Book Of Zephaniah

Holman Bible Dictionary

The Prophet Zephaniah The first verse tells all we really know about the prophet. His ancestry is traced back four generations to a man named Hezekiah. Some scholars think Hezekiah was the king of Judah by that name who reigned in the late eighth century during the ministry of Isaiah ( 2 Kings 18-20 ). If so, Zephaniah would have belonged to the royal line. That would perhaps explain why he did not condemn the king in  Zephaniah 1:8;  Zephaniah 3:3-5 , where he blames most of Judah's upper classes for their sins. Other scholars note that the name Hezekiah was quite common and that the ancestor is not identified as king. Further, Zephaniah's father was named Cushi, which could mean “Cushite” or “Ethiopian.” They suggest that Zephaniah's ancestry was traced four generations to demonstrate that he was indeed Israelite.

The Date of Zephaniah According to  Zephaniah 1:1 Zephaniah's ministry occurred during the reign of Josiah (640-609 B.C.). Most scholars date the book in 630 or between 630,621. In 621King Josiah instituted a sweeping reformation of worship in Judah (see   2 Kings 22:3-23:25 ), which officially abolished the worship of Baal and the stars mentioned in  Zephaniah 1:4-6 . Jeremiah also condemned those practices ( Jeremiah 2:20-28;  Jeremiah 8:1-3 ).  Jeremiah 26:1 shows that the practices flourished again as early as the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim (609 B.C.); it might be the case that such worship continued secretly between 621,609. If that were so, Zephaniah might have prophesied during those years. In short, it is a good guess that he preached between 630,621, but he might have flourished anytime during the reign of Josiah.

Contents of the Book Zephaniah looked toward a future punishment. In  Zephaniah 1:2-6 he predicted punishment upon the whole world, including Jerusalem.   Zephaniah 1:17-18 depict the inability of sinful humanity to escape God's punishment. The intervening verses further describe the punishment as the Day of the Lord, the   Zephaniah 1:14-16 describe the time of God's approaching wrath. Punishment would come upon the nobles at the king's court, those who gained materially through violence, the merchants, and those who denied the power of God to reward good or punish evil.

The second chapter contains a series of threats against the Philistines ( Zephaniah 2:4-7 ), the Moabites and Ammonites ( Zephaniah 2:8-11 ), the Ethiopians ( Zephaniah 2:12 ), and the Assyrians ( Zephaniah 2:13-15 ). Zephaniah called all nations to repent and become righteous and meek. Zephaniah would not presume on God's grace by promising forgiveness, but he counseled turning to righteousness and meekness as the means for possibly avoiding punishment on the Day of the Lord.

The third chapter is marked by a change in perspective between versus 7,8. The first seven verses pronounce a woe upon Jerusalem for oppression within her walls. Her princes preyed like lions upon their people; her prophets committed treachery, and her priests polluted the Temple. God indicted the people not only for their sins, but also for their failure to receive instruction from his dealings with other nations.

Beginning with  Zephaniah 3:8 , however, the tone is quite positive toward Israel. Many scholars think part or all of  Zephaniah 3:8-20 was appended to the book by a later author. Whether written by Zephaniah or a later prophet, the verses complete the message of   Zephaniah 3:1 .  Zephaniah 3:8 and   Zephaniah 3:14 admonish the people to wait for God to act and to rejoice for what He will do, respectively.   Zephaniah 3:8-13 promise that God will punish the nations and convert them from idolatry. What is more, He promises to remove the haughty from Mount Zion, leaving behind a meek and humble people.   Zephaniah 3:14-20 predict the cessation of punishment and oppression and the return of exiles. God Himself is called the king of Israel (  Zephaniah 3:15 ). His presence alleviates any reason to fear the nations. God will punish the oppressors and bring home the exiles. Thus the book ends with a message of hope, based on God's mercy.

