Zephaniah 2.4-God's Announces Intention to Judge the Philistine Cities-Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod and Ekron
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday April 13, 2016
Zephaniah: Zephaniah 2:4-God Announces His Intention to Judge the Philistines Cities-Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod and Ekron
Lesson # 42
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. 3 Seek the LORD, all you humble of the earth who have carried out His ordinances; Seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will be hidden in the day of the LORD’S anger. 4 For Gaza will be abandoned and Ashkelon a desolation; Ashdod will be driven out at noon and Ekron will be uprooted. (NASB95)
“For Gaza will be abandoned” is composed of the following: (1) conjunction kî (כִּי), “for” (2) feminine singular proper noun ʿazzâ (עַזָּה), “Gaza” (3) feminine singular qal passive participle form of the verb ʿāzab (עָזַב), “abandoned” (4) third person feminine singular qal active imperfect form of the verb hāyâ (הָיָה), “will be.”
The conjunction kî means “because” since it functions as a marker of causation since it is introducing a series of prophetic declarations which present the reason for Zephaniah’s previous commands in Zephaniah 2:1 and 3.
The proper noun ʿazzâ, “Gaza” means “strong” and refers to one of four major Philistine cities which were located geographically to the south of Judah.
It was the Philistine coastal capital within the tribal allotment of Judah (Josh. 15:47) and lay at the intersection of two important trade routes in the eastern Mediterranean.
The “Way of the Sea” ran between Egypt and Mesopotamia (Africa and Asia).
The desert route that connected the Red Sea and Arabia with the Mediterranean also crossed through Gaza which made it a constantly contested city.
The proper noun ʿazzâ is similar in sound to the verb ʿāzab, which in the qal passive form means “to be abandoned, deserted, forsaken” and thus, this verb expresses the idea of the Philistine city of Gaza being deserted, forsaken and abandoned by the citizens of this city.
Together, these two words form a play on words between the name of the city Gaza and the fact of its judgment is intended.
They are similar in sound and form the figure of speech called “paronomasia,” which is so-called because one word is placed alongside another which sounds and seems like a repetition of it but it is not but only similar.
Two things are emphasized and the reader’s attention is called to this emphasis by the similarity of the sound.
A play on the sound of the name of the city Gaza emphasizes its imminent destruction by God.
The verb hāyâ means “to be” in the sense of existing in a particular state or condition and is expressing the fact that Gaza will in the future exist in the state or condition of being abandoned by its citizens and Ashkelon will exist in the state or condition of being desolate.
“Ashkelon a desolation” is composed of the following: (1) feminine singular form of the proper noun ʾašqĕlôn (אַשְׁקְלוֹן), “Ashkelon” (2) preposition l (לְ־) which is not translated (3) feminine singular noun šĕmāmâ (שְׁמָמָה), “desolate.”
The proper noun ʾašqĕlôn, “Ashkelon” means “place of weights” and was located geographically on the Philistine plain, 32 miles south of Joppa.
It was one of the five cities of the Philistines (Josh. 13:3; 1 Sam. 6:17) and stood on the shore of the Mediterranean and was located 12 miles north/northeast of Gaza.
The city became a famous Hellenistic city.
The noun šĕmāmâ means “desolate” since the word pertains to a state of utter ruin often relating to uninhabitable land as a sparsely populated area.
Here it refers to the city of Ashkelon being devastated and destroyed as a result of an invading army plundering them and describes the condition of the homes of this city as devastated and destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar’s armies.
“Ashdod will be driven out at noon” is composed of the following: (1) feminine singular proper noun ʾašdôd (אַשְׁדּוֹד), “Ashdod” (2) preposition b (בְּ), “at” (3) articular masculine dual noun ṣāhŏrayim (צָהֳרַיִם), “noon” (4) third person masculine plural piel active imperfect form of the verb gāraš (גָּרַשׁ), “will be driven out” (5) third person feminine singular pronominal suffix hîʾ (הִיא), which is not translated.
The prophet Zephaniah is employing the figure of asyndeton meaning he is not using a connective word between the first and second prophetic statements in verse 4 and the next two which are to follow.
