About Zephaniah

Zephaniah proclaims the approaching Day of the Lord with its judgment, yet ends with a joyful promise of restoration.

Author: ZephaniahWritten: c. 640-621 BCReading time: ~2 minVerses: 18
Day of the LordJudgmentRemnantJoyRestorationHumility

King James Version

Zephaniah 1

18 verses with commentary

The Great Day of the Lord

The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

View commentary (3 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

Zephaniah's superscription follows prophetic convention, establishing divine authority and historical context. "The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah" (devar-Yahweh asher hayah el-Tsephanyah) asserts divine origin—this prophecy originates with God, not human speculation. Zephaniah means "Yahweh hides" or "Yahweh treasures," a name resonant with the book's theme: God will hide and preserve...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission. Bible Hub

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

30. Herodotus and Xenophon confirm Daniel as to the suddenness of the event. Cyrus diverted the Euphrates into a new channel and, guided by two deserters, marched by the dry bed into the city, while the Babylonians were carousing at an annual feast to the gods. See also Is 21:5; 44:27; Jr 50:38, 39; 51:36. As to Belshazzar's being slain, compare Is 14:18-20; 21:2-9; Jr 50:29-35; 51:57.

I will utterly consume all things from off the land , saith the LORD. I will: Heb. By taking away I will make an end the land: Heb. the face of the land

View commentary (2 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD</strong>—The Hebrew intensifies the verb: <em>asoph aseph</em> (אָסֹף אָסֵף), literally "gathering I will gather" or "sweeping away I will sweep away." This grammatical construction (infinitive absolute with finite verb) expresses emphatic totality—complete, thorough, utter consumption. The verb <em>asaph</em> (אָסַף) mean...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**31. Darius the Median--**that is, Cyaxares II, the son and successor of Astyages, 569-536 B.C. Though Koresh, or Cyrus, was leader of the assault, yet all was done in the name of Darius; therefore, he alone is mentioned here; but Da 6:28 shows Daniel was not ignorant of Cyrus' share in the capture of Babylon. Is 13:17; 21:2, confirm Daniel in making the Medes the leading nation in destroying Bab...
Read full commentary →

I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD. stumblingblocks: or, idols

View commentary

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea</strong>—This verse expands verse 2's universal judgment with specific categories, reversing Genesis creation order. God created in sequence: light, sky, land, vegetation, sun/moon/stars, sea creatures and birds (day 5), land animals and humanity (day 6). Zephaniah announces de-creation in rever...
Read full commentary →

I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests;

View commentary (2 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem</strong>—After announcing universal judgment (verses 2-3), Zephaniah narrows focus to covenant people. The phrase <strong>stretch out mine hand</strong> (<em>natah et-yadi</em>, נָטָה אֶת־יָדִי) consistently signals divine judgment in Scripture (Exodus 7:5; Isaiah 5:25; Jeremiah 6:12; Ezekiel 6:14). God...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 6 Da 6:1-28. Darius' Decree: Daniel's Disobedience, and Consequent Exposure to the Lions: His Deliverance by God, and Darius' Decree. **1. Darius--**Grotefend has read it in the cuneiform inscriptions at Persepolis, as Darheush, that is, "Lord-King," a name applied to many of the Medo-Persian kings in common. Three of that name occur: Darius Hystaspes, 521 B.C., in whose reign the decree ...
Read full commentary →

And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham; by the: or, to the LORD

View commentary

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops</strong>—<em>Tzeva ha-shamayim</em> (צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם), "the host of heaven," refers to astral deities: sun, moon, stars, and planets worshiped throughout the Ancient Near East. Deuteronomy 4:19 and 17:3 explicitly forbid this practice, yet it flourished in Judah. Flat-roofed houses provided perfect platforms for star worship—high pl...
Read full commentary →

And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him.

