Zephaniah 2:4. For Gaza shall be forsaken— For, lo, Gaza is forsaken; and so throughout, in the present tense: as much as to say, "Behold, the cities of the Philistines are taken and plundered by this victorious people; therefore your destruction draweth nigh." After Psammiticus king of Egypt, who took the cities of the Philistines, his son Necho came, who carried away king Jehoahaz in bonds. See Houbigant. read more
4. For—He makes the punishment awaiting the neighboring states an argument why the ungodly should repent (Zephaniah 2:1) and the godly persevere, namely, that so they may escape from the general calamity. Gaza shall be forsaken—In the Hebrew there is a play of similar sounds, Gaza Gazubah; Gaza shall be forsaken, as its name implies. So the Hebrew of the next clause, Ekron teeakeer. at the noonday—when on account of the heat Orientals usually sleep, and military operations are suspended (2... read more
The prophet announced that destruction would overtake four of the five cities of the Philistine pentapolis (cf. Isaiah 14:28-32; Jeremiah 47; Ezekiel 25:15-17; Amos 1:6-8). He listed them from south to north. Gath had evidently declined already (cf. 2 Chronicles 26:6; Amos 1:6-8; Zechariah 9:5-7), or perhaps Zephaniah selected only four towns to preserve literary parallelism. "Gaza" and "abandoned" sound similar in Hebrew, as do "Ekron" and "uprooted." Being driven out at noon may imply an... read more
1. Judgment coming on Philistia 2:4-7 read more
C. judgment on Israel’s neighbors 2:4-15Since all people need to seek the Lord (Zephaniah 2:3), Zephaniah revealed that judgment was headed for the nations around Judah as well as for Judah. He selected nations that lived in four directions from Judah to represent all the nations. Philistia lay west of Judah, Moab and Ammon east, Ethiopia south, and Assyria north."He [God] would also judge nations that were near as well as nations that were far away. Those near would be plundered and possessed... read more
Jehovah’s impending Judgment upon Judah’s Neighbours and FoesThe universal note which is struck in Zephaniah 1:2-3 is now further amplified. Jehovah’s agents of punishment, the Scythians, shall carry desolation along the Philistine plain to Egypt (as they actually did), and to the nations E. of the Jordan and Dead Sea, and even to distant Assyria, which in 605 b.c. fell before them.1-3. Exhortation to repentance. The Heb. text is exceedingly doubtful. It is also not clear whether or not... read more
(4) In the words “Gaza (Azzâh) shall be forsaken (âzab)” and “Ekron shall be rooted up (âkar)” there is a paronomasia, or play on the words, similar to that in Micah 1:10, et seq.At the noon day.—i.e., this city shall be so weak and defenceless that there will be no need to surprise it at night: it shall be “spoiled at noon day” (Jeremiah 15:8).It is noticeable that it is these four of the five Philistine cities which are denounced by Amos (Amos 1:6-8) and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:20). See also... read more
(4-7) The sentence against the great Philistine strongholds. read more
(4-15) Jehovah’s chastisement of foreign powers. These Divine visitations are introduced somewhat abruptly. The connection is perhaps that they are intended to lead God’s people to repent, and put their faith in Him who orders the destinies of all mankind. Also, as being inflicted on hostile peoples, they are in Israel’s favour, and ought therefore to elicit gratitude. But more especially are they all steps towards the establishment of Jehovah’s supremacy, and the inclusion of the Gentiles in... read more
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Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Zephaniah 2:4
"For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation; they shall drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron shall be rooted up."The places condemned here were in Philistia, west of Jerusalem; and, taking the large view of this section to the end of the chapter, the four points of the compass are included in the sweeping condemnations. Although uttered in terminology with current meaning for the people of Zephaniah's day, the prophecy, we believe, is typical of the final destruction of all the... read more