The purpose of this figure is the structure of the poetic structure of the prophecies in Zephaniah 2:4-15 and it also emphasizes the solemn nature of the third and fourth prophetic declarations in verse 4.
The proper noun ʾašdôd means “fortress” and was the northernmost of the three Philistine cities located on or near the Mediterranean coast.
It is mentioned 21 times in the Old Testament and figures prominently in historical narratives addressing the wars between the Israelites and the Philistines and was located 22 miles south of Joppa, approximately 10 miles north of Ashkelon and three miles inland.
The verb gāraš is in the piel stem and means “to be driven out, to expel” and is used of the inhabitants of Ashkelon indicating that they will be “driven out” or “expelled” from this city.
The dual noun ṣāhŏrayim means “noon” since it pertains to a time in the day when the sun appears at the highest point in the daytime sky, a time which is most opposite of night and darkness, the mid-point of the daytime.
It is the object of the preposition b which means “at” since it is functioning as a temporal marker indicating the exact point in the day in which Ashdod’s inhabitants will be expelled from this city.
The third person feminine singular pronominal suffix hîʾ means “her” referring to the city of Ashdod and in particular her inhabitants and is functioning as the direct object of the verb gāraš indicating that the citizens of Ashdod receive the action of being expelled from the city by the Babylonian armies.
“Ekron will be uprooted” is composed of the following: (1) feminine singular proper noun ʿeqrôn (עֶקְרוֹן), “Ekron” (2) third person feminine singular niphal passive imperfect form of the verb ʿāqar (עָקַר), “will be uprooted.”
The proper noun ʿeqrôn, “Ekron” means “firm rooted” and is referring to one of the five cities of the Philistine Pentapolis and was located geographically 20 miles southwest of Jerusalem in the border region between the Philistines and Israelites.
It appears only a few times in the Old Testament and in every instance, it occurs in relation to the hostile relationship that existed between the Philistines and the Israelites.
The verb ʿāqar is in the niphal stem and means “to be uprooted, overthrown” since it pertains to a place being completely emptied of a population with emphasis on a complete uprooting of a city’s inhabitants.
Here it refers to the population of the city of Ekron being emptied by a foreign army which history records was Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar.
Together, the verb ʿāqar and the proper noun ʿeqrôn form a play on words between the name of the city Gaza and the fact of its judgment is intended.
They are similar in sound and form the figure of speech called “paronomasia,” which emphasizes the imminent removal of Ekron’s population by God.
Zephaniah 2:4 For Gaza will exist in the state of being abandoned. Also, Ashkelon will exist in the state of being desolate. Ashdod, they will cause her inhabitants to be expelled at noon. Also, Ekron’s population will be uprooted. (My translation)
The first prophetic declaration recorded in Zephaniah 2:4 predicts that the Philistine city of Gaza will exist in a state of being abandoned by its citizens.
This prediction was fulfilled through Nebuchadnezzar and his armies in 603 B.C.
The second prophetic declaration in Zephaniah 2:4 predicts that another Philistine city, namely Ashkelon will exist in a state of being desolate.
This prediction was fulfilled through Nebuchadnezzar and his armies in 603 B.C.
The third prophetic declaration recorded in Zephaniah 2:4 predicts that Ashdod will have her inhabitants expelled or driven out at noon.
This prediction was fulfilled through Nebuchadnezzar and his armies in 603 B.C.
There are a couple of interpretations with regards to the significance of Ashdod’s inhabitants being expelled at noun.
First, people in the ancient world in Zephaniah’s day rested at noontime which was the hottest part of the day.
The attack of this city taking place at noon would thus surprise the city making it an easy prey for the enemy.
Another view is that the city falling to the enemy by noon suggested it fell easily to the enemy.
So one is that the reference to noontime expresses the city would be taken by surprise or it fell easily to the enemy.
The latter interpretation is more likely since the city would be on alert already after hearing the fall of the other major Philistine cities to the enemy which history records was Babylon.
The fourth and final prophetic declaration in Zephaniah 2:4 predicts that Ekron’s population would be uprooted by the enemy.
This prediction was fulfilled through Nebuchadnezzar and his armies in 603 B.C.