{"id":78928,"date":"2020-08-17T18:25:23","date_gmt":"2020-08-17T15:25:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=78928"},"modified":"2020-08-17T18:25:23","modified_gmt":"2020-08-17T15:25:23","slug":"a-pure-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/a-pure-language\/","title":{"rendered":"A Pure Language"},"content":{"rendered":"
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After a devastating condemnation of the nations and of Judah and Jerusalem, Zephaniah turns, in the middle of chapter 3, to a vision of an ideal future:<\/span><\/p>\n

For then I will convert the peoples to a pure language, so that they all call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one accord. (3:9)<\/span><\/p>\n

This vision is a reversal of the Tower of Babel story. There, all of the peoples of the earth \u201cwere of one language and one speech.\u201d (Genesis 11:1) They gather together and make a plan to build a city and a tower whose top would reach the heavens. They hope to make for themselves \u201ca name, lest we be scattered over the face of all the earth.\u201d (Genesis 11:4) Seeing this plan coming to fruition, God comes down and confuses their speech, scattering them, just as they had feared, over the face of all the earth. The place where they had gathered receives the name Babel, memorializing the confusion (<\/span>b-l-l<\/span><\/em>) of language that took place there (Genesis 11:5-9).<\/span><\/p>\n

Zephaniah imagines a time when this primeval story will be inverted. God will gather the people together (3:8; note \u201cmy scattered ones\u201d in 3:10) and make them pure of speech \u2013 the word \u201cpure\u201d (<\/span>b-r-r<\/span><\/em>) echoes the word \u201cconfused\u201d (<\/span>b-l-l<\/span><\/em>) in the Babel story. The people will no longer unite for their own aggrandizement, but rather will serve the Lord \u201cwith one accord.\u201d Instead of aspiring to make a name for themselves, they will call upon \u201cthe name of the Lord.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The name Babel evokes the confusion of language that God imposes on the tower builders, but it also suggests God\u2019s dominion. Bab-El means the gate of God. The nations gather together in an attempt to reach the heavens, but God demonstrates the impossibility of doing so. Human beings will not be allowed to breach the boundary between human and divine. Babel is the gate to God\u2019s realm, and the human beings are scattered over the face of the earth instead of being able to work together to breach God\u2019s domain.<\/span><\/p>\n

In Zephaniah\u2019s vision of the future, humanity comes together to recognize God\u2019s dominion. The prophet continues by turning to Israel, again inverting the story of the tower builders: \u201cFor then I will remove the proud and exultant within you, and you will be haughty (literally, \u201chigh\u201d) no more on my holy mountain.\u201d (3:11) In place of those who try to build themselves up and make themselves a name, God will leave \u201ca poor and humble people, and they shall find refuge in the name of the Lord.\u201d (3:12) And this people will have a new kind of speech: \u201cThe remnant of Israel shall not do wrong and shall not speak falsehood.\u201d (3:13)<\/span><\/p>\n

Recognition of God\u2019s dominion, then, means speaking truth and acting justly. Zephaniah offers us a vision of uniting in common purpose, knowing that we live in God\u2019s world and humbly seeking to glorify God through our speech and our actions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Image: Lucas van Valckenborch: The Tower of Babel, 1595 \/ wikipedia<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":78929,"id":78929,"title":"zepg3-Valckenborch_tower-babel","filename":"zepg3-Valckenborch_tower-babel.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/zepg3-Valckenborch_tower-babel.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/a-pure-language\/zepg3-valckenborch_tower-babel\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"zepg3-valckenborch_tower-babel","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":78928,"date":"2020-08-17 15:24:37","modified":"2020-08-17 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