The Pulpit Commentary — Zephaniah — Section 55

tlon or woe a.nd jndgment, be eoothee the u,, "The Mighty Ono shall sa.ve thee." fnithful with the promise of the grace and This is the real ground of confidence: the pe11,ee which the time of Messiah sha.11 bring. Lord wills ~heir ea.lvation. He will rejoioe Sing, 0 da.nghter of Zion (IS&. i. S; Zech. over thee with joy, now th11t thy iniquity is ii. 14 ; ix. !-l). He calls on the restored purged, and thou art united again to him, remnant of Judah to show its joy by out- as a chaste and comely bride (Isa. ]xii. 5; ward tokens. 0 Iara.al. All the tribes are Jer. xxxii. 41; Hos, ii. 19). He will rest to unile in praising God. This is one of (Hebrew, be silent) in bis love. This ie o the passages where "Israel" is supposed hu~1an expression, denoting that perfect love to hRve been written bv mistake for" Jeru- wh1oh needs no outwnrd demonstration, BRlem." So Jer. llii.i. 6. The LXX. For the very greatness of his love God rests, i,:ires, 6{rya-r•p 'l•povua>..1,µ, "daughter of as it were, in quiet enjoyment of it. Somo ,Jerusalem" (see note on Zech. i. 19). The take it to mean that in his love for his propliet enjoins a triple note of exultation people he is silent about, makes no mention in order to confirm the universal joy. (Ou of, past sins ; but this eeems less suito.ble t.he use of the number ••three•• in this as this clause is merely an expe.usion of th~ passage, see Dr. Pusey's note, p. 480.) prec~diug one. The Septuagint and Syriao Ver. 15.-In this and following verses the Vers10ns render, "He will renew thee in hie prophet gives the reasons why Zion should love ; " e.ud Ewald has proposed to alter rejoice. Thy judgments. The chastisements the present reading to, "He will do a new inflicted on thee in judgment, rendered thing." But there is no eufficient reason necessa.ry by thy iniquity (Ezek. v. 8). for making the change. With singing. These C'TOd hBB removed ; this is the firat Again he gives to his ineffable love out- ground for rejoicing. Septuagint, -ra. a.i,._--1,. Wll?cl expression. The LXX. po.re.phrases ,._a-rd. uov, "thine iniquities." When God re- accurately, "He will rejoice over thee with moves the pnnishmente, he forgives the ein. delight as on a de.y of festival" (lee.. !xv. 19). Re hs.th cast out (clr.ared quite away) thine· Ver. 18.-The love which God feels he enemy. The enemies who executed the shows in action. He cares for the exiled jndgment ll?e utterly dispersed. The King and clispereed, e.nd will ge.ther them a.gain of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of and comfort them for e.11 their eorrowe. I thee (Obad. 21). The theocracy is restored. will ge.ther them the.t are sorrowful for the Under the judgments which fell upon Ismel, solemn assembly; or, far remo1Jed from the Jehovah seemed to have left his people; sokmn asaembly, Those who grieve becauee now he is in the midst c-f them II.I! their by their exile from the Holy Land they are King (Isa. xii. 6 ; lii. 7; Hos. xi. 9). The debarred from duly attending the periodical perpetual presence of Christ in the Church festive.ls, these God will restore, and ene.ble is here adumbrated. Thou sha.l.t not see them again to participate iu the sacred evil any more. So the Septuagint. Another feasts. The e.bove version and explanation reading adopted by Jerome is, " Thou sho.lt are undoubtedly right, e.s the Latin Version not fear." In view of tlie following verse, ie certainly wrong, Nugaa, qui a Lege recu- this eeems rather tautological. With God serant, congTegabo; the.t is, the light e.nd in their midst, the people she.ll see, i.e. fickle persons, who have estre.uged them- experience(Jer. v.12), no evil(Rev. xxL3,4). selves from the Le.w, God will recle.im, ana Ver. 16.-It 1hall be &a.id. So obvious to join them to tbe congregation of the true all men shell be the happy and eecure Isre.el; a.nd this, quia ez te erant, for their position of Zion under God's fe.vour e.nd origin's sake, because they are descend- rule, that thev F<he.ll joiu in bidding her ante of the chosen people. Who are of ce.at a.way fair and exult in the Divine thee ; tkey are of thee, 0 Zion. These a.re the protection. Fee.r thou not (comp. Matt. xiv. true Israelites: this is why they mourn for 27; x.xviii. 5, 10; Luke xii 7, 32). And the ceeeation of the festive.ls, e.nd why they to ZiDJl. Probably vocative, 0 Zion. Let ehall be restored to the Holy Land. To whom not thine hs.ndB be slack. Be not deapair- the reproach of it was a burden; i.e. who in,,. or faint-hearted, but work with energ'y felt the desolation of Zion e.nd the reproaobee and confidence (comp. Isa. xiii. 7; Heb. xii. uttered against her by enemies (Ps. exxxvii.) 12); or the sentence may be rendered, e.s a burden grievous to be bome. The "Jerusalem will be called Fear not, and Vulgate has, Ut non ultra habeas super eia Zion, Let not thine hands be sl-ack," In this opproorium; i.e. "The.t they me.y be no more Clt.Se we may compare the names Hepkzibah e. disgrace to thee : " the LXX. reads some- and Beulah given to Jerusalem (Isa. I xii 4), what differently, O~al, -rls lAafJ•v br' abrijv and Jel,,01JaJ,,,.Tsid/renu (Jer. xxx:iii. 16). uv•11S,uµdv; "Alas I who took up a reproach Ver. 17.-In the midst 01 thee; L, ttn, against her? " i• fr, the mid•t of thee (see note on ver. 15). Ver. 19.-I will undo e.11 that afflict thee; Is mighty; he will se.ve; rat!JC,r, a Miyldy I ,i:ill deal with in punishment (,Jer. xviii. (Jne u;/,-0 v:ill save; LXX., ·o /lvya-r>,r aw<Tt• :l::l); Vulgat1J, "l will slay," '.!'be 1·catom- Olt. III, 1-20,] 'fHE IlOOK OF ZEPI!ANIAII. 53