Zephaniah 1:2 Commentary and Bible Study

‘I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the Lord.’ It is important that we understand this second verse. It is translated in our version as ‘land’. It could perhaps be better translated ‘earth’, because this is a universal judgment which is spoken of here. ‘I will utterly consume all things from off the [earth], saith the LORD.’ Zephaniah begins by speaking about a final coming judgment, when everything will be destroyed. We notice the severity and the extensiveness of this judgement. We look carefully at this, because this is the key to understanding so many of these minor prophets. ‘I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea.’ This is not some local judgment that affected a single nation, or even a collection of nations; it is a judgment that leaves no life remaining on the land or sea, on the whole earth. No life will remain, not human life, not even any form of animal life: bird, fish, or beast. Not even the flood was as extensive as this, for it did not destroy the fish of the sea.These two verses plainly describe a final judgement. Yes, Zephaniah is going to be speaking about the judgement of Jerusalem, the final fall of Judah and Jerusalem. But he introduces it by talking about the final judgement – the terms are so comprehensive, so all-embracing – and that is puzzling to us. ‘I will consume … the stumbling blocks’, which is a word which relates to idols. There is obviously idolatry in view here: the idols of the nations which caused the children of Israel to stumble and to backslide. ‘I will destroy … [all idols] with the wicked, and I will cut off man from off the [earth], saith the LORD.’ So the book begins with a prophecy of God's final day of judgment.