1. Zephaniah 1:7–13 (ESV)
  2. Structure and outline

Indicator of the division between 1:2–6 and 1:7–18

Zephaniah 1:7–13 (ESV)

7 Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near; the LORD has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests.

Zephaniah 1:2–6 is a word from the Lord that prepares us for the announcement of the day of the Lord in Zephaniah 1:7–18. What indicates the division between the two passages is a change from the first-person singular description of the Lord’s actions in Zephaniah 1:2–6 to the third-person singular in Zephaniah 1:7.1 The third-person perspective in Zephaniah 1:6 is most likely there because of the prophet’s proclaiming of the Lord’s words.