16<\/strong>. Let not thine hands be slack<\/em> ] that is, hang down<\/em>, in terror or paralysis. Jer 6:24<\/span>; Heb 12:12<\/span>.<\/p>\n In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not – <\/B>For perfect love casteth out fear Joh 4:18<\/span>; from where he saith, Fear not, little flock; it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdom Luk 12:32<\/span>. Who then and what should the Church or the faithful soul fear, since mightier is He that is in her, than he that is in the world? And to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack, through faint-heartedness (see Heb 12:12<\/span>), but work with all thy might; be ready to do or bear anything; since Christ worketh with, in, by thee, and in due time we shall reap, if we faint not Gal 6:9<\/span>.<\/P> <\/p>\n Zep 3:16<\/span><\/p>\n Let not thine hands be slack.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n The Church of Christ exhorted to diligence<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>The work to be performed is spiritual in its nature. Being a spiritual work, it has special regard to the interests of the souls of men, and embraces every duty calculated to promote the purity and happiness, the <\/strong>present and eternal salvation, of intelligent beings. The inhabitants of Zion, collectively or individually, ii they would promote the happiness of men, must lead them to an acquaintance with that Saviour, whom to know is life eternal.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>The work to be performed is beneficial in its operations. Contemplate the effects in their immediate subjects. The dark mind is enlightened, the hard heart is softened, the perverse will is subjected, the drowsy conscience is roused, the inverted affections are rightly directed, the carnal nature regenerated, and the profligate life is changed into purity of deportment. Contemplate the effects in their direct tendency. The operations of grace are visible in all the kindred relations of life, and in all the relations of society. Contemplate the effects in their extended influence.<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>The work to be performed is important in its character. This is seen if we reflect on the exalted interest which it engages. The spiritual interest of man engages all the perfections of God, and all the persons of the sacred Trinity. Reflect also on the honour it secures to man.<\/p>\n 4. <\/strong>The work to be performed is indispensable in its obligations. These arc numerous, powerful, and binding. The obligation arises from mans misery, through sin, and should be felt and acknowledged by all who have found mercy in God.<\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>The mighty power of truth.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>The necessary power of union.<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>The extensive power of influence.<\/p>\n 4. <\/strong>The consecrated power of wealth.<\/p>\n 5. <\/strong>The prevailing power of prayer.<\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>Supineness of spirit is unworthy of a work of grace.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>It is unequal to a work of grace.<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>It would fail to accomplish the work of grace.<\/p>\n 4. <\/strong>It is very offensive to the God of Grace.<\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>This is the voice of God from His sovereign throne.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>This is the voice of ministers from the towers of Zion.<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>This is the voice of thousands whose state demands assistance.<\/p>\n In conclusion–<\/p>\n 1.<\/strong> The work of grace is the work of Zion.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>The members of Zion have a hand, a power for this work.<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>The members of Zion are called to unwearied exertions. (William Naylor.<\/em>)<\/p>\n Verse 16<\/span>. Fear thou not<\/B><\/I>] Thou shalt have no more captivities nor national afflictions.<\/P> <\/P> Let not thine hands be slack.<\/B><\/I>] This may refer, first<\/I>, to the rebuilding of the temple of God, after the return from Babylon; and, secondly, to their diligence and zeal in the Christian Church.<\/P> <\/p>\n In that day; <\/B>the day or time of restitution, when the captivity returned shall be settled in their land. <\/P> It shall be said; <\/B>by prophets, or by friends, congratulating them, or by each to other. <\/P> To Jerusalem; <\/B>inhabitants of Jerusalem, the place being put for the people. <\/P> Fear thou not; <\/B>disquiet not yourselves with fears, though you may apprehend some dangers from Sanballat and Tobiah, &c., though troublous times. as Neh 4:1<\/span>,2<\/span>; Da 9:25<\/span>. <\/P> Let not thine hands be slack, <\/B>in the work of the Lord, building the city and temple, and restoring the worship of God; take heart, O ye returned captives, for God your King is with you. <\/P> <\/p>\n 16. Let not thine hands be slack<\/B>(Heb 12:12<\/span>). Do not faint inthe work of the Lord.