden of reproach. Zephaniah 3:19. Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors. I will save the lame, and gather the scattered, and I will give them honor and renown in every land where they were put to shame. Zephaniah 3:20. At that time I will bring you home, yes, at the time when I gather you, for I will make you famous and honored among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes, says the Lord. Already in the second half of verse 13 the prophet indicated that the internal righteousness of the new community of Israel will correspond to its serene external life. In the concluding verses of chapter III and the whole book the prophet becomes completely absorbed in the thought of the complete and unshakable well-being of the holy city and God’s people, and this thought fills his soul with exalted rapture, flowing from living consciousness and immediate experience of the actions of God’s love. The rapture and rejoicing of the people, expressed through the prophet’s lips, appear already in the opening words of the section under consideration: “Rejoice, daughter of Zion, celebrate, Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem!” (v. 14). These words, closely reminding us of passages from the book of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 62:11) and the prophet Zechariah (Zech 9:9), as is known, are reproduced in sense in the Gospel account of the solemn entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem (Matt 21:5; John 12:15). The entire elevated and rapturous speech of the prophet about the new benevolence of Yahweh toward His people, vv. 14–19, in all its power and exactness relates only to the times of the Gospel, Christian. “I know,” says blessed Theodoret, “that some understand this concerning the return from Babylon and the renewal of Jerusalem, and I do not dispute what they have said, because the prophecy is fitting and what came to pass then. But the exact event can be found in the incarnation of our Savior; for then the brokenhearted were healed by the Lord through the bath of rebirth, then He renewed human nature, so loving us that He gave His very soul for us.” ... According to the section Zech 9:9-15, the section under consideration Zeph 3:14-19 is read as a paremia at the evening service of the feast of the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem.