Zephaniah 1.8-The Lord Asserts He Will Punish the Aristocracy of Judah and Every One in Judah Who Adopts Foreign Dress
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday February 24, 2016
Zephaniah: Zephaniah 1:8-The Lord Asserts He Will Punish the Aristocracy of Judah and Every One in Judah Who Adopts Foreign Dress
Lesson # 21
Zephaniah 1:8 “Then it will come about on the day of the LORD’S sacrifice that I will punish the princes, the king’s sons and all who clothe themselves with foreign garments.” (NASB95)
“Then it will come about on the day of the LORD’S sacrifice that I will punish the princes, the king’s sons” serves to advance and intensify further the prophetic statements in Zephaniah 1:7 which assert that the Lord has prepared a sacrificial meal and has consecrated His invited guests.
“It will come about” is the third person masculine singular qal active perfect form of the verb hāyâ (הָיָה), which means “to take place, to occur” and is used of the punishment of the aristocracy of Judah and the idolatrous citizens of Jerusalem.
Thus, this word speaks of the punishment of these individuals “taking place” or “occurring” on the day of the Lord’s sacrificial meal.
The perfect tense of this verb is a perfect of certitude or prophetic perfect which describes a future event as if it had already taken place.
It expresses the certainty that the Lord will punish the aristocracy of Judah and the idolatrous citizens of Jerusalem on the day of His sacrificial meal.
“On the day of the LORD’S sacrifice” is composed of the following: (1) preposition b (בְּ), “on” (2) masculine singular construct form of the noun yôm (יוֹם), “the day of” (3) masculine singular noun zebaḥ (זֶבַח), “a sacrifice” (4) masculine singular proper noun yhwh (יהוה), “the Lord’s.”
The noun yôm means “time period” since it does not pertain to a twenty-four period but rather an indefinite period of time which could range from a relatively short to very long period of time.
The context will indicate the extent of the time period.
Here it refers to the period of time in which the God of Israel judged the citizens of the kingdom of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem between 605-587 B.C. through the Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar.
Nebuchadnezzar’s attack of Jerusalem in 605 B.C. during the third year of Jehoiakim, Judah’s king resulted in the first of three deportations of the Jewish people (Daniel 1:1; 2 Kings 24:1-2, 13; 2 Chronicles 36:5, 6, 7).
Nebuchadnezzar captured the city of Jerusalem in 597 B.C. and in 587 B.C. destroyed the city and the temple.
The noun yôm is the object of the preposition b which means “during” since it is functioning as a marker of an extent of time within a larger unit.
Therefore, it denotes that “during” this indefinite period of time of the Lord’s sacrifice, namely his punishment of the aristocracy of Judah and the idolatrous citizens of Jerusalem will take place.
As was the case when the word appeared in Zephaniah 1:7, the noun zebaḥ here in Zephaniah 1:8 means “sacrificial meal” since it pertains to an animal which has been killed and presented as an act of worship in order to propitiate a deity.
Here the word is referring to the Lord punishing by death the aristocracy of Judah and the idolatrous citizens of Jerusalem just as someone would kill an animal as an act of worship and to propitiate deity.
The proper noun yhwh (Yahweh) means “the Lord” and is the covenant-keeping personal name of God used in connection with God’s covenant relationship with the Jewish people.
“That I will punish the princes, the king’s sons” specifically identifies for the reader what will as a certainty take place during the period of the Lord’s sacrificial meal.
“I will punish the princes, the king’s sons” is composed of the following: (1) first person singular qal perfect form of the verb pāqad (פָּקַד), “I will punish” (2) preposition ʿal (עַל), which is not translated (3) articular masculine plural form of the noun śar (שַׂר), “princes” (4) conjunction w (וְ), which is not translated (5) preposition ʿal (עַל), which is not translated (6) masculine plural construct form of the noun bēn (בֵּן), “sons” (7) articular masculine plural construct form of the noun melek (מֶלֶךְ), “the king’s.”
The verb pāqad means “to punish” since it pertains to acting in a manner that inflicts hardship, pain or even physical death to someone implying guilt on the part of this individual.
This word speaks of the Lord expressing His wrath or righteous indignation toward sin and unrepentant sinners.
The perfect tense of this verb is a perfect of certitude or prophetic perfect which describes a future event as if it had already taken place.
It expresses the certainty that the Lord will punish the aristocracy of Judah and the idolatrous citizens of Jerusalem during the period of time when His sacrificial meal will take place.