<\/P><\/p>\n In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, fear thou not<\/strong>,…. Do not be afraid of any enemies; neither outward ones, the armies of Gog and Magog, the Turk, who will threaten, and will attempt to dispossess them of their land, now returned to it; nor inward and spiritual enemies, sin, Satan, death, and hell, being all vanquished and subdued by Christ: this will be said, not by the enemies themselves, who will confess they have no power to stand before the mighty God, as Aben Ezra; but either by the prophets of the Lord, or by the people themselves, encouraging one another, every man his neighbour, as Kimchi; or rather by the Lord himself, as the Septuagint and Arabic versions supply it,<\/p>\n “the Lord shall say to Jerusalem;”<\/p>\n this will be said at the time of the Jews’ conversion, when reinstated in their own land, and shall be threatened with another remove from it, which they will have no reason to fear:<\/p>\n [and to] Zion, Let not thine hands be slack<\/strong>; weak, remiss, hang down through fear of mind, and fainting of spirit; and so unfit to meet the enemy, or perform duty; but, on the contrary, pluck up a good heart, be of good courage, fear not the enemy, be vigorous, active, and diligent, in the performance of the service of the Lord, animated by the following considerations:<\/p>\n The Prophet proceeds still to confirm the same truth, but employs a different mode of speaking. It shall, he says, be then said everywhere to Zion, Fear not, let not thine hands be let down, etc. For these words may no less suitably be applied to the common report or applause of all men, then to the prophetic declaration; so that the expression, It shall be said, may be the common congratulation, which all would vie to offer. The import of the whole is, that Jerusalem would be so tranquil that either the Prophets, or all with common consent would say, “Thou enjoyest thy rest: for God really shows that he cares for thee; there is therefore no cause for thee hereafter to fear.” For there is expressed here a real change: since the Jews had been before in daily fear, the Prophet intimates, that they would be so safe from every danger, as to be partakers of the long-wished-for rest, with the approbation even of the whole world. Hence, it shall be said—by whom? either by the Prophets, or by common report: it makes no great difference, whether there would be teachers to announce their state joyful and prosperous, or whether all men would, by common consent, applaud God’s favor, when he had removed from his people all wars, troubles, and fears, so as to make them live in quietness. <\/p>\n It shall then be said to Jerusalem, fear not; Sion! let not thine hands be relaxed. By saying Fear not, and let not thine hands be relaxed, he intimates, that all vigor is so relaxed by fear, that no member can perform its function. But by taking a part for the whole, he understands by the word hands, every other part of the body; for by the hands men perform their works. Hence in Scripture the hands often signify the works of men. The meaning then is—that God’s Church would then be in such a state of quietness as to be able to discharge all its duties and transact its concerns peaceably and orderly. And it is what we also know by experience, that when fear prevails in our hearts we are as it were lifeless, so that we cannot raise even a finger to do anything: but when hope animates us, there is a vigor in the whole body, so that alacrity appears everywhere. The Prophet, no doubt, means here, that God thus succors his elect, not that they may indulge in pleasures, as is too often the case, but that they may, on the contrary, strenuously devote themselves to the performance of their duties. We ought therefore to notice the connection between a tranquil state and diligent hands; for, as I have said, God does not free us from all trouble and fear, that we may grow torpid in our pleasures, but that we may, on the contrary, be more attentive to our duty. Sion, then! let thine hands be no more torpid —Why? <\/p>\n Jehovah, he says, in the midst of thee strong, will save. He repeats what he had said, but more fully expresses what might have appeared obscure on account of its brevity. He therefore shows here more at large the benefit of God’s presence—that God will not dwell idly in his Church, but will be accompanied with his power. For what end? To save. We hence see that the word גבור, gebur, ascribed to God, is very emphatical; as though he had said, that God would not be idle while residing in the midst of his Church, but would become its evident strength. And it is worthy of notice, that God exhibits