Zephaniah looks forward to a time when all of humanity will call upon the name of Yahweh. The action of calling
upon the Lord implies a sense of need (Psalm 4:1; Psalm 28:1; Psalm 34:6; Psalm 120:1), and the calling upon the Lord’s name
is an acknowledgment of what the Lord has revealed of himself (Exodus 34:5–7; Leviticus 22:2; Deuteronomy 28:58). The combination of these terms points to a worship that is humble and reverential.
1 This worship is associated with salvation on the coming day of the Lord. The prophet Joel makes such a connection (Joel 2:32). And the apostle Peter picks up on this in the New Testament, on the day of Pentecost, where these Old Testament prophecies become the basis for his (and the apostles’) interpretation of what happened on the day of Pentecost. The outpouring of the Spirit accomplished a purification of heart and mouth, which led to a widespread calling on the name of the Lord (Joel 2:32).2
9 “For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the LORD and serve him with one accord.