COMMENTARY

ON THE BOOK OF
ZEPHANIAH
By

Rev. Dr Jeffry David Camm

CONTENTS
DEDICATION ................................................................................... 3
COPYRIGHT: .................................................................................... 3
The Original Source Document: .......................................................... 3
Explanatory Notes: ........................................................................... 3
Introduction to the Book of Zephaniah ................................................. 3
Chapter One: God’s Severe Judgement Against Judah ............................ 4
Chapter Two: Judgement of Judah: Exhortation to Repentance ................ 6
Chapter Three: Ethiopia, Jerusalem Sharply Reproved ............................ 8
DEDICATION
This commentary is dedicated to my wife, Rani, who has been my soulmate and my
encouragement for these last 40+ years, as we have travelled and preached in 43
nations. There have been many good experiences, (and some not so good), but
throughout these travelling adventures for the LORD, He has always been faithful; He is
the ONE person whom we have come to love and trust, in ALL situations ~ in the good,
the bad, and the ugly.
COPYRIGHT:
The contents of this book remain the copyright property of the author, Rev. Dr Jeffry
David Camm, and his estate, in succession. Permission is given for the use of parts of
this document for Bible Study Groups, Evangelism, or Private Study. Permission is given
for the whole of this document to be reproduced by Christian organisations for
evangelistic and/or Bible College reference purposes, provided it is not sold for
profit!
THE ORIGINAL SOURCE DOCUMENT:
The Original Source Document is my KJV Bible, which is over 100 years old, and still has
AN OCCASIONAL REFERENCE to some of the “hidden books of the Bible,” which were
in the Torah and Tanach at the time of Jesus Christ in the Temple in Jerusalem, and in
the KJV First Edition of the Bible, which was still in publication in 1834.
EXPLANATORY NOTES:
Like the other prophetic books, some of the prophecies are for events which happen in
the New Testament. The codes below will indicate which time periods these
verses/chapters refer to.
Code Code Meaning Comments
[F] First Coming of Jesus His first coming, ministry, death &
Christ resurrection
[S] His Second coming back NOT, His “appearing” in the clouds.
physically to earth
[T] The Tribulation Period of 7 This is the tribulation period of
years Daniel’s Prophecies & the Book of
Revelation
[M] The Millennium Period The reign of Jesus on the “existing”
earth for 1,000 years.
[h]~ The Hebrew Word The deeper Hebrew meaning is
given for the word identified
[P] Prophetic Promise A promise made by God to be
fulfilled.
[CP] Conditional Promise A promise of God, conditional on the
Disciples/Nation’s obedience.
[FP] Fulfilled Promise A prophetic Promise already fulfilled
here in Scripture.
*** “Therefore” When you see “therefore” in
scripture, it means “conclusion;” so
go back and read what has been
concluded.

INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF ZEPHANIAH

The Pre-exilic prophet Zephaniah, lived during the reign of the righteous King Josiah of
Judah from 640 to 609 BC. What is unique is that he traced his lineage to the fourth
generation of his ancestors, possibly indicating he was a descendant of the good King
Hezekiah (715-687 BC). This also means that Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, were
all receiving message for God about the same time-period, for the nation of Israel and
the surrounding nations.
CHAPTER ONE: GOD’S SEVERE JUDGEMENT AGAINST JUDAH

1. The Word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, the son of
Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah, the son of
Amon, king of Judah.
2. [FP] aI will utterly consume all things from off bthe land, says the LORD.
3. [FP] I will consume cman and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the
fish of the sea, and dthe estumbling blocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man
from off the land, says the LORD.
4. [FP] I will also stretch put my hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of
Jerusalem; and fI will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of
g
the Chemarims with the priests.
5. [FP] And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that
worship and hthat swear iby the LORD, and that swear by jMalcham.
6. [FP] And them that are turned back from the LORD: and those that have not sought
the LORD, nor inquired of Him.
7. [FP] Hold thy peace at the presence of the LORD GOD: for kthe day of the LORD is
at hand: for lthe LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He has bid His guests.
8. [FP] And it shall come to pass in that day, of the LORD’S sacrifice, that I will mpunish
the princes and the king’s children, and all such as a clothed with strange apparel.
9. [FP] In that same day also will I punish all-of those nthat leap on the threshold,
which fill their master’s houses with violence and deceit.
10. [FP] And it shall come to pass in that day, says the LORD, that there shall be a noise
of a cry from othe Fish Gate, and a howling from pthe second, and a great crashing
from the hills.
11. [FP] Howl, you inhabitants of Maktesh, for all-of the merchant people are cut down:
all they that bear silver are cut off.
12. [FP] And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles,
and punish them that are qsettled ron their lees; sthat say in their heart: The LORD
will not do good; neither will He do evil!
13. *** [FP] Therefore their goods shall become a booty: and their houses a desolation;
t
they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards,
but not drink the wine thereof.
Subject: A message from the LORD.
To: Zephaniah, (the son of Cushi, grandson of Gedaliah, great-grandson of Amariah,
and great-great-grandson of king Hezekiah).

