'I will utterly consume all things from off the face of the earth, says Hashem' — man and beast, the fowls of the heaven and the fishes of the sea; against Judah, the remnant of Baal, and them that are settled on their lees: 'the great day of Hashem is near, it is near and hastens greatly... a day of wrath is that day, a day of trouble and distress, a day of waste and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess'; 'I will search Jerusalem with lamps.'
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
The word of Hashem which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.
verse value 2664
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 71 letters. Verse gematria: 2664 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "which" (אֲשֶׁ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "word·Hashem" (דְּבַר־יְהֹוָ֣ה, 7 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zephaniah. Unique to this verse in Zephaniah (hapax): "was" (הָיָ֗ה), "to·Zephaniah" (אֶל־צְפַנְיָה֙), "son·of·Cushi" (בֶּן־כּוּשִׁ֣י). The root בין appears 3 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "word·Hashem" (root יהוה, 34x in Zephaniah); "in·days·of" (root יום, 20x in Zephaniah). First appearance of the root יהוה ("word·Hashem") in Zephaniah. First appearance of the root אשר ("which") in Zephaniah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'son·of·Hezekiah', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 5 words. Full calculation: דְּבַר־יְהֹוָ֣ה [word·Hashem] (232) + אֲשֶׁ֣ר [which] (501) + הָיָ֗ה [was] (20) + אֶל־צְפַנְיָה֙ [to·Zephaniah] (266) + בֶּן־כּוּשִׁ֣י [son·of·Cushi] (388) + בֶן־גְּדַלְיָ֔ה [son·of·Gedaliah] (104) + בֶּן־אֲמַרְיָ֖ה [son·of·Amariah] (308) + בֶּן־חִזְקִיָּ֑ה [son·of·Hezekiah] (182) + בִּימֵ֛י [in·days·of] (62) + יֹאשִׁיָּ֥הוּ [Josiah] (332) + בֶן־אָמ֖וֹן [son·of·Amon] (149) + מֶ֥לֶךְ [king] (90) + יְהוּדָֽה [Judah] (30) = 2664.
Ibn Ezra
The verse mentioned the names of the fathers until it reached the honored one, who is King Hezekiah. And according to logical reasoning, Amariah was the brother of Manasseh. Do not be astonished because Josiah is third in line after Hezekiah, for there are more than a hundred years from the time Hezekiah grew up to have children until Josiah became king.
Radak
The word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah, son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah. Some say that this Hezekiah is Hezekiah, King of Judah. It is possible, but this is not proof. Rather, in truth, his ancestors were great men, and therefore they are mentioned. Three prophets prophesied in the days of Josiah: Jeremiah, Zephaniah, and Huldah. And our Sages of blessed memory said that Jeremiah prophesied in the markets, Zephaniah in the synagogues, and Huldah among the women. His prophecy was before Josiah and Judah returned from their evil ways.
Metzudat David
"The word of the Lord": This means that this is the word of the Lord that was, etc.
Malbim
"The word of the Lord, etc., son of Chizkiyah": He traced his lineage back four generations, as his ancestors were great men. And some say that he was from the seed of King Chizkiyah.
In the days of Josiah, before he did teshuvah:
I will utterly consume all things from off the face of the earth, Says Hashem.
verse value 784
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 26 letters. Verse gematria: 784 = 28². The shortest word is "all" (כֹּ֗ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "utterance·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 141: utterly, I·will·sweep·away. The root אסף appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "utterance·Hashem" (root יהוה, 34x in Zephaniah); "from·off" (root על, 22x in Zephaniah). First appearance of the root אסף ("utterly") in Zephaniah. First appearance of the root כל ("all") in Zephaniah. Full calculation: אָסֹ֨ף [utterly] (141) + אָסֵ֜ף [I·will·sweep·away] (141) + כֹּ֗ל [all] (50) + מֵעַ֛ל [from·off] (140) + פְּנֵ֥י [face] (140) + הָאֲדָמָ֖ה [ground] (55) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה [utterance·Hashem] (117) = 784.
Rashi
“Gather, gather” – this is the language of destruction, as in “and you gather your soul” (Judges 18:25), said of Micah. The aleph is deficient in the second word, for it should have been written “a’asof”; but there are many such cases, like “lo yahel sham aravi” — “no Arab shall pitch his tent there” (Isaiah 13:20) — which stands for “lo ya’ahel,” with the aleph.
Ibn Ezra
"Assemble" – the aleph in "assemble" is a sign of the future tense from the augmented conjugation (hif'il), from the root: "they were gathered, they were completed," meaning the future tense of the augmented conjugation.
Asof – Every verb ought to consist of three letters; and when the verb comes in the hiph’il form — such as “hikhbid” (he made heavy), “he’evid” (he caused to perish), “hishmid” (he destroyed) — it is called the “augmented form.” And some say the aleph of “asof” is added, like the aleph of “adush” [in] “yedushenu.”
Radak
“Gather, gathered.” “Gather” is the infinitive form of “gathered,” and it denotes the sense of destruction, as in “and you shall gather your soul and the soul of your household.” “Gathered” is from the pi’el binyan, with the ayin letter quiescent, pertaining to the sense of “complete” and “finish.” The light form is an intransitive verb, and the heavy form is a transitive verb. And so, “gathered, I will gather them,” means that He will destroy all living things from the face of the earth. This means from the Land of Israel. And He stated a general principle and then elaborated.
Metzudat David
“Gather.” I will consume all that is upon the land of Israel.
Metzudat Zion
“Gather, gather.” The meaning is destruction, as in “and you shall gather up your soul” (Judges 18:25). And it would have been proper to say “I shall gather” with the letter aleph omitted.
Malbim
"He gathered, He gathered all"—at first, He stated in general terms that He would gather all that exists, and then He elaborates:
I will consume man and beast, I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, And the stumblingblocks with the wicked; And I will cut off man from off the face of the earth, Says Hashem.
verse value 4391
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 75 letters. The shortest word is "I·will·sweep·away" (אָסֵ֨ף, 3 letters) and the longest is "flying·creatures·of·the·heaven" (עוֹף־הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 141: I·will·sweep·away, I·will·sweep·away. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zephaniah. Unique to this verse in Zephaniah (hapax): "man" (אָדָ֜ם), "and·cattle" (וּבְהֵמָ֗ה), "flying·creatures·of·the·heaven" (עוֹף־הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙). The root אסף appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "utterance·Hashem" (root יהוה, 34x in Zephaniah); "from·off" (root על, 22x in Zephaniah). First appearance of the root אדם ("man") in Zephaniah. First appearance of the root ים ("sea") in Zephaniah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·the·wicked', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 6 words.
Rashi
And the stumbling blocks for the wicked: these are the idolaters.
Ibn Ezra
Asaf – Now he has explained the words “all mankind, and beasts, and birds of the heavens, and fish of the sea.”
And the meaning of "the face of the earth" is the Land of Israel.
