4<\/strong>. Her prophets<\/em> are light<\/em> ] Both the idea and the expression find a parallel in Jer 23:32<\/span>, “I am against them that prophesy false dreams, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness” (R.V. vain boasting<\/em>); cf. Lam 2:14<\/span>; Eze 22:28<\/span>. The figure expressed by “light” is that of the boiling over of water (Gen 49:4<\/span>; Jdg 9:4<\/span>), and the word characterizes the prophets as vapourers, extravagant and arrogant in their own imaginations and conceits, their minds lacking the restraint of the word of God under which the true prophets spoke.<\/p>\n treacherous persons<\/em> ] lit. men of treacheries<\/em>, or, perfidiousnesses. The precise sense is not clear. The verb to deal treacherously is often used of falsehood or perfidy toward God; Jer 3:20<\/span>, “as a wife dealeth treacherously against her husband so have ye dealt treacherously against me O house of Israel;” Hos 6:7<\/span>. The idea, however, that the prophets dealt unfaithfully with God in giving out the imaginations of their own heart as His word to men (Hitzig), is rather strained. In the ethical writings of the Old Testament, such as the Proverbs, “treacherous dealer” is often parallel to “wicked” (Pro 2:22<\/span>; Pro 11:6<\/span>; Pro 21:18<\/span>; cf. Hab 1:13<\/span>), and means one who acts untruly or wrongfully in regard to moral law. Jeremiah frequently taxes the prophets of his day with immoral conduct (Jer 23:14<\/span>, Jer 29:23<\/span>).<\/p>\n have polluted the sanctuary<\/em> ] Rather: have profaned that which is holy<\/strong>. Eze 22:26<\/span> offers a complete parallel: “Her priests have done violence to my law, and have profaned mine holy things; they have put no difference between the holy and profane, between the clean and the unclean.” The last words explain at least one way of doing “violence” or wrong to the law. Jer 2:8<\/span> makes similar charges against the various official classes.<\/p>\n Her prophets are light – <\/B>, boiling and bubbling, up, like water boiling over , empty boasters claiming the gift of prophecy, which they have not; boldly and rashly pouring out what they willed as they willed; promising good things which shall not be. So they are her prophets, to whom they prophesy smooth things (see Mic 2:11<\/span>), the prophets of this people not the prophets of God; treacherous persons (literally, men of treacheries) wholly given to manifold treacheries against God in whose Name they spake and to the people whom they deceived. Jerome: They spake as if from the mouth of the Lord and uttered everything against the Lord. The leaders of the people, those who profess to lead it aright, Isaiah says, are its misleaders (Isa 9:15<\/span> (Isa 9:16<\/span> in English)). Thy prophets, Jeremiah says, have seen vain and foolish things for thee; they have seen for thee false visions and causes of banishment Lam 2:14<\/span>.<\/P> Her priests have polluted her sanctuary – <\/B>Literally, holiness, and so holy rites, persons Ezr 8:28<\/span>, things, places (as the sanctuary), sacrifices. All these they polluted, being themselves polluted; they polluted first themselves, then the holy things which they handled, handling them as they ought not; carelessly and irreverently, not as ordained by God; turning them to their own use and self-indulgence, instead of the glory of God; then they polluted them in the eyes of the people, making them to abhor the offering of the Lord 1Sa 2:17<\/span>, since, living scandalously, they themselves regarded the Ministry entrusted to them by God so lightly. Their office was to put difference between holy and unholy and between clean and unclean, and to teach the children all the statutes which the Lord hath spoken unto them by Moses Lev 10:10-11<\/span>; that they should sanctify themselves and be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy (Lev 11:44<\/span>; Lev 19:2<\/span>, etc.). But they on the contrary, God says by Ezekiel, have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no difference between holy and profane, and have taught none between clean and unclean Eze 22:26<\/span>. Holy and unholy being the contradictory of each other, these changed what God had hallowed into its exact contrary. It was not a mere short-coming, but an annihilation (so to speak), of Gods purposes.<\/P> Cyril: The priests of the Church then must keep strict watch, not to profane holy things. There is not one mode only of profaning them, but many and divers. For priests ought to be purified both in soul and body, and to cast aside every form of abominable pleasure. Rather should they be resplendent with zeal in well-doing, remembering what Paul saith, walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh Gal 5:16<\/span>.