Zephaniah 1

Book Introduction - Zephaniah

Read first chapter of Zephaniah

This prophet, a contemporary of Jeremiah, exercised his ministry during the reign of Josiah. It was a time of revival (2Ki. 22), but the captivity was impending, nevertheless, and Zephaniah points out the moral state which, despite the superficial revival under Josiah (Jeremiah 2:11-13), made it inevitable.

Zephaniah is in four parts:

• The coming invasion of Nebuchadnezzar a figure of the day of the Lord, 1:1-2:3.
• Predictions of judgment on certain peoples, 2:4-15.
• The moral state of Israel for which the captivity was to come, 3:1-7.
• The judgment of the nations followed by kingdom blessing under Messiah, 3:8-20.

Chemarims

i.e. idolatrous priests. Cf. 2 Kings 23:5. Malcham

An idol of the Ammonites, same as Molech, or Milcom. for the day of the Lord

As in the other Prophets, the approaching invasion of Nebuchadnezzar is treated as an adumbration of the true day of the Lord in which all earth-judgments will culminate, to be followed by the restoration and blessing of Israel and the nations in the kingdom. See "Day of the Lord" Isaiah 2:10-22; Revelation 19:11-21 "Israel" ; Genesis 12:2,3; Romans 11:26. CF. Joel 1.,2. Maktesh

Lit. The Mortar, a depression in Jerusalem where the bazaars were.