Zephaniah 3.4b-Zephaniah Indicts the Priests of Jerusalem
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday June 22, 2016
Zephaniah: Zephaniah 3:4b-Zephaniah Indicts the Priests of Jerusalem
Lesson # 65
Zephaniah 3:4 Her prophets are reckless, treacherous men; Her priests have profaned the sanctuary. They have done violence to the law. (NASB95)
“Her priests have profaned the sanctuary” is composed of the following: (1) masculine plural construct form of the noun kōhēn (כֹּהֵן), “priests” (2) third person feminine singular pronominal suffix hîʾ (הִיא), “her” (3) third person plural piel active perfect form of the verb ḥālal (חָלַל), “have profaned” (4) masculine singular form of the noun qōdeš (קֹדֶשׁ), “the sanctuary.”
The prophet Zephaniah uses once again the figure of asyndeton here in Zephaniah 3:4 in order to mark a change of topic or a transition to a different group of people who lived in the city of Jerusalem during the seventh century B.C. and will live in her during the seventieth week of Daniel.
He also uses the figure to emphasize the solemn nature of the description of the ungodly conduct of the priests of the kingdom of Judah who lived during the seventh century B.C. and those who will during the seventieth week of Daniel as being corrupt morally.
This ungodly conduct is the direct result of their rejection of the Word of God.
The noun kōhēn is in the plural and means “priests” since the word pertains to a Jewish man who performs service for God in the temple.
It pertains to a Jewish man who performs various responsibilities in the temple related to the worship of the God of Israel.
It speaks of a Jewish man who performs religious duties and ceremonies to the God of Israel on behalf of the Jewish people.
The word refers specifically to the Levitical priests who not only performed various duties in the temple with regards to the worship of the God of Israel but also performed medical diagnosis as well as policy functions and teaching the Jewish people the Word of God.
The construct form of this noun means that it is governing the word which follows it and is expressing a genitive relation with this word which is the third person feminine singular pronominal suffix hîʾ, which means “her” referring of course to the city of Jerusalem.
The genitive relation is possession expressing the relationship between Jerusalem and these Levitical priests.
The verb ḥālal is in the piel stem and means “to defile” in the sense of treating something holy with contempt.
The word is used from the perspective of the temple and the worship of the God of Israel which was to take place there.
It speaks of causing something set apart for the exclusive use and worship of the God of Israel to be defiled in the sense of making it ceremonially unclean and unfit for the worship of the God of Israel.
Here it refers to Jerusalem’s priests desecrating the temple in the sense that they made it ceremonially unclean or unfit for the worship of the God of Israel.
This word speaks of these priests not observing the purity regulations and dietary regulations of the Mosaic Law.
They defiled the temple by not observing the distinction between clean and unclean animals when sacrificing to the God of Israel in the temple.
The noun qōdeš means “sanctuary, holy place” since it pertains to a building dedicated in service to God, a place in which the God of Israel is normally present when ritual and moral purity are practiced.
Specifically, it is referring to the temple in Jerusalem which was dedicated to the worship of the God of Israel.
It describes this temple as set apart and dedicated exclusively for the worship of the God of Israel.
“They have done violence to the law” is composed of the following: (1) third person plural qal active perfect form of the verb ḥāmas (חָמַס), “they have done violence” (2) feminine singular noun tôrâ (תּוֹרָה), “to the law.”
Once again, we have the figure of asyndeton which is used to emphasize the statement to follow that Jerusalem’s priests did violence to the Mosaic Law or in other words, they flagrantly disobeyed the various commands and prohibitions found in the Mosaic Law.
The verb ḥāmas usually refers to committing a violent act against someone or something (e.g. Jer. 22:3; Prv. 8:36).
Here in Zephaniah 3:4, the word is used in a metaphorical sense of doing violence to the Mosaic Law (cf. Ezek. 22:26).
The idea is that of flagrantly disobeying the various commands and prohibitions recorded in the Mosaic Law.
