Zephaniah 1

THE word The Declaration of the purpose of God, either spoken audibly, or clearly manifested by signs. of the LORD God of Israel, here is the Divine Authority of this Prophesie with which the Prophets word is seconded. which came The precise manner how it came, we need not enquire into; Zephaniah did not hammer out of his owe brain any such news, he received from God what he communicated to them. to Zephaniah By derivation of the Name, it is one hidden of the Lord, whom God does hide, or God's Secretary, or else one that is Gods Watch-man, whom God has set over the house of Iudah, as Ezek. 3. is said to be. the son of Cushi His Ped gree here gives us no certainty what his Progenitors were, whether as some think him the great Grandson of Hez kiah, the Name being the same, or whether Prophets, or only eminent known men., the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah Before the Captivity he was then contemporary with Ieremiah and Ezekiel, prophesied before the Captivity, and foretels much like, what Ieremiah or Ezekiel did. the son of Amon Whose Reign was very full of Impiety and Idolatry, and hastned the Captivity upon Iudah. This Amon sacrificed to all the carved Images which Manasseh had made, 2 Chron. 33.22. king of Judah

I will utterly consume Heb. Gathering up, I will gather up, or take up, intimating particularly the manner how all should be consumed, i. e. swept away as a prey to the Babylonians. all things from off the land Of Iudah the two Tribes., says the LORD This is added to confirm, and assure the truth hereof..

I will consume man and beast The former verse denounced the uture desolation in general terms. This verse specifieth what desolation in particular God would bring upon the Land. Man shall be consumed for his own sin, and the beasts consumed for mans sake; Men by the Pestilence and Famine, the Beasts by Murrain, and devoured by multitudes of hungry Souldiers that shall make greater havock than any Murrain ordinarily does: I will consume the fowls Either by some unknown Disease among them, or else by a distast at the stench of putrifying Carcases they fled away, so that none, or very few appeared, insomuch that it lookt as if it were all consumed. of the heaven, and the fishes By Sea, some understand Ponds, Lakes, or smaller Seas, such as that of Genezareth and Tiberias, the Waters whereof might be made noisom to the fish by the streams of blood, and Carcasses which might possibly be cast into them, or God might destroy the Fishes by some consuming Disease too. He has ways to do it, who has once said he will do it. of the sea, and the stumbling blocks The Idols. with the wicked The Idolatrous Priests, and others who worshipt them., and I will cut off man All shall disappear. from off the land Of Iudah. says the LORD.

I will also And I will, or, And I have, Hebr. so Prophets speak of what shall most certainly be, as if already done. stretch out mine hand This seems to intimate some immediate stroke from God, He speaks so in Ier. 51.25. Ezek. 6.14. and 14.13. and 25.13. upon Judah Benjamin is included, though Iudah only is named., and upon all the inhabitants It will be universal destruction of them either by Sword, Famine, Pestilence, or Captivity; both Citizens and Sojourners, all shall perish, or suffer by some or other of these wayes of Jerusalem Though ' was the Holy City beautified with the Temple of God, yet all should not secure it, Ier. 7.4. and Ezek. 9.6., and I will cut off the remnant of Baal z from this place This Idolatry had filled Ierusalem it self,, and the names both the persons, and the memory of them also, for names includeth both. of the Chemarims Either call'd so from their black Garments they went in, or, from their swarthy colour occasioned by the black smoke of Incense, which they were almost continually in, or Door-keepers, Sextons of Baal, or voluntary Servants; or such as the Popish Monks; some Ministers of Baal distinct from the Priests. with the priests Either the Priests of Baal, or the Apostates of Aaron's house, who (though Priests by birth and Office) should have been stedfast to, but had fallen from the True God and his Worship to Baal and his Worship.. Whatsoever remains of the Idolatry of Baal, both the Idols, their Temples, Sacrifices, Priests, Ornaments, and Worshippers, whether this refer to times after the Reformation by Isaiah, or to times before it, needs not scrupulously be enquired into.

