These two verses go closely together. The first is a general statement of judgment, and the second is an expansion of it which gives specific details of the form that the judgment will take. The words used echo the flood story of Genesis (see Gen 6.7; 7.4, 21-23; and compare also Hos 4.3; Ezek 38.19-20).
The words translated utterly sweep away in Revised Standard Version are not figurative in Hebrew. However, sweep away is a figure of speech that sounds very natural in English. The same phrase occurs in Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, and New International Version, and New English Bible is also similar. Such a figurative term adds vividness to the effect, and if translators have some such term which is natural in their own language, this will be a good place to use it. In Hebrew the verb root is repeated to intensify the meaning, and this is why Revised Standard Version inserts utterly. Good News Translation has no equivalent to this, but in some languages it may be good to say “I will completely sweep away (or, destroy)….” If some figurative word other than sweep is more natural, such as perhaps “eat up” or “wipe out” (compare verse 18), then this will be the better term to choose. Good News Translation expresses the meaning in nonfigurative language as “destroy.” In some languages one may say “kill.” Although God is the one initiating the “destroying,” or “killing,” others actually carry out the action. Therefore in many other languages it will be helpful to say “I will cause every living creature to die.”
The face of the earth means simply “the earth,” which here refers to the whole world, not just the land of Judah.
In Hebrew each verse ends with the words translated says the LORD in Revised Standard Version. Good News Translation changes the order so as to put “The LORD said” at the beginning of verse 2, and thus it makes the speaker explicit right from the start. The phrase at the end of verse 3 which is identical in Hebrew becomes in Good News Translation “I, the LORD, have spoken.” This is more appropriate in English, both to avoid dull repetition and to mark the close of this subsection. Some languages normally mark the end of a speech in a way similar to that of Hebrew; for example, “I, the LORD, say it like this.”
The general word everything in verse 2 clearly does not refer to inanimate things, but only to living beings. Verse 3 gives more detail with four categories of creature, man and beast … the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. The words of the air and of the sea are standard forms of expression in Hebrew which go with birds and fish respectively. They add nothing to the meaning and need not be translated if they sound unnatural. Good News Translation omits them and says only “human beings and animals, birds and fish.” In some languages it will be helpful to say “all living things on earth.”
As the footnote shows, the translation I will overthrow is based on a slight change in the traditional Hebrew text. This change is accepted by most modern translators into English and underlies the English of Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New English Bible, and Good News Translation. The Hebrew text as it stands is translated in New International Version “The wicked will have only heaps of rubble,” but a footnote in that version admits that the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain. It is better for translators to accept the change in the text and translate as do Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation.
The point being made here is that it is the deeds of the wicked which are the basic reason for the LORD to judge and punish the world. I will overthrow the wicked will be rendered in many languages as “I will cause the wicked to be completely defeated,” or in some languages which do not favor the passive, the following is possible: “I will cause people to overthrow (or, conquer) those who do evil.” The mention of the wicked is the central point and climax of the verse, and the last part of the verse, I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth, repeats and summarizes what was said in verse 2 and the opening part of verse 3. The wicked may also be rendered as “the bad people,” “the people who are evil,” or “people who do evil things.”
The verb cut off is a dead metaphor in Hebrew, that is, a metaphor which is so common that it has virtually ceased to be recognized as figurative. So Good News Translation translates in nonfigurative language as “destroy” (compare Nahum 1.15; 2.13; 3.15). If the verb cut off is used figuratively with the right meaning in the translator’s language, then it can be kept here, but if not, then it will be better to translate the nonfigurative meaning as Good News Translation does.
From the face of the earth is repeated from verse 2. Here it has been translated in Good News Translation as “no survivors will be left”; this may also be expressed as “no one will be left alive” or “I will not let anyone stay alive anywhere on the earth.”
An alternative translation model for this final sentence is:
• I will cause people to conquer those who do evil. I will wipe out everyone, so that no one will be left alive anywhere in the world. I, who am the LORD, say this.
Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on the Book of Zephaniah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1989. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .