Commentary on the Twelve Prophets, Volume 3

Commentary on Zephaniah, Chapter Three

COMMENTARY ON ZEPHANIAH, CHAPTER THREE O famous and redeemed city, the dove (v.1). E IMMEDIATELY moves to remember the land of the Jews—Jerusalem, in fact—for the capture of which the Assyrians paid the penalty. The other nations were also punished for railing against the glory of God; but he grieves for its suffering a fate beyond expectations, as it were, and instead of attributing the cause of its unbearable misfortunes to anyone else, he says that it was rather the source of them. So he complains bitterly in the words, O famous and redeemed city, the dove.1 (211) In other words, he is saying, why did you come to be completely dishonored, an object of pity and a captive, when you were so splendid and prominent, in control of every nation, effortlessly vanquishing your adversaries, ever harsh and impregnable to those who wished to oppose you, well-equipped for the fortunes of war? It was redeemed from the slavery of the Egyptians by many signs and portents, its neck released from unbearable oppression; on its account rivers turned to blood, hail and darkness damaged the land of the Egyptians, the sea joined in attacking it, submerging the pursuers, and countless other events occurred that were worth hearing. O city, the dove, that is, most beautiful; the inspired Scripture takes this bird as a paradigm of comeliness, as of course in the Song the bridegroom wants to flatter the bride’s appearance by the word dove, “Arise, come my friend, my lovely, my dove.”2 Now, Jerusalem was very beautiful, doubtless on account of being given luster by the divine Law, bedecked with the ornaments of priesthood, practiced in righteousness, a worshiper of 36 1. The PG ed. omits these opening sentences. The LXX had come up with “redeemed” for “impure,” and “dove” for “oppressive.” 2. Song 2.10. COMMENTARY ON ZEPHANIAH 3 37 the one who is God by nature, and performing his liturgy—all of which is spiritual beauty. On the other hand, you could on a different basis claim that Jerusalem is to be understood as a dove. It is the invariable custom of this bird, even if carried far away from the nest beloved by it, to make for home when given the opportunity and to reach its own place. This is what we shall (212) find happening in the case of Jerusalem as well; in possession of true religion from its ancestors it went down to Egypt, but it departed from the worship of its fathers and worshiped idols there. Summoned by Moses, however, it flew away from the error of Egypt in a way, and turned back to God again. But, he asks, what was the reason for its capture, and for then being redeemed from its subjection to others? It hearkened to no voice (v.2). It heard the voice of God on Mount Sinai saying, “Listen, Israel, the Lord is your God, the Lord alone. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.”3 Bypassing what was commanded, however, it foolishly ran headlong into the error of polytheism. So it hearkened to no voice spoken to it on Mount Sinai; or we should understand the voice as commandment . It did not accept correction. It ran riot over the Law that guided it and conducted it to righteousness, turning instead to “teaching and commandments of human beings,”4 following its own instincts, straying from the straight and narrow, and persisting in being untaught and unacquainted with the divine instructions . It did not trust in the Lord. When war brought tribulation, contest ensued, and (213) dangers befell them, it should have chosen to imitate the piety of its forebears and trust in the Lord as its only Savior. But “it called on Egypt,” as Scripture says, “had recourse to Assyrians,”5 and hired Syrians or Arabs, as though out of scorn for the divine power. Its rulers within it are like roaring lions (v.3). It lists the crimes and parades the faults for which he is rightly moved and pro3 . Dt 6.4; 5.8. 4. Is 29.13; Mt 15.9. 5. Hos 7.11. 38 CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA voked to wrath, so that he may now be seen to be...