While there is general agreement that Zephaniah 3:14–20 with its jubilant overtones is a distinct unit, a contrast to the focus on judgment and woe in the former sections of the prophecy, the structure of this section is debated. Some prefer a threefold division: Zephaniah 3:14–15 (introductory section), Zephaniah 3:16–17 (referring to the redemptive work of God in the third person), Zephaniah 3:18–20 (shift to the first person). Yet while Zephaniah 3:16–17 does form a discrete step in the flow of the prophecy, it is still intimately related to Zephaniah 3:14–15, for the following reasons:
It addresses the same objects (Zion, Jerusalem), though in reverse order.
Verse 16 includes a call not to fear, which expands upon verse 15.
There is mention in verse 17 of
the Lord, your God
beingin your midst, a mighty one who will save,
which is closely related to the second half of verse 15.Verse 17 concludes with three clauses focused on the Lord’s delight in his redeemed, while verse 14 began with the redeemed’s delighting in the God of their redemption.
So, Zephaniah 3:16–17 is chiastically connected to Zephaniah 3:14–15 and expands upon its material. A twofold division of the passage is therefore possible:
Verses 14–17: A call to rejoice in the Lord for his redemptive work and presence
a. verse 14: A call to rejoice in the Lord
b. verse 15: The Lord’s redemptive work and presence
b`. verse 16: The Lord’s redemptive work and presence
a`. verse 17: The Lord’s presence and rejoicing in his peopleVerses 18–20: The Lord’s restoration of fortune
a. verse 18: Feasts and mourning
b. verse 19: The Lord’s gathering the outcasts
c. verse 20: The Lord’s restoration of fortunes1
14 Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!