Outline

I. Identification of the Messenger of God's Word ( Zephaniah 1:1 )

II. God's Warning of Worldwide Judgment ( Zephaniah 1:2-3:8 )

A. God's day of judgment is coming ( Zephaniah 1:2-2:3 ).

1. His judgment will include all mankind ( Zephaniah 1:2-3 ).

2. His judgment will include His own sinful people who forsake Him ( Zephaniah 1:4-6 ).

3. The day of the Lord calls for awesome silence in the face of God's judgment ( Zephaniah 1:7-11 ).

4. God's skeptics will see Him in action on His day ( Zephaniah 1:12-13 ).

5. God's wrath will be poured out against sin on that day ( Zephaniah 1:14-17 ).

6. Wealth is good for nothing on His day ( Zephaniah 1:18 ).

7. God calls His humble people to seek Him before it is too late ( Zephaniah 2:1-3 ).

B. God's judgment will subject His enemies and bless the remnant of His people ( Zephaniah 2:4-15 ).

C. God's righteous justice will be impartial ( Zephaniah 3:1-8 ).

III. God Promises to Form a New People ( Zephaniah 3:9-20 ).

A. The nations will call on God ( Zephaniah 3:9-10 ).

B. A purified remnant will worship Him in humility and with joy ( Zephaniah 3:11-13 ).

C. God will reign as King to remove His people's fears ( Zephaniah 3:14-17 ).

D. His oppressed people will be exalted ( Zephaniah 3:18-20 ).

Paul L. Redditt

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

I. The Author

1. Name

2. Ancestry

3. Life

II. Time

1. Date

2. Political Situation

3. Moral and Religious Conditions

III. Book

1. Contents

2. Integrity

IV. Teaching

1. The Day of Yahweh

2. Universalism

3. Messianic Prophecy

Literature

I. The Author.

1. Name:

The name "Zephaniah" ( צפניה , cephanyāh  ; Σοφονίας , Sophonı́as ), which is borne by three other men mentioned in the Old Testament, means "Yah hides," or "Yah has hidden" or "treasured." "It suggests," says G. A. Smith, "the prophet's birth in the killing time of Manasseh" (  2 Kings 21:16 ).

2. Ancestry:

The ancestry of the prophet is carried back four generations ( Zephaniah 1:1 ), which is unusual in the Old Testament (compare  Isaiah 1:1;  Hosea 1:1 ); hence, it is thought, not without reason (Eiselen, Minor Prophets , 505), that the last-mentioned ancestor, Hezekiah, must have been a prominent man - indeed, no other than King Hezekiah of Judah, the contemporary of Isaiah and Micah. If Zephaniah was of royal blood, his condemnation of the royal princes ( Zephaniah 1:8 ) becomes of great interest. In a similar manner did Isaiah, who in all probability was of royal blood, condemn without hesitation the shortcomings and vices of the rulers and the court. An ancient tradition declares that Zephaniah was of the tribe of Simeon, which would make it impossible for him to be of royal blood; but the origin and value of this tradition are uncertain.

Zephaniah lived in Judah; that he lived in Jerusalem is made probable by the statement in  Zephaniah 1:4 , "I will cut off ... from this place," as well as by his intimate knowledge of the topography of the city (  Zephaniah 1:10 ,  Zephaniah 1:11 ).

3. Life:

For how long he continued his prophetic activity we do not know, but it is not improbable that, as in the case of Amos, his public activity was short, and that, after delivering his message of judgment in connection with a great political crisis, he retired to private life, though his interest in reforms may have continued ( 2 Kings 23:2 ).

II. Time.

1. Date:

The title ( Zephaniah 1:1 ) places the prophetic activity of Zephaniah somewhere within the reign of Josiah, that is, between 639 and 608 BC. Most scholars accept this statement as historically correct. The most important exception is E. Koenig (Einl, 252 ff), who places it in the decade following the death of Josiah. Koenig's arguments are altogether inconclusive, while all the internal evidence points toward the reign of Josiah as the period of Zephaniah's activity. Can the ministry of the prophet be more definitely located within the 31 years of Josiah? The latter's reign falls naturally into two parts, separated by the great reform of 621. Does the work of Zephaniah belong to the earlier or the later period?

The more important arguments in favor of the later period are: ( a )   Deuteronomy 28:29 ,  Deuteronomy 28:30 is quoted in   Zephaniah 1:13 ,  Zephaniah 1:15 ,  Zephaniah 1:17 , in a manner which shows that the former book was well known, but according to the modern view, the Deuteronomic Code was not known until 621, because it was lost ( 2 Kings 22:8 ). ( b ) The " remnant of Baal" (  Zephaniah 1:4 ) points to a period when much of the Baal-worship had been removed, which means subsequent to 621. ( c ) The condemnation of the "king's sons" ( Zephaniah 1:8 ) presupposes that at the time of the utterance they had reached the age of moral responsibility; this again points to the later period. These arguments are inconclusive: ( a ) The resemblances between Deuteronomy and Zephaniah are of such a general character that dependence of either passage on the other is improbable. ( b ) The expression in  Zephaniah 1:4 bears an interpretation which made its use quite appropriate before 621 (Eiselen, Minor Prophets , 508). ( c ) "King's sons" may be equivalent to "royal princes," referring not to Josiah's children at all. The last two objections lose all force if the Septuagint readings are accepted ( Zephaniah 1:4 , "names of Baal";  Zephaniah 1:8 , " house of the king").

On the other hand, there are several considerations pointing to the earlier date: ( a ) The youth of the king would make it easy for the royal princes to go to the excesses condemned in   Zephaniah 1:8 ,  Zephaniah 1:9 . ( b ) The idolatrous practices condemned by Zephaniah ( Zephaniah 1:3-5 ) are precisely those abolished in 621. ( c ) The temper described in  Zephaniah 1:12 is explicable before 621 and after the death of Josiah in 608, but not between 621 and 608, when religious enthusiasm was widespread. ( d ) Only the earlier part of Josiah's reign furnishes a suitable occasion for the prophecy. Evidently at the time of its delivery an enemy was threatening the borders of Judah and of the surrounding nations. But the only foes of Judah during the latter part of the 7th century meeting all the conditions are the Scythians, who swept over Western Asia about 625 BC. At the time the prophecy was delivered their advance against Egypt seems to have been still in the future, but imminent ( Zephaniah 1:14 ); hence, the prophet's activity may be placed between 630 and 625, perhaps in 626. If this date is correct, Zephaniah and Jeremiah began their ministries in the same year.

