Zephaniah opens his book with strong allusions to the Flood judgment and the creation week.[1] These allusions identify the day of Yhwh as a de-creation event on a scale larger than that of the Flood. Though the Noahic covenant is not mentioned, Zephaniah implies that this eschatological day of Yhwh marks the end of the Noahic covenant. The wrath of God that that covenant held in abeyance until the plan of redemption was worked out now is given full rein. Positively, the salvation of the nations is in fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant’s promise that all the nations will be blessed through Abraham’s seed.
Exodus 19:18-20 and Deuteronomy 4:11 describe Yhwh’s descent to mount Sinai as accompanied with fire, smoke, darkness, clouds, gloom, the sounding of a trumpet, and thunder, and many of these elements are part of Zephaniah’s description of the day of Yhwh (1:15-16, 18).
Zephaniah also draws on Deuteronomy’s list of covenant curses for disobedience to the Mosaic covenant. To disobedient Israel, Moses said, “you shall grope at noonday, as the blind grope in darkness” (Dt 28:29) and Zephaniah said of those caught in the eschatological day of Yhwh judgment, “so they shall walk as blind men” (1:17). Deuteronomy said, “You shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it. You shall plant a vineyard, but you shall not enjoy its fruit…. You shall plant vineyards and dress them, but you shall neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes” (Dt 28:30, 39). And Zephaniah said that when the day of Yhwh came upon Judah, “Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink wine from them” (1:13). On the other hand, Yhwh promised an obedient Israel, “that he will set you in praise and in fame and in honor high above all nations that he has made” (Dt 26:19), and Zephaniah closes his book by declaring of redeemed Israel, “I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth… for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth” (3:19-20).[2] Deuteronomy predicted that Israel would disobey and come under the covenant curses (30:1), but it also promised to Israel that Yhwh would “gather you again” and “restore your fortunes” (30:3). Zephaniah’s closing words are, “‘at the time when I gather you together…, when I restore your fortune before your eyes,’ says Yhwh” (3:20).[3] Zephaniah also drew on the prophets who preceded him. The statement that beasts, birds, and fish will be swept away occurs first in Hosea 4:3. His description of the day of Yhwh as “near,” “great,” dark, gloomy, and cloudy, as including a sounding trumpet, and as coming upon all the inhabitants of the land/earth (1:14-18) is indebted to Joel’s description of the day of Yhwh in Joel 2:1-11.[4]
[1] Berlin, AB, 13-14; Schnittjer, OTUOT, 414.
[2] See Robertson, NICOT, 254-55; Schnittjer, OTUOT, 436.
[3] Schnittjer, OTUOT, 436.
[4] Patterson, WEC, 321; Schnittjer, OTUOT, 436.