Zephaniah 3:2

Zep 3:2 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God.

Ver. 2. She obeyed not the voice] sc. Of her teachers, nor inclined her ear to them that instructed her, as Pro 5:13. Hence she was so filthy and oppressive; who, if she had hearkened to wholesome counsel, and hidden the word of God’s grace in her heart, would have purified herself even as he is pure, 1Jn 3:3, and not have exacted money and grain, but have left off that usury, Neh 5:10.

She received not correction] Or discipline, as being incurable or incorrigible, pining away in her iniquity, Lev 26:39, and not accepting the chastisement of her sin.

She trusted not in the Lord] But knocked at the creature’s door for help in her distress, and made flesh her arm, her heart departed from the Lord, Jer 17:5. This God taketh very ill, Jer 2:12-13, as he hath very great reason; confidence being the least and yet the best we can render to him for all his benefits.

She drew not near to her God] Though he were her God, yet she went as far from him as she could; and, like a wild beast, would not be tamed nor managed by him. Now, if these be undoubted arguments of a filthy and polluted state, as surely they are, what shall we think of ourselves, who are as deeply guilty as ever Jerusalem was in the promises? what shall the Lord do, or what shall he not do, rather, to a nation so incorrigibly flagitious, so obliged, so warned, so shamelessly, so lawlessly wicked?

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Zep_3:2

She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the Lord.

Gods lamentations of His peoples incorrigibleness

There can be no doubt that the city mentioned in the first verse of this chapter is Jerusalem; and if we duly consider the whole description of its moral state, as detailed from Zep_3:1-4 inclusive, we shall be constrained to exclaim, How is the faithful city become an harlot! And to confirm this statement, we only need refer to the historical records of the two preceding reigns, to that of Josiah, at the beginning of the latter of which Zephaniah prophesied. Manasseh and Amen, the two preceding kings of Judah referred to, were flagrant idolaters, and filled Jerusalem with impiety, violence, and blood (2Ki_21:3-6; 2Ki_21:11; 2Ki_21:16; 2Ki_21:19; 2Ki_21:22). What a change in that city which had been called a city of righteousness! Well, indeed, might Jehovah say, Shall I not visit far these things, and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? Yes; and He assures them in verse 8 that He will punish them in an exemplary manner. The timely reformation of good King Josiah, however, averted the stroke for a time; but ultimately wrath came upon them to the uttermost.

I. That the four facts affirmed in the text are applicable to sinners of the present time, as well as to the Jews of old time. The facts alleged are the following--

1. Inattention to instruction, She obeyed not the voice. During the reign of Manasseh, God sent His prophets to remonstrate with the idolatrous king and His people, but they would not hear (2Ch_33:10). Their conduct in this matter seems to have disappointed Jehovah Himself, as is evident from verse 7: I said thou wilt fear Me, for thou wilt receive instruction, but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings. Truly, then, They obeyed not the voice. The fact is asserted concerning them, Jer_22:21 : I spake unto thee in thy prosperity, but thou saidst I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not My voice. Ministers preach, conscience reproves, the Holy Spirit strives, and Providence pleads against men; yet do they not hearken nor consider. Furthermore, the text alleges against them--

2. Incorrigibleness. She received not correction. For the confirmation of this part of the charge let us hear the prophet Jeremiah, Jer_5:3 : O Lord, are not Thine eyes upon the truth? Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; Thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction; they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return. And if you would know how severely and repeatedly He had stricken them, read Amo_4:6-11, There you will find that Jehovah had stricken them by want of bread, scarcity of water, blasting mildew, palmer worms, pestilence, the sword, fire, and destruction; and yet, after all, had to say, Yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith the Lord. How impervious must have been their hearts to withstand all these corrective measures. Call to mind, ye hitherto incorrigible sinners, the afflictions, privations, losses, and troubles that have come upon you; still many of you have not yet heard the rod, nor Him that appointed it. Can all these things have come upon you by chance? Is there no meaning in them? He that, being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. Hear, therefore, and your souls shall live. Again, our text alleges against them--

3. Perfidy, or faithlessness towards God--She trusted not in the Lord. This stroke makes their moral portraiture darker still. In the days of their fidelity to the God of their forefathers, in seasons of perplexity, they had confided in the all-sufficiency of His wisdom, love, power, and faithfulness. But when they turned aside after other gods, in their straits and national troubles, they looked to man alone for succour and deliverance. Hence they are reproved for this by the prophet Isaiah (Isa_30:1; Isa_30:3; Isa_30:15-16, and Jer_2:18-36). Ah, how anxiously did they rely upon Egypt, Assyria, or any other heathen nation, in time of invasion, instead of trusting in their God. And, alas! is not this the conduct pursued by multitudes in the present day? In times of afflictive visitations they know not God, nor put their trust in Him. They look alone to human prudence and prowess; they weary themselves in the fire; but seek not unto Him who alone can save or deliver. But how frequently are they ashamed of their confidence, as was Israel of Egypt. No language can sufficiently describe the turpitude of this defection, from God. Finally, our text alleges against them--