2. Political Situation:

Little can be said about the political conditions in Judah during the reign of Josiah, because the Biblical books are silent concerning them. Josiah seems to have remained loyal to his Assyrian lord to the very end, even when the latter's prestige had begun to wane, and this loyalty cost him his life ( 2 Kings 23:29 ). As already suggested, the advance of the Scythians furnished the occasion of the prophecy. Many questions concerning these Scythians remain still unanswered, but this much is clear, that they _ were a non-Semitic race of barbarians, which swept in great hordes over Western Asia during the 7th century Bc (see Scythians ). The prophet looked upon the Scythians as the executioners of the divine judgment upon his sinful countrymen and upon the surrounding nations; and he saw in the coming of the mysterious host the harbinger of the day of Yahweh.

3. Moral and Religious Conditions:

The Book of Zephaniah, the early discourses of Jeremiah, and  2 Kings 21 through 23 furnish a vivid picture of the social, moral, and religious conditions in Judah at the time Zephaniah prophesied. Social injustice and moral corruption were widespread (  Zephaniah 3:1 ,  Zephaniah 3:3 ,  Zephaniah 3:7 ). Luxury and extravagance might be seen on every hand; fortunes were heaped up by oppressing the poor ( Zephaniah 1:8 ,  Zephaniah 1:9 ). The religious situation was equally bad. The reaction under Manasseh came near making an end of Yahweh-worship (2 Ki 21). Amon followed in the footsteps of his father, and the outlook was exceedingly dark when Josiah came to the throne. Fortunately the young king came under prophetic influence from the beginning, and soon undertook a religious reform, which reached its culmination in the 18th year of his reign. When Zephaniah preached, this reform was still in the future. The Baalim were still worshipped, and the high places were flourishing ( Zephaniah 1:4 ); the hosts of heaven were adored upon the housetops ( Zephaniah 1:5 ); a half-hearted Yahweh-worship, which in reality was idolatry, was widespread ( Zephaniah 1:5 ); great multitudes had turned entirely from following Yahweh ( Zephaniah 1:6 ). When the cruel Manasseh was allowed to sit undisturbed upon the throne for more than 50 years, many grew skeptical and questioned whether Yahweh was taking any interest in the affairs of the nation; they began to say in their hearts, "Yahweh will not do good, neither will he do evil" ( Zephaniah 1:12 ). Conditions could hardly be otherwise, when the religious leaders had become misleaders ( Zephaniah 3:4 ). The few who, amid the general corruption, remained faithful would be insufficient to avert the awful judgment upon the nation, though they themselves might be "hid in the day of Yahweh's anger" ( Zephaniah 2:3 ).

III. Book.

1. Contents:

The Book of Zephaniah falls naturally into two parts of unequal length. The first part (1:2 through 3:8) contains, almost exclusively, denunciations and threats; the second ( Zephaniah 3:9-20 ), a promise of salvation and glorification. The prophecy opens with the announcement of a world judgment ( Zephaniah 1:2 ,  Zephaniah 1:3 ), which will be particularly severe upon Judah and Jerusalem, because of idolatry ( Zephaniah 1:4-6 ). The ungodly nobles will suffer most, because they are the leaders in crime ( Zephaniah 1:8 ,  Zephaniah 1:9 ). The judgment is imminent ( Zephaniah 1:7 ); when it arrives there will be wailing on every hand ( Zephaniah 1:10 ,  Zephaniah 1:11 ). No one will escape, even the indifferent skeptics will be aroused ( Zephaniah 1:12 ,  Zephaniah 1:13 ). In the closing verses of chapter 1, the imminence and terribleness of the day of Yahweh are emphasized, from which there can be no escape, because Yahweh has determined to make a "terrible end of all them that dwell in the land" ( Zephaniah 1:14-18 ). A way of escape is offered to the meek; if they seek Yahweh, they may be "hid in the day of Yahweh" ( Zephaniah 2:1-3 ).  Zephaniah 2:4-15 contains threats upon 5 nations, Philistia (  Zephaniah 2:4-7 ), Moab and Ammon ( Zephaniah 2:8-11 ), Ethiopia ( Zephaniah 2:12 ), Assyria ( Zephaniah 2:13-15 ). In  Zephaniah 3:1 the prophet turns once more to Jerusalem. Leaders, both civil and religious, and people are hopelessly corrupt (  Zephaniah 3:1-4 ), and continue so in spite of Yahweh's many attempts to win the city back to purity ( Zephaniah 3:5-7 ); hence, the judgment which will involve all nations has become inevitable ( Zephaniah 3:8 ). A remnant of the nations and of Judah will escape and find rest and peace in Yahweh ( Zephaniah 3:9-13 ). The closing section ( Zephaniah 3:14-20 ) pictures the joy and exaltation of the redeemed daughter of Zion.