It expresses utter disregard for obeying these commands and prohibitions.
The noun tôrâ means “law” referring to the 365 prohibitions and 248 commands which appear in the Mosaic Law.
Zephaniah 3:4 Her prophets are arrogant, treacherous men. Her priests defiled the sanctuary. They flagrantly disobeyed the Law. (My translation)
After presenting indictments against the political and military leaders residing in Jerusalem as well as this city’s judges in Zephaniah 3:3, the prophet Zephaniah presents indictments against this city’s prophets and priests here in Zephaniah 3:4.
Therefore, we have a transition from the indictments against the civil authorities in Jerusalem to a presentation of indictments against her spiritual leaders.
Like the civil authorities, the spiritual authorities of Jerusalem were corrupt because they were disobedient to God’s Word.
So Zephaniah 3:4 contains a description of the city of Jerusalem’s spiritual leaders who not only lived in her during the seventh century B.C. in Zephaniah’s day but also those who will live in her during the seventieth week of Daniel.
This indicated by the fact that the seventieth week of Daniel is the last seven years of the Lord disciplining the nation of Israel for her disobedience.
If you recall, Daniel was given a prophecy which is recorded in Daniel 9:24-27.
This prophecy is called by theologians and expositors of the Bible “the Seventy Weeks of Daniel,” which are actually four hundred ninety prophetic years.
These verses dealt with the period of the Times of the Gentiles in which God would be disciplining the nation of Israel for her disobedience and Gentile nations will be the dominant powers and Israel is subject to these nations.
Jesus Christ warned Israel about false prophets in Israel living during the seventieth week (cf. Matt. 24:11, 24; Mark 13:22).
He also mentions the Antichrist desecrating the temple in Jerusalem in the middle of the seventieth week (Matt. 24:15; Mark 13:14).
No doubt there will be corrupt Jewish priests who will go along with this desecration and of course some who won’t.
In Zephaniah 3:4, not only does Zephaniah indict the prophets of Jerusalem who lived during the seventh century B.C. and those who will during the seventieth week but also he indicts the priests of this city.
He is speaking of the Levitical priests who were unfaithful in carrying out their duties in the temple of Solomon in the seventh century B.C. and the tribulation temple during the seventieth week.
He asserts that the Levitical priests defiled the temple in the sense that they treated it with contempt.
It means that they defiled the temple in the sense that they made it ceremonially unclean and unfit for the worship of the God of Israel.
It also means that they did not observe the purity regulations and dietary regulations of the Mosaic Law.
They defiled the temple by not observing the distinction between clean and unclean animals when sacrificing to the God of Israel in the temple (cf. Ezek. 22:26).
Leviticus 10:10 teaches that one of the functions of these priests was to make a distinction between what is holy and what is not.
So these priests whom Zephaniah condemns were not conscientious in carrying out their duties.
The prophet Jeremiah also condemns the priesthood in the seventh century B.C. (Jer. 2:8; 5:31; 6:13; 14:18).
The third and final indictment presented in Zephaniah 3:4 is also directed at the priests of Jerusalem who officiated in the temple.
The prophet asserts that the Levitical priests flagrantly disobeyed the Mosaic Law which contained 365 prohibitions and 248 commands for a total of 613 laws.
These were a revelation of the will of God for the Israelites in relation to the covenant He established with them through Moses at Mount Sinai.
They also revealed the holiness of God.
In addition, they revealed that like the Gentiles, the nation of Israel were sinners by nature and practice and thus in need of God’s grace, mercy, which flows from His attribute of love.
These laws revealed the infinite chasm which existed between sinful humanity and a holy God.
Thus, they revealed the human race’s need for a Savior.
These commands and prohibitions were related to the sanctification of the Jewish people since God gave His Law to Moses on Mount Sinai after He brought them out of Egypt and Paul states in 1 Corinthians 10 that the Exodus generation were all believers in the God of Israel and declared justified by Him.