not himself as strong that he may terrify his elect, but only that he may become their preserver. <\/p>\n He afterwards adds, He will rejoice over thee with gladness. This must be referred to the gratuitous love of God, by which he embraces and cherishes his Church, as a husband his wife whom he most tenderly loves. Such feelings, we know, belong not to God; but this mode of speaking, which often occurs in Scripture, is thus to be understood by us; for as God cannot otherwise show his favor towards us and the greatness of his love, he compares himself to a husband, and us to a wife. He means in short—that God is most highly pleased when he can show himself kind to his Church. <\/p>\n He confirms and shows again the same thing more clearly, He will be at rest (or silent) in his love. The proper meaning of חרש, charesh, is to be silent, but it means here to be at rest. The import is, that God will be satisfied, as we say in French, Il prendra tout son contentement; as though he had said that God wished nothing more than sweetly and quietly to cherish his Church. As I have already said, this feeling is indeed ascribed to God with no strict correctness; for we know that he can instantly accomplish whatever it pleases him: but he assumes the character of men; for except he thus speaks familiarly with us, he cannot fully show how much he loves us. God then shall be at rest in his love; that is, “It will be his great delight, it will be the chief pleasure of thy God when he cherishes thee: as when one cherishes a wife most dear to him, so God will then rest in his love.” He then says, He will exult over thee with joy (122) <\/p>\n These hyperbolic terms seem indeed to set forth something inconsistent, for what can be more alien to God’s glory than to exult like man when influenced by joy arising from love? It seems then that the very nature of God repudiates these modes of speaking, and the Prophet appears as though he had removed God from his celestial throne to the earth. A heathen poet says,— <\/p>\n Not well do agree, nor dwell on the same throne, Majesty and love. (Ovid. Met. Lib. 2: 816-7.) <\/p>\n God indeed represents himself here as a husband, who burns with the greatest love towards his wife; and this does not seem, as we have said, to be suitable to his glory; but whatever tends to this end—to convince us of God’s ineffable love towards us, so that we may rest in it, and being weaned as it were from the world, may seek this one thing only, that he may confer on us his favor—whatever tends to this, doubtless illustrates the glory of God, and derogates nothing from his nature. We at the same time see that God, as it were, humbles himself; for if it be asked whether these things are suitable to the nature of God, we must say, that nothing is more alien to it. It may then appear by no means congruous, that God should be described by us as a husband who burns with love to his wife: but we hence more fully learn, as I have already said, how great is God’s favor towards us, who thus humbles himself for our sake, and in a manner transforms himself, while he puts on the character of another. Let every one of us come home also to himself, and acknowledge how deep is the root of unbelief; for God cannot provide for our good and correct this evil, to which we are all subject, without departing as it were from himself, that he might come nigher to us. <\/p>\n And whenever we meet with this mode of speaking, we ought especially to remember, that it is not without reason that God labors so much to persuade us of his love, because we are not only prone by nature to unbelief, but exposed to the deceits of Satan, and are also inconstant and easily drawn away from his word: hence it is that he assumes the character of man. We must, at the same time, observe what I have before stated—that whatever is calculated to set forth the love of God, does not derogate from his glory; for his chief glory is that vast and ineffable goodness by which he has once embraced us, and which he will show us to the end. <\/p>\n What the Prophet says of that day is to be extended to the whole kingdom of Christ. He indeed speaks of the deliverance of the people; but we must ever bear in mind what I have already stated—that it is not one year, or a few years, which are intended, when the Prophets speak of future redemption; for the time which is now mentioned began when the people were restored from the Babylonian captivity, and continues its course to the final advent of Christ. And hence also we learn that these hyperbolic expressions are not extravagant, when the Prophets say, Thou shalt not afterwards fear, nor see evil: for if we regard the dispersion of that people, doubtless no trial, however heavy, can happen to us, which is not moderate, when we compare our lot with the state of the ancient people; for the land of Canaan was then the only pledge of God’s favor and love. When, therefore, the Jews