Zep 2:4-7 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Zeph 2:4: 2:4–3:20 Zephaniah turns his attention to the judgment of the foreign nations (2:4-15 ) before returning to the judgment of Judah and Jerusalem (3:1-8 ). He then outlines God’s plans for his purified and obedient people (3:9-20 ). Summary for Zeph 2:4-15: 2:4-15 Zephaniah began his pronouncements with the Philistines , whose kingdom lay on Judah’s west (2:4-7 ). He moved on to Moab and Ammon in the east (2:8-11 ), and finally singled out Cush (Ethiopia) to the south (2:12 ) and Assyria to the north (2:13-15 ). 2:4 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered the Philistine cities of Gaza and Ashkelon ... Ashdod and Ekron. Gaza remained deserted, but the others recovered and continued into later times. Zephaniah does not mention Gath, the fifth major Philistine city (see 1 Sam 6:17 ), which had either disappeared or become unimportant by Zephaniah’s time.

Summary for Zeph 2:4: 2:4–3:20 ^a Zephaniah turns his attention to the judgment of the foreign nations (2:4-15 ^b) before returning to the judgment of Judah and Jerusalem (3:1-8 ^c). He then outlines God’s plans for his purified and obedient people (3:9-20 ^d).
Summary for Zeph 2:4-15: 2:4-15 ^e Zephaniah began his pronouncements with the Philistines, whose kingdom lay on Judah’s west (2:4-7 ^f). He moved on to Moab and Ammon in the east (2:8-11 ^g), and finally singled out Cush (Ethiopia) to the south (2:12 ^h) and Assyria to the north (2:13-15 ⁱ). 2:4 ^j King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered the Philistine cities of Gaza and Ashkelon ... Ashdod and Ekron. Gaza remained deserted, but the others recovered and continued into later times. Zephaniah does not mention Gath, the fifth major Philistine city (see 1 Sam 6:17 ^k), which had either disappeared or become unimportant by Zephaniah’s time.
2:5 ^l Old Testament scholars believe the Philistines came from the island of Crete (cp. Ezek 25:16 ^m).
2:6 ⁿ pasture ... shepherd camps and enclosures for sheep: The destruction of cities and their return to a natural state represents a severe form of punishment from God. See also Isa 7:23-25 ^o; 13:19-21 ^p; 32:9-15 ^q; Ezek 35:9 ^r.
2:7 ^s The Baal worshipers (1:4 ^t) and the Philistines would never be restored (2:4-6 ^u; see also Amos 1:8 ^v). By contrast, God promised to return the remnant of his people to their land, care for them, and restore them to prosperity (Zeph 3:18-20 ^w; Isa 11:11-16 ^x; Jer 23:1-8 ^y; Ezek 34:11-16 ^z, 20-31 ^aa).