2. Integrity:

The authenticity of every verse in  Zephaniah 2:1-15 and 3, and of several verses in chapter 1, has been questioned by one or more scholars, but the passages rejected or questioned with greatest persistency are   Zephaniah 2:1-3 ,  Zephaniah 2:4-15 (especially   Zephaniah 2:8-11 );  Zephaniah 3:9 ,  Zephaniah 3:10 ,  Zephaniah 3:14-20 . The principal objection to  Zephaniah 2:1-3 is the presence in   Zephaniah 2:3 of the expressions "meek of the earth," and "seek meekness." It is claimed that "meek" and "meekness" as religious terms are post-exilic. There can be no question that the words occur more frequently in post-exilic psalms and proverbs than in preexilic writings, but it cannot be proved, or even shown to be probable, that the words might not have been used in Zephaniah's day (compare   Exodus 10:3;  Numbers 12:3;  Isaiah 2:9 ff;   Micah 6:8 ). A second objection is seen in the difference of tone between these verses and Zephaniah 1. The latter, from beginning to end, speaks of the terrors of judgment;  Zephaniah 2:1-3 weakens this by offering a way of escape. But surely, judgment cannot have been the last word of the prophets; in their thought, judgment always serves a disciplinary purpose. They are accustomed to offer hope to a remnant. Hence,   Zephaniah 2:1-3 seems to form the necessary completion of chapter 1.

The objections against  Zephaniah 2:4-15 as a whole are equally inconclusive. For   Zephaniah 2:13-15 , a date preceding the fall of Nineveh seems most suitable. The threat against Philistia ( Zephaniah 2:4-7 ) also is quite intelligible in the days of Zephaniah, for the Scythians passed right through the Philistine territory. If Ethiopia stands for Egypt,  Zephaniah 2:12 can easily be accounted for as coming from Zephaniah, for the enemies who were going along the Mediterranean coast must inevitably reach Egypt. But if it is insisted upon that the reference is to Ethiopia proper, again no difficulty exists, for in speaking of a world judgment Zephaniah might mention Ethiopia as the representative of the far south. Against   Zephaniah 2:8-11 the following objections are raised: ( a ) Moab and Ammon were far removed from the route taken by the Scythians. ( b ) The "reproaches" of  Zephaniah 2:8 ,  Zephaniah 2:10 presuppose the destruction of Jerusalem (  Ezekiel 25:3 ,  Ezekiel 25:6 ,  Ezekiel 25:8 ). ( c ) The attitude of the prophet toward Judah ( Zechariah 2:9 ,  Zechariah 2:10 ) is the exact opposite of that expressed in Zephaniah 1. ( d ) The ḳı̄nāh meter, which predominates in the rest of the section, is absent from  Zephaniah 2:8-11 . ( e )  Zephaniah 2:12 is the natural continuation of   Zephaniah 2:9 . These five arguments are by no means conclusive: ( a ) The prophet is announcing a world judgment. Could this be executed by the Scythians if they confined themselves to the territory along the Mediterranean Sea? ( b ) Is it true that the "reproaches" of  Zephaniah 2:8 ,  Zephaniah 2:10 presuppose the destruction of Jerusalem? ( c ) The promises in  Zephaniah 2:7 ,  Zephaniah 2:8-10 are only to a remnant, which presupposes a judgment such as is announced in chapter 1. ( d ) Have we a right to demand consistency in the use of a certain meter in oratory, and, if so, may not the apparent inconsistency be due to corruption of the text, or to a later expansion of an authentic oracle? ( e )  Zephaniah 2:8-11 can be said to interrupt the thought only if it is assumed that the prophet meant to enumerate the nations in the order in which the Scythians naturally would reach their territory. From Philistia they would naturally pass to Egypt. But is this assumption warranted? While the objections against the entire paragraph are inconclusive, it cannot be denied that   Zephaniah 2:12 seems the natural continuation of   Zephaniah 2:9 , and since  Zephaniah 2:10 and   Zephaniah 2:11 differ in other respects from those preceding, suspicion of the originality of these two verses cannot be suppressed.