And them that worship Those among the people that adhered to this Idolatry the host The Sun, Moon, and Stars frequently in the Scripture called the host of Heaven. of heaven upon the house tops Openly, as the manner of those Idolaters was, either because they thought those Deities they imagined to dwell in the body of those Stars better saw them, or were better pleased thus, or because these places were nearer Heaven. On the flat roofs of their houses they were used to have their Altars and Worship., and them that worship, and that swear by the LORD Or, to the Lord, (as the Heb bears) persons that mix Idol Worship, and the Worship of the true God; that devote themselves to God, and Baal, or Malcham, and that swear by Malcham called Milcom, and Molech, and Moloch, Amos 5.26. probably 'twas their chief Idol, fancied to be King of Gods and Men..

And them that are turned back Apostates, who have forsaken the Lord and his Worship or that are turned Athei s, or that in matter of Religion have taken up not what is purest and truest, but what is nearest and most in fashion. from the LORD, and those that have not sought Sluggishly neglected to examine pretended Religions, according to the Law which they might, and ought to have done, and who have embraced a false Religion instead of the true. the LORD, nor enquired Though the Prophets have preacht against this Apostacy, and called the Priests and People to forsake the Idols, and enquire after God, yet they would not enquire, these also are here doomed to destruction. for him.

Hold thy peace Thou that murmurest in discontent, or disputest out of frowardness against God, his Worship, and his Government, that thinkest of him but little better then of Baal or Malcham, cease all thy quarrels and disputes, stand in awe. at the presence of the Lord GOD Who is Almighty, Omniscient, who ruleth and will avenge.: for the day of the LORD A day of vengeance from the Lord, is at hand: for the LORD has prepared a sacrifice The wicked among the Iewes, whom he will sacrifice by the Chaldean's sword., he has bid his guests Summoned in Beasts of the Field, and Fowls of the Air, to eat the Flesh, and drink the Blood of slain Iewes, whom the Babylonians slew..

And it shall come to pass It shall most certainly be fulfilled, what I threaten I will most surely execute. in the day of the LORDS sacrifice Of slaughter to be made by the Baby onians, called here a day of Sacrifice, that we might see clearly the just and exemplary proceedings of God; these people sinned in Sacrificing to strange Gods, and God will punish them, making them a strange Sacrifice to h s Anger., that I The punishment shall appear to be from my hand, as he threatens often by Ezekiel. will punish the princes Nobles about the Court, the great ones, who dreamt of shif ing better then others, but fell with the first, 2 Kings 25.19, 20, 21., and the kings children Sons and Grandchildren too of good Iosiah, Iehoabaz dyed a Captive in Egypt, 2 Kings 23.34. Ieboiakim dyed on the way, or in Babylon, buried with the burial of an Asse, Ier. 22.18. Ieconiah carried to Babylon sped somewhat, yet but little better; there he dyed a Captive: As for Zedekiah and his Children, these were slain before his face, then his Eyes put out, and he led into miserable captivity., and all such as are clothed with strange Some say the strange Apparel of Idolatrous Priests, others say, and more likely, the garb of Forreigners, imitated by the wanton Iewes. apparel.

In the same day Not to be taken for a single day, but more largely for that time wherein God would visit and punish. also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold Insolently, and with rage break open the doors of such whose goods they seise, upon pretence of forfeitures or fines, a sin that Ezekiel both taxed and threatned, chap. 8.17. and 12.19. and 45.9. which fill their Masters Either the oppressing Kings, whose Officers these were, or publick Officers and Judges, whose Servants thus did (to enrich their Masters) spoil the poor, and the oppressed houses with violence goods taken away by force, and kept as much against right, as at first taken away without right and deceit by false accusations, and by suborned evidence for proof, and by perjuries..

