At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I
I will make you a name and a praise - I will make you to become celebrated and praised.
When I turn back your captivity - when I bring back your captives (Maurer). The Hebrew is plural, 'captivities;' to express the captivities of different ages of their history, as well as the diversity of places in which they were and are dispersed.
Before your eyes - incredible as the event may seem, your own eyes with delight shall see it. You will scarcely believe it for joy, but the testimony of your own eyes shall convince you of the delightful reality (cf. Luke 24:41).
Remarks:
(1) Filthiness of heart and oppression in practice entail a heritage of "woe." Such was the state of Jerusalem (Zephaniah 3:1). Nor would she profit even by "correction" (Zephaniah 3:2). Disobedience to "the voice" of the Lord, distrust of His word, were her great sins, and the source of all her other transgressions. No wonder, then, that she "drew not near to her God." Let us avoid her sins, as we would escape her punishment. Let us "draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to us" (James 4:8).
(2) The presence of the "just Lord in the midst" of an apostate people (Zephaniah 3:5), so far from saving them from wrath, only brings it the nearer to them. Where the "prince," "judges," and "nobles" are rapacious, and God's ministers are 'light and treacherous,' God must indicate His own righteousness by punishing the guilty.
(3) God's "unfailing" patience in "bringing His judgment to light," sparing no pains to lead His people from iniquity to repentance, might be supposed to be enough to melt the hardest heart. "But the unjust knoweth no shame" (Zephaniah 3:5). Had Jerusalem taken warning by the judgments of God on foreign nations (Zephaniah 3:6-7), and on the kingdom of the ten tribes, her "dwelling" would not have been "cut off." But she was at as much pains to "corrupt" and destroy herself as God was at to reform and save her. So the fatal stroke, long deferred by the forbearance of God, at last fell. Let us take warning by her example, and learn that outward privileges, abused and slighted only increase men's condemnation.
(4) The effect of the judgments of God will at last be, that the elect remnant will be moved by the Spirit of God to "wait upon Yahweh" (Zephaniah 3:8). Then shall He pour out "the fire of His jealousy" on the "assembled" enemies of His people. He "will be jealous for His land, and pity His people" (Joel 2:18). And the result of the fearful punishment of the God-opposed nations shall be, that "the Lord will turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent" (Zephaniah 3:9). Lips polluted with sin, blasphemy, and idolatry heretofore, shall then be purified by the Spirit of God, and through the blood of Jesus Christ. The nations that remain after God's judgments on the rebels shall, with conjoint effort, putting as it were all shoulders together (margin, Zephaniah 3:9), serve Him. Disunion of heart, indicated by the Babel-confusion of tongues, shall cease; and all "with one mind and one mouth shall glorify God" (Romans 15:6). The nations shall gladly bring as an "offering" to the Lord "His dispersed" people from all the distant regions wherein they are now scattered (Zephaniah 3:10).
(5) The characteristics given of those who shall share in that coming blessedness are such as are common to all the true people of God, of every age and every country. God will exclude all boasting. They that pride themselves on outward spiritual privileges, as the Jews of old "rejoiced in their" temple on God's holy mountain, which was their "pride," shall at last be taken away "out of the midst" of the true Israel. The spiritually "poor," who have no self-sufficiency or haughtiness, who are "an afflicted people," as their Lord was "afflicted" (Isaiah 53:4), and who "trust in the name of the Lord" alone (Zephaniah 3:12), shall be "left" as heirs of the coming glory and blessedness. Let us see that we have the marks of the saved "remnant of Israel" "not doing iniquity, nor speaking lies" (Zephaniah 3:13); being "Israelites indeed, in whom is no guile" (John 1:47). Let us search our motives, that there be no latent hypocrisy or self-deceit, "no deceitful tongue found in our mouth." Then shall the Lord at His coming cause us to "feed and lie down" (Zephaniah 3:13) in heavenly pastures, as His sheep, "in whose mouth is found no guile," and who "are without fault before the throne of God" (Revelation 14:5).
(6) The true Israel may well "be glad and rejoice with all the heart" (Zephaniah 3:14), in anticipation of the day when the Lord shall have "cast out her enemy," Satan, and Satan's representative, Antichrist, and when she "shall not see evil anymore" (Zephaniah 3:15). Though the promise belongs to the literal Israel, it also belongs to the spiritual. And it should cause the fearful believer to take courage, and "lift up the hands that hang down" (Zephaniah 3:16; Hebrews 12:12). Now, it is true, "sorrow" and "reproach" (Zephaniah 3:18) are often the portion of God's people; but all this is coming to a glorious end. Instead of their past "shame," God "will make them a name and a praise among all people" (Zephaniah 3:20). Instead of the mocking of enemies, and even at times the hiding of God's countenance, because of temporary backslidings, the true Israel shall experience in all its fullness the precious promise realized, "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love; He will joy over thee with singing" (Zephaniah 3:17).