Explanatory Notes upon the Old and New Testaments

The title of the book, ver. 1. The destruction of Judah foretold, ver. 2-4. A charge against them for their sins, ver. 5-9. A description of the day of the Lord, ver. 10-18.

1. Zephaniah - He is thought to have been the great-grandson of king Hezekiah. In the days of Josiah - So he was cotemporary with Jeremiah and Ezekiel, and foretells what Jeremiah and Ezekiel did.

4. The remnant - Whatsoever remains of the idolatry of Baal. This place - Jerusalem. The name - Both the persons, and the memory of them. The Chemarims - Either called so from their black garments they went in, or, from their swarthy colour occasioned by the black smoak of incense: they were door-keepers, and sextons of Baal. The priests - The priests of Baal.

5. House-tops - On the flat roofs of their houses. And that swear - That mixt idol-worship, and the worship of the true God; that devote themselves to God, and Baal, or Malchim, that is, Moloch.

7. Hold thy peace - Thou that murmurest against God, stand in awe. The day - A day of vengeance from the Lord. A sacrifice - The wicked Jews, whom he will sacrifice by the sword. His guests - summoned the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the air, to eat the flesh, and drink the blood.

8. The princes - The great ones, who dreamed of shifting better than others, but fell with the first, 2 Kings xxv, 19-21. Children - Sons and grand-children, Josiah: Jehoahaz died a captive in Egypt, 2 Kings xxiii, 34, Jehoakim died in Babylon, and was buried with the burial of an ass, Jer. xxii, 18, 19, Jeconiah died a captive: and Zedekiah and his children, fared still worse. Strange apparel - The garb of foreigners, imitated by the wanton Jews.

9. In the same day - At the same time. Their masters houses - Either the oppressing kings, whose officers these were, or publick officers and Judges, whose servants thus spoiled the poor. Violence - Goods taken by force, by false accusations, or by suborned evidence.

10. The noise - The great out-cry and lamentation. The fish gate - At which gate the Babylonians first entered into the city. The second - This gate was in the second wall of Jerusalem, which on that side was fortified with three walls. Crashing - Of things broken into shivers; possibly the noise of doors, windows, closets, and chests broken up. The hills - On which the city stood.

11. Howl - Cry aloud, and bitterly. Maktesh - The lower town. Merchant people - Who were wont to lodge in this place. That bear silver - That brought it with them to pay for what they bought.

12. I will search - God speaks after the manner of men, who searches dark places with candles. He will fully discover and punish. Their lees - In allusion to liquors, which not being poured out from vessel to vessel to refine them, grow thick and foul.

14. The voice if the day - The day which will come with a great noise.

15. A day - Of unparalleled calamities.

17. Like blind men - Not knowing where to go. As dust - As abundantly, and as carelessly as dust in the highway.

18. In the land - Therefore let not sinners be laid asleep by the patience of God; for when the measure of their iniquity is full, his justice will both overtake and overcome them, will make quick and thorough work.

An exhortation to repentance, ver. 1-3. A denunciation of the judgments of God against the Philistines, ver. 4-7. The Moabites and Ammonites, ver. 8-11. The Arabians and Assyrians, ver. 12- 15.

1. Gather yourselves - Call a solemn assembly, proclaim a fast. Not desired - Or, not desirous. Unwilling to return, and unworthy to be received on your return.

2. The decree - Before God's decree is put in execution. The day - Before the day of your calamities. As the chaff - Carry you away as the wind carries chaff away.

3. Seek - Fear, worship, depend on him alone. Ye meek - Ye humble ones. Wrought his judgment - Obeyed his precepts. Seek righteousness - Continue therein. Seek meekness - Patiently wait on the just and merciful God. Hid - Under the wing of Divine Providence.

4. For - It is time to seek God; for your neighbours, as well as you, shall be destroyed. Gaza - A chief city of the Philistines. They - The Babylonians. Shall drive - Into captivity. At the noon day - It shall be taken by force at noon.

5. The inhabitants - All the Philistines. Cherethites - Or destroyers, men that were stout, fierce, and terrible to their neighbours. O Canaan - That part that the Philistines kept by force from the Jews.

6. For shepherds - Instead of cities full of rich citizens, there shall be only cottages for shepherds.

7. The coast - The sea-coast, the land of the Philistines. The remnant - That survive the captivity. Shall feed - Their flocks. In the houses - In places where these formerly stood. They - Both shepherds and flocks. Shall visit - In mercy.

