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From Behind the Veil: The Epistles of John
Deep Exegesis:The Mystery of Reading Scripture
1 & 2 Kings
Brazos Theological Commentary
The Promise Of His Appearing: An Exposition Of Second Peter
A Great Mystery: Fourteen Wedding Sermons
Deep Comedy: Trinity, Tragedy, And Hope In Western Literature
Miniatures & Morals: The Christian Novels of Jane Austen
The Priesthood of the Plebs: A Theology of Baptism
A Son To Me: An Exposition of 1 & 2 Samuel
From Silence to Song: The Davidic Liturgical Revolution
Ascent to Love: A Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy
Blessed Are the Hungry: Meditations on the Lord's Supper
A House For My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament
Heroes of the City of Man: A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature
Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide To Six Shakespeare Plays
Wise Words: Family Stories That Bring the Proverbs to Life
The Kingdom and the Power: Rediscovering the Centrality of the Church
“He will be quiet in His love,” Zephaniah appears to say about Yahweh and Israel (NASB). Quiet? He’s just been exalting and shouting. Now He’s quiet?
That’s a possible translation, but the verb translated as “be quiet” or “rest” also means “plow.” Plowed in love? In Judges 14:18, Samson uses the word as a sexual image; strictly, the woman is the “heifer” that Samson uses to plow. But the image might also suggest that the woman is the ground that is being plowed before being planted. In any case, this seems to fit the context of Zephaniah better than “be quiet.” In the passion of His exaltation over His bride, Yahweh will plow her in love.
Prophets also use the same verb to describe the upheavals Yahweh brings to Israel (Jeremiah 26:18; Micah 3:12). That too is plowing in love, breaking up the ground of Israel to make her fruitful.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Monday, December 7, 2009 at 5:28 am
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