And the stumbling blocks—they shall be stumbling blocks only for the wicked. Therefore, “I will cut off the man,” meaning the wicked ones. And similarly it says to the humble: “Perhaps you will hide.”
Radak
"Man and beast He has gathered together, the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea." And what is meant by "the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea" is by way of hyperbole, as it is stated in Jeremiah: "From the birds of the heavens to the beasts, they fled and went away," and similarly it is stated in Hosea: "Like the beasts of the field, and like the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, they shall be gathered." And it is possible [to understand it] according to its literal meaning, for most birds do not dwell in the wilderness, but rather in inhabited places, where they find seeds, fruits, and the blossoms of trees, and when one settlement is destroyed, they go to another settlement. And so we explained it in Jeremiah and in Hosea. And similarly, fish do not breed in great numbers except in seas that are near to inhabited places.
“And the snares shall catch the wicked.” The snares will find the wicked, so that they will stumble in them; that is to say, they will befall them; that is to say, troubles will go out to meet them, in which they will stumble, die. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated it as “the abundance of the stumbling of the wicked.” And afterward he said, “And I will cut off man,” and likewise he said at the beginning, “I will gather man.” If so, why did he specify “the wicked”? Because he compared them to birds: the wicked will not escape from the snares, which are the sword, famine, pestilence, and the rest. Those who are not completely wicked, and likewise the righteous, will go into exile, and the land will remain desolate, without man and beast.
Metzudat David
“I will consume man.” Now he specifies whom He will destroy:
And the stumbling blocks. This means the schemes by which the wicked cause people to stumble; they themselves will be destroyed along with the wicked.
"And I will cut off..." The repetition of the matter is for the sake of intensifying the subject.
Metzudat Zion
"The wicked." With the wicked:
Malbim
He will gather man and beast, as well as birds and fish, as it is stated (Hosea 4:3): “Also the beasts of the earth, and the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, shall be gathered.” This is expressed in a figurative manner. Alternatively, according to the plain meaning, domestic birds will flee from their desolate places, and even the fish will move away from the deserted shore where there is no food, due to human beings who cast refuse into the sea, as the Radak wrote. And regarding “the stumbling blocks,” He will gather the stumbling blocks together with the wicked. And some say that He will gather the things that cause the wicked to stumble. The commentator explains that His primary intention is expressed in the words “and I will cut off man,” meaning all the nations upon the face of the earth, for Nebuchadnezzar destroyed most of the nations.
And I will stretch out My hand upon Judah, And upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; And I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, And the name of the idolatrous priests with the priests;
verse value 4953
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 75 letters. Verse gematria: 4953 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "my·hand" (יָדִי֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "with·the·priests" (עִם־הַכֹּהֲנִֽים, 8 letters). 11 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zephaniah. Unique to this verse in Zephaniah (hapax): "and·I·will·stretch·out" (וְנָטִ֤יתִי), "my·hand" (יָדִי֙), "upon·Judah" (עַל־יְהוּדָ֔ה). The root על appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·Judah" (root על, 22x in Zephaniah). First appearance of the root יד ("my·hand") in Zephaniah. First appearance of the root ישב ("all·inhabitants·of") in Zephaniah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Jerusalem', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 8 words. Full calculation: וְנָטִ֤יתִי [and·I·will·stretch·out] (485) + יָדִי֙ [my·hand] (24) + עַל־יְהוּדָ֔ה [upon·Judah] (130) + וְעַ֖ל [and·upon] (106) + כׇּל־יוֹשְׁבֵ֣י [all·inhabitants·of] (378) + יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם [Jerusalem] (586) + וְהִכְרַתִּ֞י [and·I·will·cut·off] (641) + מִן־הַמָּק֤וֹם [from·the·place] (281) + הַזֶּה֙ [this] (17) + אֶת־שְׁאָ֣ר [remnant] (902) + הַבַּ֔עַל [Baal] (107) + אֶת־שֵׁ֥ם [name] (741) + הַכְּמָרִ֖ים [the·idolatrous·priests] (315) + עִם־הַכֹּהֲנִֽים [with·the·priests] (240) = 4953.
Rashi
"The remnant of the Baal." This teaches that there shall be no remainder left of its memory.
"The idolatrous priests with the priests. Their ministers with their priests:"
Ibn Ezra
"And I will incline" – "the remainder of Baal" refers to the physical substance of the idol Baal. And Rabbi Moses the Cohen said: It is like "the remainder of Jacob."
With the priests – they are the ones who serve, for so is the meaning of the phrase “every priest” and the proof: “And they shall serve Me.”
Radak
“And I will stretch out My hand,” [referring to] the remainder of the worship of Baal. That which remained still in the service of Baal, for the House of Judah did not adhere so strongly to the worship of Baal as did the House of Israel, for Ahab adhered to the worship of Baal, and after him, the remaining kings of Israel. And it is possible that what is said, “I will cut off,” refers to King Josiah, who burned everything, as it is written, or perhaps it refers to the destruction of the land, for the kings of Judah after Josiah did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and He said that the idols would be destroyed together with their worshippers, as it is written in the Torah’s reproofs: “And I will lay your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols.”
“The name of the Chemarim together with the Cohanim.” The Chemarim are those who wear black garments in the name of idolatry, and the Cohanim are those who serve before idolatry; and their name and memory shall perish from the world.
Metzudat David
“And I will stretch out My hand, etc.” – to strike them:
“The remnant of Baal.” This means: even any remnant [of it] shall not remain.
Metzudat Zion
The remainder. That which is left over:
"Ha-komarim." Thus are called the priests of idolatry, as it is written: "And his priests shall rejoice over him" (Hosea 10:5).
The priests. They are a different category, as they change their garments:
Malbim
“And I will stretch out [My hand]” – after he told of the general, all-encompassing gathering [mentioned above], he now explains the specific case: “His hand is against Judah” – I will cut off the remnant of Baal, since Josiah had already eradicated Baal worship, but a remnant of it still remained. And I removed the priests, namely the priests who served the sun, together with the priests of the Lord. For it says, “He will utterly destroy the righteous with the wicked.”
And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; And them that worship, that swear to Hashem And swear by Malcam;
verse value 4615
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 63 letters. Verse gematria: 4615 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "to·host·of" (לִצְבָ֣א, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·the·worshippers" (וְאֶת־הַמִּשְׁתַּחֲוִ֥ים, 11 letters). Words sharing gematria 1216: and·the·worshippers, and·the·worshippers. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zephaniah. Unique to this verse in Zephaniah (hapax): "upon·the·housetops" (עַל־הַגַּגּ֖וֹת), "to·host·of" (לִצְבָ֣א), "heaven" (הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם). The root שחה appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 34x in Zephaniah); "upon·the·housetops" (root על, 22x in Zephaniah). First appearance of the root צבא ("to·host·of") in Zephaniah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'heaven', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְאֶת־הַמִּשְׁתַּחֲוִ֥ים [and·the·worshippers] (1216) + עַל־הַגַּגּ֖וֹת [upon·the·housetops] (517) + לִצְבָ֣א [to·host·of] (123) + הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם [heaven] (395) + וְאֶת־הַמִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוִים֙ [and·the·worshippers] (1216) + הַנִּשְׁבָּעִ֣ים [that·swear] (477) + לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה [to·Hashem] (56) + וְהַנִּשְׁבָּעִ֖ים [and·that·swear] (483) + בְּמַלְכָּֽם [by·Malcam] (132) = 4615.