8. I - God. Magnified themselves - Invading their frontiers.

9. Of nettles - Not cultivated, but over-run with nettles. Salt-pits - A dry, barren earth, fit only to dig salt out of. The residue - That return out of Babylon. Possess them - Settle upon those parts of their lands, that are fit for habitation.

11. Famish - Take away all their sacrifices and drink-offerings. The gods - Idols of those lands. From his place - Not only at Jerusalem, but everywhere.

12. By my sword - The Chaldeans are called God's sword; because God employed them.

13. He - God. The north - Assyria, which lay northward of Judea, and due north from Babylon.

14. All the beasts - All sorts of beasts which are found in those countries. The bittern - A bird that delights in desolate places.

15. This - So the prophet triumphs over her. There is none - None like me, or that can contend with me.

Jerusalem threatened for her wickedness, ver. 1-7. A promise of a glorious reformation, ver. 8-13. And deliverance consequent upon it, ver. 14-20.

1. To her - Jerusalem.

2. The voice - Of God by his mercy and judgments crying aloud.

3. Her princes - Persons of principal place and authority. Lions - Which hunt for prey, and are ever affrighting or devouring. Wolves - Insatiable and cruel, like wolves of the evening, whetted with hunger. Gnaw not the bones - They leave nothing but the bones to be eaten on the morrow.

4. Her prophet - So called, false prophets. Light - Unstable and inconstant. Violence to the law - Wresting it by perverse interpretation.

5. In the midst - Observing all. Not do iniquity - He will judge them righteously. Every morning - Daily he discovers his displeasure against the wicked. Faileth not - Lets no season slip to convince them, by public and visible punishments. The unjust - But the wicked Jews proceed without shame, and without fear.

6. The nations - Of old, the Canaanites, lastly the ten tribes, and later yet, the Assyrians.

7. I said - I thought (speaking after the manner of men). Thou - O Jerusalem. Fear me - For the many and great judgments executed upon others. I punished them - In some measure.

8. Therefore - Since you will not be amended. Wait ye - Attend my resolution. Until - Until I rise up to destroy first, and next to take the spoil. Upon them - The incorrigible Jews. Devoured - Consumed as if burnt up. My jealousy - That jealousy wherewith God is jealous for his own glory.

9. A pure language - I will give them a pure way of worshipping me, the issue of a pure heart.

10. My dispersed - The praying remnant of the scattered Jews shall return to their own land, and bring themselves an offering unto the Lord.

11. Thy doings - Thy sins formerly committed. In thy pride - Proud formalists. No more be haughty - Ye shall no more boast, because of the city, or the temple.

12. Of thee - In Judea and Jerusalem.

13. Shall feed - Shall enjoy peace and plenty.

15. Taken away - Abolished, and put an end to the judgments thy sins brought upon thee. Thine enemy - The Babylonian. Is in the midst - He is returned to redeem and govern thee. Any more - While thy carriage is as becomes my presence with thee, thou shalt neither fear, nor feel the like evils.

18. Sorrowful - That mourn their distance from the solemn worship of God. Who are of thee - Thy children. Reproach - The taunts of their enemies.

19. Undo - I will break their power and dissolve their kingdom. That halteth - Who is in trouble and ready to fall. Driven out - Into remote countries.

20. A praise - So the universal church of the first-born will be, in the great day. And then the Israel of God be made a name and a praise to all eternity.

A reproof of the Jews for their delay in building, which had provoked God to punish them, ver. 1-11. The peoples return to the work, whom the prophet, in God's name, encourages therein, ver. 12-15.

1. Son - Adoptive son to Shealtiel, being of the royal line, but by nature, son of Pedaiah. Governor - Appointed to this by the Persian king, over the remnant returned out of Babylon. Joshua - A type of the great deliverer; one Joshua leads them into Canaan, another restores the temple.

4. Ceiled - Arched and richly adorned.

6. Have not enough - But what you eat doth not nourish or satisfy you. Are not filled - Your water quenches not your thirst, your wine does not revive your spirit. None warm - You have no comfort therein. With holes - Loses all his labour.

8. Take pleasure - I will accept your offerings, and hear your prayers. Glorified - Shew my majesty and account myself glorified by you also.

