Seek . . . seek. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 4:29 ), as in Zephaniah 1:6 . judgment = ordinances; as in Isaiah 58:2 .Jeremiah 8:7 . ye shall be hid. Referring to Isaiah 26:20 , and the meaning of the name Zephaniah. read more
"Seek ye Jehovah, all ye meek of the earth, that have kept his ordinances; seek righteousness, seek meekness; it may be ye will be hid in the day of Jehovah's anger.""All ye meek of the earth ..." This cannot possibly mean merely the meek and righteous remnant of Israel, proving that in this passage there is a much wider view reaching the ends of the earth and referring to the second "Israel" in the kingdom of Messiah, a "remnant" indeed, but nevertheless a remnant from which none of the old... read more
Zephaniah 2:3. Which have wrought his judgment— Keep his judgments. Houbigant. read more
3. As in :- (compare Note, see on :-) he had warned the hardened among the people to humble themselves, so now he admonishes "the meek" to proceed in their right course, that so they may escape the general calamity ( :-). The meek bow themselves under God's chastisements to God's will, whereas the ungodly become only the more hardened by them. Seek ye the Lord—in contrast to those that "sought not the Lord" ( :-). The meek are not to regard what the multitudes do, but seek God at once. his... read more
4. A call to repentance 2:1-3This section of the book (Zephaniah 1:4 to Zephaniah 2:3) concludes with an appeal to the Judeans to repent and so avoid the punishment destined to come on them if they did not repent."The prophet meant in that terrible description of approaching judgments 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." [Note: Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible,... read more
The prophet urged his humble hearers who had sought to be obedient to the Lord to continue to seek Him in prayerful dependence. He was appealing to the faithful remnant in particular (cf. Zephaniah 3:12; Isaiah 11:4; Amos 8:4; Matthew 5:3). They needed to continue to pursue righteous behavior and place themselves under the Lord’s sovereign authority by listening to Him and obeying Him. If they did this, the Lord might hide them when He poured out His anger on the unrepentant. [Note: See... 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
II.(1-3) An exhortation to seek God before His day of vengeance is revealed. read more
(3) Wrought his judgment.—Or, rather, executed His sentence—acted in compliance with His revealed will by refraining from the sins above specified. read more
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Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 2:1-15
The certainty of judgment (2:1-15)In spite of the certainty of judgment, there is still hope for those who will turn to God in humility and faith. The only ones to escape the divine wrath will be those who renounce their former wrongdoing and determine to live in obedience to God (2:1-3).To impress upon the Jerusalemites that no sinners will escape God’s wrath, Zechariah gives them examples of coming judgment on neighbouring nations. The first judgment concerns regions to the west of Judah. The... read more