Rashi
And those who swear by the Lord, and then return and swear by their king, by their idolatrous gods—they make the idolatrous gods primary, saying, “If you do not believe in the oath of the Lord, behold, I swear to you by the idolatrous gods.”
Ibn Ezra
"And those who bow down" – when they swear by the Name and to their king, demonstrating that they are servants of the Name.
Radak
"And those who bow down and swear to the Lord, and those who swear by their king." At times they bow down to the Lord, and at times to their king - that is, the idol which they made king over them; thus they join another matter together with God, the Blessed One, in worshiping Him. And Scripture states: "You shall not make with Me gods of silver, nor gods of gold shall you make for yourselves." And Targum [Yonatan] renders: "those who swear by the Name of the Lord, and also swear by the bread of their priests" - another version: "the bread of their..." [variant word, meaning uncertain].
Metzudat David
“Upon the roofs.” Their custom was to ascend to the roofs to prostrate themselves there to the host of heaven.
“And those who prostrate themselves, etc.” – This means that even the righteous will be cut off.
“And those who swear by their king” – these are the people who do not bow down either to the Lord or to the host of heaven, for they have no faith whatsoever. And when they swear, they swear by their king, for him alone they fear and dread, and even they shall be gathered.
Malbim
And those who prostrate themselves on the rooftops to the host of heaven, who are the wicked; and those who prostrate themselves and swear by the Lord, who bound themselves by oath to prostrate themselves only to the Lord, who are the righteous; and those who swear by their king, who are the intermediate ones, who do not serve either the Lord or Baal, but rather do only as the king commands: if the king serves the Lord, they follow his deeds, and if he serves Baal, they incline after him.
Them also that are turned back from following Hashem; And those that have not sought Hashem, nor inquired after Him. .
verse value 2791
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 43 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·not" (וְלֹ֥א, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·the·backsliders" (וְאֶת־הַנְּסוֹגִ֖ים, 10 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zephaniah. Unique to this verse in Zephaniah (hapax): "and·the·backsliders" (וְאֶת־הַנְּסוֹגִ֖ים), "from·following" (מֵאַחֲרֵ֣י), "and·that" (וַאֲשֶׁ֛ר). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 34x in Zephaniah). First appearance of the root בקש ("not·sought") in Zephaniah. First appearance of the root לא ("and·not") in Zephaniah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְאֶת־הַנְּסוֹגִ֖ים [and·the·backsliders] (581) + מֵאַחֲרֵ֣י [from·following] (259) + יְהֹוָ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + וַאֲשֶׁ֛ר [and·that] (507) + לֹא־בִקְשׁ֥וּ [not·sought] (439) + אֶת־יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (427) + וְלֹ֥א [and·not] (37) + דְרָשֻֽׁהוּ [sought·Him] (515) = 2791.
Ibn Ezra
“Ve’et” – in public.
Radak
“And those who turn back.” Like “our heart has not turned back,” meaning that they did not walk in His ways and did not observe His Torah.
“And those who did not seek the Lord.” Even though they did not serve idolatry, but rather they said in their hearts, “The Lord will not do good, nor will He do evil, and what benefit is there in seeking Him and requesting from before Him?” All these matters that were mentioned are included in the punishment that “stumbling blocks will find them and they will be overcome,” and to them it is said:
Metzudat David
"And those who retreat..." – This means those who initially believed in God but subsequently withdrew from Him.
"And those who did not seek Him." These are the people who never sought the Lord.
Metzudat Zion
“Those who retreat.” The matter of returning backward, as it is said, “And we will not turn back from You” (Psalms 80:19).
Malbim
And those who have retreated from following the Lord, who served Him at first and afterward withdrew from Him; and those who did not seek the Lord, nor even inquire after Him at all.
Hold your peace at the presence of the Lord Hashem; For the day of Hashem is at hand, For Hashem has prepared a sacrifice, He has consecrated His guests.
verse value 1650
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 50 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 1650 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "hush" (הַ֕ס, 2 letters) and the longest is "for·has·prepared" (כִּֽי־הֵכִ֧ין, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 65: hush, my·lord. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zephaniah. Unique to this verse in Zephaniah (hapax): "hush" (הַ֕ס), "from·face·of" (מִפְּנֵ֖י), "my·lord" (אֲדֹנָ֣י). The root יהוה appears 3 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 34x in Zephaniah); "day" (root יום, 20x in Zephaniah). First appearance of the root כי ("for") in Zephaniah. First appearance of the root קרוב ("near") in Zephaniah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 9 words. Full calculation: הַ֕ס [hush] (65) + מִפְּנֵ֖י [from·face·of] (180) + אֲדֹנָ֣י [my·lord] (65) + יֱהֹוִ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + כִּ֤י [for] (30) + קָרוֹב֙ [near] (308) + י֣וֹם [day] (56) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + כִּֽי־הֵכִ֧ין [for·has·prepared] (115) + יְהֹוָ֛ה [Hashem] (26) + זֶ֖בַח [sacrifice] (17) + הִקְדִּ֥ישׁ [he·dedicated] (419) + קְרֻאָֽיו [His·guests] (317) = 1650.
Rashi
He consecrated His called ones. He summoned His hosts for the appointed day:
Ibn Ezra
The word "Hase" – the prophet said this to the wise one.
He consecrated – He prepared and set apart.
Radak
“Hush before the Lord God.” This means: be still and silent before Him. For you thought that He would not look upon their deeds — [therefore] be hushed before Him, for His day is near, when He will bring it upon you.
Sacrifice. The corpses of the wicked:
“He sanctified His guests.” He summoned to that sacrifice His guests — namely, the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field — to eat the slain, as it says in the Torah’s admonitions: “And your carcass shall be food for the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the earth.”
Metzudat David
“Be silent before the Lord.” Be silent before the Lord, lest you say, “The days will be prolonged,” for it is not so, for the day of recompense coming from the Lord is near, for the Lord has already prepared for you the slaughter and has invited the guests to the feast—they are the beasts of the forest and the birds of the heavens, who will eat the flesh of the carcasses of the slain.
Metzudat Zion
“Hush.” A matter of silence, as in “and Caleb silenced [the people]” (Numbers 13:30):
“He designated.” A matter of summoning, as in “sanctify an assembly” (Joel 2):
"His guests." Those who were invited to the feast. And similarly, "among the chief of the invited" (1 Samuel 9:22).
Malbim
"Hush" – these are the words of the prophet. After mentioning the word of the Lord he says: therefore hush, and let all flesh be silent before the Lord, for the day of the Lord is near — that the time is near — and He has already prepared the sacrifice (that is, the decree has been issued), and He has sanctified His invited ones, namely Nebuchadnezzar and his armies.
