The Pulpit Commentary — Zephaniah — Section 24

Vera. l-6.-T.'1e Word. "The word of the Lord which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gede.liah, the son of Ame.rie.h, the son of Hizkiah, in the da.ys of Josiah the son of Amon, King of Judah. I will utterly consume all things from off the land, se.ith the Lord. I will consume me.n e.nd beast," etc. Of Zephaniab we have no information but what is contained in his prophecy. His genealogy is o-iven in the first verse of this chapter. He prophesied in the reign of Josiah, probably between the twelfth and eighteenth years of his reign. In the first chapter he predicts the utter desolation of Judah. In the second, he exhorts his countrymen to repentance in view of the approaching judgments, and threatens the surrounding nations, Philistia, Moab, and Ammon. In the third, after e. severe rebuke of Jerusalem, he foretells, in glowing language, its future purification and enlargement, and the destruction of all its enemies. 'fhe style is distinguished neither by sublimity nor elegance. He resembles in many respects his contemporary, Jeremiah. He borrows some of the language of former prophets (comp. eh. ii. 14 with Isa. xiii. 21 and xxxiv. 11; eh. ii. 15 with Isa. xlvii. 8). "The genealogy of Zephaniah is given throll!!h Cushi, Gedaliah, and Amari ah to Hezekiah; for in the original Hebrew the words 'Hizkiah' and 'Hezekiah' are the same. As it was unusual that the descent of prophets should be given with such particularity, it he.s been assumed with some probability that Hezekiah was the king of that no.me; though in this case we should have expected the addition, 'King of Judah.' The chemarim a.re the idol-priests; that is, priests devoted to idol-worship. In 2 Kings xxiii. 5, where the writer is speaking of the reformation under Josiah, tht: word is translated idolatrous priests; in Hos. x. 5, simply priests, which is its mean- ing in the Syriac language. Some have maintained that the invasion of Judah to which Zephaniah refers was that of the Scythians described by Herodotus; but this is very improbable. From the fact that the king's children are included in the threatened invasion-in the Hebrew,' I will visit upon the princes and the king's children '-some have inferred that they must have been already grown and addicted to idolatruus practices; consequently, that Zephaniah wrote later than the eighteenth year of Josiah.. But, as Keil and others have _remarked, the mention of the king's children may have been added simply to indicate the universality of the approaching visitation; not to say that the prophetic vision of Zephaniah may have anticipated the sin and the _punishment of these king's children, Jehoaha.z and Jehoiakim" (Barrows). In thesB verses we learn two things. 1. THE DISTINGUISHING CAPACITY OF MAN, AND THE WONDERFUL CONDESCENSION OF Goo. 1. The distinguishing capacity of man. What is that? To receive the word of Jehovah. "The ,word of the Lord which co.me unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi," etc. This Zephaniah, who from the fulness of his genealogy here given, was perhaps a person of note, was, however, mainly distinguished by this-viz. that he received a word from Jehovah. What is it to receive e. word from another? Not merely to hear it, to remember its sound, or to write it down, but to appreciate its meaning. This is the grand distinction of me.n as e. mundane existence. lt is not the reasoning principle that distinguishes man from other creatures on earth, for other creatures possess this in some degree; not the durability of his existence, for other creatures may live e.s long as he; but the capacity of taking in ideas from the Infinite Mind, to understand and realize God's thoughts. In a sense, there is a greater distance between me as a wan e.nd the most intelligent animal on this earth, tho.n there is between we e.nd my Maker. The highest animal cannot take in e.nd understand my thoughts; but I can take in and understand the thoughts of my Maker. "The word of the Lord" comes to every man at times-comes in visions of the night, comes in the intuitions of conscience, comes in the impressions that nature makes on the heart. 2. The wor.deiful condescension of God. How amazing the condescension of God to speak to man! Many of the poor little wretched creatures who are called emperors and empresses would, perhaps, not deign to speak to paupers, to hold converse with them; but the" Lord, though he be high, yet hath respect unto the humble;" "Thus eaith the High e.nd Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy, To that man will I look who is of a contrite heart." II. '!'HE MORAL CORRUPTION 01•' MAN, AND THE EXCLUSIVE PRE!lOGATIVE OF Goo. 1. The moral corr>1-ption of man. '!'here are three great moral evils indicated in these verses. (1) Idolatry. "I will cut off the remnant of Ilaal from this place, and the 22 THE 'BOO'K OF ZEPllANIAtt. toH. t. 1-18,