Zephaniah 2:4

For - It is time to seek God; for your neighbours, as well as you, shall be destroyed. Gaza - A chief city of the Philistines. Shall drive - Into captivity.

For Gaza shall be forsaken,....

Gaza shall be forsaken - This prophecy is against the Philistines. They had been greatly harassed by the kings of Egypt; but were completely ruined by Nebuchadnezzar, who took all Phoenicia from the Egyptians; and about the time of his taking Tyre, devastated all the seignories of the Philistines. This ruin we have seen foretold by the other prophets, and have already remarked its exact fulfillment.

Gaza shall be forsaken--In the Hebrew there is a play of similar sounds, Gaza Gazubah; Gaza shall be forsaken, as its name implies. So the Hebrew of the next clause, Ekron teeakeer. at the noonday--when on account of the heat Orientals usually sleep, and military operations are suspended (2Sa 4:5).

For - As a ground for repentance and perseverance, he goes through Pagan nations, upon whom God’s wrath should come. Jerome: “As Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, after visions concerning Judah, turn to other nations round about, and according to the character of each, announce what shall come upon them, and dwell at length upon it, so doth this prophet, though more briefly” And thus under five nations, who lay west, east, south and north, he includes all mankind on all sides, and, again, according to their respective characters toward Israel, as they are alien from, or hostile to the Church; the Philistines Zep 2:4-7, as a near, malicious, infesting enemy; Moab and Ammon Isa 2:8-10, people akin to her (as heretics) yet ever rejoicing at her troubles and sufferings; Etheopians Isa 5:12, distant nations at peace with her, and which are, for the most part, spoken of as to be brought unto her; Assyria Isa. 13-15, as the great oppressive power of the world, and so upon it the full desolation rests. In the first fulfillment, because Moab and Ammon aiding Nebuchadnezzar, (and all, in various ways wronging God’s people Isa 16:4; Amo 1:13-15; Amo 2:1-3; Jer 48:27-30, Jer 48:42; Jer 49:1; Eze 20:3, Eze 20:6, Eze 20:8), trampled on His sanctuary, overthrew His temple and blasphemed the Lord, the prophecy is turned against them. So then, before the captivity came, while Josiah was yet king, and Jerusalem and the temple were, as yet, not overthrown, the prophecy is directed against those who mocked at them. “Gaza shall be forsaken.” Out of the five cities of the Philistines, the prophet pronounces woe upon the same four as Amos Amo 1:6-8 before, Jeremiah Jer 25:20 soon after, and Zechariah Zec 9:5-6 later. Gath, then, the fifth had probably remained with Judah since Uzziah 2Ch 26:6 and Hezekiah 2Ki 18:8. […]