Cross-references: I Samuel 16:5; Isaiah 13:3; Joel 2:16
And it shall come to pass in the day of Hashem’S sacrifice, That I will punish the princes, and the king’s sons, And all such as are clothed with foreign apparel.
verse value 2846
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 58 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "sacrifice" (זֶ֣בַח, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·the·clothed" (כׇּל־הַלֹּבְשִׁ֖ים, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: and·it·shall·be, Hashem. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zephaniah. Unique to this verse in Zephaniah (hapax): "upon·the·princes" (עַל־הַשָּׂרִ֖ים), "and·upon·sons·of" (וְעַל־בְּנֵ֣י), "king" (הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ). The root על appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 34x in Zephaniah); "upon·the·princes" (root על, 22x in Zephaniah); "in·day·of" (root יום, 20x in Zephaniah). First appearance of the root פקד ("and·I·will·punish") in Zephaniah. First appearance of the root עול ("and·upon·sons·of") in Zephaniah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'king', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְהָיָ֗ה [and·it·shall·be] (26) + בְּיוֹם֙ [in·day·of] (58) + זֶ֣בַח [sacrifice] (17) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + וּפָקַדְתִּ֥י [and·I·will·punish] (600) + עַל־הַשָּׂרִ֖ים [upon·the·princes] (655) + וְעַל־בְּנֵ֣י [and·upon·sons·of] (168) + הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ [king] (95) + וְעַ֥ל [and·upon] (106) + כׇּל־הַלֹּבְשִׁ֖ים [all·the·clothed] (437) + מַלְבּ֥וּשׁ [clothing] (378) + נׇכְרִֽי [foreign] (280) = 2846.
Rashi
Non-Jewish attire. The ornaments of idolaters:
Ibn Ezra
"And it shall be" – this is a metaphorical expression referring to the death of the wicked.
A foreign garment – in contrast to all the common people, in the manner of pride.
Radak
"And it shall come to pass on the day of slaughter": This refers to the princes and the king's sons, for they are the ones who oppress the poor, since they have the power in their hands. They will fall by the sword on the day of slaughter, which is the day of the destruction. And so it is written: "And the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also slaughtered all the princes of Judah in Riblah."
And concerning all who wear non-Jewish attire. My revered father of blessed memory explained that when they saw a certain person who was under their power wearing fine clothing, they would rob it from him and wear it. And the sage Rabbi Abraham of blessed memory explained that "non-Jewish attire" means [wearing] contrary to the custom of the people, out of arrogance, so that a person should not dress in their garments. And some say it means the attire of idolaters. And the Targum [renders it]: "And concerning all who are excited to serve error." And some say it refers to men who present themselves as pious and God-fearing, yet wear non-Jewish attire, unlike the rest of the people, so that they may be recognized by their garments as pious, whereas their ways are evil.
Metzudat David
"And I will take account." I will watch to bring retribution upon the princes, etc.
"Non-Jewish attire": It was the custom of the important people to wear clothing that was foreign and different from the clothing of the rest of the people.
Metzudat Zion
"And I will visit." This is a matter of divine providence:
Foreign. The matter of foreignness:
Malbim
And it shall be on the day of the Lord’s slaughter: he reckons who will be killed by this decree. “And I will punish the princes and the king’s sons” — that they will be killed first, in the exile of Jehoiachin and afterward in the exile of Zedekiah; “and all who wear foreign dress” — those appointed by the king had distinctive garments after the custom of the princes of the neighboring nations.
Cross-references: I Samuel 5:5; II Kings 10:22; II Kings 22:1
In the same day also will I punish all those that leap over the threshold, That fill their master’s house with violence and deceit.
verse value 2635
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 54 letters. The shortest word is "upon" (עַ֧ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·who·leap" (כׇּל־הַדּוֹלֵ֛ג, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zephaniah. Unique to this verse in Zephaniah (hapax): "all·who·leap" (כׇּל־הַדּוֹלֵ֛ג), "upon·the·threshold" (עַל־הַמִּפְתָּ֖ן), "the·ones·filling" (הַֽמְמַלְאִ֛ים). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon" (root על, 22x in Zephaniah); "in·the·day" (root יום, 20x in Zephaniah). First appearance of the root הוא ("pron 3p s") in Zephaniah. First appearance of the root בית ("house·of") in Zephaniah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'pron 3p s', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: וּפָקַדְתִּ֗י [and·I·will·punish] (600) + עַ֧ל [upon] (100) + כׇּל־הַדּוֹלֵ֛ג [all·who·leap] (98) + עַל־הַמִּפְתָּ֖ן [upon·the·threshold] (675) + בַּיּ֣וֹם [in·the·day] (58) + הַה֑וּא [pron 3p s] (17) + הַֽמְמַלְאִ֛ים [the·ones·filling] (166) + בֵּ֥ית [house·of] (412) + אֲדֹנֵיהֶ֖ם [their·lord] (110) + חָמָ֥ס [violence] (108) + וּמִרְמָֽה [and·deceit] (291) = 2635.
Rashi
"He who leaps over the threshold." The Targum: "Those who walk according to the customs of the Philistines," for they did not tread upon the threshold of Dagon, as it is stated, "Therefore the priests of Dagon shall not tread upon his threshold" (I Samuel 5:5).
Ibn Ezra
"And I will punish" – those who leap: Due to their great joy, those who come to fill the house of their Master with extortion and deceit, will appear, upon entering the king’s house to bring that extortion, as if they are leaping for joy over the threshold of the governors’ house. These are the officials who seize a person’s earnings by force or by deceit, in order to curry favor with their masters.
Radak
“And I will punish all who leap over the threshold.” My master and father, of blessed and holy memory, explained: This refers to the servants of the princes or the king’s attendants. When they saw in the house of a poor man an object they desired because it was attractive, they would rush into the poor man’s house. This is what it means by “leaping over the threshold” of the poor man’s house—due to their haste to seize it—and they would bring it to their masters. This is what is meant by “those who fill their masters’ houses with robbery and deceit.” The wise Rabbi Abraham, of blessed and holy memory, explained: “Over the threshold of the house” refers to their masters’ house, due to their great joy in coming to fill their masters’ houses with robbery and deceit. And the Targum explains: “All who walk according to the customs of the Philistines,” meaning that they did not step on the threshold of a non-Jew’s house, just as the Philistines did, about whom it is stated, “Therefore the priests of Dagon did not tread on the threshold of Dagon.” And when Rabbi Yirmeyah expounded in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Rav Yitzchak, we find that the Israelites were more stringent regarding non-Jews than the nations of the world. Regarding the nations, it is written, “Therefore the priests of Dagon did not tread on the threshold of Dagon,” but regarding Israel, it is written, “those who leap over the threshold.”
Metzudat David
On “and…”: They are the servants of the rulers, who leap swiftly over the thresholds of the people’s doors to oppress and plunder through violence and deceit. This means: wealth that comes through violence and deceit.
