Hold thy peace, &c. See Amos 6:10 . Habakkuk 2:20 . Zec 3:13 . the Lord. Hebrew Adonai. App-4 . God. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 . a sacrifice. Septuagint reads "His sacrifice". bid = separated. Hebrew sanctified. See note on Exodus 3:5 . read more
"Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord Jehovah; for the day of Jehovah is at hand: for Jehovah hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath consecrated his guests.""Hold thy peace ..." Jamieson rendered this, "Let the earth be silent at God's approach,"[23] similar to the words in Habakkuk 2:20. He also gave Calvin's comment on this place, thus:"Thou, whosoever who has been wont to speak against God, as if he had no care about earthly affairs, cease thy murmurs and self-justifications; submit... read more
Zephaniah 1:7. He hath bid— He hath appointed his guests, that is to say, the Babylonians. read more
7. Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord— (Habakkuk 2:20). Let the earth be silent at His approach [MAURER]. Or, "Thou whosoever hast been wont to speak against God, as if He had no care about earthly affairs, cease thy murmurs and self-justifications; submit thyself to God, and repent in time" [CALVIN]. Lord . . . prepared a sacrifice—namely, a slaughter of the guilty Jews, the victims due to His justice (Isaiah 34:6; Jeremiah 46:10; Ezekiel 39:17). bid his guests—literally, "sanctified... read more
II. THE DAY OF YAHWEH’S JUDGMENT 1:2-3:8Zephaniah’s prophecies are all about "the day of the LORD." He revealed two things about this "day." First, it would involve judgment (Zephaniah 1:2 to Zephaniah 3:8) and, second, it would eventuate in blessing (Zephaniah 3:9-20). The judgment portion is the larger of the two sections of revelation. This judgment followed by blessing motif is common throughout the Prophets. Zephaniah revealed that judgment would come from Yahweh on the whole earth, Judah,... read more
In view of the inevitability of coming judgment for idolatry, it was appropriate for the Judeans to be quiet before sovereign Yahweh (cf. Habakkuk 2:20)."This is a call to the people of Judah to cease every manner of opposition to God’s word and will, to bow down in submissive obedience, in unconditional surrender, in loving service, to their Covenant God." [Note: T. Laetsch, The Minor Prophets, p. 358.] This is Zephaniah’s first reference to the day of the Lord, to which he referred 24 times... read more
2. The course of Judah’s judgment 1:7-13Zephaniah’s second picture of the day of the LORD is that of a great sacrifice. read more
The Day of Jehovah a Day of Judgment for guilty JudahThe prophecy opens with the declaration of universal destruction for all living things. In his way the prophet impresses upon his hearers the completeness and appalling nature of the impending judgment. In the succeeding vv. he defines in detail the character of the punishment and the guilty classes in Judah upon which it will especially fall. It is in keeping with the genius of the Semitic mind thus to pass from the general to the specific.... read more
(7) Hold thy peace. . . .—Literally, Hush at the presence of the Lord God. This peculiar phrase is repeated in Habakkuk 2:20.A sacrifice.—The word includes the idea of the feast in which it was customary to consume the remains of the sacrifice. (See Psalms 22:26; Psalms 22:29.) Hence the clause “He has bid his guests;” or, more literally, He has consecrated [set apart for himself] his invited ones. (Comp. Isaiah 13:3.) God’s guests are here those foreign nations whom He has selected to be His... read more
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Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 1:1-18
1:1-3:8 PUNISHMENT OF SINNERSSins of Jerusalem (1:1-18)The prophet opens with a general statement about judgment that probably comes as no surprise to the people of Jerusalem. He announces that God will destroy sin from the earth (1:1-3). What surprises the hearers is Zephaniah’s assertion that God will destroy them, for they too are sinners (4a). Anti-God practices established by Manasseh still exist, such as the worship of Baal, the worship of the stars and the worship of Milcom (Molech).... read more