Charles Ellicott Commentary Zephaniah 2:6

"And the sea-coast shall be pastures, with cottages for shepherds and folds for flocks." — Zephaniah 2:6 (ASV)

Dwellings and cottages for shepherds. —Better, places for shepherds’ pastures. In c ’ rôth (best taken as plural of car, “a pasture”) there is a paronomasia on c ’ rêthîm of Zephaniah 2:5. The term “sea coast” (literally, line of the sea) here, as in Zephaniah 2:5, designates maritime Philistia. This tract of country is represented as ravaged and depopulated, so as to be serviceable only as a mere sheep-walk. Afterwards (Zephaniah 2:7) the restored exiles of Judah make it their pasture-ground. That this predominance of the Jewish over the Philistine race actually took place is manifest.

The allusion to the captivity of Judah and its termination is remarkable. “Who, except for Him in whose hand human wills are, could then foresee that Judah would, like the ten tribes, rebel and be carried captive, and yet, though like Israel and indeed worse than Israel in its sin, would, unlike Israel, be restored?” (Pusey). In the opening words of Zephaniah 2:7 there is perhaps another paronomasia, for chebel (“sea coast” in Zephaniah 2:6), may also mean “an apportioned inheritance;” and the words here may be rendered, and it shall be for an inheritance for the remnant of the house of Judah.