TY - JOUR AU - Stasiak, Sławomir PY - 2018/07/23 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Obce narody w Księdze Sofoniasza (So 2,4-15) JF - Collectanea Theologica JA - ct VL - 87 IS - 4 SE - Artykuły DO - 10.21697/ct.2017.87.4.02 UR - https://czasopisma.uksw.edu.pl/index.php/ct/article/view/2550 SP - 37-74 AB - The oracles against foreign nations in the Book of Zephaniah (Zeph<br />2:4-15) were directed against the Philistines, the Ammonites, the Moabites,<br />the Egyptians and against the Assyrians. Their order is not quite clear,<br />challenging, and wonder if it is really explicable to the very end.<br />The way the oracle is presented against the Philistines (Zeph 2:4-7) is<br />based on the multitude of names of places, which belonged to this part of<br />Palestine. The words directed against them “I will destroy you until no<br />inhabitant is left” (Zeph 2:5), force the Judeans to reflect on their behavior,<br />which could lead on to their annihilation, the way the foreign nations will<br />be destroyed at this moment. The attrition of the Philistines is to function<br />as a warning for the Judeans against the imminent and awaited punishment,<br />unless they change their conduct.<br />The oracles against the Moabites and the Ammonites (2:8-11) bewilder<br />in two aspects. First of all, the issue concerns the determination of kōl ʼijjê<br />haggôjim (Zeph 2:11), which can either refer to all nations in general, or only<br />to those nations which are hostile towards the Israel. In the direct, preceding<br />context, Zephaniah was writing about the victory of JHWH over pagan<br />gods (v. 11a); Thus, one may suppose that the representatives of even the<br />remotest corners of the earth will pay homage to JHWH. Secondly, what is<br />surprising is the reverse order, the reversal of the usual order in the oracles<br />against the nations, in which the punishment is presented as first and then its<br />justification. Whereas, Zephaniah starts with justification (v. 8 and 10), and<br />later mentions the punishment (v. 9 and 11a). Why was the oracle constructed<br />in this specific way by the prophet? First of all, it may have constituted<br />an emphasis which Zephaniah uses to stress the cause (justification) of<br />the punishment imposed on the Moabites and the Ammonites. However,<br />attention must also be drawn to w. 11b, which contains eschatological<br />announcement of the universal and widespread cult of JHWH. Thus, the<br />expression of the oracle was meant to lead to eschatological proclamation,<br />in an climactic construction.<br />The words directed against Egypt (Zeph 2:12) are so cursory that some<br />scholars regard them as part of the oracle against Assyria. Yet, it seems<br />that such a connection would be completely unjustifiable, merely because<br />of the fact that the punishment the Nubians and the Assyrians will face will<br />be different, not to mention the fact that the empires of Assyria and Egypt <br />were immemorial enemies of Israel, but different, though. The sword taken<br />out against Egypt (Zeph 2:12) undoubtedly, constitutes a kind of glancing<br />reference to the scene which took place at the gates of Jericho, when Joshua<br />encountered the Angel of God with an unsheathed sword (Jos 5:13).<br />The description of extermination and destruction of Assyria (Zeph<br />2:13-14) is comprehensive and extensive because the oracles against foreign<br />nations in the Book of Zephaniah reach their climax there. Justification in<br />this case seems to be perfunctory, though (v. 15) especially considering the<br />immensity of the punishment. ER -