The Sin of Jerusalem contrasted with the Righteousness of Yahweh. From scenes of doom and desolation we are now led back in thought to the sins that drew down Yahweh's hand in wrath. Despite His constant goodness and loving-kindness Jerusalem has shown herself defiant and rebellious, deep-stained with guilt, and all the while heedless of instruction and correction, her rulers rapacious as evening wolves, her prophets boastful and faithless, giving forth their own imaginings as the very word of God, and her priests indifferent alike to the claims of holiness and the light of revelation from above. While crimes like these pollute her, she cannot escape the judgment of Yahweh; for He is righteous, and morning by morning bringeth forth justice as unfailingly as the light. The nations He has already destroyed and left without inhabitant are abiding witnesses to the righteousness of Yahweh. He hoped that His own people would read the lesson, and abide in His fear; but they have wantonly and deliberately made all their doings corrupt, thus not only cutting off all chance of salvation, but even inviting destruction.
Zephaniah 3:2. evening wolves: cf. Habakkuk 1:8.
Zephaniah 3:4. light: rather unrestrained, reckless (in speech), braggarts (G. A. Smith). treacherous: i.e. faithless to the God whose word they professed to interpret. For the sanctuary read that which is holy (cf. Ezekiel 22:26). The priests have proved false to their two main duties: they have blurred the distinction between the holy and the common, and have perverted the direction (teaching or revelation) received from Yahweh, twisting it to suit the wishes of their wealthy patrons.
Zephaniah 3:5. For la-' or, to the light, we should perhaps read ka-' or, like the light (cf. Hosea 6:5), making God's judgment rather than Himself the subject of faileth not.
Zephaniah 3:7. I said: i.e. I thought. For m e-' onah, her dwelling, read me-' eneyha, from her eyes (LXX, Syr.): thus, And no more from her eyes (sight) shall be cut off aught that I have laid upon her (any commandment I have charged her with).