The Meaning of Zephaniah 1:5 Explained

Zephaniah 1:5

KJV: And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham;

YLT: And those bowing themselves On the roofs to the host of the heavens, And those bowing themselves, Swearing to Jehovah, and swearing by Malcham,

Darby: and them that bow down to the host of the heavens upon the housetops; and them that bow down to Jehovah, that swear by him, and swear by Malcham;

ASV: and them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship, that swear to Jehovah and swear by Malcam;

Discover Zephaniah 1:5

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Zephaniah 1:5?

MEANING: What does Zephaniah 1:5 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Zephaniah 1:5 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Zephaniah 1:5?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And them that worship  the host  of heaven  upon the housetops;  and them that worship  [and] that swear  by the LORD,  and that swear  by Malcham; 

What does Zephaniah 1:5 Mean?

Study Notes

Malcham
An idol of the Ammonites, same as Molech, or Milcom.

Verse Meaning

The Lord would also judge those who worshipped the sun, moon, stars, and planets, which the idolatrous Israelites did on their flat housetops (cf. Deuteronomy 4:19; 2 Kings 21:3; 2 Kings 21:5; 2 Kings 23:4-5; Jeremiah 19:13). He would also punish the Judeans who worshipped both Yahweh and the pagan gods of the nations (cf. 2 Kings 16:3; 2 Kings 21:6; Jeremiah 32:35). "Milcom," (Molech, the god of Ammon; 1 Kings 11:33), probably represents all foreign gods. Swearing to and by a deity meant pronouncing an oath that called on that god to punish the oath-taker if he or she failed to do what he or she promised. Swearing by another god involved acknowledging its authority, which God forbade in Israel.

Context Summary

Zephaniah 1:1-18 - "the Great Day Of The Lord"
Zephaniah means hidden of the Lord. He lived in Josiah's reign, and cooperated with that king in his efforts to put down idolatry. His prophecy deals with the sins that were rife in Judah and the fearful retribution that would be inflicted through the Chaldeans.
Approaching destruction, Zephaniah 1:2-6. The Chemarim, r.v., were idolatrous priests dressed in black garments. Malcam is Milcom or Moloch. Notice the successive classes of those who were to suffer in the overthrow. They constitute a series of concentric circles, narrowing down at last to those who had turned back, and to those who had never sought the Lord.
The invaders, Zephaniah 1:7-18. The guests whom God invited to the banquet were Nebuchadnezzar and his soldiers! They marched in through the Fish Gate; and, as they advanced, cry after cry arose from the affrighted populace, driven from quarter to quarter. Maktesh, Zephaniah 1:11, was probably the Vale of Siloam, where the merchant princes dwelt or pursued their business. None would be able to elude the coming vengeance. Those that affected foreign attire, or leaped across the threshold in superstition, or practiced deceit, would have to pay dearly for their sins. Fulfilled in the overthrow of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, and afterward by Titus, these words will always stand for the inevitable national sufferings which follow national crimes. [source]

Chapter Summary: Zephaniah 1

1  The time when Zephaniah prophesied
2  God's severe judgments against Judah

What do the individual words in Zephaniah 1:5 mean?

and Those who worship on the housetops host of the heaven Those who worship and swear [oaths] by Yahweh but who [also] swear by Milcom
וְאֶת־ הַמִּשְׁתַּחֲוִ֥ים עַל־ הַגַּגּ֖וֹת לִצְבָ֣א הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם הַמִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוִים֙ הַנִּשְׁבָּעִ֣ים לַֽיהוָ֔ה וְהַנִּשְׁבָּעִ֖ים בְּמַלְכָּֽם

הַמִּשְׁתַּחֲוִ֥ים  Those  who  worship 
Parse: Article, Verb, Hitpael, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שָׁחָה  
Sense: to bow down.
הַגַּגּ֖וֹת  the  housetops 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גָּג  
Sense: roof, top, housetop.
לִצְבָ֣א  host 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common singular construct
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם  of  the  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
הַמִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוִים֙  Those  who  worship 
Parse: Article, Verb, Hitpael, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שָׁחָה  
Sense: to bow down.
הַנִּשְׁבָּעִ֣ים  and  swear  [oaths] 
Parse: Article, Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: to swear, adjure.
לַֽיהוָ֔ה  by  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְהַנִּשְׁבָּעִ֖ים  but  who  [also]  swear 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: to swear, adjure.
בְּמַלְכָּֽם  by  Milcom 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מַלְכָּם 
Sense: the god of the Ammonites and Phoenicians to whom some Israelites sacrificed their infants in the valley of Hinnom.

What are the major concepts related to Zephaniah 1:5?

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