Zephaniah: A Commentary.

• Author: Floyd, Michael H.
• Position: Book review

Zephaniah: A Commentary. By MARVIN A. SWEENEY. Hermeneia, Minneapolis: FORTRESS PRESS, 2003. Pp. xviii + 228. $47.

The ample format of the Hermeneia series lets Sweeney present a truly comprehensive treatment of Zephaniah, integrating textual, philological, generic, rhetorical, and historical analysis. Under text and translation, the important versions and manuscripts are covered, citing all significant divergences from the Masoretic Text (MT). Sweeney also describes the versions' significance for the history of interpretation as well as for textual criticism. He sticks pretty close to MT, but gives readers enough information to see if they can find other options worth exploring. It's the next best thing to having a real critical edition of the sort that we still lack.

Philological questions are discussed extensively. For example, two-plus pages are devoted to the phrase [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (1:9), usually translated "everyone who leaps over the threshold," in reference to the action of the priests of Dagon in 1 Sam. 5:4-5. Yahweh's punishment is thus supposedly aimed at the priests in Jerusalem who follow this pagan practice. Sweeney notes, however, that 1 Sam. 5:4-5 actually describes the avoidance of treading on the threshold ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]), not "leaping over" it, and that although [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] clearly means "leap" in all other instances, where it is piel, in this case alone it is qal. He convincingly argues that here the meaning is less intensive, something like "step" rather than "leap." Thus 1:9 describes those who cross the threshold, i.e., priests who enter the temple court. This exemplifies the careful clarifications made at every turn.

Form-critically, Sweeney views the book as a transcription of a prophetic speech with two basic sections: (1) an announcement of "the day of Yahweh" in 1:2-18; and (2) parenesis in 2:1-3:20, persuading its addressees to "seek Yahweh" and thereby avoid this punishment. 2:1-3:20 has two major parts: (1) parenesis proper (2:1-3) together with a motivating reason (2:4); and (2) a pair of "woe" speeches (2:5-15 and 3:1-20) elaborating on the reason stated in 2:4. In 3:1-20 Sweeney finds--in addition to the "woe" section proper (3:1-4)--a disputation (3:5-13) and an exhortation informed by hymnic language (3:14-20). References to cultic practices and echoes of liturgical language show that this speech had its setting in the Jerusalem temple (pp. 16-17).

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