ZEPHANIAH—NOTE ON Zephaniah 1:4 Judah alone remained to serve as God’s kingdom of priests (see Exodus 19:5; 1 Peter 2:9) after Israel was exiled to Assyria in 732, 722, 701, and 671 B.C. Yet the presence of a righteous king such as Josiah (Zephaniah 1:1) was not enough to stop God’s judgment against Judah when other officials (v. Zephaniah 1:8; Zephaniah 3:3) and the people (Zephaniah 1:9) continued to sin. Baal (literally, lord, master) is the Canaanite storm god whom Israel was prone to worship (1 Kings 18:1). The term idolatrous priests is used only of pagan priests (compare 2 Kings 23:5).

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