Albert Barnes Commentary Zephaniah 1:6

"and them that are turned back from following Jehovah; and those that have not sought Jehovah, nor inquired after him." — Zephaniah 1:6 (ASV)

And those who have turned back from — (Literally, have turned themselves back from following after the Lord). From this half-service, the prophet goes on to the avowed neglect of God by those who wholly fall away from Him, not setting His will or law before them, but “turning away from” Him. It is their misery that they were once set in the right way, but they themselves “turned themselves back,” now no longer following God, but their own lusts, drawn away and enticed (James 1:14) by them. How much more Christians, before whose eyes Christ Jesus is set forth, not only as a Redeemer but also as an Example that they should follow His steps! (1 Peter 2:21).

And those who have not sought the Lord, nor inquired for Him — This is marked as a distinct class. “And those who.” These did not openly break with God, or turn away overtly from Him; they kept (as men think) on good terms with Him, but, like “the slothful servant,” rendered Him a listless, heartless service. Both words express diligent search. God is not, then, found in a careless way. Those who do not “seek” Him “diligently” (Matthew 2:8), do not find Him. "Strive," our Lord says, "to enter in at the strait gate, for many, I say unto you, shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able" (Luke 13:24). She who had lost the one piece of silver, “sought” “diligently” (Luke 15:8), until she had found it.

Thus, he has gone through the whole cycle:

1. That most horrible and cruel worship of Baal, the idolatrous priests and those who had the name of priests only, mingled with them, yet not openly apostatizing.
2. The milder form of idolatry, the star-worshipers.
3. Those who would unite the worship of God with idols, who held themselves to be worshipers of God, but whose real king was their idol.
4. Those who openly abandoned God.
5. Those who held with Him, just to satisfy their conscience-qualms, but with no heart-service.

And so, in words of Habakkuk and in reminiscence of his awe-inspiring summons of the whole world before God, he sums up;