HAYDOCK CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY ON THE OLD TESTAMENT

SOPHONIAS 2

CHAPTER II.

Ver. 1. Together, in love. S. Jer. --- Heb. "gather" the wood or chaff, (C.) your wicked deeds, lest they prove the fuel of fire. C. i. 18. H. --- He addresses the Jews and all their neighbours. C. --- Though you deserve no love, God will receive the penitent. W.

Ver. 2. The day. Heb. "to-day." C. --- Sept. "before you become as a passing flower." Prot. "before the day pass as the chaff." H.

Ver. 3. Just. Heb. "justice." C. --- Sept. "righteousness, and answer the same." H. --- Scarcely the innocent will escape. M. --- The prophet does not specify the crimes of the Philistines, as Ezechiel (xxv. 15.) does. C.

Ver. 4. Shall be, or "is." The prophets often represent future things as past, to shew the certainty of the event. The destruction of other cities by the Chaldees, gave the Jews to understand what they had to expect, as all sin must be punished sooner or later. W. --- Psammetichus, and his son, Nachao, probably fell upon these cities. C. --- The former besieged Azotus for twenty-nine years. Herod. ii. 157. --- Afterwards Nabuchodonosor reduced the country, beginning with the house of God. Jer. xlvii. 4. Ezec. xxv. 15, &c. C.

Ver. 5. Coast. Lit. "line," (H.) with which land was measured. C. --- Reprobates. Heb. cerethim, (H.) or Cerethi, of whom David's guards were formed. C. --- Sept. "people sprung the Cretans," whence some (Theod.) of the Philistines came, perhaps rather than from Cyprus, as was conjectured. Gen. x. 14. --- Chanaan. So the Philistines are styled contemptuously. They adored the same idols. Wisd. xii. 23.

Ver. 6. Shepherds. Merchants shall come no longer, the country being subdued by Nabuchodonosor, and by the Machabees. v. 7. --- Alexander ruined Gaza. Curt. iv.

Ver. 8. Borders, helping the Chaldeans. This brought on their ruin. S. Jer. --- They were always disposed to seize the country.

Ver. 9. Dryness. Sept. "Damascus shall be abandoned as a heap on the barn-floor, and disappearing for an age." H. --- This city is threatened with the rest. Is. xvii. 1. C. --- Ever. Sept. refer this to Damascus, others to Ammon, &c. H. --- The latter nations were in desolation for a long time; but had re-established themselves, when the Machabees reduced them again. Jer. xlviii. and 1 Mac. v. 6.

Ver. 11. Own place. The Jewish religion could be practised only at Jerusalem, so that this is one of the most striking predictions of the conversion of the world. The Jews in vain attempt to restrain it to the captives returning. See S. Jer. C. --- They shall inform many of the truth, and be the means of their conversion. H. --- But God shall be adored in every place. M.

Ver. 12. Ethiopians. Heb. Cushim, denotes also the Arabs, &c. who fell a prey to the Chaldeans. C.

Ver. 13. The beautiful city. Ninive, which was destroyed soon after this, viz. in the sixteenth year of the reign of Josias. Ch. A. 3378. --- Heb. "he shall make Ninive desolate." H. --- This famous and potent city was at last destroyed. W. See Jonas iii. 4. C.

Ver. 14. Bittern and the urchin. Heb. kaath and kippod, are terms to us (H.) unknown. --- Threshold. Heb. "the pomegranates," supposed to be an ornament of the doors. --- Raven. Sept. also read arb better than choreb, "the desolation or the sword." See Is. xxxiv. 11. C. --- Chereb has both meanings, "a raven, or sword." S. Jer. --- I will. Heb. "he has uncovered her cedar," (C.) her fine palaces and apartments. Sept. "for the cedar is its height, (or pride) this is the city given to evils, that," &c. H.

Ver. 15. Beside, or equal. This was true. Jonas i. 2. C. --- The founder intended that no city should ever equal it. Diod. ii. S. Jerom applies what is here said of Ninive to the Church in the times of antichrist, (Rondet.) or to a fallen soul. Any nation may abandon the faith: but the whole Church cannot fail. H.