Zeph 2:3 “Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, who have carried out his judgment.” In Hebrew, instead of “because,” it reads “who.” That is, you meek ones, who have executed the divine judgment, that is, the divine precepts; for “judgment” is used for “judgments” or ordinances. You therefore, who are such, seek the Lord. He urges the meek to seek the Lord.
Indeed, although it has been proclaimed by the divine word, “Seek and you shall find,” nevertheless many seek and do not find, and many ask and do not receive, as James recalls in chapter 4. For God must be sought in the manner in which each person seeks what is most necessary to him. Whoever is such seeks with the greatest diligence. Therefore God must be sought earnestly and not carelessly, as many seek. Truly all men seek eternal life, but few are those who find it, because they seek it badly. For some seek it under their unbelief and paganism; others seek it under their heresy, as do the followers of Luther; others again, while observing the Catholic faith, seek it while remaining in their sins. And all these are unable to find it, because they seek badly.
Indeed, a man would be foolish who, digging in the earth, sought fish, since the earth does not produce fish; therefore he seeks badly, because he does not seek in the proper place. And likewise one who sought fish in the sea but without sufficient nets and suitable seines. For although he seeks fish in their proper place, nevertheless he does not seek them with the appropriate means. In the same way, almost all unbelievers and heretics who seek eternal life within their unbelief are exceedingly foolish, because unbelief or heresy cannot produce life but eternal death. But the faithful who seek within their faith do indeed seek in the proper place; yet if they lack holy works, even though they seek eternal life in the proper place—for “faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11)—nevertheless, because they do not use the nets of holy works, they are unable to find such eternal life.
Therefore the prophet now says: “Seek the Lord, you meek of the earth, who carry out his precepts.” These, indeed, will find what they seek. Hence the Lord says: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth.” Which earth, I ask? Surely not this visible one, for Christ does not declare earthly possessors blessed, and indeed the word of Christ always tends toward heavenly things. Therefore, when he says “they shall possess the earth,” the earth of the living must be understood. For many meek people do not possess this earth which we tread underfoot, and many who are not meek do possess it. Although there is also this sense: to possess oneself is a kind of possession, and this belongs to the meek, since, having learned to restrain their anger and to curb their passions, they do not exceed the limits of reason, but, remaining within them, are angry when it is fitting, and in the manner in which it is fitting, and no more than is fitting.
Thus the prophet exhorts the meek to seek God. For James says in chapter 1: “Receive with meekness the implanted word.” And Paul says (1 Corinthians 11): “If anyone wishes to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor has the Church of God.”
Moreover, Scripture calls those meek who are obedient to God, as the prophet now says, because they carry out the judgment of God. For Scripture does not speak of meekness so narrowly as the philosophers do, who said that meekness is a virtue opposed to the irascible passion, that is, ordered to restraining irrational anger; but it extends more broadly, as the prophet here suggests, namely to signify those who obey God. For such people not only restrain irrational anger, but also other evil passions. I say “irrational anger,” because meekness restrains irrational anger, but does not restrain rational anger; rather, it admits it, as is taught in the Ethics (Book IV), where it is handed down that the meek person becomes angry at the things at which one ought to be angry, and toward whom one ought, and as one ought, and when one ought, and for as long as one ought. To this is opposed irascibility by excess, and by defect the absence of anger (Ethics II, chs. 7, 4, and 5).
But, as I said, meekness is more broadly understood in Sacred Scripture, namely as signifying humility of soul and obedience to God: “The prayer of the humble and the meek has pleased you” (Judith 9); and in Psalm 149: “The Lord will exalt the meek unto salvation.”
But someone might say: since the prophet has just exhorted the wicked to repentance, for what reason does he now turn his speech to the meek, that they should seek the Lord? Clearly, so that they may seek him by entreating prayers, imploring his mercy on behalf of sinners, whom he had just admonished to repent of their crimes.
“Seek justice, seek meekness, if perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the fury of the Lord.” Without doubt, whoever has carried out true repentance will be protected by God and will not be harmed by the wrath of God. But the fact that he seems now to introduce doubt arises because there is uncertainty on the part of our free will, which, since it is changeable toward good and evil, after repentance has been performed can turn back again to the sins it had vomited forth; therefore he says, “if perhaps.” Likewise, because one may perform repentance not truly but falsely. Another reading has “if perchance,” and the sense is the same. Hence Peter said to Simon Magus: “Repent of this your wickedness and pray to God, if perhaps this thought of your heart may be forgiven you” (Acts 8).
Zeph 3:12 “And I will leave in your midst a poor and needy people, and they shall hope in the name of the Lord.” Indeed, when the Gospel had been proclaimed in Jerusalem, there was the primitive Church, which consisted of poor Apostles and other disciples of the Lord, who possessed nothing of their own, but referred everything to the common use of all the faithful. For they sold their possessions and laid the proceeds at the feet of the Apostles (Acts 4); therefore they were needy, having nothing as private property. And Paul sent alms to them from what was offered to him by other nations (Romans 15).
Zeph 3:13 “The remnant of Israel shall not commit iniquity, nor speak lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.” By these “remnants” he understands the Apostles and the disciples of the Lord, because out of the numerous Jewish people only they believed in Christ; and also the Catholic Church, which adheres to Apostolic doctrine. “They shall not commit iniquity,” because the Apostles were most holy, and God chose the Church as one having neither spot nor wrinkle. Therefore the Church is like a flock which is fed on the words of the Gospel and also nourished by the heavenly, eucharistic bread. “And they shall lie down,” that is, they shall rest in the hope of eternal goods, “and none shall make them afraid.” Indeed, there were many who tried to terrify the Apostles and other faithful—namely the holy martyrs—by threats of death and torments; but they, endowed with divine strength, disregarded the threats of rulers. Hence the Apostles, laying aside all fear, proclaimed the Gospel of Christ in the streets of Jerusalem. And not only did they not fear blows and insults, but they even rejoiced in them, as the Acts of the Apostles bears witness: “The Apostles went away rejoicing from the presence of the council, because they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus,” as Luke says. The same we read of the holy martyrs, that they most willingly underwent torments and met death. Hence the Church sings: “These are the triumphant ones, the friends of God, who, despising the commands of rulers, are now crowned,” and so forth. Indeed, they were so far from being deterred that they bore most bitter deaths fearlessly, so that Paul dared to say that they were made a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. For all who beheld the constancy of the holy Apostles and martyrs were themselves struck with awe by such a spectacle.
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