 Zephaniah 3:1-8 is so similar to chapter 1 that its originality cannot be seriously questioned, but   Zephaniah 3:1-8 carry with them   Zephaniah 3:9-13 , which describe the purifying effects of the judgment announced in  Zephaniah 3:1-8 . The present text of  Zephaniah 3:10 may be corrupt, but if properly emended there remains insufficient reason for questioning   Zephaniah 3:10 and   Zephaniah 3:11 . The authenticity of  Zephaniah 3:14-20 is more doubtful than that of any other section of Zephaniah. The buoyant tone of the passage forms a marked contrast to the somber, quiet strain of   Zephaniah 3:11-13; the judgments upon Judah appear to be in the past;  Zephaniah 3:18-20 seem to presuppose a scattering of the people of Judah, while the purifying judgment of   Zephaniah 3:11-13 falls upon the people in their own land; hence, there is much justice in Davidson's remark that "the historical situation presupposed is that of Isa 40 ff." On the other hand, it must be borne in mind that the passage is highly poetic, that it presents an ideal picture of the future, in the drawing of which imagination must have played some part, and it may be difficult to assert that the composition of this poem was entirely beyond the power of Zephaniah's enlightened imagination. But while the bare possibility of Zephaniah's authorship may be admitted, it is not impossible that   Zephaniah 3:14-20 contains a "new song from God," added to the utterances of Zephaniah at a period subsequent to the fall of Jerusalem.

IV. Teaching.

The teaching of Zephaniah closely resembles that of the earlier prophetic books. Yahweh is the God of the universe, a God of righteousness and holiness, who expects of His worshippers a life in accord with His will. Israel are His chosen people, but on account of rebellion they must suffer severe punishment. Wholesale conversion seems out of the question, but a remnant may escape, to be exalted among the nations. He adds little, but attempts with much moral and spiritual fervor to impress upon his comtemporaries the fundamental truths of the religion of Yahweh. Only a few points deserve special mention.

1. The Day of Yahweh:

Earlier prophets had spoken of the day of Yahweh; Amos ( Amos 5:18-20 ) had described it in language similar to that employed by Zephaniah; but the latter surpasses all his predecessors in the emphasis he places upon this terrible manifestation of Yahweh (see Eschatology Of The Old Testament ). His entire teaching centers around this day; and in the Book of Zephaniah we find the germs of the apocalyptic visions which become so common in later prophecies of an eschatological character. Concerning this day he says ( a ) that it is a day of terror ( Zephaniah 1:15 ), ( b ) it is imminent ( Zephaniah 1:14 ), ( c ) it is a judgment for sin ( Zephaniah 1:17 ), ( d ) it falls upon all creation ( Zephaniah 1:2 ,  Zephaniah 1:3;  Zephaniah 2:4-15;  Zephaniah 3:8 ), ( e ) it is accompanied by great convulsions in Nature ( Zephaniah 1:15 ), ( f ) a remnant of redeemed Hebrews and foreigners will escape from its terrors ( Zephaniah 2:3;  Zephaniah 3:9-13 ).

2. Universalism:

The vision of the book is world-wide. The terrors of the day of Yahweh will fall upon all. In the same manner from all nations converts will be won to Yahweh ( Zephaniah 3:9 ,  Zephaniah 3:10 ). These will not be compelled to come to Jerusalem to worship Yahweh ( Isaiah 2:2;  Micah 4:1 ); they may worship Him "every one from his place" ( Zephaniah 2:11 ), which is a step in the direction of the utterance of Jesus in  John 4:21 .

3. Messianic Prophecy:

The Messianic King is not mentioned by Zephaniah. Though he draws a sublime picture of the glories of the Messianic age ( Zephaniah 3:14-20 ), there is not a word concerning the person of the Messianic King. Whatever is done is accomplished by Yahweh Himself.

Literature.

Cornms. on the Minor Prophets by Ewald, Pusey, Keil, Orelli, G. A. Smith ( Expositor's Bible ); Driver ( New Century ); Eiselen; A. B. Davidson, Commentary on Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah ( Cambridge Bible ); A. F. Kirkpatrick, Doctrine of the Prophets  ; Eiselen, Prophecy and the Prophets  ; F. W. Farrar, "Minor Prophets," Men of the Bible  ; S. R. Driver, Driver, Introduction to the Literature of the Old Testament  ; Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible (five volumes), article "Zephaniah, Book of"; Encyclopedia Biblica , article "Zephaniah."

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

the ninth in order of the minor prophets, both in the Hebrew and Greek copies of the Scriptures (Jerome, Prolog. ad Paul. et Eustoch.). Besides his genuine prophecy, there was in the ancient, Christian Church an apocryphal book ascribed to Zephaniah the prophet, and quoted by some of the fathers under the name of his Ἀνάληψις or Προφήτεια Ea. (See Apocrypha).

I. Author. —

1. The name of this prophet has been variously explained. Disputes upon it arose as early as the times of Jerome, for in his Commentary on this book he says, "Nomen Sophoniae, alii speculam, alii arcanum Dei, transtulerunt." The word was thus derived either from צָפָה he watched, or צָפִן , He Hid, with the common affix יָה i.e. Jah. The old father made it a matter of indifference which etymon he adopted, as both, according to him, give virtually the same sense the commission of a prophet being virtually that of a watchman or seer, and the burden of his message some secret revealed to him by God. Abarbanel ( Praef. In Ezekiel ) adheres to the latter mode of derivation, and the Pseudo-Dorotheus, following the former, translates the prophet's name by the Greek participle Σκοπεύων . Hiller and Simonis differ also in a similar way; Hiller, taking the term from צפן , renders it "abscondidit se, i.e. delituit Jehovah" (Onomast. s.v.), as if the name had contained a mystic reference to the character' of the age:in which the prophet lived, when God had withdrawn himself from his apostate people; but Simonis (Ononmast. V. 7.) gives the true signification, one sanctioned by Gesenits — "abscondidit, i.e. custodivit Jehovah," Jehovah hath guarded, the verb צפן being used of divine protection in  Psalms 27:5 and  Psalms 83:4. The name seems to have been a common one among the Jews.