Metzudat Zion
The one who leaps. The matter of jumping:
The threshold. A doorstep, as in “beneath the threshold of the house” (Ezekiel 47:1):
Chamas. Oppression:
Malbim
“And I will punish all who leap over the threshold” – these are the servants of the princes. And he said it mockingly: just as the Philistine priests leaped over the threshold when they went to a place dreadful to them, so these leaped when they came to the house of their masters; and they fill their masters’ house with violence and deceit, for they are the officers who oppress and rob.
And in that day, says Hashem, Hark! a cry from the fish gate, And a wailing from the second quarter, And a great crashing from the hills.
verse value 2939
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 62 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָה֩) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "voice" (ק֤וֹל, 3 letters) and the longest is "utterance·of·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֗ה, 7 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zephaniah. Unique to this verse in Zephaniah (hapax): "cry" (צְעָקָה֙), "from·gate·of" (מִשַּׁ֣עַר), "fish" (הַדָּגִ֔ים). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "utterance·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 34x in Zephaniah); "in·the·day" (root יום, 20x in Zephaniah). First appearance of the root קול ("voice") in Zephaniah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·the·second·quarter', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְהָיָה֩ [and·it·shall·be] (26) + בַיּ֨וֹם [in·the·day] (58) + הַה֜וּא [pron 3p s] (17) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֗ה [utterance·of·Hashem] (117) + ק֤וֹל [voice] (136) + צְעָקָה֙ [cry] (265) + מִשַּׁ֣עַר [from·gate·of] (610) + הַדָּגִ֔ים [fish] (62) + וִֽילָלָ֖ה [a·howling] (81) + מִן־הַמִּשְׁנֶ֑ה [from·the·second·quarter] (490) + וְשֶׁ֥בֶר [and·breaking] (508) + גָּד֖וֹל [great] (43) + מֵהַגְּבָעֽוֹת [from·the·hills] (526) = 2939.
Rashi
"From the Fish Gate." The Targum: "the gate of fish," and there was a gate in Jerusalem, and this was its name.
From the Mishneh. From the Bird Gate, which is second to it.
Ibn Ezra
"And there was... the fish gate" – There was in Jerusalem.
The Mishneh – the palace, [the residence of] the one second to the king, which is within the city.
And a great breaking—outside of Jerusalem, because there are mountains surrounding it.
Radak
"And it was, from the Fish Gate." A gate that was in Jerusalem which was called the Fish Gate, as it is stated in Ezra: "And by the Fish Gate, and the Tower of Hananel." And perhaps they sold fish there.
“Veyillah” is from the Mishnah. It refers to the study hall, as it is stated in the Book of Kings: “And she sat in Jerusalem in the Mishnah,” and Jonathan rendered it in the Targum: “In the study hall.”
“And a great breaking from the hills.” These are places in Jerusalem or near it, such as the Hill of Gareb mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated: “A cry from the Fish Gate, and wailing from the Ophel, and a great breaking from the mound.” Another reading: “from the hill.” And in the aggadic midrash: “the Fish Gate” refers to Akko, set in the bosom of the sea [of fish]; “and wailing from the Mishneh” refers to Luz, which neighbors Jerusalem; and “a great breaking from the hills” refers to Sepphoris, which sits on the mountain tops.
Metzudat David
"The gate of the fish." A sound will be heard from the gate of the fish; such was the name of the gate.
And there shall be wailing. A sound of wailing shall be heard from the Mishneh [the second quarter], and a great breaking shall be heard from the hills that are around Jerusalem.
Metzudat Zion
“Ha-mishneh.” From the word “two” (shnayim); that is, between the two walls, which is a “second [quarter]” to the city. Similarly, “and she dwelt in Jerusalem in the Mishneh [the second quarter]” (II Kings 22).
Malbim
"And it shall be, on the heights, which are on the summit of Mount Zion, there the king and his counselors shall sit; and in the Mishneh, which is beneath it in rank, the princes shall sit; and at the Fish Gate, the multitude shall sit. And he depicts that there shall be a voice of crying from the Fish Gate. And from the Mishneh there shall be a wailing, which is greater than crying; and from the heights there shall be a great breaking, for there shall be the primary breaking."
Cross-references: II Kings 22:14; II Chronicles 34:22
Wail, you inhabitants of Maktesh, For all the merchant people are undone; All they that were laden with silver are cut off.
verse value 2652
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 44 letters. Verse gematria: 2652 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·laden·of" (כׇּל־נְטִ֥ילֵי, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 160: all·nation, silver. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zephaniah. Unique to this verse in Zephaniah (hapax): "howl" (הֵילִ֖ילוּ), "mortar" (הַמַּכְתֵּ֑שׁ), "is·destroyed" (נִדְמָה֙). 10 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root כסף ("silver") in Zephaniah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'mortar', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 7 words. Full calculation: הֵילִ֖ילוּ [howl] (91) + יֹשְׁבֵ֣י [dwelling] (322) + הַמַּכְתֵּ֑שׁ [mortar] (765) + כִּ֤י [for] (30) + נִדְמָה֙ [is·destroyed] (99) + כׇּל־עַ֣ם [all·nation] (160) + כְּנַ֔עַן [merchant] (190) + נִכְרְת֖וּ [they·were·cut] (676) + כׇּל־נְטִ֥ילֵי [all·laden·of] (159) + כָֽסֶף [silver] (160) = 2652.
Rashi
“Dwellers of the Maktesh (mortar).” “The valley of Kidron, which is deep like a mortar” — this is the Targum. And according to the aggadic midrash: “the Fish Gate” refers to Acco, which lies in the lap of the sea, where many fish are caught.
From the Mishneh: “Lod, which is a second to Jerusalem.”
From the hills. This refers to Tzippori, which dwells on the mountain peaks like a bird:
“Dwellers of the mortar.” This refers to Tiberias, which is deeper than any other place in the Land of Israel.
“For all the people of Canaan are undone.” The Targum: “For [in] the place of every people whose deeds resemble the deeds of the people of the land of Canaan.”
"All who take silver." All those who are wealthy in property are burdened with the load of silver and gold, as it is stated (Proverbs 27:3), "The stone is heavy, and the sand is weighty," where the term "weighty" denotes a burden.
Ibn Ezra
“Wail, you dwellers of the Maktesh” – there was a thoroughfare in Jerusalem for merchants and money-changers, and it was called “the Maktesh,” because all the streets of the city have names known to all the inhabitants of the city.
“The people of Canaan” – every merchant, like “Canaan, in whose hand are deceitful scales” (Hosea 12:8).
And it appeared – it was cut off.
“Laden with silver” – like “a burden.”
Radak
“Wail, you dwellers of the Maktesh (mortar).” A deep place in Jerusalem. And the Targum renders: “dwellers in the valley of Kidron.” And in the aggadic midrash: “dwellers of the mortar” refers to Tiberias, which is deeper than all the Land of Israel.