View commentary (2 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Them that are turned back from the LORD</strong> (<em>ha-nasogim me-acharey Yahweh</em>, הַנְּסוֹגִים מֵאַחֲרֵי יְהוָה)—The verb <em>nasog</em> (נָסוֹג) means to turn back, withdraw, retreat, apostatize. This describes deliberate abandonment, not mere neglect. The phrase <strong>from the LORD</strong> (<em>me-acharey Yahweh</em>) literally means "from after the LORD"—they once followed but...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**3. Daniel was preferred--**probably because of his having so wonderfully foretold the fall of Babylon. Hence the very expression used by the queen mother on that occasion (Da 5:12) is here used, "because an excellent spirit was in him." **king thought to set him over the whole realm--**Agreeing with Darius' character, weak and averse to business, which he preferred to delegate to favorites. Go...
Read full commentary →

Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. bid: Heb. sanctified, or, prepared

View commentary (2 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

The command 'Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD' (has mip-peney Adonai YHWH) demands reverential silence before divine judgment. This isn't mere quietness but awestruck recognition of God's sovereign majesty and righteous wrath. The 'day of the LORD' arrives with sacrificial imagery: God has prepared a sacrifice (zebah) and consecrated His guests (qadash)—ironic language where Israel b...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**4. occasion ... concerning the kingdom--**pretext for accusation in his administration (Ec 4:4).

And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD'S sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel. punish: Heb. visit upon

View commentary (2 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>It shall come to pass in the day of the LORD'S sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children</strong>—The Day of the LORD becomes a sacrificial day where Judah's leadership serves as the offering. <strong>Punish</strong> (<em>paqad</em>, פָּקַד) means to visit for judgment, attend to, call to account. God will <em>visit</em> the elite with judicial inspection, exposing...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

5. It is the highest testimony to a godly man's walk, when his most watchful enemies can find no ground of censure save in that he walks according to the law of God even where it opposes the ways of the world.

In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit.

View commentary (2 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold</strong>—This cryptic phrase likely refers to a pagan superstition or ritual practice. The incident in 1 Samuel 5:1-5 describes how the ark of God caused Dagon's statue to fall and break at the threshold, leading Philistine priests to avoid stepping on Dagon's threshold. Archaeological evidence suggests threshold ritua...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**6. assembled together--**literally, "assembled hastily and tumultuously." Had they come more deliberately, the king might have refused their grant; but they gave him no time for reflection, representing that their test-decree was necessary for the safety of the king. **live for ever--**Arrian [Alexander, 4] records that Cyrus was the first before whom prostration was practised. It is an undesi...
Read full commentary →

And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.

View commentary (2 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>It shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills</strong>—Zephaniah provides an acoustic portrait of Jerusalem's coming devastation. <strong>The fish gate</strong> (<em>sha'ar ha-dagim</em>, שַׁעַר הַדָּגִים) stood on Jerusalem's northern wall (Nehemiah 3:3, 12:3...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

7. The Persian king was regarded as representative of the chief god, Ormuzd; the seven princes near him represented the seven Amshaspands before the throne of Ormuzd; hence Mordecai (Es 3:4) refused such homage to Haman, the king's prime minister, as inconsistent with what is due to God alone. A weak despot, like Darius, much under the control of his princes, might easily be persuaded that such a ...
Read full commentary →

Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.

View commentary (2 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh</strong>—<em>Maktesh</em> (מַכְתֵּשׁ) literally means "mortar" or "hollow"—a bowl-shaped depression used for grinding. This likely refers to a valley or quarter in Jerusalem, possibly the Tyropoeon Valley (the central valley) or a merchant district where the name described the geographical depression. The imperative <strong>Howl</strong> (<em>heylilu</em>, ה...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**8. decree--**or, "interdict." **that it be not changed--**(Es 1:19; 8:8). This immutability of the king's commands was peculiar to the Medes and Persians: it was due to their regarding him infallible as the representative of Ormuzd; it was not so among the Babylonians. **Medes and Persians--**The order of the names is an undesigned mark of genuineness. Cyrus the Persian reigned subordinate t...
Read full commentary →

And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil. settled: Heb. curded, or, thickened

View commentary (2 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>At that time, I will search Jerusalem with candles</strong> (<em>achapes et-Yerushalayim ba-nerot</em>, אֲחַפֵּשׂ אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִַם בַּנֵּרוֹת)—The verb <em>chaphas</em> (חָפַשׂ) means to search thoroughly, examine carefully, investigate meticulously. God will conduct comprehensive investigation of Jerusalem, using <strong>candles</strong> (lamps) to illuminate dark corners where sin hides....
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

9. Such a despotic decree is quite explicable by remembering that the king, as the incarnation of Ormuzd, might demand such an act of religious obedience as a test of loyalty. Persecuting laws are always made on false pretenses. Instead of bitter complaints against men, Daniel prays to God. Though having vast business as a ruler of the empire, he finds time to pray thrice a day. Daniel's three com...
Read full commentary →

Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.

