John Trapp on Zephaniah 3:6

Verſe 6. I have cut off the nations] And hang'd them up in gibbets, as it were, before your eyes, for your admonition, ut ruina majorum ſit cautela minorum, Greg. Mor. that their deſtruction might be your inſtruction: that ſeeing your neighbours houſe on fire, you might look to you own: that obſerving other to ſuffer ſhip-wrack, you might ſee to yor tackling. This is the uſe God expects we ſhould make of his judgements upon others, Luke 13.3, 5. and 17.26, 29. Matt. 12.13, 41.42. 1 Cor. 10.1, 2, &c. and ſurely he de[illegible: 1 letter]erveth to be made an example, that will not take example by others.

their towers are deſolate] Or, their corners, ſc. of their munitions, whereon towers were ſet. Or their extremities, q. d. I have over-turned them from one end to another. Druſius and Ribera interpreteth it of their Princes. See the Note on chap. 1.16.

I made their ſtreets waſt, &c.] See chap. 2. verſ. 5, 6, 14, 15. To the end, that when my judgements were thus on the earth, the inhabitants of the world (but eſpecially of the Church) might learn righteouſneſſe, Eſay 26.9. that the righteous ſeeing the vengeance, might waſh his feet in the blood of the wicked, Pſal. 59.10. taking warning by his harmes. Obſerve here by the way, what great account God makes of his people, ſith for their inſtance and inſtruction, hee thus waſteth the wicked: like as the Perſian kings, when their ſonnes had committed a fault, made their ſervants to be beaten before them.