Zephaniah 1:7

Hebrew Bible

5 I will remove those who worship the stars in the sky from their rooftops, those who swear allegiance to the Lord while taking oaths in the name of their ‘king,’ 6 and those who turn their backs on the Lord and do not want the Lord’s help or guidance.” 7 Be silent before the Sovereign Lord, for the Lord’s day of judgment is almost here. The Lord has prepared a sacrificial meal; he has ritually purified his guests. 8 “On the day of the Lord’s sacrificial meal, I will punish the princes and the king’s sons, and all who wear foreign styles of clothing. 9 On that day I will punish all who leap over the threshold, who fill the house of their master with wealth taken by violence and deceit.

Zechariah 2:13

Hebrew Bible

11 “Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on the day of salvation, and they will also be my people. Indeed, I will settle in the midst of you all. Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me to you. 12 The Lord will take possession of Judah as his portion in the holy land and he will choose Jerusalem once again. 13 Be silent in the Lord’s presence, all people everywhere, for he is being moved to action in his holy dwelling place.

 Notes and References

"... verses 7-9, the day of YHWH: the call 'Be silent' was used in the cult to announce the theophany (Habakkuk 2:20; Zechariah 2:13) but here YHWH's appearance among his people is not for salvation but for judgement. There will be a festal sacrifice but the people of Judah will find no substitutionary victim, they themselves will be the victims (whoever the 'guests' may be). But just as the priests were singled out for attack in verse 4 so here the royal establishment is held responsible. The failure to specify the king might be because Josiah was still a minor, but the phrase 'the king's sons' may be a generic term like 'sons of the prophets', here signifying the whole royal establishment ..."

Barton, John, and John Muddiman The Oxford Bible Commentary (p. 605) Oxford University Press, 2001

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