Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Zephaniah 2:2

Before the decree bring forth, [before] the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD’s anger come upon you.

2. The verse is probably in some disorder: the first two clauses can hardly present the original text, and the last two clauses look like duplicates of one another.

Before the decree bring forth ] The “decree” is God’s purpose, the determined day of the Lord, and its “bringing forth” would mean, its giving birth to its contents or effects. This is rather unnatural language; a different construction would be more probable: Before the decree be brought forth, given birth to or revealed.

before the day pass as the chaff ] Or, with R.V. marg., as a parenthesis: ( like chaff the day passeth by). But it is not the passing by of the day that is the point but its advance; and on the other hand the advance of chaff before the wind is not a usual or suitable figure.

Instead of chaff ( mts) Sept. read flower ( nts), rendering the first two clauses of the verse, Before ye become as the flower that passes away. The reading flower is no doubt an error; with the substitution of “chaff” the passage would run: Before ye become like the chaff that passes by. This is a simple reading; how far it reflects the original text must remain uncertain.

The last clause, “day of the anger of the Lord,” looks like an explanation of the more general words, “the fierceness of the anger of the Lord” in the previous clause. The Hexaplar Syriac translation indicates that the last clause was not original in the Sept.; on the other hand, a corrector in the Sinaitic MS. (Swete, c. b) suggests omission of the preceding clause.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Before the decree bring forth – Gods word is full (as it were) of the event which it foretelleth; it contains its own fulfillment in itself, and travaileth until it come to pass, giving signs of its coming, yet delaying until the full time. Time is said to bring forth what is wrought in it. Thou knowest not, what a day shall bring forth.

Before the day pass as the chaff – Or, parenthetically, like chaff the day passeth by. Gods counsels lie wrapt up, as it were, in the womb of time, wherein He hides them, until the moment which He has appointed, and they break forth suddenly to those who look not for them. The mean season is given for repentance, that is, the day of grace, the span of repentance still allowed, which is continually whirling more swiftly by; and woe, if it be fruitless as chaff! Those who profit not by it shall also be as chaff, carried away pitilessly by the whirlwind to destruction. Time, on which eternity hangs, is a slight, uncertain thing, as little to be counted upon, as the light dry particles which are the sport of the wind, driven uncertainly here and there. But when it is passed, then cometh, not to them, but upon them, from heaven, overwhelming them, abiding upon Joh 3:36 them, not to pass away, the heat of the anger of Almighty God. This warning he twice repeats, to impress the certainty and speed of its conming Gen 41:32. It is the warning of our Lord, Take heed, lest that day come upon you unawares Luk 21:34.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Before the decree, the Word of the prophet which declares the purpose of God against this sinful people, bring forth: the degree is pregnant, nay, hath gone a great while, but is now like a woman near her full time, ready to bring forth: be you speedy in your repentance, lest your miseries break forth of the womb of Divine vengeance and destroy you. Before the day, the day of your calamities, Babylons rage, and Gods just displeasure,

pass as the chaff; carry you away as the wind carrieth chaff away for the fire, while the good grain is gathered and preserved.

The fierce anger; the heat of anger. It was jealousy like fire, Zep 1:18, and here it is the heat of that fire, intimating the greatness of the anger. Come upon you; as a storm from on high, with violence irresistible and destructive; and the warning is doubled to make them take it.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

2. Before the decree bringforththat is, Before God’s decree against you announced by me(Zep 1:1-18) have itsfulfilment. As the embryo lies hid in the womb, and then emergesto light in its own due time, so though God for a time hides Hisvengeance, yet He brings it forth at the proper season.

before the day pass as thechaffthat is, before the day for repentance pass,and with it you, the ungodly, pass away as the chaff (Job 21:18;Psa 1:4). MAURERputs it parenthetically, “the day (that is, time) passes as thechaff (that is, most quickly).” CALVIN,”before the decree bring forth” (the predicted vengeance),(then) the chaff (the Jews) shall pass in a day, that is, in amoment, though they thought that it would be long before they couldbe overthrown. English Version is best; the latter clausebeing explanatory of the former, and so the before beingunderstood, not expressed.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Before the decree bring forth, [before] the day pass as the chaff,…. Which was like a woman big with child, ready to be delivered. The decree of God concerning the people of the Jews was pregnant with wrath and ruin for their sins, and just ripe for execution; and therefore, before it was actually executed, they are exhorted as above; not that the decree of God which was gone forth could be frustrated and made void by anything done by them; only that, when it was put into execution, such as repented of their sins might be saved from the general calamity; which they are called upon to do before the day come appointed by the Lord for the execution of this decree; which lingered not, and was not delayed, but slid on as swiftly as chaff before the driving wind. There is some difficulty in the rendering and sense of these words; some thus, “before the day, which passes as chaff, brings forth the decree” e; that is, before the time, which moves swiftly, brings on the execution of the decree, or of the thing decreed in it, it is big with: others, “before the decree brings forth the day that passeth as chaff” f; or in which the chaff shall be separated from the wheat, pass away, be dispersed here and there; that is, before they were scattered about by it as chaff: and to this sense the Septuagint and Arabic versions, “before ye are as a flower”; or, as the Syriac, “as chaff that passeth away”; and so the Targum more fully,

“before the decree of the house of judgment come out upon you, and ye be like chaff which the wind blows away, and like a shadow which passes from before the day.” See Ps 1:4.

