2. Its transformation 3:9-13 B. A call for Jerusalem to rejoice in its salvation 3:14-20
3.2.4 R L Smith’s Analysis
Smith proposes a simpler outline, as follows:
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Superscription 1:1 1. An announcement of universal judgement 1:2-6
2. An announcement of the day of Yahweh 1:7-2:3 3. Oracles against the nations 2:4-15
a. Oracle against Philistia 2:4-7 b. Oracle against Moab and Ammon 2:8-11
c. Oracle against Ethiopia 2:12 d. Oracle against Assyria 2:13-15
4. Judgement on Jerusalem 3:1-5 5. Judgement on the nations 3:6-8
6. A great change coming 3:9-13 7. A new song 3:14-20
3.2.5 Berlin’s Analysis
Berlin, who decides to take the Masoretic text as her basis for her analysis, proposes a slightly different outline as follows:
I. Superscription 1:1
II. The announcement of doom 1:2-9
III. A description of doom 1:10-18
IV. The last chance to repent 2:1-4
V. Prophecy against the nations 2:5-15
VI. Prophecy against the overbearing city 3:1-3
VII. Joy to Jerusalem 3:14-20
3.2.6 Ivan J Ball, Jr’s Analysis
Ball has analyzed the Hebrew text of the book of Zephaniah in rhetorical terms. One distinctive feature of his work is that he sees 2:1-7 as a miniature picture of the
whole book and his analysis is based around this supposition as follows: A 1:2-18 Warning of the coming day of the Lord
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Smith, R. Micah-Malachi, 124.
2:1-7: 2:1-3 warning of the coming of the day of the Lord
2:4 destruction of the enemy 2:5-7 woe and salvation
B 2:8-15 Destruction of the enemy C 3:1-20 Woe and Salvation
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3.2.7 Clark’s Analysis
Clark sees the most striking formal feature of Zephaniah as being the frequent alternation of first- and third-person statements, suggesting the likelihood of a dialogue or
antiphonal text, presumably between Yahweh and the prophet. An utterance-response pair, or groups of pairs, could then be seen as forming the basic units, although there are
interruptions, such as 1:11. He proposes the outline:
Superscription 1:1 YHWH
Zephaniah Dialogue 1 1:2-6
1:7 1:8-10
1:11 1:12-13
1:14-16 1:17
1:18 Dialogue 2 2:1-4
2:5 2:6-7
2:8-10 2:11
2:12 2:13-15
Dialogue 3 3:1-5 3:6-7b
3:7c 3:8-13
3:14-17 3:18-20
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3.2.8 Wendland’s Analysis