9. Came to little - But it answered not the expectation. I did blow - I blasted it. Ye run - You with eagerness carry on your own particular buildings.

10. Is stayed - God hath forbidden them, to drop down dew.

11. Upon men - The very blood, and constitutions of men were changed, and many diseases afflicted them.

13. In the Lord's message - ln the words of his master. The people - The whole assembly.

14. The Lord of hosts - By which name he delights to be known among the returned captives; and it was a name best suited to their present state, compassed on all hands with enemies.

Haggai assures the builders, that the glory of this house should exceed the glory of the former, ver. 1-9. That God would bless them and give them success, ver. 10-19. That he would peculiarly bless Zerubbabel, ver. 20-23.

3. That saw - Near fourscore years ago. This house - The temple built by Solomon.

5. My spirit - Of strength and courage, of wisdom and understanding.

6. Yet once - After many confirmations of the new covenant, one more, remains to be made. A little while - Tho' above five hundred years, yet this was but a little time compared with that between the promise to Adam and Christ's coming. I will shake - Whether it be metaphorical or literal, it was verified at the time of Christ's coming into the world. After the return of the captivity, by the commotions among the Grecians, Persians, and Romans, which began soon after this time; this was metaphorically fulfilled. And it was literally fulfilled by prodigies and earthquakes, at the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ.

7. All nations - Which was literally fulfilled in the overthrow of the Persian monarchy by the Grecians, in the civil wars, and succeeding troubles among Alexander's successors, the growth of the Roman power by subduing their neighbours, and their dissentions and home-bred wars. The desire - Christ the most desirable, to all nations, and who was desired by all that knew their own misery, and his sufficiency to save them who was to be the light of the Gentiles, as well as the glory of his people Israel. With glory - The first temple had a glory in its magnificent structure, rich ornaments, and costly sacrifices; but this was a worldly glory; that which is here promised, is a heavenly glory from the presence of Christ in it. He that was the brightness of his father's glory, who is the glory of the church, appeared in this second temple.

8. The silver - The treasures of both: doubt not therefore but I will give enough to build this house.

9. In this place - In my house, a type of Christ. Peace - A spiritual, internal, and heavenly peace.

11. Concerning the law - What the law saith in this case.

12. Holy flesh - Part of the sacrifice, legally sanctified, or made holy by the altar on which the whole was sanctified. In the skirt - In the lap of his garment, or in any other cloth, and if this cloth touch any common thing as bread, &c., shall that become legally holy?

13. Said - Now the second case is proposed. These - Bread or pottage, wine or oil, or meat. Unclean - Shall that which the unclean doth touch, become unclean? Though a mediate touch of what is holy will not make holy, yet will not a mediate touch of what is polluted defile?

14. So - Polluted persons, touching what is clean, pollute it, so polluted Jews, polluted God's ordinances, while the outward performing of legal duties, left them as unholy in themselves, as they were before: somewhat more then is to be done. The soul is first to be purified, that they and we may offer up a pure offering. The people - The body of the Jews. Every work - Whatever they do, they pollute all by polluted hands. Offer - What they bring to the altar with impure hearts, is polluted by them.

15. Upward - Through past years. Before - Before you would set upon the re-building of the temple after you had intermitted it.

16. Since - All the while the temple lay neglected. When one came - Men are disappointed half in half. But ten - Which he expected would prove twenty measures, ephahs or bushels. It proved but half your hope, thus your corn failed, and your oil much more.

17. Blessing - Burning, and scorching winds. All the labours - In your plowing and sowing, in planting of olives and vines.

18. From the day - When you began to build on the old foundation.

19. Is the seed - Your seed for the next harvest is yet in your barns. Hath not brought forth - No sign yet appears what vintage you shall have, what store of wine, oil, figs, and pomegranates. Yet in the word of God I tell you, you shall be blest in them all, and have a large produce.

23. My servant - A type of him who was God's most beloved servant. As a signet - Which is very highly valued, and carefully kept. So shall the antitypical Zerubbabel, the Messiah, be advanced, loved, and inviolably preserved king, and supreme over his church. He is indeed the signet on God's right-hand. For all power is given to him, and derived from him. In him the great charter of the gospel is signed, and sanctified, and it is in him, that all the promises of God are yea and amen.