Zephaniah 2.2-Zephaniah's Urgent Appeal to the Jewish People to Repent
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday March 30, 2016
Zephaniah: Zephaniah 2:2-Zephaniah’s Urgent Appeal to the Jewish People to Repent
Lesson # 36
Zephaniah 2:1 Gather yourselves together, yes, gather, O nation without shame 2 before the decree takes effect— The day passes like the chaff— Before the burning anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the day of the LORD’S anger comes upon you. (NASB95)
“Before the decree takes effect” is composed of the following: (1) preposition b (בְּ), “before” (2) adverb of time ṭerem (טֶרֶם), “before” (4) qal infinitive construct form of the verb yālad (יָלַד), “takes effect” (5) masculine singular noun ḥōq (חֹק), “the decree.”
The preposition b is prefixed to the adverb of time ṭerem which together pertain to a point of time prior to another point of time.
The first point of time in Zephaniah 2:2 is the execution of the proclamation of judgment against the Jewish people in Zephaniah’s day in the seventh century B.C. as well as those Jews living during the seventieth week of Daniel.
The second point of time is the Jewish people living during these two distinct periods of time assembling themselves together for the purpose of repentance result in the worship of the Lord.
Therefore, this expression bĕṭerem (בְּטֶ֙רֶם), “before” indicates that the Jewish people living during these two distinct periods were to assemble themselves together for the purpose of repentance “before” the Lord executes His plan to judge them for their sinful lives.
The noun ḥōq means “decree” since it pertains to an authoritative judicial decision of a ruler and here it refers to the God of Israel’s authoritative judicial decision to exercise His righteous indignation against the Jewish people for their unrepentant sinful lives.
The verb yālad in the qal stem literally means “to give birth” but here it is used in a figurative sense for God’s decree to judge the Jewish people living in Zephaniah’s day and during the seventieth week “to take effect.”
It is a metaphor which compares the execution of God’s judicial decision to judge the Jewish people for their unrepentant sinful lives with that of giving birth to a child.
“The day passes like the chaff” is composed of the following: (1) marker of comparison k (ךְּ־), “like” (2) masculine singular noun mōṣ (מֹץ), “the chaff” (3) third person masculine singular qal perfect form of the verb ʿābar (עָבַר), “passes” (4) masculine singular form of the noun yôm (יוֹם), “the day.”
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 and here it refers to the period of time in which the Lord will judge the inhabitants of the earth.
The verb ʿābar is in the qal stem and means “to pass, to come to pass” since it is a temporal marker of the passing of a duration of time and is used in relation to the period in which the Lord would judge the Jewish people and which is period is known as “the day of the Lord.”
The noun mōṣ means “chaff” since it pertains to a non-fruit part of a grain plant, including the seed coverings (husks), very light and so susceptible to being blown away in the wind and is the object of the preposition k, which means “like” since it is functioning as a marker of comparison.
Therefore, this prepositional phrase is comparing the passage of time in which God’s judges the Jewish people with that of the chaff resulting from the winnowing process being blown away by the wind.
“Before the burning anger of the LORD comes upon you” is composed of the following: (1) preposition b (בְּ), “before” (2) adverb of time ṭerem (טֶרֶם), “before” (3) negative particle lōʾ (לֹא), which is not translated (4) third person masculine singular qal imperfect form of the verb bôʾ (בּוֹא), “comes” (5) preposition ʿal (עַל), “upon” (6) second person masculine plural pronominal suffix ʾattem (אַתֶּם), “you” (7) masculine singular construct form of the noun ḥārôn (חָרוֹן), “the anger of” (8) masculine singular construct form of the noun ʾap (אַף), “burning” (9) masculine singular proper noun yhwh (יהוה), “the Lord.”
In this instance, this expression bĕṭerem (בְּטֶ֙רֶם) should not be translated “before” but rather “while” indicating that the Jewish people were to assemble themselves together for the purpose of repentance “while” the exercise of the Lord’s righteous indignation has by no means taken place against them.
The nouns ḥārôn and ʾap in Zephaniah 2:2 literally mean “nose is hot” pertaining to having a strong feeling of displeasure over a person or persons or a situation, as a figurative extension of the nose as an area that can change color when blood rushes to it while one is angry.