a
[h]~ By taking away, I will g
Hosea 10:5 n
1 Samuel 5:5
make an end h
Isaiah 48:1; Hosea 4:15 o
3:8
b
[h]~ the face of the land i
[h]~ to the LORD p
2 Kings 22:14
c
Hosea 4:3 j
1 Kings 11:5,33 q
[h]~ curded or thickened
d
Ezekiel 7:19 k
Isaiah 13:6; Ezekiel 30:3 r
Jeremiah 48:11
e
[h]~ idols l
Isaiah 34:6; Jeremiah 46:10 s
Psalm 94:7
f
2 Chronicles 34:3,4 m
[h]~ visit upon them t
Deuteronomy 28:30; Amos 5:11
When: During the reign of Josiah, (son of Amon) King of Judah.
[The great revival under the reign of King Josiah took place about 10 years after this
message was delivered by Zephaniah. The prophet Jeremiah was also actively
prophesying and warning the people of the impending destruction of Jerusalem, and
captivity at this same time in history. About 20 years later, was the captivity and exile
of the Jews into Babylon. All-of these prophecies came to pass.
“I will sweep everything in all-of your land,” says the LORD. “I will destroy it to the
ground. I will sweep away both men and animals alike. Mankind, and all-of the idols that
he worships! All-of them will vanish!
“Even the birds of the air and the fish of the sea will all perish! I will crush Judah and
Jerusalem with my fist, and I will destroy every remnant of those that worship Baal; I
will put an end to their idolatrous priests, so that even the memory of them will
disappear.
“They go up onto their rooves and bow to the sun, moon, and the stars. They say they
‘follow the LORD’, but worship Molech, too! I will destroy them! And I will destroy them
who formerly worshipped the LORD, but now, no longer do, and those who never loved
him, and never wanted to.”
[Here is a clear warning to the people of today!
• Those who put another god (or activity) higher than the LORD in their lives ~
He will destroy.
• Those who have backslidden and have not repented and turned back to the
LORD ~ He will destroy.
• Those who have never loved Him ~ who did not have a ‘personal relationship
with Him’ ~ He will destroy.
• And finally all-of those people, who never wanted to follow God Almighty~
rejected Him to follow other gods ~ He will destroy.
Stand in silence in the presence of the LORD. For the awesome Day of his Judgement
has come: He has prepared a great slaughter of His people and has chosen their
executioners.
“On that Day of Judgement, I will punish the leaders and princes of Judah, and all others
wearing heathen clothes. Yes, I will punish those who follow heathen customs and who
rob and kill to fill their master’s homes with evil gains of violence and fraud.
“A cry of alarm shall start at the farthest gate of Jerusalem, coming closer and closer,
until the noise of the advancing army reaches the top of the hill, where the city was
built.
“Wail in sorrow, you people of Jerusalem! You were warned but did not repent! All-of
your greedy businessmen, all-of your loan sharks ~ all will die!
“I will search with lanterns in Jerusalem’s darkest corners to find and punish those, who
sit contented in their sins, indifferent to God, wrongly thinking that He will leave them
alone. BUT ~ they are the very ones whose property will be plundered by the enemy,
whose homes will be ransacked; they will never have a chance to live in their new
homes, that they have recently built. They will never drink wine from the new vineyards
that they have planted.
14. [LD] aThe great day of the LORD bis near, it is near, and hastens greatly, even the
voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry cthere bitterly.

a
Joel 2:11 b
See verse 7 c
Habakkuk 3:4
15. [LD] That day is the day of wrath, a day of trouble, and distress, a day of wasteness,
and desolation, a day of darkness, and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick
darkness.
16. [LD] A Day of athe Trumpet, and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the
high towers.
17. [LD] And I will bring distress upon men; that bthey shall walk like blind men; because
they have sinned against the LORD: and ctheir blood shall be poured out as dust,
and their flesh as the dung.
18. [LD] Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them, in the day of
the LORD’S wrath; but a whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy:
for He shall make even a speedy riddance of all-of them that dwell in the land.
THIS TERRIBLE DAY IS NEAR, it is closer than many think! Swiftly it comes, a
day when even strong men will weep bitterly. It is the day of the wrath of GOD poured
out! It is a day of terrible distress and anguish! A day of ruin and desolation, of darkness,
gloom, clouds, and blackness. Trumpet calls, and battle cries: down go the walled cities
and battlements!
*** “I will make you as helpless as a bling man, searching for a path, because you have
sinned against the LORD; therefore, your blood shall be poured out into the dust and
your bodies will lie there rotting on the ground.”
Your silver and gold will be of no use to you in that day of the LORD’S wrath. [YOU
CANNOT BUY SALVATION!] You cannot ransom yourself with it! For the whole land will
be devoured by the fire of His jealousy. He will make a speedy riddance of all-of the
people of Judah, as they go into exile and captivity.

