Scofield Reference Bible Notes/Zephaniah

by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield

Book Introduction - Zephaniah

Read first chapter of Zephaniah
This prophet, a contemporary of Jeremiah, exercised his ministry during the reign of Josiah. It was a time of revival (2Ki. 22), but the captivity was impending, nevertheless, and Zephaniah points out the moral state which, despite the superficial revival under Josiah (Jeremiah 2:11-13), made it inevitable.
Zephaniah is in four parts:

• The coming invasion of Nebuchadnezzar a figure of the day of the Lord, 1:1-2:3.
• Predictions of judgment on certain peoples, 2:4-15.
• The moral state of Israel for which the captivity was to come, 3:1-7.
• The judgment of the nations followed by kingdom blessing under Messiah, 3:8-20.

CHAPTER 1

Verse 4

Chemarims
i.e. idolatrous priests. Cf. 2 Kings 23:5.

Verse 5

Malcham
An idol of the Ammonites, same as Molech, or Milcom.

Verse 7

for the day of the Lord
As in the other Prophets, the approaching invasion of Nebuchadnezzar is treated as an adumbration of the true day of the Lord in which all earth-judgments will culminate, to be followed by the restoration and blessing of Israel and the nations in the kingdom. See "Day of the Lord" Isaiah 2:10-22; Revelation 19:11-21 "Israel" ; Genesis 12:2,3; Romans 11:26. CF. Joel 1.,2.

Verse 11

Maktesh
Lit. The Mortar, a depression in Jerusalem where the bazaars were.

CHAPTER 2

Verse 1

desired Lit. that hath not shame. Cf. Jeremiah 3:3.

Verse 7

remnant
(See Scofield "Jeremiah 15:21").

Verse 13

Nineveh
(See Scofield "Nahum 1:1").

CHAPTER 3

Verse 2

trusted
(See Scofield "Psalms 2:12")

Verse 7

fear
(See Scofield "Psalms 19:9")

Verse 9

then will I turn
In Zephaniah the conversion of "the peoples" is stated out of the usual prophetic order, in which the blessing of Israel and the setting up of the kingdom precedes the conversion of the Gentiles. (See Scofield "Zechariah 12:1"). See Scofield "Zechariah 12:8". But the passage gives clear testimony as to when the conversion of the nations will occur. It is after the smiting of the nations. Cf. Isaiah 11:9 with context; Daniel 2:34,35; Psalms 2:5-8; Acts 15:15-17; Revelation 19:19-20:6.

Verse 12

trust
(See Scofield "Psalms 2:12").

Verse 13

remnant
(See Scofield "Jeremiah 15:21")

Verse 15

the midst of thee
That this, and all like passages in the Prophets (see "Kingdom (O.T.)," Genesis 1:26; Zechariah 12:8 cannot refer to anything which occurred at the first coming of Christ is clear from the context. The precise reverse was true. (See Scofield "Isaiah 11:1").