The verb bôʾ is in the qal stem and means “occurs, happens, takes place” since it pertains to an event taking place and is used in relation to the Lord exercising His righteous indignation against the Jewish people for their unrepentant sinful lives.
The meaning of this verb is emphatically negated by the adverb lōʾ which functions as a marker of emphatic negation and so therefore, these two words indicate that the Jewish people were to repent while the exercise of the Lord’s righteous indignation “has by no means taken place” against them.
The second person masculine plural pronominal suffix ʾattem means “all of you” and is used in a distributive sense emphasizing no exceptions and is referring to those Jews living unrepentant sinful lives who live during the seventh century B.C. and during the seventieth week of Daniel.
This word is the object of the preposition ʿal, which means “against” since it is functioning as a marker of opposition which indicates God’s righteous indignation is “against” these unrepentant sinful Jews.
Zephaniah 2:1 Each and every one of you cause each other to enter the state of being assembled. Yes, assemble together you totally undesirable nation 2 before the decree takes effect, yes the period of judgment flies away like chaff, while the Lord’s furious intense anger has by no means taken place against each and every one of you, while the period characterized by the Lord’s legitimate anger has by no means taken place against each and every one of you. (My translation)
In Zephaniah 2:2, the prophet under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit presents the reason for the commands in Zephaniah 2:1 to assemble for the purpose of repenting and worshipping the Lord.
First off, verse 2 states that the Jewish people must repent before the decree takes effect, then he explains what he means by this asserting that they must repent before the period of judgment flies away like chaff.
Here in Zephaniah 2:2 it refers to the period of time in which the Lord will judge the inhabitants of the earth.
In a near sense, it refers to the period of time when Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered Judah and her neighbors during the period between 605-587 B.C. and it is ultimately referring to the last three and a half years of the seventieth week of Daniel.
Next, the prophet in verse 2 asserts that the Jewish people must repent while the Lord’s furious intense anger has by no means taken place against each and every one of them.
This “furious intense anger” is another reference to God’s righteous indignation or in other words, His legitimate anger towards sin and unrepentant sinners among the Jewish people.
Then, the prophet asserts in Zephaniah 2:2 that the Jewish people must repent while the period characterized by the Lord’s legitimate anger has by no means taken place against each and every one of them.
This “legitimate anger” is again another reference to God’s righteous indignation.
God’s righteous indignation or wrath is His legitimate anger towards evil and sin since both are contrary to His holiness or perfect character and nature.
In fact, God’s righteous indignation expresses His holiness, which pertains to the absolute perfection of God’s character.
His holiness is expressing the purity of His character or moral perfection and excellence and means that God can have nothing to do with sin or sinners.
He is totally separate from sin and sinners unless a way can be found to constitute them holy and that way has been provided based upon the merits of the impeccable Person and Finished Work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross.
The presence of evil, sin and injustice is totally absent in the character of God, thus God does not tolerate evil or sin because it is contrary to His character, i.e. His inherent moral qualities, ethical standards and principles.
Therefore, God’s holiness refers to the absolute perfection of His character, expressing His purity of His character or moral perfection and excellence and intolerance and opposition and rejection of sin and evil, thus God is totally separate from sin and sinners.
Thus, God’s holiness is related to all of His divine attributes or in other words, it is simply the harmony of all His perfections or attributes.
Therefore, God’s wrath, which is in reality, righteous indignation is an expression of His holiness, righteousness and love in opposition to sin and evil.
God’s wrath or righteous indignation is used of God’s settled opposition to and displeasure against sin meaning that God’s holiness cannot and will not coexist with sin in any form whatsoever.
It is not the momentary, emotional, and often uncontrolled anger to which human beings are prone and does not refer to an explosive outburst but rather it refers to an inner, deep resentment that seethes and smolders, often unnoticed by others as in the case of God’s wrath.
God hates sin so much and loves the sinner so much that He judged His Son Jesus Christ for every sin in human history-past, present and future and provided deliverance from sin through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
The only way to avoid God’s righteous indignation is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. John 3:36).