And it shall come to pass in that day See ver. 9. let. a. says the LORD To assure us of the certainty of the thing., that there shall be the noise The voice Heb. of a cry, i. e. a very great outcry and lamentation. of a cry from the fish gate Which was on the west side of Ierusalem, through which Gate they brought in fish from, and other Sea Towns on the West Sea, or great Sea, now the Mediterranean, at which Gate the Babylonians are said first to enter into the City, when they took it thus, it will be a prediction at what Gate he Enemy should enter., and an howling The great, horrid, and confus'd lamentations of desperate and undone multitudes crying out, and bitterly bemoaning themselves. from the second Gate which was in the second Wall of Ierusalem, which on that side was fortified with three Walls, or second part of the City, or the middle City, for 'twas divided into three parts. Others read Second as a Proper Name, and make it the School, Colledge, or University, and so render the howling of the University, i. e. of Students either slaughter'd, or captivated by Chaldeans., and a great crashing Breaking in pieces, or the noise of what is broken into shivers; possibly the noise of Doors, Windows, Closers, and Chests broken up, or burning from the hills in the houses of Nobles, likned here to hills, or more literally in Gareb and Goath, on which the flying Iews pursued by the Chaldees, lost what they carryed with them, and their life too; so all places were full of miserable slaughter, and out-cryes..

Howl Cry aloud, and bitterly. ye inhabitants of Maktesh Some read it appellatively: The Mortar in which of old, before the Corn-Mill was known and used, they did pound and beat their Corn for Bread. They also pounded Spices: Others say 'tis the lower Town, or Valley of Cedron in Ierusalem, a deep Valley that surrounded the Mountain of the Temple, which fancied like a deep Mortar, they gave the name Maktesh to it., for all the merchant people Who were wont either to lodge in this place when they came to Trade, or, if Iewish Merchants, dwelt there, which was much to the advantage of the place, but now by the invasion of the Land, and by the siege, all trade is cut off, and many Merchants either slain or made slaves. are cut down; all they that bear silver That brought it with them to pay for what they bought up, and so enricht the Inhabitants of this Makte h, all that traded and payd ready money, are cut off, as let. q. Others say, the Money-changers, or Bankers are here meant by them that bear silver, persons that furnisht all sorts o people with silver, for Goods laid to pledge, or buttered. are i. e. shall be as surely, as if 'twere already done. cut off.

And it shall come to pass at that time 'Twas day, ver. 10. which see let. a., that I will search God speaks after the manner of man who searcheth dark places with Candles in hand; God's Omniscience seeth all things, and needs no help for discovery, but by this expression foretels how fully he would both discover, and punish. Jerusalem with candles It is like enough this was literally fulfilled when the Chaldeans did search the Vaults, and Sellars, and sewers of Ierusalem for Men, or Goods hidden in them., and punish the men that are setled on their lees In allusion to Liquors which not being poured out from Vessel to Vessel to refine them, grow thick and setled; so men that have known none or little changes settle in security, and fear no menaces.: that say in their heart Entertain an opinion, or begin to flatter themselves into thoughts., the LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil No providence to countenance the good, or to punish the bad: No God, or none that regardeth what is done on Earth, or as they, Ezek. 8. 12. think God has forsaken the Earth. These Atheists God will punish severely, as the sin well deserveth; they shall see, it shall be well with the righteous, and ill with the wicked..

Therefore As a punishment for other sins, so for this secure Atheistical denyal of Providence, though they have denyed, they shall feel, and confess, that the evil they suffer is both just, and from my hand too. their goods Stores in their Shops and Warehouses, Furniture in their Cambers, and Ward-robes. shall become a booty A Prey divided among the Babyloni h Souldiers, invading, prevailing, wasting Villages and Cities., and their houses a desolation That they may remember the curse threatned in the Law, executed on them, and acknowledge that who gave the Law Rules by it.: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them According to that Deut. 28.30, 39., and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.

