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

Structure of Zephaniah 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.

There are two main sections in Zephaniah 1:7–18: Zephaniah 1:7–13 and Zephaniah 1:14–18. Something that helps to identify Zephaniah 1:7 and Zephaniah 1:14 as beginning the two parts of this unit is the repeated focus that each of these verses places on the nearness of the day of the Lord.

A more detailed structure is as follows:

The Day of the Lord (Zephaniah 1:7–18)

  1. The Day of Sacrifice (Zephaniah 1:7–13)

    1. Introductory statement (Zephaniah 1:7)

    2. The Lord’s sacrifice (Zephaniah 1:8–9)

    3. The destruction of city quarters (Zephaniah 1:10–11)

    4. The destruction of Jerusalem (Zephaniah 1:12–13)

  2. The Day of Wrath (Zephaniah 1:14–18)

    1. The day of full rage (Zephaniah 1:14–16)

    2. The day of universal destruction (Zephaniah 1:17–18)1