John Calvin Commentary Zephaniah 2:12

"Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword." — Zephaniah 2:12 (ASV)

The Prophet extends further the threatened vengeance and says that God would also render to the Ethiopians the reward they deserved, for they had also harassed the chosen people. But if God punished that nation, how could Ammon and Moab hope to escape? For how could God spare such great cruelty, since He would visit with punishment the remotest nations?

The hatred of the Moabites and of the Ammonites, as we have said, was less excusable because they were related to the children of Abraham. On this account, they ought to have mitigated their fierceness; besides, vicinity ought to have rendered them more humane. But as they exceeded other nations in cruelty, a heavier punishment awaited them.

Now, this comparison was intended for this purpose—that the Jews might know that God would be inexorable towards the Moabites, by whom they had been so unjustly harassed, since even the Ethiopians would be punished, who yet were more excusable on account of their distance.

As for the words, some regard the demonstrative pronoun המה, eme, they, as referring to the Babylonians, and others, to the Moabites. I prefer to understand it as referring to the Moabites, if we read, 'like them,' or 'with them,' as these interpreters consider it: for they regard the particle את, at, with, or כ, caph, like, to be understood, You Ethiopians shall be slain by my sword like them, or with them. It would in this case doubtless apply to the Moabites.

But it seems to me that the sentence is irregular: even you Ethiopians, and then, they shall be slain by any sword. The Prophet begins the verse in the second person, summoning the Ethiopians to appear before God’s tribunal; he then adds in the third person, they shall be slain by my sword.

God calls whatever evils were impending over the Ethiopians His sword; for though they were destroyed by the Chaldeans, yet it was done under the guidance of God Himself. The Chaldeans made war under His authority, as the Assyrians did, who had been previously employed by Him to execute His vengeance. It follows—