The Meaning of Zephaniah 1:4 Explained

Zephaniah 1:4

KJV: I will also stretch out mine 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 Chemarims with the priests;

YLT: And stretched out My hand against Judah, And against all inhabiting Jerusalem, And cut off from this place the remnant of Baal, The name of the idolatrous priests, with the priests,

Darby: And I will stretch forth my hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, the name of the Chemarim with the priests;

ASV: 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 Chemarim with the priests;

Discover Zephaniah 1:4

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Zephaniah 1:4?

MEANING: What does Zephaniah 1:4 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Zephaniah 1:4 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Zephaniah 1:4?

What is the context of Zephaniah 1:4?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I will also stretch out mine 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 Chemarims with the priests;

What does Zephaniah 1:4 Mean?

Study Notes

Chemarims
i.e. idolatrous priests. Cf. 2 Kings 23:5 .

Verse Meaning

Yahweh announced that He would stretch out His hand in judgment against Judah and the people of Jerusalem. Stretching out the hand is a figure of speech that implies a special work of punishment (cf. Exodus 6:6; Deuteronomy 4:34; 2 Kings 17:36; Isaiah 14:26-27; Jeremiah 27:5; Jeremiah 32:17; et al.). He promised to cut off the remnant of Baal worshippers who remained in Judah, or perhaps the temple (cf. Deuteronomy 12:5; Deuteronomy 12:11; 1 Kings 8:29-30; Ezekiel 42:13), as well as the priests of Baal and the unfaithful priests of Yahweh. He would also terminate their reputations and the memory of them (cf. 2 Kings 23:5; Hosea 10:5).

This reference has suggested to some interpreters that Zephaniah wrote after Josiah began his reforms since Josiah revived the worship of Yahweh and tried unsuccessfully to eliminate idolatry ( 2 Chronicles 34:4). However, this verse may simply mean that the Lord would judge the idolaters in Judah, "Baal" being a figure (synecdoche) for all idolatry.

"Wherever excitement in religion becomes an end in itself and wherever the cult of "what helps" replaces joy in "what"s true," Baal is worshiped." ^[1]

Zephaniah gave more particulars concerning the fate of Judah ( Zephaniah 1:4 to Zephaniah 2:3) and Jerusalem ( Zephaniah 3:1-7) than about the fate of the rest of humanity ( Zephaniah 1:2-3; Zephaniah 2:4-15; Zephaniah 3:8). He did this both in the section of the book dealing with coming judgment and in the section about blessing. In the section on blessing he gave only one verse to the purification of the nations ( Zephaniah 3:9) but11to the transformation of Israel ( Zephaniah 3:10-20).

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 1:4 mean?

And I will stretch out My hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and I will cut off from place this - every trace of Baal the names of the idolatrous priests with the [pagan] priests

וְנָטִ֤יתִי יָדִי֙ עַל־ יְהוּדָ֔ה וְעַ֖ל כָּל־ יוֹשְׁבֵ֣י יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְהִכְרַתִּ֞י מִן־ הַמָּק֤וֹם הַזֶּה֙ אֶת־ שְׁאָ֣ר הַבַּ֔עַל שֵׁ֥ם הַכְּמָרִ֖ים עִם־ הַכֹּהֲנִֽים

וְנָטִ֤יתִי	And I will stretch out
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular Root: נָטָה Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
יָדִי֙	My hand
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular Root: יָד Sense: hand.
עַל־	against
Parse: Preposition Root: עַל Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
יְהוּדָ֔ה	Judah
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular Root: יְהוּדָה Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
וְעַ֖ל	and against
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition Root: עַל Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
יוֹשְׁבֵ֣י	the inhabitants
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct Root: יָשַׁב Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם	of Jerusalem
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
וְהִכְרַתִּ֞י	and I will cut off
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular Root: כָּרַת Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
הַמָּק֤וֹם	place
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular Root: מָקֹום Sense: standing place, place.
הַזֶּה֙	this
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular Root: זֶה Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
אֶת־	-
Parse: Direct object marker Root: אֹות Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
שְׁאָ֣ר	every trace
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct Root: שְׁאָר Sense: rest, residue, remnant, remainder.
הַבַּ֔עַל	of Baal
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular Root: בַּעַל Sense: supreme male divinity of the Phoenicians or Canaanites.
שֵׁ֥ם	the names
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct Root: שֵׁם Sense: name.
הַכְּמָרִ֖ים	of the idolatrous priests
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural Root: כֹּמֶר Sense: priest, idolatrous priest.
הַכֹּהֲנִֽים	the [pagan] priests
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural Root: כֹּהֵן Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.

What are the major concepts related to Zephaniah 1:4?

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Similar Scriptures for Zephaniah 1:4

		Hosea 10:5 [4]
		2 Kings 23:4-5 [3]
		Jeremiah 6:12 [2]
		Exodus 15:12 [2]
		Isaiah 14:26-27 [2]
		Micah 5:13 [2]
		2 Kings 21:13 [2]
		2 Chronicles 34:4 [2]