“For all the people of Canaan are cut off.” “Canaan” means a merchant, as in “Canaan, in whose hand are deceitful balances” (Hosea 12:8); and “her merchants, the honored of the earth” [Isaiah 23:8]. “Nidmeh” means “cut off,” as in “utterly cut off is the king of Israel” (Hosea 10:15) and “My people are cut off” (Hosea 4:6). And the Targum renders “Canaan” in its plain sense: “For all the people whose deeds resemble the deeds of the people of the land of Canaan are broken.”
“Those who take silver.” These are the bearers of silver, namely the merchants, as it is stated, “from passerby to merchant.” And the Targum [translates it as] “all those rich in property.”
Metzudat David
"Ki nidmah." That is, when the entire assembly of the merchants and all who bear burdens on their shoulders are cut off, they are the wealthy of the people.
Metzudat Zion
“They wailed.” From the word “yelalah” (lamentation):
The Miktash. It is the name of a place in Jerusalem, deep like a mortar, in which spices are ground.
It appears to be a matter of cutting off, like the phrase “Moab is laid waste” (Isaiah 15:1).
“With Canaan.” This means the company of the merchants, just as it says of Canaan, “in his hand are deceitful scales” (Hosea 12:8).
“Laden.” A matter of burden, as in “and the burden of the sand” (Proverbs 26):
Malbim
“Wail,” – and furthermore, the wealthy and the merchants, who had not taken to heart the downfall of the princes, for most of them traveled far in their trade, as is the custom of the people of Canaan — that is, the Tyrians, who were all merchants — and they dwelt in the part of the city called the Maktesh. He says that the dwellers of the Maktesh too should wail, for “all the people of Canaan,” who are the merchants, are undone, since “those laden with silver were cut off” and trade also ceased.
And it shall come to pass at that time, That I will search Jerusalem with lamps; And I will punish the men that are settled on their lees, That say in their heart: ‘Hashem will not do good, neither will He do evil.’
verse value 5377
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 84 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "time" (בָּעֵ֣ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "Jerusalem" (אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: and·it·shall·be, Hashem. 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zephaniah. Unique to this verse in Zephaniah (hapax): "I·will·search" (אֲחַפֵּ֥שׂ), "Jerusalem" (אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם), "with·the·lamps" (בַּנֵּר֑וֹת). 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 34x in Zephaniah). First appearance of the root עת ("time") in Zephaniah. First appearance of the root איש ("upon·the·men") in Zephaniah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·the·lamps', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 10 words.
Rashi
“I will search for Jerusalem with lanterns.” I will scrutinize their sins:
"The ones that float." [These are] those that float upon their dregs. And regarding "and iron shall float" (2 Kings 6:6), we translate [in the Targum]: "and the iron floated."
Those who say in their heart, “The Lord will not do good.” To those who do His will:
And it will not harm. To those who transgress His will:
Ibn Ezra
"And it shall be" – The meaning is that I will search with lamps, for with a lamp a person can see what is in the innermost chambers, for the light of the sun cannot enter there. And so it is written: "The lamp of God is the soul of man" (Proverbs 20:27), which searches. And thus, "with lamps" implies that I will search for them as if with lamps.
“Those who are congealed [on their lees]” – who are complacent and at ease.
And the word “kofe’im” is like “the depths congealed (kaf’u)” — something that remains stationary and gathered together is called “kipa’on” (a congealed mass); and so here “kofe’im” refers to those who dwell securely in their place.
Radak
“And it shall come to pass at that time that I will search Jerusalem with lamps.” Just as a person searches for an object with a lamp, whereby he searches thoroughly, so too will I search Jerusalem to eradicate all the transgressors within it. And similarly it is stated: “The lamp of the Lord is the spirit of man, searching all the inner chambers” (Proverbs 20:27). And the Targum translates: “I will investigate with investigators, and they will investigate Jerusalem,” just as one investigates with a lantern.
“Those who are settled upon their lees.” This means that they are quiet in their houses, content with their wealth, like wine that is quiet upon its lees. The term “settled” (kafim) refers to something that dwells and is gathered together, like water that freezes or milk that curdles; such a state is called “kafyon,” meaning it stands still and does not move. And the Targum translates it as: “Who are tranquil and at peace upon their property.”
"The Lord will not do good, nor will He do evil." This teaches that good and evil do not come upon a person from Him, for He does not scrutinize the affairs of the lower world. And the Targum translates: "It is not pleasing before the Lord to bring good to the righteous, nor to bring evil to the wicked."
Metzudat David
“I will search,” etc. So that none should hide from Me; this is a figure of speech, meaning that He left none of them.
"And I will take account." I will pay heed to bring recompense upon the people who sit in quietude and ease, like wine floating upon its lees, which does not dissipate its flavor; that is to say, no lack has come upon them. And because of their abundance, they kick about in their place and say in their hearts, "The Lord does not do good to the righteous, nor does He do evil to the wicked"—all according to chance.
Metzudat Zion
Achapess. The meaning is examination and inquiry, as in "tamnu chefes mechupas" ["we have completed a thorough search"] (Psalms 64:7).
הקופאים. The ones that float on top, for it says "and the iron floated" (II Kings 6:6), and its Targum is "and the iron froze."
“Their dregs.” It is the sediment of the liquid that settles to the bottom of the vessel, as in “and he is at ease on his dregs” (Jeremiah 48:11).
Yira. From the word for "evil" (ra):
Malbim
“And it shall come to pass at that time” – because there were still people who were neither officials nor merchants, but rather had houses, fields, and vineyards, which constituted their livelihood. They dwelt in the outskirts of the city, separate from the inhabitants of the city. Therefore, it says that He will search Jerusalem with lamps, and He will also take account of these people who are “resting on their lees.” Just as wine sealed in a vessel rests quietly on its lees, so too they say in their hearts: “The Lord will do no good, neither will He do evil.” For the officials and merchants are subject to the changes of time and fear reward and punishment. Not so are these, who think that their success does not come from God, for their livelihood is preordained, and they deny Divine providence.
Therefore their wealth shall become a booty, And their houses a desolation; Indeed, they shall build houses, but shall not inhabit them, And they shall plant vineyards, but shall not drink the wine thereof.
verse value 4013
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 62 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֤ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·not" (וְלֹ֣א, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·their·houses" (וּבָתֵּיהֶ֖ם, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 37: and·not, and·not. 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zephaniah. Unique to this verse in Zephaniah (hapax): "their·valor" (חֵילָם֙), "for·booty" (לִמְשִׁסָּ֔ה), "and·their·houses" (וּבָתֵּיהֶ֖ם). The root בית appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root שמם ("for·a·desolation") in Zephaniah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·a·desolation', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 9 words. Full calculation: וְהָיָ֤ה [and·it·shall·be] (26) + חֵילָם֙ [their·valor] (88) + לִמְשִׁסָּ֔ה [for·booty] (435) + וּבָתֵּיהֶ֖ם [and·their·houses] (463) + לִשְׁמָמָ֑ה [for·a·desolation] (415) + וּבָנ֤וּ [and·they·will·build] (64) + בָתִּים֙ [houses] (452) + וְלֹ֣א [and·not] (37) + יֵשֵׁ֔בוּ [sit] (318) + וְנָטְע֣וּ [and·they·will·plant] (141) + כְרָמִ֔ים [vineyards] (310) + וְלֹ֥א [and·not] (37) + יִשְׁתּ֖וּ [they·will·drink] (716) + אֶת־יֵינָֽם [their·wine] (511) = 4013.
