Zephaniah 3:9

For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent. FOR. The blessed things promised in this and are to be the immediate results of the punishment about to be inflicted by God, in behalf of Israel, on the nations mentioned in (cf. ). THEN WILL I TURN TO THE PEOPLE A PURE LANGUAGE - changing their impure language, I will give to them again a pure language (literally, lip). The confusion of languages was the penalty of the sin (probably including idolatry) committed at Babel (margin, ; where also "lip" expresses language, and perhaps a...

The Prophet now mitigates the asperity of his doctrine, which might have greatly terrified the godly; nay, it might have wholly disheartened them, had no consolation been applied. God then moderates here what he had previously threatened; for if the Prophet had only said this—My purpose is to gather all the nations, and thus the whole earth shall be devoured by the fire of indignation, what could the faithful have concluded but that they were to perish with the rest of the world? It was therefore necessary to add something to inspire hope, such as we find here. We must at the same time bear in mind what I have reminded you of elsewhere—that the Prophet directs his discourse one while to the faithful only, who were then few in number, and that at another time he addresses the multitude indiscriminately; and so when our Prophet threatens, he regards the whole body of the people; but when h...

8-13 The preaching of the gospel is predicted, when vengeance would be executed on the Jewish nation. The purifying doctrines of the gospel, or the pure language of the grace of the Lord, would teach men to use the language of humility, repentance, and faith. Purity and piety in common conversation is good. The pure and happy state of the church in the latter days seems intended. The Lord will shut out boasting, and leave men nothing to glory in, save the Lord Jesus, as made of God to them wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Humiliation for sin, and obligations to the Redeemer, will make true believers upright and sincere, whatever may be the case among mere professors....

Verse 9. _WILL I TURN TO THE PEOPLE_] This promise must refer to the conversion of the Jews under the Gospel. _THAT THEY MAY ALL CALL_] That the whole nation may invoke God by Christ, and serve him with _one consent_; not one unbeliever being found among them. The _pure language_, שפה ברורה saphah berurah, may here mean the _form of religious worship_. They had been before _idolaters_: now God promises to restore his _pure worship_ among them. The word has certainly this meaning in Psalms 81:5; where, as God is the speaker, the words should not be rendered, "I heard a language which I understood not," but, "I heard a religious confession, which I approved not." See Isaiah 19:18;...

FOR THEN - In the order of God’s mercies. The deliverance from Babylon was the forerunner of that of the Gospel, which was its object. The spread of the Gospel then is spoken of in the connection of God’s Providence and plan, and time is overlooked. Its blessings are spoken of, as “then” given when the earnest was given, and the people, from whom according to the flesh Christ was to be born, were placed anew in the land where He was to be born. Lap.: “The prophet springs, as is his wont, to Christ and the time of the new law.” And in Christ, the End of the Law, the prophet ends. I WILL TURN - Contrary to what they had before, “to the people,” literally, “peoples,” the nations of the earth, “a pure language,” literally, “a purified lip.” It is a real conversion, as was said of Saul at the beginning 1 Samuel 10:9; “God”

EXPOSITION. ZEPHANIAH 3:1 § 6. The prophet turns to Jerusalem, and warns her that, if God punishes the heathen, he will not spare the hardened sinners in Judah. ZEPHANIAH 3:1 WOE TO HER! This is addressed to Jerusalem, as is seen by Zephaniah 3:2. FILTHY; rather, _rebellious, i.e._ against God. The LXX; mistaking the word, renders ἐπιφανής, "notable." So the Syriac. Jerome has _provocatrix. _The true sense is seen by the expansion of the term in Zephaniah 3:2. polluted by her many sins. Jerome, follo

FOR THEN WILL I TURN TO THE PEOPLE A PURE LANGUAGE,.... That is, at or about the time of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans; when the Jews, both in their own land, and in the Gentile world, would have the Gospel first preached to them, but would reject it; upon which the apostles and first ministers of the word would turn to the Gentiles, as the Lord commanded them; when he would turn or change his speech and language towards them, and their speech and language towards him would be turned and changed also: for the words may be taken either way; either of God's speech to the Gentiles, which is his Gospel sent unto them; as it was quickly after Christ's resurrection from the dead, and the rejection of it by the Jews; for many hundred years the Lord took no notice of them; winked at the times of their ignorance; sent no prophet to them, nor any message by anyone to instruct them; ye...

THEN WILL I TURN In Zephaniah the conversion of "the peoples" is stated out of the usual prophetic order, in which the blessing of Israel and the setting up of the kingdom precedes the conversion of the Gentiles. (_ See Scofield) - (Zechariah 12:1). _ (_ See Scofield) - (Zechariah 12:8). _ But the passage gives clear testimony as to when the conversion of the nations will occur. It is after the smiting of the nations. Compare (Isaiah 11:9) with context; (Daniel 2:34); (Daniel 2:35); ...

CHAPTER 3:8-20 Judgment and Glory _ 1. The waiting for the end (Zephaniah 3:8) _ 2. The glory that follows (Zephaniah 3:9) Zephaniah 3:8. “Therefore wait for me, saith Jehovah, for the day when I arise for the prey; for my determination is to gather the nations, to assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, all my fierce anger; for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.” This verse leads us back to the opening exhortation of this chapter. They are as a nation to wait for Him, till the day comes in which He arises to execute the judgment of the nations. It has been a long waiting. Centuries have come and gone; His earthly people have been the wanderers

THE DELIVERANCE OF JERUSALEM, AND RENOWN OF REDEEMED ISRAEL. Zephaniah 3:8; Zephaniah 3:11. Let Yahweh's faithful people wait patiently till the day when He shall stand as a witness against the nations that oppress them. For it is His purpose to assemble them together for judgment, to pour out the fire of His jealousy upon them, and out of the depths of shame to bring the remnant of Israel to honour and glory, and to abiding righteousness and peace. For on the day of judgment Yahweh will remove from their midst all the proud and haughty ones that caused their dishonour, leaving a people humble and poor, trusting only in the name of Yahweh. ZEPHANIAH 3:8. For _le- ad_, to the prey, read le-