© Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2013 DOI: 10.1163/15685330-12341125 Vetus Testamentum 63 (2013) 471-485 brill.com/vt Vetus Testamentum The Roots of Anger: An Economic Perspective on Zephaniah’s Oracle Against the Philistines Eric Lee Welch Pennsylvania State University welch@psu.edu Abstract The superscription of the book of Zephaniah places the composition in the 7th century BCE, dur- ing the reign of King Josiah of Judah. While some scholars support a monarchic date for composi- tion on the grounds of geopolitical details, others have accepted the book as a post-monarchic composition, in which geopolitical details are merely functions of literary techniques. Critical in the discussions of date and historicity are the oracles found in the book’s second chapter. This essay examines the introductory poem found in Zeph 2:4 and argues that the oracle is representa- tive of 7th century Judean sentiments toward the city of Ekron because of a specific pun, which should be read in light of the city’s impressive olive oil industry dating to the 7th century BCE. Keywords Ekron, Zephaniah, economy, olive oil, prophecy Introduction The core of the book of Zephaniah is comprised of a series of oracles against the nations (2:4-15). The first of these oracles is against the Philistines (2:5-7) and is prefaced by a short poem (2:4). Starting at the coast, this introductory poem foretells the abandonment and desolation of the cities of Gaza, Ash- kelon, Ashdod, and Ekron. The subsequent oracle looks forward to a day in which Judah will inhabit these Philistine lands and her fortunes will be restored. Zephaniah’s oracle against the Philistines and the introductory poem have not been neglected by scholarship; the presence of poetic elements as well as the potential historical implications of action against the Philistines have been cause for numerous studies. Building on these studies, this paper explores the vocabulary, form, and wordplay of Zephaniah 2:4, demonstrating that in light of the political and economic circumstances of the 7th century BCE, the poem