Zephaniah 2:8

I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon,.... Two people that descended from Lot, through incest with his daughters; and are therefore mentioned together, as

I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have

I have heard: either the prophet for himself, or for the people, speaks this; or else, more likely, in the name of God, assures the Jews that God had heard, observed, resented, and was highly displeased with that he heard. The reproach of Moab; a people of near kin to the Jews, born of Lot’ s daughter, seated eastward of Canaan, upon the Dead Sea and Jordan, a powerful people, and as proud; whose pride broke out on all occasions against the Jews, as appears from first to last: , and ,30, brand them as very proud. The revilings of the children of Ammon; a people as near as Moab to Jewish blood, and as bitter against them, ,3, bitter scoffers and jeerers. Whereby they have reproached my people; either in the war, or at the taking of Jerusalem, or when the captive Jews were led by their borders into captivity: puts these all together. Magnified themselves; either boasting what they themselves were, or what they would have done, or what they will do against Israel, recovering their old pretended right and estate. Against their border; invading their frontiers, and spoiling them with insolence. I have heard: either the prophet for himself, or for the people, speaks this; or else, more likely, in the name of God, assures the Jews that God had heard, observed, resented, and was highly displeased with that he heard. Against their border; invading their frontiers, and spoiling them with insolence.

Zephaniah 2:8 I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified [themselves] against their border.Ver. 8. I have heard the reproach of Moab] How can he but hear who is all ear? who is both above us, and within us, in whom we subsist, Colossians 1:17. And what will he sooner be sensible of than the reproachings of his people? see Isaiah 37:28; Isaiah 57:3-4; "But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore." (See how he becalls them.) "Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood?" The Moabites and Ammonites were great jeerers of the Jews, and revilers of their religion. These reproaches, leniter volant, non leniter violant, cruel mockings the apostle calleth them, Hebrews 11:36. David felt them as a murdering weapon in his bones, Psalms 42:10. God will call such men to a heavy reckoning one day as deride the power of godliness and the professors thereof. Bede saith, that this was the great sin of the ancient Britons immediately before their destruction by the Saxons; and it is at this day both a presage and desert of our ruin, that as the Turks count all fools to be saints, so men with us account all saints to be fools. And the revilings of the children of Ammon] How good they were at it we may see in those words of Sanballat and his companion Tobiah the Ammonite, Nehemiah 4:2-3, words as full of pride and scorn as profane wit or rancoured malice could make them; and they lay so heavy upon Nehemiah’ s spirit that he could not ease himself but by breathing heavenward: Nehemiah 2:4, "Hear, O our God; for we are despised; and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity," &c. Hear, saith Nehemiah: I have heard it, saith God. "Thou hast seen it," saith the Psalmist, "for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thine hand," Psalms 10:14. And magnified themselves] By speaking big and blustering words, bubbles of words, great swelling words, full of wind, 2 Peter 2:18, these shall find that such words are not wind, but will be required in fire, Judges 1:15. God is an utter enemy to boasting and threatening braggards.

(4-15) Jehovah’s chastisement of foreign powers. These Divine visitations are introduced somewhat abruptly. The connection is perhaps that they are intended to lead God’s people to repent, and put their faith in Him who orders the destinies of all mankind. Also, as being inflicted on hostile peoples, they are in Israel’s favour, and ought therefore to elicit gratitude. But more especially are they all steps towards the establishment of Jehovah’s supremacy, and the inclusion of the Gentiles in His kingdom upon earth. (Comp. Zephaniah 2:11; Zephaniah 3:9, et seq.) This part of the Divine sentence is presented in three strophes of four verses each—viz., the chastisement of Philistia (Zephaniah 2:4-7); of Moab and Ammon (Zephaniah 2:8-11); of Ethiopia and Assyria (Zephaniah 2:12-15).

Verse 8. I have heard the reproach of Moab] God punished them for the cruel part they had taken in the persecutions of the Jews; for when they lay under the displeasure of God, these nations insulted them in the most provoking manner. See on Amos 1:13, and the parallel texts in the margin. (Amos 1:13, and Genesis 19:25; Deuteronomy 29:23; Isaiah 13:19; Isaiah 34:13; Jeremiah 49:18; Jeremiah 50:40)

8–11. Moab and Ammon 8. I have heard the reproach of Moab] It is the Lord who speaks. The “reproach” or contempt of Moab is most likely that expressed in words, not that exhibited m insulting deeds; cf. Jeremiah 48:27-29; Ezekiel 35:12. Isaiah 16:6, “We have heard of the pride of Moab, he is very proud; … the injuriousness of his boastings.” revilings of the children of Ammon] These revilings seem also to denote spoken obloquy (Ezekiel 21:28), though the term is also used of opprobrious deeds, Numbers 15:30, Ezekiel 20:27. Comp. Ezekiel 25:3; Ezekiel 25:6; Ezekiel 25:8, “Because thou saidst, Aha! against my sanctuary, when it was profaned.” Whereby they have reproached my people] Rather: wherewith … and they have magnified. The phrase have magnified themselves, &c. is scarcely explanatory either of “reproach” or “revilings,” but expresses an additional delinquency—they have presumptuously violated the border of Israel and seized his territory. The charge is an old one against Ammon: Amos 1:13, “They have ripped up the women with child of Gilead that they might enlarge their border”; Jeremiah 49:1, “Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth Milcom possess Gad?” Moab also, whenever possible, overstepped what Israel regarded as its frontier and took possession of the territory of Reuben and Gad, as appears from the Moabite Stone. After Israel beyond Jordan was carried captive by Tiglath Pileser (b.c. 734), and especially after the fall of the northern kingdom (722), Moab and other peoples would naturally overflow the depopulated districts. For “their border” Sept. has “my borders”; cf. Jeremiah 48:26; Jeremiah 48:42, “he (Moab) hath magnified himself against the Lord.”

I - Dionysius: “God, Who know all things, “I heard” that is, have known within Me, in My mind, not anew but from eternity, and now I shew in effect that I know it; wherefore I say that I hear,

8-11. The doom of Moab and Ammon. On the location of these nations see comments on Amos 1:13-15; Amos 2:1-3.