God's Particular Judgment Will At This Time Be Applied To Judah and Jerusalem (Zephaniah 1:4-6).
“And I will stretch out my hand on Judah,
And on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
And I will cut off those who remain of Baal from this place,
And the name of the Chemarim with the priests,
And those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops,
And those who worship who swear to YHWH and swear by Malcam (probably ‘Melek, Moloch'),
And those who are turned back from following YHWH,
And those who have not sought YHWH nor enquired after him.”
Having described the general final judgment of God, Zephaniah now moves on to the particular judgment that is coming, how God will behave towards Jerusalem and Judah in the nearer future.
Judah and Jerusalem are to experience the activity of God against them because they have forgotten YHWH and their covenant with Him. Stretching out the hand is a figure of speech which implies a special work of God in judgment (see Exodus 3:20; Exodus 6:6; Deuteronomy 4:34; 2 Kings 17:36; Isaiah 14:26-27; Isaiah 31:3; Jeremiah 6:12; Jeremiah 15:6; Jeremiah 21:5; Jeremiah 51:25; Ezekiel 7 times). This is in contrast with the stretched out arm, which delivers.
He describes those who will be subject to judgment, and will be cut off. The list is comprehensive and basically includes all who fail to worship YHWH truly and be faithful to the covenant:
· 1) The remnant (those who remain) of Baal (although some translate as ‘Baal to the last vestige'). The word for remnant simply means what remains and is not necessarily a small proportion (see 1Ch 11:8; 1 Chronicles 16:41; Ezra 4:3; Ezra 4:7; Nehemiah 10:28; Nehemiah 11:1; Esther 9:12 etc.). It need not thus suggest that this is after the reforms took place, it simply refers to all who still worshipped Baal, however large the number.
· 2) ‘The name of the Chemarim with the priests.' The Chemarim were burners of incense to the gods (2 Kings 23:5). They were depicted as rejoicing over the calves of Bethaven (Bethel), those set up by Jeroboam in 1 Kings 12:28-29 (Hosea 10:5). In the few references they are seen in a bad sense. The priests would therefore be idolatrous priests.
· 3) ‘Those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops.' The host of heaven were a prominent feature in Assyrian religion particularly and in idolatrous religion generally (Deuteronomy 4:19; Deuteronomy 17:3; 2 Kings 17:16; 2 Kings 21:3; 2 Kings 21:5; 2 Kings 23:5; 2Ch 33:3; 2 Chronicles 33:5 Jeremiah 8:2; Jeremiah 19:13). They were often worshipped in small shrines on the housetops, from where the host of heaven could be seen (Jeremiah 19:13).
· 4) ‘Those who worship, who swear to YHWH and swear by Malcam.' These were the syncretists who combined YHWH and Malcam. Malcam means ‘their king (or their Melek)' but should possibly be repointed as Milcom (i.e. the Ammonite god Melek (Molech) - 1 Kings 11:5; 1 Kings 11:33; 2 Kings 23:13). Melek demanded that children be ‘passed through the fire' to him.
· 5) ‘Those who are turned back from following YHWH.' This covers those who forsook the covenant and worshipped any other gods.
· 6) ‘Those who have not sought YHWH, nor enquired after Him.' This covers anyone else who has not truly worshipped YHWH. They are indifferent and ignore Him in their lives.
So all who have failed to worship YHWH truly, whether through deliberate act or through neglect, are to be cut off. Neglect and indifference is as great a sin as open rebellion. It is more insulting to God.