Zephaniah 2:7

Context

2:7 Those who are left from the kingdom of Judah¹ will take possession of it.²

By the sea³ they⁴ will graze,

in the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down in the evening,

for the Lord their God will intervene for them⁵ and restore their prosperity.⁶

Zephaniah 3:20

Context

3:20 At that time I will lead you –

at the time I gather you together.⁷

Be sure of this!⁸ I will make all the nations of the earth respect and admire you⁹

when you see me restore you,”¹⁰ says the Lord.

[2:7] ¹tn Heb “the remnant of the house of Judah.”

[2:7] ²tn Or “the coast will belong to the remnant of the house of Judah.”

[2:7] ³tc Heb “on them,” but the antecedent of the masculine pronoun is unclear. It may refer back to the “pasture lands,” though that noun is feminine. It is preferable to emend the text from עֲלֵיהֶם (’alehem) to עַל־הַיָּם (’al-hayyam, “by the sea”) an emendation that assumes a misdivision and transposition of letters in the MT (cf. NEB “They shall pasture their flocks by the sea”). See J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 192.

[2:7] ⁴tn The referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) is unclear. It may refer (1) to the shepherds (in which case the first verb should be translated, “pasture their sheep,” cf. NEB), or (2) to the Judahites occupying the area, who are being compared to sheep (cf. NIV, “there they will find pasture”).

[2:7] ⁵tn Or “will care for them.”

[2:7] ⁶tn Traditionally, “restore their captivity,” i.e., bring back their captives, but it is more likely the expression means “restore their fortunes” in a more general sense (cf. NEB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[3:20] ⁷tn In this line the second person pronoun is masculine plural, indicating that the exiles are addressed.

[3:20] ⁸tn Or “for.”

[3:20] ⁹tn Heb “I will make you into a name and praise among all the peoples of the earth.” Here the word “name” carries the nuance of “good reputation.”

[3:20] ¹⁰tn Heb “when I restore your fortunes to your eyes.” See the note on the phrase “restore them” in 2:7.