Zephaniah 1:1

Introduction

1:1 This is the prophetic message that the Lord gave to ¹  Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah. Zephaniah delivered this message during the reign of ²  King Josiah son of Amon of Judah:

Zephaniah 1:8

1:8 “On the day of the Lord’s sacrificial meal,

I will punish the princes ³  and the king’s sons,

and all who wear foreign styles of clothing. ⁴ 

Zephaniah 2:8-9

2:8 “I have heard Moab’s taunts

and the Ammonites’ insults.

They ⁵  taunted my people

and verbally harassed those living in Judah. ⁶ 

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, ⁷ 

filled with salt pits, ⁸ 

and permanently desolate.

Those of my people who are left ⁹  will plunder their belongings; ¹⁰ 

those who are left in Judah ¹¹  will take possession of their land.”

[1:1]  ¹ tn Heb “The word of the Lord which came to.”

[1:1]  ² tn Heb “in the days of.” The words “Zephaniah delivered this message” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[1:8]  ³ tn Or “officials” (NRSV, TEV); NLT “leaders.”

[1:8]  ⁴ sn The very dress of the royal court, foreign styles of clothing, revealed the degree to which Judah had assimilated foreign customs.

[2:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “who.” A new sentence was begun here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[2:8]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ tn Or “The remnant of my people.”

[2:9]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “them.” The actual object of the plundering, “their belongings,” has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:9]  ¹¹ tn Heb “[the] nation.” For clarity the “nation” has been specified as “Judah” in the translation.