CHAPTER TWO: JUDGEMENT OF JUDAH: EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE

1. Gather yourselves together; Yes, gather together, O nation, dnot desired.

2. eBefore the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff; before the fierce
anger of the LORD comes upon you; before the day of the LORD’S anger comes upon
you.
3. fSeek ye the LORD, gall you meek of the earth, which have wrought His judgement;
seek righteousness, seek meekness; it hmay be that you shall be hid in the day of
the LORD’S anger.
GATHER TOGETHER & PRAY: you shameless nation, while there is still time ~ BEFORE
judgement begins, and your opportunity is blown away like chaff in the wind; before the
fierce anger of the LORD falls and the terrible day of His wrath begins. Beg Him to save
you, all who are humble ~ all who have tried to obey.
Walk humbly before your God and do what is right: perhaps even yet, the LORD will
protect you from His wrath, in that day of Doom.
4. For iGaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod
at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.
5. Woe unto the inhabitants of jthe seacoast, the nation of the kCherethites! The Word
of the LORD is against you: O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy
thee, that there shall be no inhabitants (left).

a
Jeremiah 4:19 e
See 3:8 i
Jeremiah 47:5; Amos 1:6-8;
b
Deuteronomy 28:29; Isaiah f
Psalm 105:4; Amos 5:6 Zechariah 9:5-6
59:10 g
Psalm 76:9; Isaiah 11:4 j
Jeremiah 47:7; Ezekiel 25:16
c
Psalm 79:3 h
Amos 5:15 k
1 Samuel 30:14
d
[h]~ not desirous
6. And the seacoast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.
7. And athe coast shall be for the remnant of the House of Judah; they shall feed
thereupon; in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: bfor the
LORD their GOD shall cvisit them; and turn away their captivity.
Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron ~ these Philistine cities, too, will be rooted out and left
in desolation. And woe to you Philistines living on the coast and in the land of Canaan,
for the judgement is against you too! [The Cherethites (Cretans) with the Philistines,
were part of the great migration to the southern coasts of Palestine around 1200 BC].
The LORD will destroy you until not one of you is left! The coastland will become a
pasture, a place of shepherd camps, and folds for sheep.
It is there that the little remnant of the tribe of Judah will be pastured. They will lie down
to rest in the abandoned houses of the Ashkelon. For the LORD GOD will visit His people
and in kindness and restore their prosperity again.
8. dI have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon,
whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves eagainst their
border.
9. ***[P] Therefore as I live, says the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel; surely Moab
shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of
nettles, and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall
spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.
10. [P] This shall they have ffor their pride; because they have reproached and
magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of Hosts.
11. [P] The LORD will be terrible unto them: for gHe will hfamish all-of the gods of the
earth; and imen shall worship Him, jeveryone from his place, even in all-of the isles
of the heathen.
“I have heard the taunts of the people of Moab and Ammon, mocking my people, and
invading their land. Therefore, as I live,” says the LORD of Hosts; “Moab and Ammon
shall be destroyed just like Sodom & Gomorrah; and become a place of stinging nettles
and salt pits, and eternal desolation; those of my people who are left will plunder and
possess them. They will receive the wages of their pride, for they have scoffed at the
people of the LORD of Hosts. The LORD will do terrible things to them. He will starve
out all-of the gods of foreign powers, and everyone shall worship him, each in his own
land throughout the world.
12. [FP] k You Ethiopians, too, will be slain by His sword.
13. [FP] And so will the lands of the north: He will ldestroy Assyria; and make its great
capital mNineveh a desolate wasteland, like a wilderness.
14. [P] And flocks shall nlie down in the midst of her all the beasts of the nations: both
the ocormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the pupper lintels of it; their voices
shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds; qfor he shall uncover
r
the cedar work.