4. Neglect of His worship. She drew not near to her God. There can be no doubt that by drawing near to God, His worship is meant (1Sa_4:36;. Psa_73:28; Heb_10:22). It appears that in the days of the prophet Isaiah they drew near with their lips; but now they had entirely relinquished the worship of Jehovah. Manasseh, and Amon his son, had uprooted the worship of the living and true God, and established the worship of idols instead thereof, having placed images and altars in the very house of the Lord (chap. Zep_1:4-5; 2Ki_21:3-7). Thus they forsook the Lord, and lightly esteemed the Rock of their salvation. Solemn feasts and daily sacrifices to her God no longer graced this city. Well, indeed, might He say, I will go and return to My place till they acknowledge their iniquity (Hos_5:15). I will forsake you (Jer_23:33). But what did these backsliders more than is done by multitudes in the present day? Have we need to go far to find those who walk in the same footsteps? First look at the scanty attendance at every place of worship; then visit those synagogues of Satan which abound in our land, and mark the crowds, the bustle, and the business there. We need not ask, do these draw near to God?

II. Give a general view of what is implied in this case.

1. An awful manifestation of wilful disobedience. The very facts here stated, as well as the manner of their being stated, demonstrate that all this was done by the Israelites contrary to the will of God. The doctrine of human free-agency is here, as in many other places of sacred writ, and also in the daily deportment of millions of transgressors, most decisively and irrefragably demonstrated.

2. A state of dreadful impiety. The allegations contained in the text are at variance with every thing like duty to God. There is no docility, reverence, affiance, nor devotion. Notwithstanding all God had done for that people, thus did they requite Him with hatred and disobedience. So enormous was their guilt that Jehovah exclaims, Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth,--I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me. But what shall be said concerning the flagrant impiety of vast numbers in our times? If possible, the latter outdoes the former. If we reflect on the vastly increased facilities we enjoy for knowing and serving God, can we hesitate to entertain this fact?

3. A view of the gradations of apostasy from God. When men depart from God, He reproves them secretly by His Spirit; if they proceed, He chastens them by various means; if they fly from Him still, and put their trust in men, He withdraws His Spirit, and frequently confirmed apostasy is the result. Let this serve as a warning beacon to us; for assuredly it is written for our admonition. Would we avoid this disgraceful conduct we must beware of turning away our ear from the warning voice of the Spirit.

4. A rational vindication of those signal acts of retribution which have fallen on incorrigible sinners at sundry times. Certainly the most appalling calamities have befallen the Jews at sundry times, especially by the Chaldeans and others of their surrounding nations, as well as the Romans. Yes, whenever God has arisen to shake terribly the nations, or sections of His Church, there has certainly been a cause; nor could that cause be other than what is indicated in our text. Apart from the necessary exercises of a probationary state, the unerring wisdom, pure benevolence, and impartial justice of our Sovereign God, necessarily prevent Him from wanton displays of His omnipotent power and terrible majesty. The just Lord, it was said of old, is in the midst of us, and He will not do iniquity. Rather than complain, therefore, when God cometh out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth, be it our care to stand in awe and sin not; to humble ourselves under His mighty hand. Remark--

1. What a caution we have here against apostasy: in effect it says to professors of religion, awake to righteousness, and sin not.

2. What care and concern does the Almighty manifest in using so many endeavours for the preservation of His followers.

3. What an inducement for sinners to avail themselves of the mercy and forbearance of God.

4. How affecting the expressions of Gods regret at the infidelities and apostasies of His people. How pathetic His apostrophy, Why will ye die, O house of Israel? (G. W. Armitage.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

received not correction--Jerusalem is incurable, obstinately rejecting salutary admonition, and refusing to be reformed by "correction" (Jer 5:3).

trusted not in . . . Lord--Distrust in the Lord as if He were insufficient, is the parent of all superstitions and wickednesses [CALVIN].

drew not near to her God--Though God was specially near to her (Deu 4:7) as "her God," yet she drew not near to Him, but gratuitously estranged herself from Him.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 2. She obeyed not the voice] Of conscience, of God, and of his prophets.

She received not correction] Did not profit by his chastisements; was uneasy and ill-tempered under her afflictions, and derived no manner of good from these chastisements.

She trusted not in the Lord] Did not consider him as the Fountain whence all help and salvation should come; and rather sought for support from man and herself, than from God.

She drew not near to her God.] Did not worship him; did not walk in his ways; did not make prayer and supplication to him.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(2) Obeyed not the voice.—Better, hearkened not to the voice—i.e., of Jehovah, when He addresses her, as in Zep_2:1-3. She trusts not in Jehovah, but in her own wealth (Zep_1:12); she draws not nigh to her God, but to Baal and Moloch (Zep_1:4-6).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2. She obeyed not the voice] i.e. the voice of God by the prophets. Jer_7:23; Jer_22:21.

she received not correction] Or, instruction, Jer_5:3. Comp. Jer_7:28, “This is the nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord, nor receiveth correction.” Ch. Jer_32:33.