The noun śǎr is in the plural and means “leaders” referring to the religious, political and military leaders of the kingdom of Judah in Zephaniah’s day.
This word śǎr is also the object of the preposition ʿal which means “against” since it functions as a marker of opposition indicating that this punishment inflicted by the Lord is against the religious, military and political leaders of the kingdom of Judah.
The noun bēn is in the plural and means “sons” referring to the male offspring of the king of Judah who was Josiah.
The noun melek mean “king” and is used with reference to the king of Judah who was Josiah in Zephaniah’s day and is the object of the preposition ʿal which means “against” since it functions as a marker of opposition indicating that this punishment inflicted by the Lord will be against the king of Judah’s sons.
Zephaniah 1:8 Indeed, it will certainly take place during the period of the Lord’s sacrificial meal that I will certainly inflict punishment against the leaders as well as against the king’s sons likewise against each and every one of those who wear foreign clothing. (Author’s translation)
Zephaniah 1:8 contains prophetic statements which serve to advance and intensify further the prophetic statements in Zephaniah 1:7 which assert that the Lord has prepared a sacrificial meal and has consecrated His invited guests.
The advancement and intensification is that the sacrificial meal for those who He has consecrated as His invited guests will be the punishment of the aristocracy of Judah as well as those who involved in pagan practices in the city of Jerusalem.
Therefore, Zephaniah 1:8 begins a series of prophetic statements which identify for the reader who the Lord is preparing as a sacrificial meal for His invited guests who He has consecrated for this meal.
Thus, the people described in Zephaniah 1:8-9 are those who are the sacrificial meal which the Lord has prepared for His invited guests who He has consecrated.
This sacrificial meal will be the punishment of these individuals who possess a covenant relationship with Him and thus this punishment is divine discipline.
The presence of the noun yhwh, “Lord” in Zephaniah 1:8 indicates that Zephaniah is speaking with reference to those of God’s people who were living in apostasy since this word is the covenant-keeping personal name of God used in connection with God’s covenant relationship with the Jewish people.
This word thus indicates that the Lord through Zephaniah is speaking of those who have trusted in Him and are believers since in Old Testament Israel non-believers do not have a covenant relationship with Him but only believers.
Therefore, this prophetic statement indicates that the Lord is threatening to severely discipline His people living in Judah who were living in apostasy and which apostasy is described in Zephaniah 1:5-6 and 8-9.
The threat of judgment is also against the unregenerate who are described in Zephaniah 1:4.
Zephaniah 1:8 is a conditional prophecy and served as a warning to the future aristocracy of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem whether they are God’s people in apostasy or unregenerate sinners in the sense that it was an announcement of judgment that was conditional rather than an unconditional decree of God.
The Lord is leaving room open for repentance and this is indicated by the statements recorded in Zephaniah 2:1-3.
This prophetic statement in Zephaniah 1:8 was fulfilled in history through the three Babylonian invasions led by Nebuchadnezzar which took place during the period of 605-587 B.C.
The religious, military and political leadership of Judah was either killed in battle or exiled to Babylon as a result of these three invasions.
This prophecy was also fulfilled when Josiah’s son Jehoahaz was captured by Pharaoh Neco II and taken to Egypt (2 Kings 23:31-34).
Josiah’s wicked son Jehoiakim was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 B.C. (2 Kings 24:1-2) and taken to Babylon (2 Kings 24:8-16).
Lastly another of Josiah’s son, namely Zedekiah was blinded by Nebuchadnezzar and taken to Babylon (2 Kings 24:18-25:7).
The aristocracy of Judah manifested their disobedience to the Lord by wearing the latest fashions from Egypt, Nineveh and Babylon.
By adopting foreign dress outwardly manifested that they had absorbed pagan values and practices.
Wearing foreign garments was a custom that manifested love and support for pagan values and thus incurred God’s wrath (cf. Numbers 15:38; Deuteronomy 22:11-12).
This prophecy in Zephaniah 1:8 is not against the sons of Manasseh since he was no longer king of Judah when this prophecy was given but rather, Josiah was king.
Therefore, this conditional prophecy was a warning to Josiah’s sons and written before they were born to be faithful to the Lord.
Unfortunately, history records they weren’t and suffered the consequences for their disobedience.
Josiah was obedient to the Lord during his lifetime and at the time this prophecy was published and was thus not referred to in this prophecy.