<\/P> They have oppressed, done violence, to the law – <\/B>Openly violating it ; or straining it, or secretly wresting and using its forms to wrong and violence, as in the case of Naboth and of Him, of whom Naboth thus far bore the Image. We have a law, and by our law He ought to die Joh 19:7<\/span>. Law exists to restrain human violence; these reversed Gods ordinances; violence and law changed places: first, they did violence to the majesty of the law, which was the very voice of God, and then, through profaning it, did violence to man. Forerunners herein of those, who, when Christ came, transgressed the commandment of God, and made it of none effect by their traditions Mat 15:6<\/span>; omitting also the weightier matters of the law, judgment and mercy and faith; full of extortion and excess! Mat 23:23<\/span>, Mat 23:25<\/span>.<\/P> <\/p>\n Verse 4. Her prophets<\/B><\/I> are <\/B>light<\/B><\/I> and <\/B>treacherous persons<\/B><\/I>] They have no seriousness<\/I>, no deep conviction<\/I> of the awful nature of their office<\/I>, no concern<\/I> for the immortal souls<\/I> of the people. Treacherous persons<\/I> – they betray the souls of the people for the sake of worldly honour, pleasure<\/I>, and profit<\/I>. Even in our own enlightened country we find prophets who prefer hunting the hare<\/I> or the fox<\/I>, and pursuing the partridge<\/I> and pheasant<\/I>, to visiting the sick<\/I>, and going<\/I> after the strayed, lost sheep<\/I> of the house of Israel<\/I>. Poor souls! They know neither God nor themselves; and if they did visit the sick, they could not speak to them to exhortation, edification, or comfort. God never called them to his work; therefore they know nothing of it. But O, what an account have these pleasure-taking false prophets<\/I> to render to the Shepherd of souls!<\/P> <\/P> They have done violence to the law.<\/B><\/I>] They have forced wrong constructions on it in order to excuse themselves, and lull the people into spiritual slumber. So we find that it was an ancient practice for men to wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction.<\/P> <\/p>\n Her prophets; <\/B>by education, profession, and unwarranted practice called so, false prophets; such Zedekiah, and probably Chenaanah, &c., were. Are light; unstable and inconstant, ready to comply with humours which they should have reproved, 1Ki 22:13<\/span>. <\/P> Treacherous persons; <\/B>men of treacheries, whatever pleasing temper they seem to be of, yet still they design treachery; the Hebrew seems to run it higher, treacheries in the abstract. <\/P> Her priests, <\/B>of the house of Levi, of the stock of Aaron, <\/P> have polluted the sanctuary; <\/B>bound by office to keep holy the sanctuary, have defiled it, and all that is holy. <\/P> Have done violence to the law; <\/B>wresting it by perverse interpretation to what sense best serveth a corrupt mind. <\/P> <\/p>\n 4. light<\/B>in whose life andteaching there is no truth, gravity, or steadiness. <\/P> treacherous<\/B>false toJehovah, whose prophets they profess to be (Jer 23:32<\/span>;Eze 22:28<\/span>). <\/P> polluted . . . sanctuary<\/B>bytheir profane deeds.<\/P><\/p>\n Her prophets [are] light [and treacherous persons<\/strong>,…. The false prophets, as the Targum and Kimchi explain it: these seem to design the lawyers spoken of in the New Testament, whose business it was to interpret the law to the people; these were “light” men, good for nothing, of no worth and value; light in knowledge, as Kimchi gives the sense of the word; men of no brains; empty headed men, that had no substantial knowledge; giddy, unstable, and inconstant, and compliant with the humours and vices of the people; men of no gravity in their countenance, speech, and conversation. Schultens a, from the use of the word in the Arabic language, renders it “proud”, as these men were, proud boasters; for, though they had but a superficial knowledge of things, they boasted of much, and carried it with a haughty and insolent air to the common people: and they were “treacherous” to God, and to his truths, and to the souls of men, and took away the key of knowledge from them; and particularly were so to Christ, of whom they were the betrayers and murderers, delivering him up into the hands of the Gentiles to be scourged and crucified, Mt 20:18<\/span>:<\/p>\n her priests have polluted the sanctuary<\/strong>; the temple; by selling, or suffering to be sold in it, various things, whereby it became a den of thieves, which once was called a house of prayer, Mt 21:12<\/span> and also our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the sanctuary or temple was a type, by denying, blaspheming, and reproaching him, and by shedding his blood:<\/p>\n they have done violence to the law<\/strong>; by not teaching it as they should; and by their false glosses, senses, and interpretations of it; and by the traditions of the elders they preferred unto it, and whereby they made it void; see Mt 5:1<\/span> and Mt 15:1<\/span>.