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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - Zephaniah 2:8 - 2:15
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The Door of Moab, Amman, and Assyria
v. 8. I have heard the reproach of Moab, Cf Jer_48:27, and the revilings of the children of Amman, the two nations east of Jordan and of the Dead Sea, which were related to the children of Israel, but later became the enemies of God's people and made known their hostility in bitter blasphemies, whereby they have reproached my people, in proud mockery and scorn, and magnified themselves against their border, acted violently against the boundary of the Lord's people, constantly attempting to get into possession of some of Israel's territory.
v. 9. Therefore as I live, saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, the supreme Ruler of the world, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Amman as Gamorrah, being overwhelmed by the destruction which was the fate of their ancestor's cities, even the breeding of nettles, a weed growing only in desolate places, and salt-pits, on the shore of the Dead Sea, and a perpetual desolation, a desert until the end of time; the residue of My people shall spoil them, take possession of their land, and the remnant of My people shall possess them, these events being typical of the destruction of the sinners and the redemption of the Lord's people.
v. 10. This shall they have for their pride, in proper retaliation for the manner in which they had dealt with Jehovah's people, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts.
v. 11. The Lord will be terrible unto them, dealing with them in a manner which is hound to strike terror to their hearts; for He will famish, or destroy, all the gods of the earth, all the idols in which men placed their trust; and men shall worship Him, acknowledging His supremacy, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen, namely, when men from every nation of the earth would he gained for the Gospel-truth, this being a further Messianic feature in this Chapter.
v. 12. Ye Ethiopians also, representatives of the heathen nations of the South, ye shall be slain by My sword, the statement in the third person dismissing them as of no further importance.
v. 13. And He will stretch out His hand against the North, and destroy Assyria, powerful though it was at that time, and will make Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, Jon_1:2, a desolation, although it was then surrounded by a network of irrigation canals, and dry like a wilderness. The prophet purposely devotes more time to Assyria, because it was at that time the greatest world-power and particularly hostile to the Lord's people.
v. 14. And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, the former great city had been leveled to the ground and reverted back to a pasture-ground, all the beasts of the nations, beasts of all kinds in droves or great masses; both the cormorant, the pelicans, and the bittern, or hedge-hog, shall lodge in the upper lintels of it, on the capitals of pillars standing in the midst of the ruins; their voice shall sing in the windows, or, "hark how tile singer sings in the window," where he has built his nest; desolation, or dirt, shall be in the thresholds; for He shall uncover the cedar work, all the beautiful cedar paneling of their palaces the Lord has torn away, and it has fallen into decay.
v. 15. This is the rejoicing city, where shouts of gaiety were heard without ceasing, that dwelt carelessly, in perfect security, that said in her heart, in proud self-confidence, I am, and there is none beside me. How is she become a desolation, a deserted place, a place for beasts to lie down in, a lair for the animals of the desert. Every one that passeth by her shall hiss and wag his head, both astonished and gratified at the overthrow of the proud city. It is a graphic description of the manner in which the Lord carried out His judgments upon His enemies.