en_tn/zep/01/02.md

General Information:

Zephaniah writes in poetry from this verse until the end of the book. Parallelism is common in Hebrew poetry. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/writing-poetry and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parallelism)

I will utterly destroy everything from off the surface of the earth

The words "everything" and "will cut off man" are deliberate exaggerations by Yahweh to express his anger at the people's sin. Yahweh will destroy neither sinners who repent nor all living things. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-hyperbole)

destroy everything from off the surface of the earth

"destroy everything that is on the entire earth"

this is Yahweh's declaration

Yahweh speaks of himself by name to express the certainty of what he is declaring. Alternate translation: "this is what Yahweh has declared" or "this is what I, Yahweh, have declared" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-123person)