2. Parentage. — Contrary to usual custom, the pedigree of the prophet is traced back for four generations "the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah." This formal record of his lineage has led many to suppose that Zephaniah had sprung from a noble stock (Cyril, Prcef. Ad Zephaniah ) , and the occurrence of the highest name in the list, which in the Hebrew text is spelled and pointed in the same way as that rendered Hezekiah in the books of Kings and Chronicles, has induced some to identify it with that of the good king Hezekiah, and to pronounce the prophet a cadet of the royal house of Judah. Kimchi is very cautious in his opinion, and leaves the point undecided but Aben-Ezra, ever ready to magnify his nation, at once concludes that Zephaniah was descended from Hezekiah; and his opinion has been followed by Huet- (Denonstrat, Evangel. Propos. 4:303), and partially by Eichhorn (Einleit. § 593).

The conjecture has little else to recommend it than the mere occurrence of the royal name. But it was not a name confined to royalty; and had it been the name of the pious monarch to which Zephaniah's genealogy is traced, certainly his official designation, "king of Judah," would have been subjoined in order to prevent mistake. Such an addition is found in connection with his name in  Proverbs 25:1 and  Isaiah 38:9. It forms no objection to this statement to affirm that the phrase "king of Judah" is added to Josiah, and to avoid repetition may have been omitted after Hizkiah, for such regard to euphony such finical delicacy, is no feature of Hebrew composition. The argument of Carpzov ( Introd. p. 414), copied by Rosenmuller ( P7Rovmium In Zephaniah ) , against the supposed connection of the prophet with the bloodroyal is of no great weight. These critics say that from Hezekiah to Josiah, in whose reign Zephaniah flourished, are only three generations, while from Hezekiah to Zephaniah four are reckoned in the first verse of the prophecy.

But as Hezekiah reigned twenty-nine years, and his successor sat on the throne no less than fifty-five years, there is room enough in such a period for the four specified descents; and Amariah, though not heir to the crown, may have been much older than his youthful brother Manasseh, who was crowned at' the age of twelve. As there was at least another Zephaniah, a conspicuous personage at the time of the Captivity, the parentage of the prophet may have been recounted so minutely to prevent any reader from confounding the two individuals. The descent of the prophet from king Hezekiah, therefore, is not in itself improbable, and the fact that the pedigree terminates with that name points to a personage of rank and importance. Late critics and commentators generally acquiesce in this hypothesis, viz. Eichhorn, Hitzig, F. Ad. Strauss (Vaticinia Zephaniae [Berlin, 1843]), Hivernick, Keil, and Bleek (Einleitun. in das Alte Testament). The Jews absurdly reckon that here, as in other superscriptions, the persons recorded as a prophet's ancestors were themselves endowed with the prophetic spirit. The so- called Epiphanius (De Vitis Prophet. ch. 19) asserts that Zephaniah was of the tribe of Simeon, of the hill Sarabatha, Ἀπὸ Ὄρους Σαραβαθά . The existence of the prophet is known only from his oracles, and these have no biographical sketches; so that our knowledge of this man of God comprises only the fact and the results of his inspiration. It may be safely inferred, however, that he labored with Josiah in the pious work of re-establishing the worship of Jehovah in the land.

II. Date — It is recorded (ch. 1) that the word of the Lord came to him "in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah." We have reason for supposing that he flourished during the earlier portion of Josiah's reign. In the second chapter ( Isaiah 38:13-15) he foretells the doom of Nineveh, and the fall of that ancient city happened about the eighteenth year of Josiah. In the commencement of his oracles, also, he denounces various forms of idolatry, and specially the remnant of Baal. The reformation of Josiah began in the twelfth and was completed in the eighteenth year of his reign. So thorough was his extirpation of the idolatrous rites and hierarchy which defiled his kingdom that he burned down the groves, dismissed the priesthood, threw' down the altars, and made dust of the images of Baalim. Zephaniah must have prophesied prior to this religious revolution, while some remains of Baal were yet secreted in the land, or between the twelfth and eighteenth years of the royal reformer. — So Hitzig (Die 12 kleinen Prophet.) and Movers (Chronii p. 234) place him; while Eichhorn, Bertholdt, and Jiger incline to give him a somewhat later date.