View commentary (2 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation</strong>—This verse pronounces covenant curses upon the complacent. <strong>Booty</strong> (<em>meshisah</em>, מְשִׁסָּה) means plunder, spoil—their accumulated possessions will be seized by invaders. <strong>Desolation</strong> (<em>shemamah</em>, שְׁמָמָה) means devastation, wasteland—their houses will become uninh...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**10. when Daniel knew ... writing ... signed--**and that, therefore, the power of advising the king against it was taken from him. **went into his house--**withdrawing from the God-dishonoring court. **windows ... open--**not in vainglory, but that there might be no obstruction to his view of the direction in which Jerusalem, the earthly seat of Jehovah under the Old Testament, lay; and that ...
Read full commentary →

The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

View commentary (2 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

This verse introduces one of Scripture's most solemn themes: the Day of the LORD. "The great day of the LORD is near" (qarov yom-Yahweh ha-gadol) announces imminent divine intervention in judgment. The phrase "Day of the LORD" (yom Yahweh) appears throughout prophetic literature (Isaiah 13:6-9; Ezekiel 30:2-3; Joel 1:15, 2:1, 11, 31; Amos 5:18-20; Obadiah 15; Malachi 4:5) describing God's decisive...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**11. assembled--**as in Da 6:6, "assembled" or "ran hastily," so as to come upon Daniel suddenly and detect him in the act.

That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

View commentary (2 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>That day is a day of wrath</strong> (יוֹם עֶבְרָה yom evrah)—Zephaniah's sevenfold repetition of 'day' (יוֹם yom) creates a drumbeat of doom describing the <em>Day of the LORD</em>. The Latin hymn <em>Dies Irae</em> draws directly from this verse's apocalyptic imagery.<br><br><strong>Darkness and gloominess</strong> (חֹשֶׁךְ וַאֲפֵלָה choshek va'afelah)—This echoes the ninth plague of Egyp...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

12. They preface their attack by alleging the king's edict, so as to get him again to confirm it unalterably, before they mention Daniel's name. Not to break a wicked promise, is not firmness, but guilty obstinacy (Mt 14:9; Mr 6:26).

A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.

View commentary (2 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>A day of the trumpet and alarm</strong> (יוֹם שׁוֹפָר וּתְרוּעָה yom shofar u'teruah)—The <em>shofar</em> warned of enemy attack (Jeremiah 4:19, Amos 3:6) and announced the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:24). Here it heralds God Himself as invader.<br><br><strong>Against the fenced cities, and against the high towers</strong>—Judah's fortifications provided false security. The Hebrew <em>m...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**13. That Daniel--**contemptuously. **of ... captivity of Judah--**recently a captive among thy servants, the Babylonians--one whom humble obedience most becomes. Thus they aggravate his guilt, omitting mention of his being prime minister, which might only remind Darius of Daniel's state services. **regardeth not thee--**because he regarded God (Ac 4:19; 5:29).

And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.

View commentary (2 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men</strong>—The Hebrew <em>va'hatsarti la'adam</em> means 'I will bring into straits/narrow places.' Blindness here is judicial—those who refused to see God's ways are struck with moral and spiritual blindness.<br><br><strong>Their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung</strong> (דָּמָם כֶּעָפָר dam'am...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**14. displeased with himself--**for having suffered himself to be entrapped into such a hasty decree (Pr 29:20). On the one hand he was pressed by the immutability of the law, fear that the princes might conspire against him, and desire to consult for his own reputation, not to seem fickle; on the other, by regard for Daniel, and a desire to save him from the effects of his own rash decree. **t...
Read full commentary →

Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

View commentary

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them</strong> (כַּסְפָּם וּזְהָבָם kasapam u'zehabam)—Wealth is impotent before God's wrath. This echoes Ezekiel 7:19: 'They shall cast their silver in the streets.' What secured social status becomes useless for purchasing salvation.<br><br><strong>The fire of his jealousy</strong> (אֵשׁ קִנְאָתוֹ esh kin'ato)—God's jealousy is ...
Read full commentary →

Test Your Knowledge

Continue Your Study