Zephaniah 1:8

8 "Then it will come about on the day of the LORD'S sacrifice That I will 1punish the princes, the king's sons And all who clothe themselves with 2foreign garments.

Zephaniah 1:8 Meaning and Commentary

Zephaniah 1:8

And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lord's sacrifice,
&c.] When the above sacrifice prepared shall be offered, and the slaughter of his people made, when his wrath shall be poured out upon them, within the time of its beginning and ending: that I will punish the princes, and the king's children;
either the children of Josiah, who, though a good prince, his children did evil in the sight of the Lord, and were punished by him: Jehoahaz, after a three months' reign was carried down to Egypt, and died there; Jehoiakim, his elder brother, that succeeded him, rebelling against the king of Babylon, in the fourth year of his reign, fell into his hands, and died, and was buried with the burial of an ass; and Jeconiah his son was carried captive into Babylon, and there remained to the day of his death; and with him were carried the whole royal family, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, ( 2 Kings 24:14 ) or else the children of Zedekiah, another son of Josiah, and the last of the kings of Judah, who was carried captive by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who before his eyes slew his sons, and all the princes of Judah, and then put out his eyes, and bound him in chains, ( Jeremiah 52:10 Jeremiah 52:11 ) and thus this prophecy had its accomplishment: and all such as are clothed with strange apparel;
either which they put on in honour of the idols they worshipped, as Jarchi; so the heathens wore one sort of garments for one idol, and another sort for another; or these were men of a pharisaical cast, who wore garments different from others, that they might be thought to be very holy and religious, which sense is mentioned by Kimchi; or they were such, which he also observes, who, seeing some to have plenty of good clothes, stole them from them, and put them on; or such who arrayed themselves in garments that did not belong to their sex, men put on women's garments, and women clothed themselves with men's, and both strange apparel; or rather this points at such persons, who, in their apparel, imitated the fashions and customs of foreign nations; which probably began with the king's children and courtiers, and were followed by others. The Targum is,

``and upon all those that make a noise at the worship of idols.''

Zephaniah 1:8 In-Context

6 And those who have turned back from following the LORD , And those who have not sought the LORD or inquired of Him."
7 Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near, For the LORD has prepared a sacrifice, He has consecrated His guests.
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.
9 "And I will punish on that day all who leap on the temple threshold, Who fill the house of their lord with violence and deceit.
10 "On that day," declares the LORD , "There will be the sound of a cry from the Fish Gate, A wail from the Second Quarter, And a loud crash from the hills.

Cross References 2

  • 1. Isaiah 24:21; Habakkuk 1:10
  • 2. Isaiah 2:6
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