At all events, he flourished between the years B.C. 642 and 611; and the portion of his prophecy which refers to the destruction of the Assyrian empire must have been delivered prior to the year B.C. 625, the year in which Nineveh fell (Henderson, On the Minor Prophets, p. 326). The publication of these oracles was therefore contemporary with a portion of those of Jeremiah, for the word of the Lord came to him in the thirteenth year 0o the reign of Josiah. Indeed, the Jewish tradition is, that Zephaniah had for his colleagues Jeremiah and the prophetess Huldah, the former fixing his sphere of labor in the thoroughfares and market-places, the latter exercising her honorable vocation in the college in Jerusalem (Carpzov, Introd. p. 415). Koster (Die Propheten, 3) endeavors to prove that Zephaniah was posterior to Habakkuk. His arguments from similarity of diction are very trivial, and the more so when we reflect that all circumstances combine in inducing us to fix the period of Habakkuk (q.v.) in the reign of Jehoiakim, immediately before the Chaldaean invasion. In the present book Nineveh is represented as in a state of peace and prosperity, while the notices of Jerusalem touch upon the same tendencies to idolatry and crime, which are condemned by the contemporary Jeremiah. It is not impossible, moreover, that the prophecy was delivered about the time when the Scythians overran the empires of Western Asia, extending their devastations to Palestine. The king's children, who are spoken of in ch. 1, 8 as addicted to foreign habits, could not have been sons of Josiah, who was but eight years old at his accession, but were probably his brothers or near relatives. The remnant of Baal (ch. 1, 4) implies that some partial reformation had previously taken place, while the notices of open idolatry are incompatible with the state of Judah after the discovery of the Book of the Law.

III. Contents. — In ch. 1 the utter desolation of Judaea is predicted as a judgment for idolatry, and neglect of the Lord, the luxury of the princes, and the violence and deceit of their dependents ( Isaiah 38:3-9). The prosperity, security, and insolence of the people are contrasted with the horrors of the day of wrath; the assaults upon the fenced cities and high towers, and the slaughter of the people ( Isaiah 38:10-18). Ch. 2 is a call to repentance ( Isaiah 38:1-3), with prediction of the ruin of the cities of the Philistines, and the restoration of the house of Judah after the visitation ( Isaiah 38:4-7). Other enemies of Judah, Moab, Ammon, are threatened with perpetual destruction, Ethiopia with a great slaughter, and Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, with desolation ( Isaiah 38:8-15). In ch. 3 the prophet addresses Jerusalem, which he reproves sharply for vice and disobedience, the cruelty of the princes and the treachery of the priests, and for their general disregard of warnings and visitations ( Isaiah 38:1-7). He then concludes with a series of promises, the destruction of the enemies of God's people, the restoration of exiles, the extirpation of the proud and violent, and the permanent peace and blessedness of the poor and afflicted remnant who shall trust in the name of the Lord. These exhortations to rejoicing and exertion are mingled with intimations of a complete manifestation of God's righteousness and love in the restoration of his people ( Isaiah 38:8-20).

It has been disputed what the enemies are with whose desolating inroads he threatens Judah. The ordinary and most probable opinion is that the foes whose period of invasion was "a day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities and against the high towers" (ch. 1, 16), were the Chaldaeans. Hitzig especially, Cramer too, and Eichhorn, supposed the prophet to refer to a Scythian invasion, the history of which they imagine has been preserved by Herodotus (1, 105). But the general style of the oracle, and the sweeping vengeance which it menaces against Assyria, Philistia, Ammon, and Cush, as well as against Judah, by some great and unnamed power, point to the Chaldaean expedition which, under Nebuchadnezzar, laid Jerusalem waste, and carried to Babylon its enslaved population. The contemporary prophecies of Jeremiah contemplate the musterings, onset, and devastations of the same victorious hosts, The former part of Zephaniah's prediction is "a day of clouds and of thick darkness," but in the closing section of it light is sown for the righteous, "The king of Israel, the Lord, is in the midst of thee; he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love."

IV. Style. — We cannot by any means award so low a character to Zephaniah's style is done by De Wette ( Einleit. § 245), who describes it as being often heavy and tedious. It has not the sustained majesty of Isaiah, or the sublime and original energy of Joel: it has no prominent feature of distinction yet its delineations are graphic, and many of its touches sire bold and striking. For example, in the first chapter the prophet groups together in his descriptions of the national idolatry several characteristic exhibitions of its forms and worship. The verses are not tame and prosaic portraiture, but form a series of vivid sketches. The poet seizes on the more strange peculiarities of the heathen worship-uttering denunciations on the remnant of Baal, the worshippers of Chemarim the star-adorers, the devotees of Malcham, the fanatics who dad themselves in strange apparel, and those who in some superstitious mummery leaped upon the threshold (Bochart, Hieroz. c. 36). Nota few verses occur in the course of the prophecy which, in tone and dignity, are not unworthy to be associate with the more distinguished efforts of the Hebrew bards. A few paronomasiae occur ( Zephaniah 1:15 and  Zephaniah 2:1-4), and Occasionally there is a peculiar repetition of a leading word' in the formation of a climax ( Zephaniah 2:15). Jahn ( Introd. § 132) and Eichhorn assert that Zephaniah has borrowed to a considerable extent from the earlier prophets, especially from Isaiah; yet, the similarity of such passages as  Isaiah 34:11 to  Zephaniah 2:14, or  Isaiah 47:8 to  Zephaniah 2:15, or  Isaiah 18:1 to  Zephaniah 3:10, or  Isaiah 16:6 to  Zephaniah 2:8, is not sufficient evidence that Zephaniah was Isaiah's imitator.

