Tzefanyah
Introduction
Tzefanyah (640-622 B.C.E.) prophesied between the time of Isaiah and Jeremiah, roughly 626 B.C.E. near the time of Jeremiahʼs call to the office of prophet. Tzefanyahʼs preaching helped (with Jeremiahʼs) to spark King Josiahʼs revival (621 B.C.E. — see 2Kgs 23) after the wicked reigns of Manassah and his son Amon had left the people of Judah in need of a spiritual awakening. We know he prophesied before Ninevah was destroyed in 612 B.C.E. (see 2:13). Mankind is in danger of being swept off the face of the earth (1:2-3). Backsliders, if they don't repent, will be destroyed (see 1:6). For the great, dark, terrifying Day of the L-rd is karov (near, 1:7,15-16) and hastening fast (1:14). The superstitious (1:9) and those syncretists who try to mix the faith with Canaanite, Ammonite, and Assyrian religion (1:4-5) will be destroyed, as will the complacent (1:12).
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1 The Devar Hashem which came unto Tzephanyah ben Cushi, ben Gedalyah, ben Amaryah, ben Chizkiyah, in the yamim of Yoshiyahu (Josiah) ben Amon, Melech Yehudah.
2 I will utterly sweep away
all things from off the adamah,
saith Hashem.
3 I will sweep away Adam (humankind) and Behemah (beast, animal, cattle);
I will sweep away Oph HaShomayim (Birds of the Air)
and the Dagim of HaYam (Fish of the Sea),
and the michsholim (stumbling blocks, what causes to fall into sin) with the resha'im;
and I will cut off adam from off the adamah,
saith Hashem.
4 I will also stretch out Mine hand against Yehudah,
and against all the inhabitants of Yerushalayim;
and I will cut off from this place
the she'ar HaBa'al (remnant of Ba'al),
and the shem (name) of the Kemarim (the idolatrous priests)* with the [idolatrous] kohanim;
5 And those that worship the Tz'va HaShomayim
(Army of Heaven, star g-ds) upon the rooftops;
and those that worship and that swear [oaths] by Hashem,
but also swear by Milcom;†
6 And those that turned back from following Hashem;
and those that have not sought Hashem,
nor inquired of Him.
7 Hold thy peace (keep silent) at the presence of Adonai Hashem:
for the Yom Hashem is at hand;
for Hashem hath prepared a zevach (sacrifice),
Hashem hath consecrated His guests.‡
8 And it shall come to pass in the Yom Zevach Hashem,
that I will punish the sarim (princes),
and Bnei HaMelech,
and all such as are clothed with malbush nochri (foreign apparel).
9 In the same Yom also will I visit to punish
all those that leap over the threshold,§ which fill their mastersʼ batim (houses)
with chamas (violence) and mirmah (deceit).
10 And it shall come to pass in that Yom, saith Hashem,
that there shall be the noise of a cry from Sha'ar HaDagim,
and a wail from the Second Quarter of the city,
and a loud crash from the hills.
11 Howl, ye inhabitants of HaMakhtesh,*
for all the merchants are cut down;
all they that weigh out kesef are cut off.
12 And it shall come to pass at that time,
that I will search Yerushalayim with nerot (lamps),
and visit to punish the [proud] men
that are [complacently] settled on their lees;†
that say in their lev: Hashem will not do tov,
neither will Hashem do rah.
13 Therefore their goods shall become a booty,
and their batim a desolation;
they shall also build batim, but not inhabit them;
and they shall plant kramim (vineyards), but not drink the yayin thereof.
14 The Yom Hashem HaGadol is near,
near and hastening quickly;
the sound of the Yom Hashem is mar (bitter);
there the gibbor (mighty man, warrior) cries aloud.
15 That Yom is a Yom Evrah (day of wrath),
a Yom Tzarah and Metzukah (a day of trouble and distress, pressure),
a Yom of Sho'ah (catastrophe) and Meshoah (desolation),
a Yom of Choshech and Afelah (gloom),
a Yom of Anan and Arafel (thick darkness),
16 A Yom of the Shofar and Teruah (battle cry)
against the fortified cities,
and against the high battlements.
17 And I will bring distress upon adam,
that they shall walk like ivrim,
because they have sinned against Hashem;
and their dahm shall be poured out like dust,
and their bowels like dung.
18 Neither their kesef nor their zahav
shall be able to save them in the Yom Evrat Hashem
(Day of Hashem ʼs Wrath);
but kol ha'aretz (the whole earth) shall be devoured
by the eish of Hashemʼs kina (jealousy, zeal, passion);
for He shall make a complete end, a terrible end,
of kol yoshvei ha'aretz (all them that dwell on the earth).
* 1:4 See 2Kgs 23:5 † 1:5 i.e., their King [Ba'al] ‡ 1:7 i.e., made HaKeru'im (the Invited ones) of Him His Mequddashim (Consecrated ones), i.e., the nations set apart to consume His apostate people, see Isa 13:3 § 1:9 See 1Sm 5:5 * 1:11 a locality in Yerushalayim † 1:12 wine dregs