Zephaniah Chapter One, The Extent Of The Day

Zephaniah 1:10 “And there shall be on that day,” says the Lord, “The sound of a mournful cry from the Fish Gate, a wailing from the Second Quarter, and a loud crashing from the hills. [11] Wail, you inhabitants of Maktesh! For all the merchant people are cut down; all those who handle money are cut off.

Verses 10 and 11 continue detailing the Day of the Lord, explaining the scope of the event. The Day is a day of judgment for the wicked and deliverance for the righteous. Its authority will be wholly consuming, reaching every quarter of the holy city and beyond, as the prophet references the hills beyond Jerusalem’s walls.

The Fish Gate is mentioned during the reign of Manasseh, king of Judah in 2 Chronicles 33:14. After the king is taken away by the Assyrian monarch he pleads with God for mercy, and God hears his prayer and sets him at liberty, 2 Chronicles 33:12, 13. In response to God’s grace, and recognizing Yahweh as the true God, Manasseh underwent revitalization projects in Jerusalem, including the Fish Gate.

The gate was destroyed when Jerusalem was leveled during the siege of Babylon and the Jews’ subsequent deportation. When Nehemiah returns with his king’s permission, he goes about rebuilding the city. It would seem a family group in Judah who belonged to Hassenaah put the Fish Gate back up, which appeared to have been the entrance to the Second Quarter.

The Second Quarter was itself a northern part of Jerusalem that was increased in scope during the monarchy, and was apparently more susceptible to enemy attack when Jerusalem was under siege. The loud crashing from the hills may imply an enemy assault upon the city, which the prophets foretold would occur during the time of Jacob’s Trouble,  Zechariah 14:1-5.

Maktesh  is apparently a transliterated place-name meaning “mortar.” The consensus is that Maktesh has been associated with an area in Jerusalem called the Tyropoean Valley. The NASB renders verse 11 thus: “ Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar, for all the people of Canaan will be silenced; all who weigh out silver will be cut off.” This rendering agrees with Zechariah 14:21, which explains how no more Canaanites, or merchants, will be found in the house of the Lord. The Canaanite, or the wandering trader, seems to hold the position of valuing commerce over and above anything else. They will monetize anything if they find that they can profit from it; this includes the concept and utilization of religion. 

God wants religion for profit removed from the hearts of His followers. To this end He specifically references the market district of the city. James explains that, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world,” James 1:27. True religion is free; what it costs the practitioner is their time and willingness to involve oneself with others. The crux of the Mosaic Law was always about the fair and equitable treatment of others. The Jews were not to defraud, commit usury, lie or perjure, and in all ways treat their fellow Jew and the alien in their midst with fairness and generosity. James 5:3, and especially Revelation 18:17, 18 demonstrate how the elevation of wealth above human decency, charity and mercy will be a witness against us that will kindle a fire unto Heaven. God detests the love of money because it perverts our thinking. To that end, the merchant people will be cut off on that day.