tiou of Israel is prececlod by the destruction knowlerlge of Go 1 ancl the admiration or bis or the enemies of God and the Church. doings towards Israel (comp. eh. ii. 11; iii. Beptue.gint, no,w ,., uol ,.,.,t{., uou ,., ,,.,, 9; Ezek. xx. 41; xxviii. 25; Zech. viii. 23). r<a.,prp /r,,/vrp, 1'.l-y., Kvpws, "Dominus dicet Ver. 20.-Will I bring you age.in (in). 11d Sion, Ecoe, ego faciam in te propter te, He repeats the promis0 with some ■light id est, fo.ciam ultionem tue.m" (St. Jerome). verbal changes. I will lead you like a Her that he.lteth (Micah iv. 6). The a!Bicted flock to the pastures of Zion. People; of Israel, here compe.red to a lame and peop"les. When I turn back your captivity; footsore flock of sheep. Septuagint, ,,-'tJ., i.e. when God brings them all home into ir<1rTrr1e<1µ,l.,1w, "pressed," like grapes or the spiritual Zion from which they were olives, to extra.et the juice. Her that was long exiled (but see note on eh. ii. 7; e.nd driven out. The exiled and dispersed. I comp. Hoe. vi. 11; Amos ix. 14). Before will get them praise and fame ; I will make your eyes. Most certainly e.nd evidently, so them to be a praise and a name. This is in that what they hoped for they shall plainly aocord11nce with the promise in Deut. xxvi. see (Deut. i. 30; xxx. 3, etc. ; Isa. Iii. 8, 10). 19. In every land where they have been Baith the Lord. All this shall aBBuredlv put to shame; literally, in every land of their come to pass, for the mouth of the Lord shame. The scene of their shame should be he.tb spoken it. In the prophet's eye the the soene of their glorification. The prophet restoration from captivity e.nd the times does not consider that the restored theocracy of Messiah are synchronous, or the former shall be confined to the geographical limits is so closely connected in idea with the of the Holy Land; he looks to its dissemina- latter that be speaks of both under one tion throughout the world. Wide as the set of terms, applying the same imagery dispersion itself shall be the dill'usion of the to both.
HOMILETICS. Vere. 1-8.-Guilt and retribution. Having to.ken a mental survey of the surround• ing heathen nations, the seer returns age.in in thought to his own people. It was, indeed, in their interest that he had been led to take this wide review of God's dealings with men. He desired to make very real to them the Divine law that sin cannot go unpunished, and that national guilt must inevitably be followed by chastisement; yea, more, that if this law operated in heathen lands, much more might they expect to come under it who had enjoyed the special illumination of God's Spirit, to whom he had given his holy oracles, and amongst whom he had raised up a succession of faith• ful men to guide them into the paths of truth and righteousness. In these verses observe- r. 'l'HE PROPHET PRESENTS A HEAVY INDICTMENT, SETTING FORTH THE GUILT C:!' JUDAH AND JERUSALEM. 1. This indictment contained certain counts directed against the people in general. They were charged with (1) inward defilement: "filthy and polluted" (ver. 1); (2) outward tyranny: "the oppressing city" (ver. 1); (3) practical a.theism. God had spoken unto them, but they had not hearkened unto his voice (ver. 2). He bad corrected them, but they did not humble themselves under his chastening hand (ver. 2). He had offered himself to them as the Object of trust, but they withheld their confidence from him, and rested in an arm of flesh (ver. 2). He had intimated his willingness to enter into fellowship with them, and to inspire and strengthen them, but "they drew not near unto him" (ver. 2). He had frustrated and brought to confusion their adversaries, and ha.d covered with confusion and she.me the godless nations arounrl them, but instead of being warned by these Divine judgments, executed in their sight against evil-doers, thay had themselves wilfully persisted in their iniquity (vere. 6, 7). 2. This indictment contained also certain counts directed against the leaders of the nation in particular (vers. 3, 4). (1) The princes were chargf'd with cruelty, devouring, like roaring lions, those they ought to have protected (ver. 3). (2) 'l'he judges were marked by greed and rapacity, and were insatiable as evening wolves, so that justice was perverted, and wrong remained unredressed (ver. 3). (3) 'l'he prophets of the people, who claimed to be messengers of God to. them, were trifling and insincere, so that no reliance could be placed upon their words (ver. 4). (4) 'l'he priests profaned the temple and its sarvices, and dishonoured the Law they were appointed to expound and enforce (var. 4). II. 'l'IIE PROPHET DEOLARED THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF Goo, AND THE CONBF.QUENT
'· 64 THE BOOK OF ZEPHANIAR. [err. ur. 1-20.