Attributed commentary excerpt
Barnes' Notes on Zephaniah 3:13
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Notes on the Whole Bible
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · 19th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
The remnant of Israel - The same poor people, the “true Israel” of whom God said, “I leave over” (the word is the same) “a poor people,” few, compared with the rest who were blinded; of whom the Lord said, “I know whom I have chosen” John 13:18. These “shall not do iniquity nor speak lies.” Cyril: “This is a spiritual adorning, a most beautiful coronet of glorious virtues. For where meekness and humility are and the desire of righteousness, and the tongue unlearns vain words and sinful speech, and is the instrument of strict truth, there dawns a bright and most perfect virtue. And this beseems those who are in Christ. For the beauty of piety is not seen in the Law, but gleams forth in the power of Evangelic teachings.” Our Lord said of Nathanael, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile” John 1:47, and to the Apostles, “I send you forth as sheep among wolves; be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves” Matthew 10:16; and of the first Christians it is said, “they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house did eat their merit with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people” Acts 2:46-47. This is the character of Christians, as such, and it was at first fulfilled; “whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin” 1 John 3:9; “whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not” 1 John 5:18. An Apologist, at the close of the second century, could appeal to the Roman Emperor , that no Christian was found among their criminals, “unless it be only as a Christian, or, if he be anything else, he is immediately no longer a Christian. We alone then are innocent! What wonder if this be so, of necessity? And truly of necessity it is so. Taught innocence by God, we both know it perfectly, as being revealed by a perfect Master; and we keep it faithfully, as being committed to us by an Observer, Who may not be despised.” : “Being so vast a multitude of men, almost the greater portion of every state, we live silently and modestly, known perhaps more as individuals than as a body, and to be known by no other sign than the reformation of our former sins.” Now in the Church, which “our earth dimm’d eyes behold,” we can but say, as in regard to the cessation of war under the Gospel, that God’s promises are sure on His part, that still “they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts,” that the Gospel is “a power of God unto salvation” Romans 1:16, that “the preaching of the Cross is, unto us which are saved, the power of God” 1 Corinthians 1:18; “unto them that are called, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God” 1 Corinthians 1:24; that those who will, “are kept by God through faith unto salvation” 1 Peter 1:5; but that now too “they are not all Israel, which are of Israel” Romans 9:6, and that “the faithlessness of man does not make the faith of God of none effect” Romans 3:3. : “The Church of God is universally holy in respect of all, by institutions and administrations of sanctity; the same Church is really holy in this world, in relation to all godly persons contained in it, by a real infused sanctity; the same is farther yet at the same time perfectly holy in reference to the saints departed and admitted to the presence of God; and the same Church shall hereafter be most completely holy in the world to come, when all the members, actually…
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