WHO WROTE:  Zephaniah.

 

 

WHAT TIME PERIOD IS COVERED:  He prophesied in the days of Josiah (see my Bible Chart:  “PROPHETS AND KINGS CHART”) and was a contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah (B.C. 704 - B.C. 625).

 

 

WHEN WRITTEN:  B.C. 704 - B.C. 625.

 

 

INTRODUCTION:  The name Zephaniah means, “Jehovah has concealed,” or, “Jehovah has hidden,” or, “Jehovah of darkness,” or, “The Lord is my Secret.”  Others have concluded that his name means “Jehovah has secreted” or, “Jehovah hath hidden,” or, “whom the Lord hides (or protects),” based upon Psalm 27:5 & Psalm 83:3.  His name is a compound, from “Tzaphan,” meaning “secret,” and “Jah,” meaning, “the Lord.”

 

Zephaniah was the son of Cushi, and great-grandson of Hezekiah (Zep. 1:1) (see my Bible Chart:  “GENEALOGY CHART”), and the ninth in the order of the Minor Prophets.  He was born during the latter part of the reign of king Manasseh, Second Kings 21:16; a contemporary of Jeremiah; although Jeremiah prophesied long after Zephaniah.

 

Zephaniah is the ninth in order of the minor prophets, both in the Hebrew and Greek copies of the Scriptures; see Jerome, “Prolog. Ad Paul. Et Eustoch.”  The Book of Zephaniah falls naturally into two parts of unequal length.  The first part (Zep. 1:2 through 3:8) contains, almost exclusively, denunciations and threats; while the second part (Zep. 3:9-20), dwells on promises of salvation and glorification.

 

Concerning “the day of the Lord,” Zephaniah says:  that it is a day of terror (Zep. 1:15); it is imminent (Zep. 1:14); it is a judgment for sin (Zep. 1:17); it falls upon all creation (Zep. 1:2 & 3; 2:4-15; 3:8); it is accompanied by great convulsions in Nature (Zep. 1:15); and only a remnant of redeemed Hebrews and foreigners will escape from its terrors (Zep. 2:3; 3:9-13; see Rev. 12:17).  And the reason for any nation’s destruction is given in Zephaniah 2:10 (“pride,” possibly the single purpose for the writing of this Book).

 

Zephaniah’s frequent quotations of the Law of God, suggests that he was using the sources discovered by Hilkiah, the high priest (see 2Ki. 22:8).  Compare Zephaniah 1:13 with Deuteronomy 28:30 & 39  -- Zephaniah 1:15 with Deuteronomy 4:11 -- Zephaniah 1:17 with Deuteronomy 28:29 -- and Zephaniah 2:2 with Deuteronomy 28:15-62.

 

Zephaniah 1:4 is interesting in that it points out a time when Ba-al worship was diminishing.  Many scholars attribute Zephaniah 3:14-20 as containing “a new song from God.”