trusted not in the Lord] Faith was always greatly insisted on by the prophets as the essential thing in religion; Isa_7:9, “if ye will not believe ye shall not be established;” Jer_17:7, “Blessed is the man who trusteth in the Lord.” Cf. Isa_10:20; Isa_17:7; Isa_30:18.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

She obeyed not the voice Of his servants the prophets, as the Targum, by way of explanation, adds, who warned her of her sins and of her ruin. The inhabitants of Jerusalem hearkened not to the voice of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, who gave notice of his coming; nor to the voice of Christ himself, who stretched out his hand all the day to a disobedient and gainsaying people; nor to the voice of his apostles, whose doctrines they contradicted and blasphemed; and put away the word of God from them, thereby judging themselves unworthy of eternal life: she received not correction; by the rod, by the judgments of God upon her: or "instruction" F25; by the Gospel preached to her inhabitants. So the Targum interprets it, ``she received not doctrine;'' the doctrine of baptism, repentance, and remission of sins, preached by John; but rejected the counsel of God by him against themselves, ( Luke 7:31 ) nor the doctrine and instruction of Christ and his apostles, though of more worth than gold and silver; but, on the contrary, slighted and despised it, and rejected it with the utmost contempt: she trusted not in the Lord; not in the Word of the Lord, as the Targum; the essential Word, Christ Jesus; the Word made flesh, and dwelling among them; they trusted in the law of Moses, and in their obedience to it; in their rites and ceremonies, and in the observance of them, and the traditions of their elders; they trusted in the flesh, in their carnal privileges; in their own legal righteousness, and in themselves, that they were righteous, and despised others; and particularly the righteousness of Christ they submitted not unto; they trusted not in him, nor in that; though they were told, that, if they believed not that he was the Messiah, they should die in their sins: she drew not near to her God; Immanuel, God manifest in the flesh, who was promised to the Jews, and sent unto them, whom their fathers expected, and whose God he was, and theirs also; being in his human nature of them, and God over all blessed for ever; so far were they from drawing near to him, and embracing, him, that they hid, as it were, their faces from him; they would not come to him for life and light, for grace, righteousness, and salvation; nor even to hear him preach, nor suffer others to do the same; but, as much as in them lay, hindered them from attending his ministry, word, and ordinances. The Targum is, ``she drew not nigh to the worship of her God.'' FOOTNOTES: F25 (rowm) "institutionem", Drusius, Tarnovius.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

She obeyed not the Voice - Of God, by the law or the prophets, teaching her His ways; and when, disobeying, He chastened her, “she received not correction,” and when He increased His chastisements, she, in the declining age of the state and deepening evil, turned not unto Him, as in the time of the judges, nor ceased to do evil.

In the Lord she trusted not - But in Assyria or Egypt or her idols. Our practical relation to God is summed up in the four words, “Mis-trust self; trust God.” Man reverses this, and when “self-trust” has of course failed him, then he “mistrusts God” . “Such rarely ask of God, what they hope they may obtain from man. They strain every nerve of their soul to obtain what they want; canvass, flatter, fawn, bribe, court favor; and betake themselves to God when all human help fails. They would be indebted, not to God, but to their own diligence. For the more they receive of God, the less, they see, can they exalt their own diligence, the more they are bound to thank God, and obey Him the more strictly.”

To her God she drew not nigh - Even in trouble, when all draw near unto Him, who are not wholly alien from Him; she drew not near by repentance, by faith hope or love, or by works meet for repentance, but in heart remained far from Him. And yet He was “her” own “God,” as He had shown Himself in times past, who changes not, while we change; is faithful to us, while we fail Him; is still our God, while we forget Him; “waits, to have mercy upon us;” shines on us while we interpose our earth-born clouds between us and Him. Dionysius: “Not in body nor in place, but spiritually and inwardly do we approach to the uncircumscribed God,” owning Him as our Father, to whom we daily say “Our Father.”

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Lord. She had recourse rather to the princes of Assyria and of Egytp, which proved her ruin.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

She obeyed not the voice, of the law, her prophets or her faithful priests, (which were too few, yet some there were.) nor of God, by his mercy and judgments crying loud, warning, inviting, persuading to return.

She received not correction, or instruction, did not learn, would not be instructed; there is a meiosis in the words, she hated instruction, as that wicked one, Psa 50:17; Pro 5:12; 13:18.

She trusted not in the Lord; put her confidence in Egypt and Asshur, in any carnal refuges, rather than in her God; in her kings, princes, counsellors, warriors, and confederates, &c.

She drew not near to her God; when revolted did not return, when in distress did not seek him, did not draw near with prayer, &c.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The voice; i.e. of God, as heard in the Law and at the mouth of his prophets. (comp. Jer_7:24, etc.; Jer_9:13) Received not correction. They took not to heart the chastisements sent upon them, and did not profit by them. She trusted not in the Lord, but in man. When danger threatened, she relied on human aid, made alliances with the heathen, or else had recourse to idols and prayed for help to false gods, as the next clause complains. She drew not near to her God. She broke the covenant which she had made, would not avail herself of the privilege bestowed upon her, and had no intercourse with the Lord in prayer and worship.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

trusted

(See Scofield "Psa 2:12")

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.