Tyndale Open Study NotesZephaniah 1

Zephaniah's message from the Lord warns about worldwide judgment (Zephaniah 1:1–6). He urges his readers to repent (Zephaniah 1:7–13) before disaster strikes (1:14–18). He encourages them to seek the Lord and live righteously and humbly, hoping they may avoid his judgment (Zephaniah 2:1–3).

• This is the word of the LORD that came: The Lord gave this message to Zephaniah. Zephaniah was a prophet, which means he spoke for God.

• The reference to Hezekiah probably points to King Hezekiah of Judah, who ruled during this time (see 2 Kings 18:1–20:20).

God's judgment will remove things in the reverse order of their creation (Genesis 1:20–26). People and animals are mentioned first, then birds, and finally fish.

This order shows that judgment is a reversal of creation, moving backward through what God originally made.

After judging the entire earth (Zephaniah 1:2–3), Zephaniah now focuses on his own people, Judah and Jerusalem.

When Zephaniah made this prophecy, before Josiah's reforms in 622 BC, idolatrous priests actively promoted Baal worship and other forms of paganism (2 Kings 23:5).

• Scripture condemned the worship of heavenly bodies like the sun, moon, and stars (see Deuteronomy 4:15–19; 2 Kings 21:3; 23:12).

• Milcom was the national god of the Ammonites. In some Old Testament passages, Milcom is closely connected with Molech, a pagan deity linked with child sacrifice. Because of this connection, some texts use these names in overlapping ways.

  The law clearly forbade the worship of Molech and related practices (Leviticus 20:1–5). Even so, these forms of worship continued to tempt Israel, especially through contact with neighboring nations (2 Kings 16:3; 21:6).

We should view the entire passage as one large event. Some parts were fulfilled when Jerusalem fell in 586 BC. Other parts repeated in different historical periods, like the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. The whole prophecy will be fulfilled at the end of time. Then, God will fully and finally judge the world and renew creation (Revelation 19:11–22:5).

the LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He has consecrated His guests: Foreigners will kill the wicked among the Lord's people.

The leaders and princes of Judah were:

• the tribal chiefs of Israel (Numbers 1:4),

• court officials (1 Chronicles 22:17),

• district supervisors (1 Kings 20:14–15),

• city officials (Judges 8:6),

• military leaders (1 Kings 2:5; 2 Kings 1:9–14; 25:23, 26), or even

• religious leaders (Ezra 8:24).

Their important roles gave them great responsibility before God (see James 3:1).

all who leap over the threshold: The people of Judah continued the pagan custom of jumping over a temple's threshold to avoid touching it, out of respect for that pagan god (see 1 Samuel 5:1–5).

The Fish Gate was in the northern part of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 12:39).

God would send an invading force to loot Jerusalem. The destruction would happen so fast that those who gained wealth unfairly would not live to enjoy it.

The meaning of the day of the Lord expands to include God's actions involving the entire earth.

darkness and gloom: See also Isaiah 13:9–10; Joel 2:1–2; Amos 5:18–20.

walk like the blind: This is an example of God's justice (see also Romans 1:21–32). God’s people were blind in their moral choices and in their relationship with him. They could not see what was right or wrong (see Exodus 23:8; Romans 2:19; 1 John 2:11). Because they sinned against the Lord and disobeyed his commands, they received the punishments promised in God’s covenant (Deuteronomy 28:28–29).