<\/p>\n a Animadv. Philol. in Job, p. 144.<\/p>\n The Prophet again reverts to the pollution and filth of which he has spoken in the first verse. He shows that he had not without reason cried against the polluted city; for though the Jews used their washings, they could not yet make themselves clean in this manner before God, as the whole of religion was corrupted by them. <\/p>\n He says that the Prophets were light. He alone speaks here, and he condemns the many. We hence see that there is no reason why the ungodly should allege their great number, when God by his word accuses them, as the Papists do at this day, who deny it to be right in one or two, or few men, to speak against their impiety, however bad the state of things may be; there must be the consent of the whole world, as though the Prophet was not alone, and had not to contend with a great many. It is indeed true that he taught at the same time with the Prophet Jeremiah, as we have elsewhere seen; but yet hardly two or three did then discharge faithfully their office of teaching; and from this and other places we learn that the false Prophets, relying on their number, were on that account bolder. But Zephaniah did not for this reason cease to cry against them. However much then the false Prophets raged against him, and terrified him by the show of their number, he still exercised his liberty in condemning them. So at this day, though the whole world should unite in promoting impiety, there is yet no reason why the few should be disheartened when observing the worship of God perverted; but they ought on the contrary to encourage themselves by this example, and strenuously to resist thousands of men if necessary; for no union formed by men can possibly lessen the authority of God. <\/p>\n It now follows that they were men of transgressions. What we render light, others render empty; ( vacuous;) but the word פוחזים, puchezim, means strictly men of nought, and also the rash, and those who are void of judgment as well as of all moderation. In short, it is the same as though the Prophet had said that they were stupid and blind; and he says afterwards that they were fraudulent, than which there is nothing more inconsistent with the Prophetic office. But Zephaniah shows that the whole order was then so degenerated among the people, that the thickest darkness prevailed among those very leaders whose office it was to bring forth the light of celestial truth. And he makes a concession by calling them Prophets. The same we do at this day when we speak of Popish bishops. It is indeed certain that they are unworthy of so honorable a title; for they are blinder than moles, so that they are far from being overseers. We also know, that they are like brute beasts; for they are immersed in their lusts: in short, they are unworthy to be called men. But we concede to them this title, in order that their turpitude may be more apparent. The Prophet did the same, when he said, that the Jews did not draw nigh to their God; he conceded to them what they boasted; for they ever wished to be regarded as the holy and peculiar people of God: but their ingratitude did hence become more evident, because they went back and turned to another object, when God was ready to embrace them, as though they designedly meant to show that they had nothing to do with him. It is then the same manner of speaking, that Zephaniah adopts here, when he says, that the Prophets were light and men of transgressions. (108) <\/p>\n He then adds, The priests have polluted the holy place. The tribe of Levi, we know, had been chosen by God; and those who descended from him, were to be ministers and teachers to others: and for this reason the Lord in the law ordered the Levites to be dispersed through the whole country. He might indeed have given them as to the rest, a fixed habitation; but his will was, that they should be dispersed among the whole population, that no part of the land should be without good and faithful ministers. The Prophet now charges them, that they had polluted the holy place. By the word קדש, kodash the Prophet means whatsoever is holy; at the same time he speaks of the sanctuary. Moreover, since the sanctuary was as it were the dwelling-place of God, when the Prophets speak of divine worship and religion, they include the whole under the word, Temple, as in this place. He says then that the sanctuary was polluted by the priests, and then that they took away or subverted the law. (109) <\/p>\n We here see how boldly the Prophet charges the priests. There is then no reason why they who are divinely appointed over the Church should claim for themselves the liberty of doing what they please; for the priests might have boasted of this privilege, that without dispute everything was lawful for them. But we see that God not only calls them to order by his Prophets, but even blames them more than