The clauses of resemblance are idiomatic in nature, and seem to have been of proverbial force and currency, so that both prophets may have taken them from the national usus loquendi. Coincidences of expression have also been noted between Zephaniah and some of his contemporaries, particularly Jeremiah (Eichhorn, Einleit. § 595; Rosenm Ü ller, Prosem. 6). Between  Zephaniah 1:5 and  Jeremiah 8:2 we can perceive little similarity of language, though the same superstitious custom is referred to, and a comparison of  Zephaniah 1:12 with  Jeremiah 48:11 leads to such a conclusion as we have already stated, as the phrase common to both passages — "settled on the lees" — must have been one in wide circulation in a wine country like Judaea. It was altogether groundless, therefore, in some of the older critics, such as Isidore and Schmidius ( Prolegom. In Sophon. ) , to style Zephaniah the abbreviator of Jeremiah. Resemblances have also been traced between Zephaniah and Amos, and between him and his successor Ezekiel; but to call these imitations is rash indeed, if we reflect on the similarity of the topics discussed, and the peculiar range of imagery and phraseology which is common to Hebrew prophetic poetry, and which was the stereotyped language of the inspired brotherhood. The language of Zephaniah is pure; it has not the classic ease and elegance of the earlier compositions, but it wants the degenerate feebleness and Aramaic corruption of the succeeding era. Zephaniah is not expressly quoted in the New Test.; but clauses and expressions occur which seem to have been formed from his prophecy ( Zephaniah 3:9;  Romans 15:6, etc.). He was, in fine, as Cyril of Alexandria terms him ( Prawfat. In Soph. tom. 3), "a true prophet, and filled with the Holy Ghost, and bringing his oracles from the mouth of God."

The chief characteristics of this book are the unity and harmony of the composition, the grace, energy, and dignity of its style, and the rapid and effective alternations of threats and promises. Its prophetical import is chiefly shown in the accurate predictions of the desolation, which has fallen upon each of the nations denounced for their crimes; Ethiopia, which is menaced with a terrible invasion, being alone exempted from the doom of perpetual ruin. The general tone of the last portion is Messianic, but without any specific reference to the person of our Lord.

There has often been noticed in this prophecy a general or universal character, rather than specific predictions, though these are not entirely wanting. This tendency is in harmony with the position which Zephaniah was called to occupy in the course of divine providence; for he lived at the commencement of the period: of the universal empires, which are represented by Daniel in detail, and exhibited as introductory to the kingdom of the Son of man. The Chaldaean monarchy was rising with marvelous rapidity to universal empire, and was in preparation by the Lord to be the scourge of his own people as well as of the heathen nations; and in connection with their work Zephaniah saw the coming of the day of the Lord, the day of judgment, when all the earth should be devoured With the fire of his jealousy (ch. 1, 18; 3, 8). But as earlier prophets, especially Joel and Isaiah, had already foreseen and declared this in connection with the work of the Assyrian monarchy, which only made a commencement and left the completion to its rival and heir at Babylon we find the language and imagery of these earlier prophets continually referred to, adopted, or elaborated anew by Zephaniah and his contemporary Jeremiah, with whom he has much in common.

V. Commentaries. — The following are the special exegetical helps on this entire book exclusively: Luther, Commentarius (in Opp. vol. 4; also in Germ. in Werks ) ; Bucer, Commentarins (Argent. 1528, 8vo); Selnecker, Auslegun (Leips. 1566, 4to) Casar, Predigten (Wittenb.: 1603, 8vo); Tarnovius, Commentarius (Rost.'1623, 4to); Larenus, Tuba (Mediob. 1653, 8vo); Gebhardus, Vindicatio (Gryphan. 1701-2, 4to) Hocke, Auslegung [includ. Nah. and Hab.] (Frankf. 1710, 4to); Noltenius, Commentarious [on ch. 1] (Fr. ad 0. 1719-24, 4to); Gebhardi, Erklarung (Fr. am O. 1728, 4to); Cramer, Scythische Denkmaler (Kiel, 1777, 8vo); Anton, .Interpretatio [on ch. 3] (Gorl. 1811, 4to) Colln, Observationes (Vratisl. 1818, 4to.); Ewald, Erklarung (Erlang. 1827, 8vo); Strauss, Commentarius (Berol. 1843, 8vo); Robinson, Homilies (Lond. 1865, 8vo);' Reinke, Erl Ä uterung (Leips. 1868). (See Minor Prophets).