a
Joshua 19:29; see verse 5 g
Psalm 50:12 m
Jonah 1:2
b
[h]~ when h
[h]~ make lean n
Isaiah 13:21-22
c
Zechariah 10:3
i
Psalm 22:27 o
[h]~ pelican
d
Jeremiah 48:1, 27 j
Malachi 1:11 p
[h]~ knops, or chapiters
e
Jeremiah 49:1 k
Isaiah 18:1 q
[h]~ when he has uncovered
f
Isaiah 16:6; Jeremiah 48:29 l
Isaiah 10:12 r
Jeremiah 22:14-15
15. This is the rejoicing city athat dwelt carelessly; that said in her heart, I AM, and
there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie
down in! bEveryone that passes by shall see and wag his hand!
You Ethiopians too, will be slain by his sword, and so will the land of the north; he will
destroy Assyria and make its great capital Nineveh a desolate wasteland~ like a barren
wilderness. That once proud city will become a pastureland for sheep.
All sorts of wild animals will have their homes in her. Hedgehogs will burrow there; the
vultures and the owls will live among the ruins of her palaces, hooting from the gaping
windows; the ravens will croak from her doors.
All-of her cedar panelling will lie open to the wind and weather. This is the fate of the
vast, prosperous city that lived in such security, that said to herself: “In all-of the world
there is no city as great as I am.” BUT NOW, see how she has become a place of utter
ruins, a place for animals to live! Everyone passing that way will mock or shake their
heads in disbelief!
[Nothing then seemed more improbable than that the capital, of so vast an empire, a
city sixty miles (100 Kms) around, with walls 100 feet high, (33 metres) and so thick
that 3 chariots could go abreast on them ~ with 1500 watchtowers, should be so totally
destroyed that its site is difficult to discover today.]

CHAPTER THREE: ETHIOPIA, JERUSALEM SHARPLY REPROVED

1. Woe to cher that is filthy and polluted, to dthe oppressing city!

2. She obeyed not the voice: she received not the ecorrection: she trusted not in the
LORD: She drew not near to her GOD.
3. Her princes within her are froaring lions; her judges are gevening wolves; they gnaw
not the bones till the morrow.
4. Her prophets are hlight and treacherous persons: her priests ihave polluted the
sanctuary; they have done violence to the law.
5. The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: jevery morning He
does bring His judgement to light, He fails not: but the unjust know no shame.
6. I have cut off the nations: their ktowers are desolate; I made their streets waste,
that none passes by; their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there
are no inhabitants.
7. I said: Surely you will fear me, says the LORD, you will receive instruction; lso their
dwellings should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but mthey rose early,
and corrupted all-of their doings.
[These first seven verses are directed at sinful Jerusalem ~ but it can also refer to
nations and “lukewarm churches” today].
Woe to filthy, sinful Jerusalem, a city of violence and crime. In her pride, she won’t even
listen to the voice of God. No one can tell her anything; she refuses all forms of
correction! She does not trust the LORD, nor does she seek the LORD!

a
Isaiah 47:8 f
Ezekiel 22:25 k
[h]~ Or, corners
b
Jeremiah 19:8 g
Habakkuk 1:8 l
Jeremiah 7:3,7; 25:5
c
[h]~ gluttonous h
Jeremiah 23:32 m
2 Chronicles 36:15
d
Jeremiah 25:38 i
Ezekiel 22:26
e
[h]~ instruction j
[h]~ morning by morning
Her leaders are like roaring lions, each one hunting for their next victims ~ defrauding
them of everything that they can get. Her judges are like ravenous wolves at evening
time, who by the break of dawn, have left no trace of their prey.
Her “false prophets” are liars, seeking their own gain; her priests defile the temple, by
their disobedience to God’s laws. ~ [By allowing gay & lesbian priests, and allowing
same-sex unions, to be performed in their churches].
BUT the LORD is there in the city, and He does no wrong! Day by day His justice is more
evident, but no one takes any notice, for the wicked know no shame.
“I have cut off many nations, laying them waste to their farthest borders; I have left
their streets in silent ruin, and their cities deserted without a single survivor, to
remember what happened. I thought; ‘Surely they will heed my warnings, so that I will
not need to strike them again:’ But no! It does not matter how much I punish them;
they continue all-of their evil ways from dawn to dusk, and from dusk to dawn.”
8. *** [LD] Therefore, aWait you upon me, says the LORD, until the day that I rise up
to the prey: for my determination is bto gather the nations, that I may assemble the
kingdoms, to pour out my indignation upon them, even all-of my fierce anger: for
c
all-of the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
9. [M] For then will I turn to the people a pure dlanguage [a heavenly language], that
they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve HIM with one consent. [With
one accord].
10. [M] From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, my suppliants, even the daughter of emy
dispersed, fshall bring gmy offering.
11. [M] In that day shalt hyou not be ashamed for all-of your doings, wherein you have
transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee, them
that rejoice in their pride, and iyou shall no longer by haughty, jbecause of my Holy
Mountain.
12. [M] I will also leave in-the-midst-of thee kan afflicted and poor people, and they
shall trust in the name of the LORD.
13. [M] The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a
deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none
shall make them afraid.
But the LORD God says; “Be patient; the time is coming soon when I will stand up and
accuse these evil nations. For it is my decision, to gather together the kingdoms of the
earth and pour out my fiercest anger and wrath upon them. All-of the earth shall be
devoured with the fire of my jealousy!”
“At that time, I will change the speech of my returning people to pure Hebrew, so that
all can worship the LORD together. [This is now happening as the people complete Aliyah
and return to Israel; they are all learning to read and write Hebrew. This prophecy is
being fulfilled right before our very eyes].
“Those who live far beyond the rivers of Ethiopia will come with their offerings, asking
me to be their God again. And then you will no longer need to be ashamed of yourselves.
I will remove all-of your proud and arrogant men from among you; there will be no pride
or haughtiness on my Holy Mountain. Those who are left, will be the poor and the
humble, and they will trust in the name of the LORD.