Ibn Ezra
And their strength shall be - their power and vigor.
"And they built" – a past-tense verb, indicating that the houses they built are no longer inhabited.
Radak
“And their wealth [shall be for plunder].” Their possessions shall be for plunder.
And they built houses. The houses that they built, they did not dwell in them for a long time, for quickly they went out from them; and likewise the vineyards that they planted, they did not drink their wine except for a short time.
Metzudat David
And their wealth shall be for plunder. Therefore, their wealth shall be for the trampling of the enemy’s feet, and their houses shall become desolation, for they shall be exiled from them.
“And they shall build houses.” They will labor in the construction, for they will build houses, but they will not dwell in them, for they will be exiled from their land. So too, “and they shall plant vineyards,” etc.
Metzudat Zion
חילם. Their wealth, as in "the spoil of Damascus" (Isaiah 8:4).
“For plunder.” A matter of trampling, as in “for plunder, and none says restore” (there, [Isaiah] 42):
Malbim
And their army shall be for a spoil, and the punishments of the Lord shall overtake them as well, both in their army and in their houses and vineyards.
The great day of Hashem is near, It is near and hastens greatly, Even the voice of the day of Hashem, Wherein the mighty man cries bitterly.
verse value 2349
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 48 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "bitter" (מַ֥ר, 2 letters) and the longest is "day·of·Hashem" (יוֹם־יְהֹוָה֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 308: near, near. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zephaniah. Unique to this verse in Zephaniah (hapax): "day·of·Hashem" (יוֹם־יְהֹוָה֙), "the·great" (הַגָּד֔וֹל), "and·quick" (וּמַהֵ֣ר). The root קרוב appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "day·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 34x in Zephaniah); "day" (root יום, 20x in Zephaniah). First appearance of the root שם ("there") in Zephaniah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'adv', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words. Full calculation: קָר֤וֹב [near] (308) + יוֹם־יְהֹוָה֙ [day·of·Hashem] (82) + הַגָּד֔וֹל [the·great] (48) + קָר֖וֹב [near] (308) + וּמַהֵ֣ר [and·quick] (251) + מְאֹ֑ד [adv] (45) + ק֚וֹל [voice] (136) + י֣וֹם [day] (56) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + מַ֥ר [bitter] (240) + צֹרֵ֖חַ [crying] (298) + שָׁ֥ם [there] (340) + גִּבּֽוֹר [mighty] (211) = 2349.
Rashi
“Bitter, crying out there, a mighty one.” The mighty one shall cry out there with a bitter voice.
Ibn Ezra
"The day is near" – the day of the Lord's vengeance, and "on that day": "A bitter cry, there the mighty one cries out" – there every mighty one cries out bitterly with his voice; he will cry out with a bitter cry.
Radak
"The day of the Lord is near, and very swift." Like "speed," and it (i.e., "swift") is an adjective on the same grammatical pattern as "so I commended [shibach] the dead" (Ecclesiastes 4:2).
“Bitterly he cries.” He raises [his] voice and cries out “bitter,” and likewise “and they came into the tower (tzeriach)” — a high place. He says: it is as though the Day of the Lord calls and raises its voice, crying “bitter,” and says: “there” the mighty one — there the mighty ones will come to slay them, or there the mighty ones will be slain; and the Targum renders: “there the mighty ones are slain.” And the sage Rabbi Abraham [Ibn Ezra] explained: “there” the mighty one will cry bitterly.
Metzudat David
"The day of the Lord is near." The great day of recompense that comes from the Lord is near, and it will come very quickly.
“The voice of the day of the Lord.” This means that the voice of the day of the Lord will be so great that even the mighty man’s heart will melt, and he will roar in battle with a bitter cry.
Metzudat Zion
Zoreach. A matter of a loud roaring voice, like "Yet he shall also cry out" (Isaiah 42:13):
Malbim
“Near” – after declaring the word of the Lord, the prophet says: know that the great day is near in time, and it hastens itself to come by its causes. “The sound of the day of the Lord” — he depicts a mighty one standing there, a figure, [crying] in a bitter voice and shouting these words: “The day of the Lord!” — that is to say, the day of the Lord is coming.
That day is a 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,
verse value 2847
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 61 letters. Verse gematria: 2847 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "day" (י֥וֹם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·anguish" (וּמְצוּקָ֗ה, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 56: day, day, day, day, day. 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zephaniah. Unique to this verse in Zephaniah (hapax): "wrath" (עֶבְרָ֖ה), "day" (הַיּ֣וֹם), "trouble" (צָרָ֣ה). The root יום appears 6 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "day" (root יום, 20x in Zephaniah). First appearance of the root עבר ("wrath") in Zephaniah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'pron 3p s', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 12 words.
Rashi
“A day of devastation.” From the language of desolation.
And "mishuah." A more intense desolation.
Ibn Ezra
A day of desolation and devastation – just as [the words] “bokei” and “mabukei” [are related].
"Yom chashak" – Just as it is said: "And the day was darkened upon them."
Radak
“A day of wrath.” It is clear; and the entire verse is doubled in content, as stated, to reinforce the matter:
Metzudat David
"The day of wrath: This day will be a day of wrath, for the Omnipresent will send upon them wrath and anger."
Metzudat Zion
“Wrath.” A matter of anger:
“U’metsuka.” Its meaning is like that of tzarah (distress), as in “a land of distress and anguish” (ibid. 30). The duplication of the word with synonymous terms serves to intensify the matter.
"Sho'ah and misho'ah." The matter [concerns] darkness and desolation, as it is written: "Yesterday, sho'ah and misho'ah" (Job 30:3).
"And a cloud." It is a thick cloud.
Malbim
“Day” – that day is a day of wrath, which is the general fury; and it is also a day of distress and anguish, and a day of devastation and desolation, for the distress will come suddenly.
A day of the horn and alarm, Against the fortified cities, and against the high towers.
verse value 3525
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 40 letters. The shortest word is "against" (עַ֚ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·shouting" (וּתְרוּעָ֑ה, 6 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zephaniah. Unique to this verse in Zephaniah (hapax): "horn" (שׁוֹפָ֖ר), "and·shouting" (וּתְרוּעָ֑ה), "the·cities" (הֶעָרִ֣ים). The root על appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "against" (root על, 22x in Zephaniah); "day" (root יום, 20x in Zephaniah). First appearance of the root עיר ("the·cities") in Zephaniah. First appearance of the root פנה ("the·corners") in Zephaniah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·shouting', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 6 words. Full calculation: י֥וֹם [day] (56) + שׁוֹפָ֖ר [horn] (586) + וּתְרוּעָ֑ה [and·shouting] (687) + עַ֚ל [against] (100) + הֶעָרִ֣ים [the·cities] (325) + הַבְּצֻר֔וֹת [the·fortified] (703) + וְעַ֖ל [and·against] (106) + הַפִּנּ֥וֹת [the·corners] (541) + הַגְּבֹהֽוֹת [the·high] (421) = 3525.