were ejected from their inheritance, it was, as we have said elsewhere, a sort of repudiation; it was the same as if a father were to eject from his house a son, and to repudiate him. Christ was not as yet manifested to the world. The miserable Jews had an evidence, in figures and shadows, of that future favor which was afterwards manifested by the gospel. Since, then, God gave them so small an evidence of his love, how could it be otherwise but that they must have fainted, when driven far away from their land? Though the Church is now scattered and torn, and seems little short of being ruined, yet God is ever present with us in his only-begotten Son: we have also the gate of the celestial kingdom fully opened. There is, therefore, administered to us at all times more abundant reasons for joy than formerly to the ancient people, especially when they seemed to have been rejected by God. This is the reason why the Prophet says, that the Church would be lessened by calamities, when God again gathered it. But that redemption of the people of Israel ought at this day to be borne in mind by us; for it was a memorable work of God, by which he intended to afford a perpetual testimony that he is the deliverer of all those who hope in him. It follows— <\/p>\n (122) This is a very remarkable passage. Perhaps the more literal version would be the following,— <\/p>\n 16. In that day he will say to Jerusalem, “Fear thou not; Sion! relaxed let not thy hands be: <\/p>\n 17. He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will renew thee in his love, He will exult over thee with acclamation.” <\/p>\n The verb [ יאמר ] is rendered as above by the Septuagint, ερει, meaning the Lord. The last line but one is according to the Septuagint and the Syriac; and this sense has been adopted by Houbigant, Dathius, and Newcome. There is the difference only of one letter, [ ד ] for [ ר ], which are very alike. The law of parallelism is in favor of this meaning. The verse contains four lines: there is an evident correspondence of meaning in the second and the last line; and so there is between the first and the third according to the preceding version, but not otherwise. The word rendered “acclamation” is a noun from the verb [ רכה ], to cry aloud, used at the beginning of verse 14.— Ed. <\/p>\n (16) Compare Isa. 35:3-4<\/span>; Isa. 62:11<\/span>, et seq. Zep 3:16<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. <\/strong>Let not thine hands be slack<\/em><\/strong><\/strong> Let not thine hands fall down.<\/em> Houbigant. See Heb 12:12<\/span>. <\/p>\n Zep 3:16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: [and to] Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.<\/p>\n Ver. 16. Fear thou not<\/strong> ] Why shouldest thou while the King of Israel is in the midst of thee? Be of good cheer, said Caesar to the ferryman in a storm, thou canst not miscarry: Casarem enim fers et fortunam Caesaris,<\/em> for you carry Caesar and luck of Caesar, so long as Caesar is in the same bottom with thee. May not the Church much more gather comfort, having God in her company; and so many of his servants to say to her, Fear thou not? True faith quelleth and killeth distrustful fear; but awful dread it breedeth, feedeth, fostereth, and cherisheth. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n And to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack<\/strong> ] Remollescant.<\/em> Let not thy fears weaken, but rather waken thy diligence in well doing; lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, Heb 12:12<\/span> . Up and be active; pluck up your good hearts, and buckle close to your business; your task is long, your time short; your master urgent, your wages inconceivable. It troubled a martyr at the stake, that he should then go to a place where he should ever be receiving wages, and do no more work. Up, therefore, and be doing. “Be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises,” Heb 6:12<\/span> . Spontaneae lassitudines morbos loquuntur,<\/em> faithlessness argueth a diseased soul.<\/p>\n Fear thou not. Reference to Pentateuch (Deu 7:21). <\/p>\n be slack = hang down. <\/p>\n be said: Isa 35:3, Isa 35:4, Isa 40:9, Isa 41:10, Isa 41:13, Isa 41:14, Isa 43:1, Isa 43:2, Isa 44:2, Isa 54:4, Jer 46:27, Jer 46:28, Hag 2:4, Hag 2:5, Zec 8:15, Joh 12:12, Heb 12:12 <\/p>\n slack: or, faint, 2Co 4:1, Gal 6:9, Eph 3:13, Heb 12:3-5, Rev 2:3 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Jos 18:3 – How long are 2Sa 4:1 – his hands Isa 2:11 – in that day Jer 30:10 – fear Joe 2:21 – Fear Joh 4:22 – for Joh 12:15 – Fear 2Th 3:13 – be not weary<\/p>\n Zep 3:16. Zion was a special spot in Jerusalem that was used as the headquarters for the kings. The return from captivity was to bring JOY again to the place.