a
Habakkuk 2:3 e
Deuteronomy 4:27; 28:64 i
Jeremiah 7:4; Micah 3:11
b
Joel 3:2 f
Psalm 68:29 j
[h]~ in my holy
c
See 1:18 g
Malachi 1:11 k
Zechariah 11:7,11
d
[h]~ lip h
Isaiah 54:4
“They will not be sinners, full of lies and deceit. They will live quietly, in peace, and lie
down in safety, and no one will make them afraid.”
[Christians in praise among the nations, now proclaim the Victory of the LORD.]
14. [S] Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all-of your
heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
15. [S] The LORD has taken away your judgements, He has cast out your enemy: the
KING of Israel, even the LORD, is in-the-midst-of thee; you shall not see evil
anymore.
16. [S] In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem; Fear you not: and to Zion; aLet not
your hands be bslack.
17. [M] The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty: He will save, He will rejoice
over thee with joy; He will crest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing.
18. [M] I will call them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to
whom dthe reproach of it was a burden.
19. [M] Behold, eat that time, I will undo all that afflict thee; and I will fsave her that
halts and gather her that was driven out; and I will gget them praise and fame in
every land hwhere they have been put to shame.
20. [M] At that time, iwill I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will
make you a name and a praise among all-of the people of the earth, when jI turn
back your captivity before your eyes, says the LORD.
Sing, O daughter of Zion; Shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all-of your heart, O
daughter of Jerusalem. For the LORD will remove His hand of judgement and disperse
the armies of your enemy. And the LORD Himself, the King of Israel, will live among
you! At last, your troubles will be over. You need not be afraid anymore.
On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be, “Cheer up, don’t be afraid. For the
LORD your GOD has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty Saviour. He will give you
victory. He will rejoice over you in great gladness; He will love you and not accuse you.”
Is that a joyous choir I hear? NO! It is the LORD Himself exulting over you in happy
song.
“I have gathered your wounded and taken away your reproach. And I will deal severely
with all that have oppressed you. I will save the weak and helpless ones and bring
together those who were chased away. I will give glory to my former exiles, mocked
and shamed.
“At that time, I will gather you together and bring you home again, and give you a good
name, a name of distinction among all-of the peoples of the earth, and they will praise
you when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the LORD.

CONCLUSION:

It is clear that God’s plans are coming to pass.

We must be know where we are on God’s time plan, and be sure that our church (the
8th church), has the necessary makeovers ~ correcting the mistakes ~ identified in the
other 5 churches in Revelation chapter 2 & 3; so that “our Church” can be included in
the 9th church, the one that Jesus invites to “come up hither”, to become His Bride.

a
Isaiah 35:3; Hebrews 12:12 d
[h]~ the burden upon it was g
[h]~ set them for a praise
b
[h]~ faint reproach h
[h]~ of their shame
c
[h]~ be silent
e
See verse 11 i
Isaiah 11:12
f
Micah 4:6,7 j
2:7
Maybe a thorough study of the 7 churches in the Book of Revelation, is needed now,
because it can have eternal consequences, if you get it wrong!
If you get it wrong, then you will also need to know what the 7 Seal Judgements, the 7
Trumpet Judgements, and the 7 Vial Bowl Judgements are all about, because you will
have to suffer all 21 of them!