others, because they were less excusable. Now the Papists boast, that the clergy, even the very dregs collected from the filthiest filth, cannot err; which is extremely absurd; for they are not better than the successors of Aaron. But we see what the Prophet objects now to them,—that they subverted the law: he not only condemns their life, but says also, that they were perfidious towards God; for they strangely corrupted the whole truth of religion. The Papists confess, that they indeed can sin, but that the sin dwells only in their moral conduct. They yet seek to exempt themselves from all the danger of going astray. Though the Levitical priests were indeed chosen by the very voice of God, we yet see that they were apostates. But God confirms the godly, that they might not abandon themselves to impiety, though they saw their very leaders going astray, and rushing headlong into ruin. For it behaved the faithful to fortify themselves with constancy, when the priests not only by their bad conduct withdrew the people from every fear of God, but also perverted every sound doctrine; it behaved, I say, the faithful to remain then invincible. Though then at this day those who hold the highest dignity in the Church neglect God and even despise every celestial truth, and thus rush headlong into ruin, and though they attempt to turn God’s truth into falsehood, yet let our faith continue firm; for John has not without reason declared, that it ought to be victorious against the whole world. 1Jo 5:4<\/span>. It follows— <\/p>\n (108) Her prophets are light, they are treacherous men.— Newcome. <\/p>\n Her prophets are vainglorious, hypocritical men.— Henderson. <\/p>\n The word rendered “light,” as a river, and not “unstable,” as in our version. It is applied as a participle in Jud 9:4<\/span>, to designate persons overflowing in wickedness, dissolute, licentious, dissipated; and as a noun in Jer 23:32<\/span>, to set forth the licentious conduct of the false prophets, who like the priests under the Papacy, were given to lasciviousness, and “committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives,” Jer 29:23<\/span>. See also Jer 23:14<\/span>. As Zephaniah was contemporary with Jeremiah, his description of the Prophets is thus seen to be the same, “Her Prophets are licentious,” or lascivious. <\/p>\n Men of dissimulations or deceits, [ אנשי בגדות ], signify, that under the pretense of telling the truth, they delivered what was false; or in the words of Jeremiah, they “caused the people to err by their lies,” while they pretended to deliver true messages from God: so that Jer 23:32<\/span>, contains an explanation of this clause. “Deceiving men” would perhaps be the best rendering. Though they were licentious, yet they deceived men, and made them to believe that they were true Prophets. They were impostors, and notwithstanding their immoral character, they persuaded deluded men that they were true and faithful.— Ed. <\/p>\n (109) The word, [ קדש ], as Calvin intimates, does not specifically mean the sanctuary, but holiness, or, as Henderson renders it, “what is sacred,” or holy. Both our version and Newcome improperly render it “the sanctuary.” The explanation of what is meant may be found in Eze 12:26<\/span>. The word for sanctuary is [ מקדש ]. See Eze 23:38<\/span> <\/p>\n The words, [ חמסו תורה ], have been taken to mean,—either, “They violated the law,” as the words are rendered in Eze 12:26<\/span>, that is, transgressed it by acting contrary to it; or, “They perverted the law,” forcing it, as it were, out of its plain meaning by subtle glosses. The Septuagint render the verb ηθετησαν— set aside or abolished, in Ezekiel, and here ἀσεβουσι— act impiously. “Trangressed,” says Grotius; “Do violence to,” say Piscator and Drusius, that is, by wresting its words. It occurs much oftener as a noun than as a verb, and it commonly means a wrong or injustice done in an outrageous and violent manner. According to this general idea, we may render the phrase here, “they have outraged the law,” either by their conduct, or by their comments. It was in either case a wrong done to the law, that was enormous, passing all reason and decency. So that to transgress or to violate, or to do violence to, or to pervert the law, does not convey the full meaning.— Ed. <\/p>\n (4) Light and treacherous persons.<\/strong>Better, braggarts and men of treachery. Zep 3:4 Her prophets [are] light [and] treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.<\/p>\n Ver. 4. Her prophets are light<\/strong> ] Rash, headlong, futilous, debauched (as the French translateth it), aerial, fantastic, weightless, worthless men, such as in whose doctrine there is no authority, in whose life no gravity, staidness, severity, constancy (Rodulphus, Archbishop of Canterberry next after Anselm, was surnamed Nugax for his jesting and toying): like the planet Mercury, they can be good in conjunction with good, and bad with bad; like that French apostate of whom Beza saith that he had religionem ephemeram,<\/em> for every day a new religion, ab his ad illos, ab illis ad hos leviter iens et levius transiens,<\/em> double-minded and unstable in all his ways, Jas 1:8<\/span> . <\/p>\n <\/p>\n And treacherous persons<\/strong> ] Viri perfidiarum,<\/em> most perfidious persons. This is their true title, whom the world counteth and calleth facile, facetious, fair conditioned, comporting, condescending, people pleasing preachers. Can there be a worse treachery than to betray men’s souls, as your Aiones and Negones do, that cry peace, peace, and so betray men to hell. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Her priests have polluted the sanctuary<\/strong> ] Or holy services. <\/p>\n “ Cum coelum terrae commiscent sacra profanis.<\/em> ”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n God looks to be sanctified in all those that draw nigh unto him, Lev 10:3<\/span> , that they should be singularly holy, handling the word, sancte magis quam scite<\/em> with greater reverence than knowledge, (as one once told the wanton vestal), and living so that malice itself may be silenced. God of old appointed both the weights and measures of the sanctuary to be twice as large as those of the commonwealth; to show that he expects much more of those that serve him there than he doth of others. See 1Ki 7:15 cf. 2Ch 3:15<\/span> . <\/p>\n <\/p>\n They have done violence to the law<\/strong> ] sc.<\/em> By their crafty and perverse glosses, setting it on the rack, as it were, and so making it speak more than it would; tawing it with their teeth, as shoemakers do their upper leather, forcing it two miles when it would go but one, yea, murdering it, as Tertullian saith of some, quod caedem scripturarum faciant,<\/em> that they slaughter the Scriptures to serve their own purposes; for which cause also he calleth Marcion the heretic, Murem Ponticum,<\/em> the Rat of Pontus, for his arroding and gnawing the text.<\/p>\n light = reckless. <\/p>\n treacherous persons = men (Hebrew. ‘enosh, App-14.) of treacheries; placing the emphasis on the treachery. <\/p>\n polluted = profaned. Hebrew. halal. Not the same word as in Zep 3:1. Reference to Pentateuch (Lev 19:8; Lev 21:23; Lev 22:15. Num 18:32). App-92. <\/p>\n done violence, &c. Compare Jer 2:8. Eze 22:26. <\/p>\n light: Isa 9:15, Isa 56:10-12, Jer 5:31, Jer 6:13, Jer 6:14, Jer 8:10, Jer 14:13-15, Jer 23:9-17, Jer 23:25-27, Jer 23:32, Jer 27:14, Jer 27:15, Lam 2:14, Eze 13:3-16, Hos 9:7, Mic 2:11, Mic 3:5, Mic 3:6, Mat 7:15, 2Co 11:13, 2Pe 2:1-3, 1Jo 4:1, Rev 19:20 <\/p>\n her priests: 1Sa 2:12-17, 1Sa 2:22, Eze 22:26, Eze 44:7, Eze 44:8, Hos 4:6-8, Mal 2:8 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: 2Ch 36:14 – all the chief Isa 59:6 – their works Jer 9:2 – an assembly Jer 23:1 – pastors Jer 23:11 – both Jer 23:14 – in the Jer 26:7 – General Jer 29:23 – and have Jer 34:19 – princes Lam 4:13 – the sins Eze 7:23 – for Eze 13:2 – prophesy against Eze 22:12 – taken gifts Eze 22:28 – seeing Eze 34:2 – Woe Eze 44:10 – the Levites Eze 44:23 – General 1Co 3:17 – any 2Co 1:17 – lightness<\/p>\n Zep 3:4. Light and treacherous means they are frivolous and unreliable. Such a prophet would refuse to be serious concerning the danger overhanging the nation. Tbe priests made a mere formality of the services and violated the law whenever it would interfere with their plots against the common people.<\/p>\n Jerusalem’s religious leaders, the (false) prophets and priests, provided examples of the city’s defiled condition (Zep 3:1). The prophets were reckless in the way they announced their own advice as divine revelation and treacherous in deceiving the people into thinking that their words were authoritative. The priests did not observe the laws of holiness that God had prescribed for worship, and they twisted the meaning of the Mosaic Law to suit their purposes (cf. Zep 1:4-5).<\/p>\n Her prophets [are] light [and] treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law. 4. Her prophets are light ] Both the idea and the expression find a parallel in Jer 23:32, “I am against them that prophesy false dreams, and cause my people to err by their lies, … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Zephaniah 3:4”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22835","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22835","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22835"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22835\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22835"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22835"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22835"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
<\/em><\/p>\nFuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"