The great Not the day of general Judgment, but the day in which the great God will bring his great Armies against Iudah and Ierusalem, and do great things by those Armies day of the LORD Appointed, oretold, and now actually brought on them by the Lord. is near, it is near Very near, it is doubled to show the nearness of it, and to assure us it is so., and hasteth greatly Your Enemies eagerness for the prey, your sins and security, and the Lord's justly provoked anger hasten this day.: even the voice 'Tis within hearing, the sound of it is in mine ears, methinks you might hear it also. of the day of the LORD: the mighty man The valiant, and stout hearted among the Iews, they who should support others, shall be ready to sink themselves, and as much need a Cordial themselves. shall cry there bitterly n. Their courage broken, they shall cry out most vehemently, or like hopeless Women.

That day Great day, ver. 14. is a day of wrath From the Chaldeans, and from the Lord, actively, upon the Iews passively., a day of trouble and distress Here the Prophet heapeth up words of much the same sense to express the grievousness of the troubles of those times which shall suddenly come upon them, most distressing trouble, none knowing how to bear it, or where to hide from it., a day of wastness and desolation Most desolate wastness in City, Villages, and Fields; every where the spoiling Souldier shall lay waste, carrying all he can, and destroying what he cannot carry away., a day of darkness and gloominess Possibly it might be so as to the temper of the air dark, and gloomy, but figuratively I am sure it was so., a day of clouds, and thick darkness Either literally from the Heavens clouded over them, or (i it refer, as it may to the day of sacking Ierusalem, and effects of it) darkness, gloominess, Clouds, and thick darkness arising from the smoak and fire of the City every where fired by the Enemy, but Metaphorically these speak the most unparallel'd calamities..

A day of the trumpet Gods Trumpet calling the Chaldeans, the Chaldeans trumpet also gathering together their Troops., and alarm Threatening and affrighting against the senced cities of Iudah., and against the high towers Stately Palaces, and strong Munitions fortified with high Towers, built at the Angles of Walls, and therefore Heb. calls them high Corners, it may mean also the great men which (as corners well built) are the strength and beauty of a Wall; so they of a State, Iudg. 20.2. Zech. 10.4..

And I will bring distress Gast them into, and surround or besiege them with distress; Calamities which shall greatly trouble, and perplex. upon men The chiefest among them, the richest, and who think themselves safest; the mighty men, as ver. 10. let, m. like blind men shall neither know what to do, or where to fly, neither be it for Counsel or Action., that they shall walk like blind men All this for their great sins against the Lord, these men of note have been as much greater in sin as in state above others, and shall be as much deep in distress., because they have sinned against e the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust As freely, abundantly, and as contemptibly, as dust in the High-way., and their flesh as the dung Shall be spread as dung on the face of the Earth to fatten and improve it, their life shall be of no more value than dust, their honour no more regarded than dung, and they shall be so used after death..

Neither their silver nor their gold Sometimes these have purchas'd friends, and redeem'd a life at the hand of greedy Souldiers, who have spared on promise of money, but now it shall not be so, neither silver or gold shall help. shall be able to deliver To pacifie the enraged Sultan of Babylon who had been formerly appeased which Presents, and Tribute Money, but will no more. Nor shall his Souldiers dare to spare or save any when they are charged to slay man, woman, and child as in the taking of Ierusalem 'tis probable they were charged, Psal. 137.7, 8, 9. them in the day of the LORDs wrath Were it the wrath of man only, gifts might appease it, but 'tis the wrath of God who is a Righteous Judge, and receives not gifts., but the whole land shall be devoured Utterly ruin'd, its wealth carried away, its provisions eat up, its stores exhausted, and its stock (which should continue their Provision) utterly destroy'd as ver. 1. by the fire of his jealousie To which their sins provoked the Lord, which their sins inkindled, and now it burns that none can quench it, Vid. Deut. 28. from 15. ver. to the end of the Chapter; all which God will now make good against them.; for he shall make even a speedy riddance Though he had with wonderful patience waited and forborn, now he would wait no longer, but with speedy executions fulfill his threats and accomplish his wrath which he did within less than twenty years after this Prophesie, as is most like, on the accuratest computation we can make of the time of Zephaniah's prophesying and Nebuchadnezzar's taking the City. of all them that dwell o in the land p.