The Pulpit Commentary — Zephaniah — Section 30

pnsae.ge has, n&e,011to, Kp11Twv, " eojonmere Philistie. Is of a epiritual nature, and mnst of the Cretnne; ' ancl the Byriac gives o. be looked for in the Mesaiiinic era, when similar ronclcring. Bt. Jerome renders, "gena the kingdoms of the world become the porditorum," "nation ot' destroyers." The kingdom of Chriet; e.nd so in the subse- word of the Lord is age.inst you. The sen- quent predictions. tence ia pronounced in the words following. Vere. 8-10.-§ 3. The punishment shall 0 Canaan, 0 Philietio, which shall be as Conaan, and in like manner exterminated. foll nezt upon the Jl,foabi!ea and .A.mmonites, Canaan means '' Lowland," o. name which representing the east. originally was applied to the Phcanicie.n and Ver. 8.-The reproach of Moab. As this Philistine tracts on the eee.-coe.st. I will refers to past actions, it must signify the even destroy thee. The like three.t is hostile attitude which Moab al ways assumed uttered by Jeremie.h (xlvii. 4, 5) and Ezekiel towards Israel. The revilings of the children (xx.v.15-17). of Ammon. Both these descendants of Lot Ver. 6.-Dwellings and oottages for shep- proved themselves bitter ~nemies of the herds; better, pasturesuith cave, for shepherds. Jews. Keil refers to Nnmb. xv. 30 and In the use of the word keroth, "diggings" Ezek. xx. 27, where the word gadaph iA (" cottages," Authorized Version) there is used in the sense "to revile or bla.~pheme probably intended a.nether play on the by actione." (For the persistent hostility "Cherethites." Neale, "The road from of Moab, see note on Amos ii. I, and for that Go.za to Askalon lay along the sea- of Ammon, the note on Amos i. 13.) .Mag- shore. . . . In the wintP,r months many nified themselves against their border. parts of it are impracticable, owing to the They carried themselves haughtily, showed encroachment of the sea. The surf then their pride by violating the territory of the dashes wildly into the hu:;:e caverns worked Israelites. This pride and self-exaltation out of the endless sand-hills that line thls is R. leading feature of the character of coast. These caverns were tenanted, when these two nations ( comp. Isa. xvi. 6 ; J er. we passed, by goatherds and their flocks. xlviii. 29, etc.). The destruction of the Thither they resort for shelter from the fierce kingdom of Israel and the weaknes~ of he11.t of the noontide sun; and here during that of Judah gave occasion to tbese the night the goats are penned. There are neighbours to display their haugl. tiness wells and reservoirs in the vicinity which and independence. The LXX. has, " my :(urnish water for the flocks the whole year borders." God himself assigned its bound- round, and the bre.mbles and thorn-bushes aries to Israel, as to other nations (Deut. that flourish near the seaside form their xxxii. 8); and to invade these was an offence pasturage"(' Eight Years in Syri11.,' i. 40, 41). against him. Septuagint, foT<Z, Kp~1'11 voµ~ 1ro1µ.v{wv, "Urete Ver. 9.-As I live. This is a common eh11.ll be a pasture of flocks." formulary to exprees certainty, God, flS it Ver, 7.-And the coast shall be for the were, pledging his exietence to the truth of remnant, etc. ; it will be a tract for the his declaration ( Deut. u:xii. 40 ; Isa. xlix. remnant. Tile district will be the possession 18, etc.). God calla himself, The Lord of of the Jews, who should be restored to their hosts, therefore able to fulfil his threR.ts; lo.n, I (Obad. 19). Zephanie.h virtually pre- and the God of Israel, and therefore ready dicfa the Ce.ptivity and the return, and inti- to punieh wrongs done to his cl!osen people. mates that the destruction of hostile nations As Sodom. This threat came home with ie the me11.ns of advancing true religion. particular force to the Moe.bites and Am- They ehall feel! their flocks thereupon. mouites who dwelt in the neighbourhood of Where the Philietine cities stood shall be the Dead Sea, and had before their eyes the pueture-ground of the Ieraelites' flockB. this o.wful proof of tlte chastisement with Ashkelon. One city ie mentioned ee a type which sin meete, ond which had happened of all. For. Thie is the reason why they in the time of their forefather Lot. "There are permitted to triumph thus. Shall visit. are no Stlttled inhabitants," says Dr. Porter, In a good sense, to protect and cherieh writing of Moab, "but the hillsides and (Exod, iv. 31; Ruth i. 6; Pa. viii. 4; Zech. glens ure studded with the ruins of ancient x. 3; Luke i. 68). Turn away (reverse) towne and villages. We at length pitched their oaptivity. Bring them back from their our tents by the lonely fountain of Heslibon. exile to their own land (comp. Joel iii. 1; 'l'he site of this royal city is commanding- Mice.h iv. 10). The phrase, however, is a. rounded bill on the edge of a vast pbteau, often (and poeeibly here) used mete.phori- which extends on the south and east to the cally for the abolishment of misery and the horizon, and on the west breaks down in restoration to a happy condition ( comp. steep slopes, jagged cliffs, and wild nwines, Deut. xxx. 3; Job xiii. 10 (15); Jer. xxix. to the Dead Sea and Jordan valley, lll'O.rly 14). The full accomplishment of thie four thousand feet below. The hill wo.s the prophecy concerning the overthrow of nucleus of the city. Its sides are covere,1 28 THE BOOK OF ZEPHANIAH, [en. u. 1-16