“Gather yourselves together”—Therefore, “gather yourselves together”. Since he compared them to scattered straw and chaff carried away by the wind, he advises them to gather themselves together. That is, just as scattered straw is collected into one place, so too they should unite in repentance. “O nation not desired”—that is, a people not pleasing to Hashem. (This corresponds to what is later said: “Seek Hashem, all you humble of the land”; whereas here he speaks of those who are not desired by Hashem.)

“Before”—“Gather yourselves together before the decree gives birth”; that is, gather yourselves together before a decree is born that you become like chaff—something even worse than scattered straw. Take the initiative to unite and gather yourselves together in repentance. Then “the day” of punishment may pass and not come upon you. “Before”—gather yourselves together before the calamity arrives, so that “the burning anger of Hashem may not come upon you.” Even if the day itself comes, the wrath need not come upon you. He adds further: through repentance, “the day of Hashem’s anger” itself may not come upon you at all.

“Seek”—After speaking to the “nation not desired” and to the straw and chaff—that is, the masses—he now says: nevertheless, even if the multitude is unwilling to gather together and repent, “seek [Hashem]”—meaning, at least you, the righteous and humble, should seek Hashem.

“Seek Hashem”—You, “all the humble of the land”—that is, the righteous—“who have carried out His justice”, who have walked in the statutes of Hashem and practiced His ordinances, you should strive to seek Hashem. This is done by “seeking righteousness and humility”—submitting yourselves before God through fasting and prayer, so that even if the burning wrath of Hashem comes upon the “nation not desired,” “perhaps you will be hidden”—you, the righteous—“on the day of Hashem’s anger”, and thus be spared.

“For Gaza”—He explains that the “day of Hashem” will be a comprehensive day of judgment upon all the nations, as it says: “I have cut off nations; their corners are desolate. I said: Surely you will fear Me and accept correction” (below 3:6–7). Therefore, “Gaza”—one of the Philistine cities—“shall be abandoned”, and so too the other nations will be struck.

“Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast”—these are the Philistines, who are called “the nation of the Cherethites” (goy keretim), a term that also alludes linguistically to being cut off (yikaretu). “The word of Hashem is against you”—meaning, Hashem had already spoken against them through Joel, Amos, and Isaiah, who preceded Zephaniah. Now Zephaniah adds: “and I will destroy you from being inhabited”—that is, you will be eradicated from settled habitation.

“And it shall become”—until it becomes “pastures for shepherds”, a place where shepherds will eat their meals.

“And the seacoast shall become”—For the land of the Philistines was part of the territory that fell by lot to the children of Israel in the conquest of Joshua son of Nun. Therefore, it will once again become a territory belonging to Israel, where they will pasture their flocks, and in the evening they will lie down to rest in the houses of Ashkelon. “For Hashem their God will remember them”—that is, He will visit them with favor and they will return in the days of the Second Temple. At that time, the land will once again belong to them as an inheritance.

“I have heard”—Ammon and Moab as well will be punished on account of Israel. Moab reproached Israel, while the children of Ammon reviled their Torah and holiness. He explains: Moab “reproached My people”, whereas the children of Ammon “reviled and magnified themselves against their border”—for they seized portions of Israel’s territory for themselves, as stated in Amos 1:13 and Jeremiah 49. In doing so, they also profaned the sanctity of the land and the holiness of Israel’s religion, as explained in Ezekiel chapter 25.

“Therefore, as I live, Moab shall become like Sodom”—for Moab descended from Lot, who had dwelt in the gate of Sodom. “And the children of Ammon like Gomorrah”—whose destruction was even more severe than that of Sodom, since from Sodom Lot and his two daughters were saved.

“A possession of nettles”—for nettles grow in places of desolation. There they will also dig for salt, just as in the cities of the plain there are sulfur and salt, as it says: “its whole land is brimstone and salt, a burning waste.” “The remnant of My people shall plunder them”—meaning that these lands too will eventually belong to Israel.

“This shall be their lot”—That is, although they were guilty of the three grave sins—idolatry, sexual immorality, and bloodshed—this particular punishment came upon them specifically because “they reproached and magnified themselves against” Israel, as Amos says: “For three transgressions of Moab and for four, I will not revoke it”, and likewise concerning the children of Ammon.

“Awesome”—Then people will fear Hashem, because “He has made lean all the gods of the earth”—that is, they will see that their idols possess no real power or substance. Through this they will come to fear Hashem and “bow down to Him, each from his own place”.

“You Cushites also”—meaning, you as well reproached and reviled Israel. Therefore, “they shall be slain by My sword”—that is, they too will be destroyed by the judgment of Hashem.

“And He will stretch out His hand against the north”—to destroy Assyria, because they had done evil to Israel. “And He will make Nineveh a desolation”—this occurred in the first year of Nebuchadnezzar, when Nineveh was destroyed.

“And herds shall lie down”—Within it, flocks will lie down. Upon the capitals of the houses (“the knobs” or upper structures), pelicans and hedgehogs will lodge. Singing birds will make their songs in the windows, and desolation will dwell upon the thresholds of the houses, for the cedar beams will be exposed because of the great ruin and abandonment.

“This”—The sense of the verse is: “Everyone who passes by her shall hiss and wave his hand”, and say: “Is this the joyous city”—etc.? How has she become a desolation!