Zephaniah 2:4-6 NASB,NASB

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Zephaniah 2:4-7

The prophet here comes to foretel what share the neighbouring nations should have in the destruction made upon those parts of the world by Nebuchadnezzar and his victorious Chaldees, as others of the prophets did at that time, which is designed, 1. To awaken the people of the Jews, by making them sensible how strong, how deep, how large, the inundation of calamities should be, that the day of the Lord, which was near, might appear the more dreadful, and they might thereby be quickened to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 2:4

For Gaza shall be forsaken ,.... Therefore seek the Lord; and not to the Philistines, since they would be destroyed, to whom Gaza, and the other cities later mentioned, belonged; so Aben Ezra connects the words, suggesting that it would be in vain to flee thither for shelter, or seek for refuge there; though others think that this and what follows is subjoined, either to assure the Jews of their certain ruin, since this would be the case of the nations about them; or to alleviate their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 2:5

Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coasts, the nation of the Cherethites ,.... Which is a name of the Philistines in general, as Kimchi and Ben Melech; or these were a particular tribe belonging to them, that inhabited the southern part of their country; see 1 Samuel 30:14 those on the sea coast, the coast of the Mediterranean sea, and so lay between that and Judea: out of this nation, in the times of David and Solomon, were some choice soldiers selected, called the Cherethites and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 2:6

And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds ,.... That tract of land which lay on the coast of the Mediterranean sea, inhabited by the Philistines, should now become so desolate, that instead of towns and cities full of merchants and sea faring persons, and houses full of inhabitants, and warehouses full of goods, there should now only be seen a few huts and cottages for shepherds to dwell in, to shelter them from the heat by day, and where they watched their flocks by... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Zephaniah 2:4

Gaza shall be forsaken - This prophecy is against the Philistines. They had been greatly harassed by the kings of Egypt; but were completely ruined by Nebuchadnezzar, who took all Phoenicia from the Egyptians; and about the time of his taking Tyre, devastated all the seignories of the Philistines. This ruin we have seen foretold by the other prophets, and have already remarked its exact fulfillment. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Zephaniah 2:5

The sea-coasts, the nation of the Cherethites - The sea-coasts mean all the country lying on the Mediterranean coast from Egypt to Joppa and Gaza. The Cherethites - the Cretans who were probably a colony of the Phoenicians. See on 1 Samuel 30:14 ; (note), and Amos 9:7 ; (note). read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Zephaniah 2:6

And the sea-coasts shall be dwellings - Newcome considers כרת keroth as a proper name, not cottages or folds. The Septuagint have Κρητη , Crete, and so has the Syriac. Abp. Secker notes, Alibi non extat כרת , et forte notat patriam των כרתים . "The word כרת is not found elsewhere, and probably it is the name of the country of the Cherethim." read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Zephaniah 2:4

Verse 4 The Prophet begins here to console the elect; for when God’s vengeance had passed away, which would only be for a time against them, the heathens and foreigners would find God in their turn to be their judge to punish them for the wrongs done to his people; though some think that God’s judgment on the Jews is here described, while yet the Prophet expressly mentions their neighbors: but the former view seems to me more suitable,—that the Prophet reminds the faithful of a future change of... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Zephaniah 2:6

Verse 6 The Prophet confirms what he has before said respecting the future vengeance of God, which was now nigh at hand to the Moabites and other neighboring nations, who had been continually harassing the miserable Jews. Hence, he says, that that whole region would become the habitation of sheep. It is a well known event, that when any country is without inhabitants shepherds occupy it; for there is no sowing nor reaping there, but grass alone grows. Where, therefore, there is no cultivation,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Zephaniah 2:4

There is reason enough why Judah should tremble when the nations around her, such as the powerful and turbulent Philistines, fall before the invading host. Four of the five cities of the Philistines are mentioned, as denoting the whole territory, which again is the representative of the heathen world more definitely particularized later on. Thus the four quarters of the world are virtually specified: the Philistines representing the west,, the Moabites and Ammonites ( Zephaniah 2:8-10 ) the... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Zephaniah 2:4-7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 2:4

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 2:5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zephaniah 2:6

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Zephaniah 2:4

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Zephaniah 2:5

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Zephaniah 2:6

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Zephaniah 2:4

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Zephaniah 2:6

The Pulpit Commentary - Zephaniah 2:4

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