SOPHONIAS, whose name, saith St. Jerome, signifies The Watchman of the Lord, or The hidden of the Lord, prophesied in the beginning of the reign of Josias. He was a native of Sarabatha, and of the tribe of Simeon, according to the more general opinion. He prophesied the punishments of the Jews, for their idolatry and other crimes; also the punishments that were to come on divers nations; the coming of Christ, the conversion of the Gentiles, the blindness of the Jews, and their conversion towards the end of the world.

 

 

 

 

[2] Gathering, I will gather: That is, I will assuredly take away, and wholly consume, either by captivity, or death, both men and beasts out of this land.

[4] The wardens: Viz., of the temples of the idols. AEdituos, in Hebrew, the Chemarims, that is, such as kindle the fires, or burn incense.

[5] Melchom: The idol of the Ammonites.

 

[10] The Second: A part of the city so called.

 

[11] The Morter: Maktesh. A valley in or near Jerusalem. Ibid.

[11] The people of Chanaan: So he calls the Jews, from their following the wicked ways of the Chanaanites.

[12] Settled on their lees: That is, the wealthy, and such as live at their ease, resting upon their riches, like wine upon the lees.

 

 

 

 

[13] The beautiful city: viz. Ninive, which was destroyed soon after this, viz., in the sixteenth year of the reign of Josias.