Zephaniah 1:16

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

¹⁴The great Day of the LORD is near-near and coming quickly. Listen, the Day of the LORD! Then the cry of the mighty will be bitter. ¹⁵That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, ¹⁶a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities, and against the high corner towers.¹⁷I will bring such distress on mankind that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung. ¹⁸Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the Day of the LORD's wrath. The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy." For indeed, He will make a sudden end of all who dwell on the earth.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

day: Isaiah 59:10, Jeremiah 4:19, Jeremiah 4:20, Jeremiah 6:1, Jeremiah 8:16, Hosea 5:8, Hosea 8:1, Amos 3:6, Habakkuk 1:6-10, Habakkuk 3:6

and against: Psalms 48:12, Psalms 48:13, Isaiah 2:12-15, Isaiah 32:14

Reciprocal: Numbers 10:9 - then ye shall Isaiah 13:10 - General Jeremiah 18:22 - a cry Jeremiah 20:16 - let him Joel 2:1 - and sound

Cross-References

Genesis 1:7
So God made the expanse and separated the waters beneath it from the waters above. And it was so.

Genesis 1:8
God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning-the second day.

Genesis 1:9
And God said, "Let the waters under the sky be gathered into one place, so that the dry land may appear." And it was so.

Genesis 1:12
The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:14
And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to distinguish between the day and the night, and let them be signs to mark the seasons and days and years.

Deuteronomy 4:19
When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars-all the host of heaven-do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.

Job 31:26
if I have regarded the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor,

Job 38:7
while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Psalms 8:3
When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place-

Psalms 19:6
It rises at one end of the heavens and runs its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities,.... The trumpet of the enemy, sounding the alarm of war against the fenced cities of Judea, which were taken before Jerusalem; calling and gathering the soldiers together, and animating them to the assault of them; and blowing them in a way of triumph; and as expressive of victory, having got possession of them:

and against the high towers; or "corners" x; towers being usually built corner-wise, and full of corners, and on the corners of walls of cities; sometimes these signify princes, magistrates, and great men,

Zechariah 10:4.

x פנות "pinnas", Montanus, Castalio; "angulos", Junius & Tremellius, Burkius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A day of the trumpet and alarm - ^o that is, of the loud blast of the trumpet, which sounds alarm and causes it. The word is especially the shrill loud noise of the trumpet (for sacred purposes in Israel itself, as ruling all the movements of the tabernacle and accompanying their feasts); then also of the “battle cry.” They had not listened to the voice of the trumpet, as it called them to holy service; now they shall hear “the voice of the Archangel and the trump of God” 1 Thessalonians 4:16.

Against the high towers - Literally, “corners” , and so “corner-towers.” This peculiarity describes Jerusalem, whose walls “were made artificially standing in a line curved inwards, so that the flanks of assailants might be exposed.” By this same name Judges 20:2; 1 Samuel 14:38; Isaiah 19:13; Zechariah 10:4 are called the mighty men and chiefs of the people, who, humanly speaking, hold it together and support it; on these chiefs in rebellion against God, whether devils or evil men, shall punishment greatly fall.