BibleTools
Zephaniah 2:2
Compare all

A Call to Repentance

1 Gathera yo1urselves together, yes, gather together,
O undesirable nation, 
2 Before the decree is issued,
Or the day passes like chaff,
Before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you,
Before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you!
3 aSeek the Lord, ball you meek of the earth,
Who have upheld His justice.
Seek righteousness, seek humility.
cIt may be that you will be hidden
In the day of the Lord’s anger. 

Judgment on Nations

4 For aGaza shall be forsaken,
And Ashkelon desolate;
They shall drive out Ashdod bat noonday,
And Ekron shall be uprooted. 
5 Woe to the inhabitants of athe seacoast,
The nation of the Cherethites!
The word of the Lord is against you,
O bCanaan, land of the Philistines:
“I will destroy you;
So there shall be no inhabitant.” 
6 The seacoast shall be pastures,
With1 shelters for shepherds aand folds for flocks. 
7 The coast shall be for athe remnant of the house of Judah;
They shall feed their flocks there;
In the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening.
For the Lord their God will bintervene for them,
And creturn their captives. 
8 “Ia have heard the reproach of Moab,
And bthe insults of the people of Ammon,
With which they have reproached My people,
And cmade arrogant threats against their borders. 
9 Therefore, as I live,”
Says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel,
“Surely aMoab shall be like Sodom,
And bthe people of Ammon like Gomorrah—
cOverrun1 with weeds and saltpits,
And a1 perpetual desolation.
The residue of My people shall plunder them,
And the remnant of My people shall possess them.” 
10 This they shall have afor their pride,
Because they have reproached and made arrogant threats
Against the people of the Lord of hosts. 
11 The Lord will be awesome to them,
For He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth;
aPeople shall worship Him,
Each one from his place,
Indeed all bthe shores of the nations. 
12 “Youa Ethiopians also,
You shall be slain by bMy sword.” 
13 And He will stretch out His hand against the north,
aDestroy Assyria,
And make Nineveh a desolation,
As dry as the wilderness. 
14 The herds shall lie down in her midst,
aEvery beast of the nation.
Both the bpelican and the bittern
Shall lodge on the capitals of her pillars;
Their voice shall sing in the windows;
Desolation shall be at the threshold;
For He will lay bare the ccedar work. 
15 This is the rejoicing city
aThat dwelt securely,
bThat said in her heart,
“I am it, and there is none besides me.”
How has she become a desolation,
A place for beasts to lie down!
Everyone who passes by her
cShall hiss and dshake his fist. 
Commentaries:
Barnes' Notes
<< Zephaniah 2:1   Zephaniah 2:3 >>


Zephaniah 2:2

Before the decree bring forth - God' s word is full (as it were) of the event which it foretelleth; it contains its own fulfillment in itself, and "travaileth" until it come to pass, giving signs of its coming, yet delaying until the full time. Time is said to bring forth what is wrought in it. "Thou knowest not, what a day shall bring forth."

Before the day pass as the chaff - Or, parenthetically, "like chaff the day passeth by." God' s counsels lie wrapt up, as it were, in the womb of time, wherein He hides them, until the moment which He has appointed, and they break forth suddenly to those who look not for them. The mean season is given for repentance, that is, the day of grace, the span of repentance still allowed, which is continually whirling more swiftly by; and woe, if it be fruitless as chaff! Those who profit not by it shall also be as chaff, carried away pitilessly by the whirlwind to destruction. Time, on which eternity hangs, is a slight, uncertain thing, as little to be counted upon, as the light dry particles which are the sport of the wind, driven uncertainly here and there. But when it is "passed," then "cometh," not "to" them, but "upon" them, from heaven, overwhelming them, "abiding upon" John 3:36 them, not to pass away, "the heat of the anger of Almighty God." This warning he twice repeats, to impress the certainty and speed of its conming Genesis 41:32. It is the warning of our Lord, "Take heed, lest that day come upon you unawares" Luke 21:34.




Other Barnes' Notes entries containing Zephaniah 2:2:

Zechariah 1:6

 

<< Zephaniah 2:1   Zephaniah 2:3 >>

DISCLAIMER: Church of the Great God (CGG) provides these resources to aid the individual in studying the Bible. However, it is up to the individual to "prove all things, and hold fast to that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21). The content of these resources does not necessarily reflect the views of CGG. They are provided for information purposes only.

Join 137,059+ readers

A Verse and a Thought,
Every Morning

Consistent Bible study is hard to start.

The Berean gives you the starting point: one scripture and a focused commentary in your inbox each morning — read it in minutes, or go as deep as you like.

Free, daily, and spam-free. We never share your address. Unsubscribe anytime.

Close
E-mail This Page