Zephaniah 2:3

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Zephaniah 2:1-3

Here we see what the prophet meant in that terrible description of the approaching judgments which we had in the foregoing chapter. From first to last his design was, not to drive the people to despair, but to drive them to God and to their duty?not to frighten them out of their wits, but to frighten them out of their sins. In pursuance of that he here calls them to repentance, national repentance, as the only way to prevent national ruin. Observe, I. The summons given them to a national... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 2:3

Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth ,.... Or "of the land", of the land of Judea. In this time of great apostasy, there was a remnant according to the election of grace, whom the Lord reserved for himself, and bestowed his grace upon; and it is for the sake of these that the general exhortations to repentance and reformation are given out, to whom alone they were to be useful, that they might be protected and preserved from the general ruin; for such as are here described are persons... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Zephaniah 2:3

Ye meek of the earth - ענוי anavey , ye oppressed and humbled of the land. It may be ye shall be hid - The sword has not a commission against you. Ask God, and he will be a refuge to you from the storm and from the tempest. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Zephaniah 2:3

Verse 3 Here the Prophet turns his discourse to a small number, for he saw that he could produce no effect on the promiscuous multitude. For had his doctrine been addressed in common to the whole people, there were very few who would have attended. We would therefore have been discouraged had he not believed that some seed remained among the people, and that the office of teaching and exhorting had not been in vain committed to him by God. But he shows at the same time that the greater part... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Zephaniah 2:1-3

§ 1. The prophet urges all to examine their ways before the day of the Lord come; and he prays the righteous to seek the Lord more earnestly, in order that they may be safe in the judgment. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Zephaniah 2:1-3

"Gather yourselves together," etc. Here is an exhortation to the men of Judah to repent ere the Chaldean invaders approach, and wreak destruction on their land. Two thoughts are suggested. I. SIN EXPOSES MAN TO RUIN . It was sin, in the form of idolatry and gross immorality, that exposed the Jewish people to the terrible doom that was now hanging over them. Sin is evermore the cause of all human suffering. Corporeal sin brings corporeal suffering; moral sin brings moral... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Zephaniah 2:3

The prophet here addresses especially the pious among the people, urging them to perseverance in the right way. Ye meek of the earth. The humble, peaceable, religious, among the Israelites are primarily meant; whose character is the direct contrary of the proud, self-confident infidels mentioned above (comp. Isaiah 11:4 ; Amos 2:7 ). But there is no reason why the admonition should not include the heathen who are striving to live after the light of conscience ( Isaiah 24:5 ; Romans... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Zephaniah 2:3

This may be taken as the key-note of the second discourse of the prophet ( Zephaniah 2:1-15 :l- Zephaniah 3:7 ), in which, after having uttered the solemn threatening of judgment in the former discourse, he gives more explicit directions as to what is the duty of the people in the view of this impending calamity. The call in Zephaniah 1:1-18 . had simply been "Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God," i.e. to recognize the reality, nearness, and justice of the judgment he... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Zephaniah 2:3

Seek ye the Lord - He had exhorted sinners to penitence; he now calls the righteous to persevere and increase more and more. He bids them “seek diligently” , and that with a three-fold call, to seek Him from whom they received daily the three-fold blessing Numbers 6:23-26, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as he had just before threatened God’s impending judgment with the same use of the mysterious number, three. They, whom he calls, were already, by the grace of God, “meek,” and “had wrought His... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Zephaniah 2:3

Zephaniah 2:3. Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek Here the prophet addresses some others, different from those addressed before, namely, the few pious, who still remained in Jerusalem and Judah amidst the general corruption; which have wrought his judgment Who have obeyed his laws, and done his will. Seek righteousness That is, continue to seek it; persevere in the practice of every branch of piety and virtue. Seek meekness Patiently wait on the holy and gracious God. It may be ye shall... read more

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