Ibn Ezra
The day of the shofar – and the cry of the enemy.
The corners – like hills.
Radak
A day of the shofar and of teruah. The enemies will shriek against them when they conquer the fortified cities:
The corners. They are the towers:
Metzudat David
A day of the shofar and teruah. Then the sound of the shofar will be heard from the Chaldeans who besiege the fortified cities, etc.
Metzudat Zion
The corners. They are the towers that are positioned at the corners and angles of the fortress.
Malbim
A day of shofar and shout: they shall sound the alarm for war in all the fortified cities to prepare themselves against the enemy. All this is the voice of the mighty one crying out with a bitter voice.
And I will bring distress upon men, That they shall walk like the blind, Because they have sinned against Hashem; And their blood shall be poured out as dust, And their flesh as dung.
verse value 2426
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 54 letters. The shortest word is "and·because" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·bring·distress" (וַהֲצֵרֹ֣תִי, 6 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zephaniah. Unique to this verse in Zephaniah (hapax): "and·I·will·bring·distress" (וַהֲצֵרֹ֣תִי), "to·the·man" (לָאָדָ֗ם), "and·they·went" (וְהָֽלְכוּ֙). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "against·Hashem" (root יהוה, 34x in Zephaniah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·sinned', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַהֲצֵרֹ֣תִי [and·I·will·bring·distress] (711) + לָאָדָ֗ם [to·the·man] (75) + וְהָֽלְכוּ֙ [and·they·went] (67) + כַּֽעִוְרִ֔ים [like·the·blind] (346) + כִּ֥י [and·because] (30) + לַֽיהֹוָ֖ה [against·Hashem] (56) + חָטָ֑אוּ [they·sinned] (24) + וְשֻׁפַּ֤ךְ [and·will·be·poured] (406) + דָּמָם֙ [their·blood] (84) + כֶּעָפָ֔ר [as·the·dust] (370) + וּלְחֻמָ֖ם [and·their·flesh] (124) + כַּגְּלָלִֽים [as·the·dung] (133) = 2426.
Rashi
“And I will bring distress to man.” To Israel, who are called “man.”
And their flesh. Their flesh; and in Arabic, flesh is called “al-laham.”
“Like dung.” Excrement.
Ibn Ezra
“And I will bring distress to man” – who are in the fortified cities.
And He poured out their blood – as abundant as dust.
“And their flesh like dung” – “their flesh,” in the language of Ishmael [Arabic]; and like it, “and He rained upon them their flesh (be-lachumo).”
Like clods: as in "the clods of human excrement."
Radak
"and I will afflict man": "afflict" is accented on the final syllable; the lamed in "man" has a qamats. The meaning is: "and I will afflict man," so that they will be within the cities under siege, living there on restricted bread and water under pressure.
Like dust, which is scattered abundantly, so that no one is concerned over its scattering, so shall their blood be poured out without pity, in great abundance.
“And their flesh like dung.” Their flesh shall be poured out on the dung-heaps like manure; and likewise, “and He rained upon them their flesh” — meaning their flesh.
Metzudat David
And I will bring distress upon man. I will bring calamity upon the inhabitants of the Land of Israel, and they will go about like blind men, without knowledge of where they will find salvation.
“Like dust.” Just as dust is scattered over the entire land, so too their flesh will be cast out in every place, like clumps of excrement.
Metzudat Zion
“And I will bring distress.” From the word “tzarah” (distress):
And to warm them. Similarly, the term is used for meat, as it is written: “for to warm their flesh” (Hosea 9:4).
“Like dung.” Like excrement, as in “like his own dung he perishes forever” (Job 20:7).
Malbim
“And I will bring distress” – the words of the Lord: after I bring distress upon mankind and they still do not set their heart to open their eyes and return to Me, but all walk about as blind men and do not see that the cause of the distress is that they have sinned against the Lord — because of this the enemy will come upon them a second time, at the time of the destruction, and pour out their blood like dust.
Neither their silver nor their gold Shall be able to deliver them In the day of Hashem’S wrath; But the whole earth shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy; For He will make and end, indeed, a terrible end, Of all them that dwell in the earth.
verse value 4713
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 83 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "in·day·of" (בְּיוֹם֙, 4 letters) and the longest is "indeed·terrible" (אַךְ־נִבְהָלָה֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 97: also·their·gold, not·be·able. 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zephaniah. Unique to this verse in Zephaniah (hapax): "also·their·silver" (גַּם־כַּסְפָּ֨ם), "also·their·gold" (גַּם־זְהָבָ֜ם), "not·be·able" (לֹא־יוּכַ֣ל). The root ארץ appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 34x in Zephaniah); "in·day·of" (root יום, 20x in Zephaniah). First appearance of the root ארץ ("all·the·earth") in Zephaniah. First appearance of the root עשה ("will·do") in Zephaniah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'all·the·earth', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 6 words.
Ibn Ezra
“Also” – the meaning: their soul, also their money.
Radak
“Even their silver,” yet she was frightened. That complete destruction will be sudden, meaning it will come about in sudden terror. And the Targum renders it: “For it is complete,” but she went out.
Metzudat David
“Even their silver…” – It is not merely that they will be unable to save themselves through their might, but even through their silver and gold they will not be able to save themselves by giving bribes to the Chaldeans, for they will not accept a ransom for their lives.
“On the day of the Lord’s wrath.” On the day that the Lord’s wrath comes.
All the land. All the inhabitants of the land:
“For He will utterly destroy, and bring terror.” This means that the terror He brings will be nothing but complete destruction for all the inhabitants of the land, and they will find no redemption through a monetary bribe.
Metzudat Zion
His jealousy. The matter is one of anger and wrath, as it is said: “They provoked Me to jealousy with what is no god” (Deuteronomy 32:21).
It shall be eaten. The matter of destruction:
"נבהלה" (Nivhaleh): from the root "בהלה" (behlah), meaning "panic" or "alarm."
Malbim
Also, even then their silver will not save them, because the first time He was satisfied with the plunder of silver and with the fire of His jealousy, which then burned with the jealousy of the Lord concerning the honor of His Name, and with this fire the entire land will be consumed, for it burned the House of the Lord and the King’s House; for it is destruction, for the Lord will bring destruction upon all the inhabitants of the land. But the prophet retracts his words and says: “Only terror will He bring upon all the inhabitants of the land.” His intent is not to destroy them, but only to terrify them so that they will do repentance, as it is stated: “And it shall be, even in those days, that I will not bring complete destruction upon you” (Jeremiah 5:18).
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David
Malbim