The verse opens by giving the reason for the people of Jerusalem to take courage. The language is similar to that of verse 15: The LORD, your God, is in your midst. For other ways of expressing this, see the comments on verse 15.
The next phrase pictures the effect of the LORD’s presence with his people in terms of battle: he is a warrior who gives victory. In verse 15 the description of the LORD as a king spoke of how he would defend his people. Here the picture is one of attack rather than defense, and Good News Translation gives the meaning without picture language as “his power gives you victory.” The word translated warrior is used of human warriors, such as David’s “mighty men” (2 Sam 23.8), and is also used elsewhere to describe the LORD’s help to his people (Isa 42.13; Jer 20.11). In languages where it may sound strange to use such a term to speak about God, it may be better to follow the example of Good News Translation and use plain language. It is also possible to restructure the clause slightly and say “you will be victorious through his power” or “you will overcome through his power.”
The rest of the verse speaks of the LORD’s attitude toward his people. The first clause states that he will rejoice over you with gladness. This is somewhat repetitive, and Good News Translation expresses its meaning more simply with “The LORD will take delight in you.” The clause “take delight in you” is difficult to translate in many languages. Perhaps one can say “He will be very happy with you.”
The second clause says in Hebrew “he will be silent in his love” (Revised Version margin; compare Hebrew Old Testament Text Project). Various attempts have been made to find a meaning for this, but none are convincing, and the mention of silence here clashes with the loud singing in the next clause (compare “Sing aloud … shout” in verse 14). Accordingly most modern translations follow the ancient Septuagint and Syriac versions and translate as he will renew you in his love or something very similar. Good News Translation accepts this and expresses the meaning more fully as “in his love he will give you new life.” Some commentators see in these two clauses a picture of a bridegroom rejoicing in his bride (Eaton, Murphy). Such a picture of the relationship between the LORD and his people is found elsewhere in scripture (compare Isa 62.5; 2 Cor 11.2; Rev 21.2), and it will not be out of place here to use in translation terms which may have sexual overtones. In many languages in his love may be expressed as “because he loves you.”
He will exult over you with loud singing: the last clause of verse 17 repeats and summarizes the main point of the message which began in verse 16. The term translated loud singing is a form of the same root which was translated “Sing aloud” in verse 14. Its recurrence here may serve to mark verses 14-17 as a unit in the Hebrew text. Good News Translation repeats the word “sing” from verse 14 and translates the whole clause “He will sing and be joyful over you.” Another possible rendering is “You will make his heart full of joy, and he will sing loudly.” Certain languages have special words for the joy that parents, relatives, or lovers have for the object of their love. Such a word should be used for “joy” here.
Most modern translations follow the Septuagint and take the first phrase of verse 18 with verse 17 as the concluding words of the message begun in verse 16 (Revised Standard Version, Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New English Bible, Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Except for New English Bible, they also follow the text of the Greek and Syriac versions and translate as on a day of festival (Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible) or something similar. Good News Translation makes explicit both the participants and the ground of comparison with a festival by saying “as joyful as people at a festival.” An alternative translation model is “as people are full of joy (or, have joyful hearts) when celebrating a festival.”
Those translations which do not take the first phrase of verse 18 with verse 17 still differ in their handling of it. King James Version and Revised Version understand the Hebrew words to mean “them that sorrow for the solemn assembly” (Revised Version) and take them as the object of the verb that follows in the next line in Hebrew, “I will gather.” The whole clause “I will gather them that sorrow for the solemn assembly” appears to be interpreted as a promise that the LORD will bring back to Jerusalem those people who were in exile—those who were thus sorrowing because they could no longer take part in the religious festivals of Judah. This interpretation is also found in Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch and in the New International Version footnote. The word translated “sorrow” in Revised Version can also be translated “are removed from” (Revised Version margin, and apparently Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), but this translation seems to offer the same overall interpretation as the previous one—a promise of restoration from exile.
A bigger difference of meaning appears if the word “gather” is understood in the sense of “gather together for removal” (as one might gather weeds) rather than “gather things (or, people) that have been (unfortunately) scattered.” This is the understanding of New International Version, which translates “The sorrows for the appointed feasts I will remove from you.”
The words that follow the verb translated “gather” also present difficulties. As they stand they mean “who were of thee” (Revised Version) and seem to refer to the people sorrowing in exile. The word translated “of thee” in Revised Version can mean “from thee” and is taken in this way by Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, with the sense “far from you,” referring again to the people who were in exile far away in Jerusalem. New International Version takes the word “from you” with the preceding verb “remove,” and understands the verb “were” to go with the last part of the sentence.
The other modern versions, those which followed the Septuagint by taking the first two words of verse 18 with verse 17, also follow it in reading disaster or something similar in meaning instead of the verb “they were.” They then take this word with the verb “gather” (understood in the sense of “gather for removal”) and translate as I will remove disaster from you (Revised Standard Version; compare New American Bible) or “I have taken away your misfortune” (Jerusalem Bible). Good News Translation adopts this understanding but surprisingly expresses it in rather high-level language as “I have ended the threat of doom.” In many languages this clause may be rendered as “I will not let you be harmed again.” Note that Good News Translation has also made it explicit that with these words there begins a new speech by the LORD. In the Hebrew the speaker is not stated until the end of verse 20, but to avoid confusion Good News Translation introduces the speech with the words “The LORD says” here in verse 18.
The final clause of the verse, which consists of three words in Hebrew, has also been understood in different ways. King James Version translates “to whom the reproach of it was a burden.” Revised Version reverses the subject and complement and so translates “to whom the burden upon her was a reproach.” In both versions the words “to whom” are printed in italics, indicating that they are not found in the Hebrew. The meaning of King James Version and Revised Version seems to be that the burden of having her children in exile was a reproach to the city of Jerusalem.
Some modern scholars wish to follow the ancient Syriac translation and read “upon you” for the “upon her” of Revised Version. New International Version appears to do this in rendering “they are a burden and a reproach to you,” with an alternative in a footnote, “your reproach is a burden to you.”
A number of modern versions take the word translated “burden” in King James Version, Revised Version and New International Version as a verb rather than a noun, having the meaning of “bear.” Thus Revised Standard Version renders so that you will not bear reproach for it, and Jerusalem Bible “no longer need you bear the disgrace of it.” Good News Translation follows this interpretation but expresses it in a form that fits the syntax of the previous clause: “I have … taken away your disgrace.” “Your disgrace” may be expressed as “your great shame” or “your humiliation.” The whole sentence may be restructured as “and will not let you be ashamed any more,” or more idiomatically in certain languages, “and will not let you lose face again.”
Such are the difficulties in this verse that the Good News Translation footnote “Verse 18 in Hebrew is unclear” can only be described as a masterpiece of understatement. However, despite the problems of detail, it is still evident that the verse is, in its main thrust, appropriate to its context, and is a continuation of the theme of promise and encouragement. It is impossible to give firm advice about the best understanding of this verse, but since Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation are similar in their approach, translators may as well follow them. An alternative way of expressing the verse is “The LORD says, ‘I will take away your troubles, and no one will reproach (or, scorn) you again because of them.’ ” An interpretation of verse 18 different from that of Revised Standard Version or Good News Translation may be found in Hebrew Old Testament Text Project. However, this interpretation is not represented in any modern English translation and does not fit the context very readily, so it must be viewed with some reserve.
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 .