<\/p>\n Zep 3:16-17. In that day Or, time of restitution, when the captives shall return and be settled in their own land; it shall be said to Jerusalem By prophets, or by friends congratulating and encouraging them; Fear thou not Disquiet not yourselves with unnecessary fears, though you may apprehend some danger from Sanballat, Tobiah, and the Samaritans: see Neh 4:1-2; and though you shall have troublesome times, Dan 9:25. Let not thy hands be slack In the work of the Lord, in rebuilding the city and temple, and restoring the worship of God. The Lord Hebrew, Jehovah; thy God Thine in a covenant never to be repealed or forgotten; in the midst of thee is mighty He can and will restrain and destroy thine enemies, and support and defend his own people. He will save, &c. Will deliver thee from thy fears, and thine enemies rage. Will rejoice over thee with joy Will greatly rejoice in thee, and take pleasure in blessing and doing thee good. He will rest in his love Will continue peculiarly to love thee, and will take satisfaction in so doing. These promises also, in their full sense, belong only to the Christian Church, composed of converted Jews and Gentiles, and shall be completely fulfilled during the millennium, when believers will have, as it were, a heaven on earth.<\/p>\n "The battle cry on the day of judgment (Zep 1:14) will be replaced by the poignant hush of the reuniting of two lovers." [Note: Baker, p. 119.] <\/span><\/p>\n In that day of blessing the people of Jerusalem will have plenty of reasons not to fear. One reason is that Yahweh their God will be in their midst (Zep 3:15). He will be a victorious warrior having defeated all His enemies and all opposition worldwide (Zep 1:2-3; Zep 3:8). Like a bridegroom He will take joy in His people Israel, and they will rest quietly in the security of His love for them as His bride. Yahweh will even shout with joy over His beloved Israel!<\/p>\n "Most often the Lord’s love is expressed by the Hebrew word hesed<\/span>. This is the love that issues in commitment, the ’ever-unfailing’ fidelity of love, love that lives in the will as much as in the heart. Here, however, the word is ’ahaba<\/span>, the passionate love of Jacob for Rachel (Gen 29:20) and of Michal for David (1Sa 18:28), the fond love of Jacob for Joseph (Gen 37:3), Uzziah’s devotion to gardening (2Ch 26:10), Jonathan’s deep friendship with David (1Sa 18:3), the devotee’s delight in the Lord’s law (Psa 119:97). This too is the Lord’s love for his people (Hos 3:1), a love that delights him (Zep 3:17 c), makes him contemplate his beloved with wordless adoration (Zep 3:17 d), a love that cannot be contained but bursts into elated singing (Zep 3:17 e)." [Note: Motyer, p. 958.] <\/span><\/p>\n "We can find hope in times of difficulty if we focus on God’s power, God’s deliverance, and God’s love. He is our King (Zep 3:15), our Savior (Zep 3:16-17 a), and our Beloved (Zep 3:17 b)." [Note: Dyer, p. 812.] <\/span><\/p>\n In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: [and to] Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. 16. Let not thine hands be slack ] that is, hang down, in terror or paralysis. Jer 6:24; Heb 12:12. Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges In that day it shall be … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Zephaniah 3:16”<\/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-22847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22847","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=22847"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22847\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22847"}],"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
I. <\/strong>These words suggest to the Church of Christ that there is a work to be performed. The caution not to be slack implies an injunction to be diligent, and is supposed to refer first to the rebuilding of the temple, and then to the spread of the Church of Christ in Gospel days. To assertain the special work to be performed we have only to acquaint ourselves with the sacred character and required employment of the persons addressed. A people of holy character are called to exertion, and their work must be in unison with their character. The work to be accomplished by the inhabitants of Zion is a work of grace. As such–<\/p>\n
II. <\/strong>The words under consideration also suggest unto the Church a power to be exerted. Hands, in Scripture, signify power. They are also expressive of an agent employed. Zion should employ–<\/p>\n
III. <\/strong>By this scripture we are further instructed that supineness of spirit must be avoided. Slackness of hands indicates a disposition that is most enervating in its influence.<\/p>\n
IV. <\/strong>From these words we are taught that an exhortation is to be given.<\/p>\nFuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell<\/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: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke<\/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: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"