Before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord’s anger come upon you; these phrases explain the former, and show what the decree was big with, and ready to bring forth, even the judgments of God, in wrath and fierce anger; and what the day is, said to pass as the chaff; the day of God’s vengeance fixed by him, which should come upon them, and scatter them like chaff among the nations of the world: or rather the words may be rendered thus, as by Gussetius g, “whilst as yet the decree hath not brought forth, the day passeth away like chaff”; being neglected and spent in an useless and unprofitable manner; for which they are reproved; and therefore are exhorted to be wiser for the future, and redeem precious time; and, before the Lord’s anger comes upon them, do what is before exhorted to, and particularly what follows:

e “antequam dies, quae transit ut palea, pariat decretum”, Drusius; so Ben Melech. f “Priusquam decretum Dei pariat deim veluti glumae transeuntis”, Grotius. g Ebr. Comment. p. 305.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(2) Before the decree bring forth.i.e., before Gods decree or ordinance, against which they have offended, brings forth the curse foretold in Zephaniah 1. There is no occasion to identify the decree with the Book of the Law brought to light at the time of Josiahs Reformation (see Introd. II.).

Before the day pass as the chaff.Better, perhaps, parenthetically, for the day is passing by like chaff. The time for repentance is speeding by like chaff whirled before the wind.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

Zep 2:2 Before the decree bring forth, [before] the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD’S anger come upon you.

Ver. 2. Before the decree bring forth ] The decree is great bellied, and will shortly bring forth, if not prevented. There is an execution towards; and if course be not timeously taken, ye are like to pay, not the debt only, but charges and damages. Look to it quickly “before the decree,” &c. Here are three cautionary “befores,” as there are four comfortable “yets” to be read Zec 1:17 . God yet offers them mercy, as Alexander did those he warred against, while the lamp burned; and as Tamerlane, while the white flag was hung out. See Jer 18:7-8 .

Before the day pass as the chaff ] Before that day of the Lord that is near, very near, Zep 1:14-15 . Pass upon you, and ye become as chaff before the wind, as the dust of the mountains before the whirlwind. O fan you, fan you; for else God will fan you after another fashion; search you, or he will soon search you with candles, Zep 1:12 ; gather yourselves together, or he will gather your souls with sinners, and your lives with bloody men, Psa 26:9 . Would men but judge themselves God would not judge them, 1Co 11:31 ; did they but see their sins to confession they should never see them to their confusion, Pro 28:13 , would they but meet God, as Abigail did David, they might disarm his indignation. Saving a little pains in this case doubleth it; and the best that can come of negligence is repentance. It is better that we should try ourselves, than that he should try us in his furnace of temptation, or other affliction. Do it, therefore, “before the day pass as the chaff,” or before the chaff or stubble pass in that day, pass before the wind wherewith God shall winnow you, who would not winnow yourselves. The scholar that will not scan his own verses shall find that, his master will scan them to his cost. And the tradesman that will not cast up his books shall have his books to cast up him at length.

Before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you ] As a mighty torrent of fire, such as you are never able to avoid or abide. Abused mercy turneth into fury; neither will God suffer his patience to stand still for a sinning stock. Twice in a breath these hypocrites are here told what to trust unto for more surety.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

day = judgment. See note on Zep 1:8.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

the decree: Zep 3:8, 2Ki 22:16, 2Ki 22:17, 2Ki 23:26, 2Ki 23:27, Eze 12:25, Mat 24:35, 2Pe 3:4-10

as: Job 21:18, Psa 1:4, Isa 17:13, Isa 41:15, Isa 41:16, Hos 13:3

before the fierce: Zep 1:18, 2Ch 36:16, 2Ch 36:17, Psa 2:12, Psa 50:22, Jer 23:20, Lam 4:11, Nah 1:6, Mal 4:1, Mal 4:2, Luk 13:24-28

before the day of: Psa 95:7, Psa 95:8

Reciprocal: Jos 7:13 – sanctify 1Ch 16:11 – Seek Psa 105:4 – Seek Isa 13:6 – for the day Jer 4:4 – lest Jer 5:31 – and what Jer 13:24 – as Eze 13:5 – the day Dan 4:27 – if it Amo 5:13 – an evil Zep 1:15 – is Mal 3:17 – and I Act 2:20 – great

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Zep 2:2. Before the decree bring forth. If anything is to be done to avert the impending doom it must be done soon for the time of the invasion is near. As the chaff denotes that the nation was to be threshed and the worthless parts blown away.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary