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Zephaniah 1:1

1 The word of Jehovah which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.
--Zephaniah had royal heritage, and was the son of what some believe to be a dark skinned man. For all of this there is no indication of him being a "major" figure in his day.

2 I will utterly consume all things from off the face of the ground, saith Jehovah.
3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of the heavens, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the face of the ground, saith Jehovah.
--When we read this verse about God consuming birds, fish and men from the face of the earth, we cannot help but think of the fact that in a sinful generation, animals as well as people become distinct from the face of the earth. In hawaii, it is reported that there are less than 6000 people who are true Hawaiin's (have a pure quantum blood 100%).

4 And I will stretch out my hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarim with the priests;
--Baal was a Pagan God. An idol of the Phoenicians, god of the sun. Worship involved incense for prayer, and later evolved to temple prostitution and child sacrifice (interesting how murder follows immorality). Note -- Baal Simply means Lord and there are many Baal-XXXX that appear in the old testament. -- At first the name Ba'al was used by the Jews for their God without discrimination, but as the struggle between the two religions developed, the name Ba'al was given up in Judaism as a thing of shame, and even names like Jerubba'al were changed to Jerubbosheth: Hebrew bosheth means "shame". [2]
--Chemarim refers to the idolotous priests Note--Some derive this word from the Assyrian Kamaru, meaning “to throw down,” and interpret it as describing the idolatrous priests who prostrate themselves before the idols. Others regard it as meaning “those who go about in black,” or “ascetics.” --.

5 and them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship, that swear to Jehovah and swear by Malcam;
--Malcam -- the national idol of the Ammonites - 2 Sam. 12:30, Heb., R.V., “their king;” Jer. 49:1,3, R.V.; Zeph. 1:5 -- When Rabbah was taken by David, the crown of this idol was among the spoils. The weight is said to have been "a talent of gold" (above 100 lbs.). The expression probably denotes its value rather than its weight. It was adorned with precious stones.


6 and them that are turned back from following Jehovah; and those that have not sought Jehovah, nor inquired after him.
-- God takes time to identify the two sins 1) Not seeking God. [sinner not praying/reading] 2) Not inquiring after God [Not allowing God to direct your life, but remaining in a religous state]

7 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord Jehovah; for the day of Jehovah is at hand: for Jehovah hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath consecrated his guests.
-- For Jewish festivals and feasts it is not uncommon for the host to provide clothing for the guests.

8 And it shall come to pass in the day of Jehovah’s sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king’s sons, and all such as are clothed with foreign apparel.
-- In the new testament, we find the story of those who show up at the wedding without garments (they are not wearing the garments provided by the host). This illustration shows people who are not wearing foreign garments.

9 And in that day I will punish all those that leap over the threshold, that fill their master’s house with violence and deceit.
10 And in that day, saith Jehovah, there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and a wailing from the second quarter, and a great crashing from the hills.
11 Wail, ye inhabitants of Maktesh; for all the people of Canaan are undone; all they that were laden with silver are cut off.12 And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps; and I will punish the men that are settled on their lees, that say in their heart, Jehovah will not do good, neither will he do evil.13 And their wealth shall become a spoil, and their houses a desolation: yea, they shall build houses, but shall not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but shall not drink the wine thereof.14 The great day of Jehovah is near, it is near and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of Jehovah; the mighty man crieth there bitterly.15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,16 a day of the trumpet and alarm, against the fortified cities, and against the high battlements.17 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against Jehovah; and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as dung.18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of Jehovah’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he will make an end, yea, a terrible end, of all them that dwell in the land.