John Calvin Commentary Zephaniah 1:14

"The great day of Jehovah is near, it is near and hasteth greatly, [even] the voice of the day of Jehovah; the mighty man crieth there bitterly." — Zephaniah 1:14 (ASV)

The Prophet in this verse expresses more clearly what I have already stated—that God would be the author of all the evils that would happen to the Jews, for as they grew more hardened in their sins, they more and more provoked God’s wrath against themselves. It is therefore uncommon wisdom to consider God’s hand when he strikes or disciplines us.

This is the reason why the Prophet now calls the attention of the Jews to God, so that they might not fix their minds, as is commonly done, on men only. At the same time, he tries to shake off their lethargy by declaring that the day would be terrible, and that it was also now near.

We indeed know that hypocrites trifle with God, unless they feel the weight of his wrath, and that they delay, and promise themselves so long a respite, that they never awaken to repentance. Therefore, the Prophet first shows that whatever evils then threatened the Jews were not only from men, but especially from God.

This is one thing; and then, in order to thoroughly touch dull hearts, he says that the day would be terrible; and lastly, so that they might not deceive themselves with vain flatteries, he declares that the day was near. These three things must be noted so that we understand the Prophet’s purpose.

But he says at the beginning of the verse that the great day of Jehovah was nigh. In these words he includes the three things to which I have already referred. By calling it the day of Jehovah, he means that whatever evils the Jews suffered should have been attributed to his judgment; and by calling it the great day, his purpose was to instill terror, as well as by saying, in the third place, that it was near. Thus, we see that three things are included in these words. But the Prophet more fully explains what might, because of the conciseness of his words, have seemed not quite clear.

Near, he says, is the day, and quickly hastens. Men, we know, are accustomed to prolong time, so that they may cherish their sins; for though they cannot rid themselves of all religious feeling, or shake it off, they still imagine a great distance between themselves and God, and by such an imagination they find comfort for themselves.

Therefore, the Prophet declares the day to be nigh; and as it was hardly credible that the destruction of which he spoke was near, he adds that the day was quickly hastening, as if he had said that they should not judge by the present state of things what God would do, for in a moment his wrath would pass through from east to west like lightning.

Men need long preparation when they decide to carry out their vengeance, but God has no need of much preparation, for his own power is sufficient for him when he decides to destroy the wicked. Thus, we now see why it was added by the Prophet that the day would quickly hasten.

He now repeats that the day of Jehovah and his voice would cry out bitterly. I have stated three renderings given by interpreters. Some read thus: The day of Jehovah shall be bitter; there the strong shall cry aloud.

This meaning is acceptable, and a useful instruction may be derived from it, as if the Prophet had said that no courage could bring help to men, or be an aid to them, against God’s vengeance.

Others give this rendering: that the day would bitterly cry out, for there would be the strong—that is, the strength of enemies would break down whatever courage the Jews might have. But this second meaning seems forced.

I am disposed to adopt the third: that the voice of the day of Jehovah would bitterly cry out. And he means the voice of those who would have to truly know God as a judge, whom they had previously despised; for God would then display his power, which had been an object of contempt, until the Jews had felt it by experience.

As to the Prophet’s purpose, there is no ambiguity, for he seeks here to rouse the Jews from their insensitivity, who had so hardened themselves against all threats that the Prophets were not able to convince them.

Since, then, they had thus hardened themselves against every instruction and all warnings, the Prophet here says that the voice of God’s day would be different, for God’s voice had sounded through the mouth of the Prophets, but it had no effect on the deaf.

An awful change is here announced. The Jews will then cry aloud, as the roaring of the divine voice will then terrify them, when God will really show that he is the avenger of wickedness. When therefore he ascends his tribunal, then you will cry. His messengers now cry to you in vain, for you close your ears; you will cry in your turn, but it will be in vain.

But if one prefers to take it as one sentence, “The voice of the day of Jehovah, there strong, shall bitterly cry out,” the meaning will be the same as to the main point. I would not, therefore, contend about words, provided we bear in mind what I have already said—that Zephaniah sets here the cry of the distressed people in opposition to the voices of the Prophets, which they had despised and, indeed, for the most part, as it appears from other places, treated with ridicule. However this may have been, he indirectly condemns their false confidence when he speaks of the strong, as if he had said that they were strong only for their own ruin while they opposed God and his servants; for this strength eventually falls, in fact, it breaks itself by its own weight when God rises to judgment.