Zephaniah

Composition

The book of Zephaniah is the ninth in a collection of Old Testament books said to be written by the Twelve Minor Prophets. Sometimes also referred to as Sophonias, Zephaniah is composed primarily of a series of sayings about the coming of the “Day of the Lord.” Scholars sometimes regard Zephaniah as one of the most obscure and least widely read books of the entire Bible.

Little is definitively known about the author of Zephaniah. At the outset of the book, the prophet whose words follow is identified as Zephaniah. This brief superscription goes on to offer a four-generation genealogy that traces Zephaniah’s lineage back to Hezekiah, the thirteenth king of Judah. If this lineage is accurate, Zephaniah would be the only one of the Old Testament prophets descended from royal blood. Not all scholars are convinced this is true, however. Some question whether the Hezekiah referenced in Zephaniah’s lineage is actually King Hezekiah or someone else of the same name. That being said, some additional evidence does exist to suggest that Zephaniah really did have ties to the ruling class. At various points in his prophecy, Zephaniah demonstrates a certain degree of political awareness and familiarity with court circles indicative of someone with a more distinguished lineage. Still, it remains unclear whether Zephaniah was descended from King Hezekiah and, as a result, the former’s true identity is not definitively known.

The book of Zephaniah’s superscription also establishes that Zephaniah received his prophecy “in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah.” Josiah was indeed a Hebrew king who reigned over Judah from 640–609 BCE. This means that the book of Zephaniah dates to about the same time. While Zephaniah’s prophecy was ostensibly addressed to the people of Judah, the timing of its delivery perhaps suggests a broader intended audience. During his reign, Josiah enacted many religious reforms in Judah and beyond, which means that the people were diligently obeying God’s law at the time and would not have needed to repent. This suggests that Zephaniah might have been directing his prophecy at future generations of Judahites and people from other nations.

Summary

The book of Zephaniah is divided into four distinct sections that each address a different part of Zephaniah’s prophecy. These include the Day of the Lord/judgment of Judah, judgment of other nations, Jerusalem reproached, and the nations punished/Jerusalem restored. The first section commences after the brief superscription that introduces Zephaniah, establishes his genealogical ties to Hezekiah, and states that the prophecy was handed down during the reign of Josiah.

Zephaniah’s prophecy begins with a warning of God’s wrath during a forthcoming time of judgment known as the Day of the Lord. Angry with his children for disobeying his laws, God promises to “sweep away all things from the face of the land.” He threatens to destroy all living things, including birds and fish. God particularly focuses his anger on idolatrous priests, people who worship false gods, and those who have otherwise abandoned him. As the prophecy continues, God details the havoc he will wreak on Jerusalem on the Day of the Lord, noting that he will punish the wicked, destroy houses, and bring an end to everything. At the same time, however, God also says that he will perhaps show mercy to those who remain true to him and follow his laws.

In the second section of Zephaniah’s prophecy, God turns his attention to the nations outside Judah. He warns that on the Day of the Lord, the people of these various nations, including the Cherethites, Ammonites, Cushites, and others, will be forsaken and left to die. It is at this point that Zephaniah first mentions a remnant that will be spared and restored. Finally, God threatens to destroy the Assyrian capital of Nineveh and turn it into a wasteland.

God specifically focuses on Jerusalem in the third section of the prophecy. He criticizes the city’s inhabitants for not trusting in His guidance and takes issue with its officials and so-called prophets. God also laments that so many of the people of Jerusalem have turned to wickedness and forgotten about His message. Further, God expresses His surprise at the fact that the people of Jerusalem have abandoned Him even though they are well aware that He has destroyed great nations before and has the power to do the same to them, noting that they have only become more corrupt over time.

The final section of Zephaniah’s prophecy concerns the punishment of nations and the restoration of Jerusalem. After again stating that He will rise and destroy the wicked on the Day of the Lord, God promises that He will bring together all those who remain in His name so that they may serve Him together. He then mentions the remnant again, foretelling that they will faithfully follow His will and enjoy His protection. God says that He will remove all judgment against the remnant and turn away its enemies. The prophecy ultimately concludes with God vowing to eliminate all oppressors and unite outcasts from all the lands on Earth in a single home where He will restore them and grant them praise.

Themes

There are several notable themes in the book of Zephaniah. The two most important of these themes, judgment and salvation, are both closely tied to the concept of the Day of the Lord. Originally, the Day of the Lord was viewed in a celebratory light as the time when God delivered His people in the past and when He would do so again in the future. This changed when Amos recast the Day of the Lord as the moment when God would sit in judgment of His people and punish them for their sinfulness. Zephaniah mostly follows Amos’ interpretation of the Day of the Lord, depicting it as a time when God will judge all people and bring wrath upon those who have sinned. Zephaniah’s prophecy speaks darkly of a doomful reckoning that will cause great pain for Judah and the pagan nations alike. He predicts that the Day of the Lord will bring hardship and ruin. He also predicts that God’s judgment will come sometime in the near future. In addition, Zephaniah also warns of a second judgment to come further in the future that will see God destroy the whole Earth. In short, Zephaniah paints a picture of a vengeful God who will harshly render His judgment of the world on the Day of the Lord.

While Zephaniah shares in Amos’ gloomy conception of the Day of the Lord, he also offers a counterpoint in the form of his second key theme: salvation. Zephaniah amends his prophecy about God’s wrathful, destructive judgment on the Day of the Lord with a hopeful message that God will also offer salvation to the faithful who remain and restore Judah to its former glory for them. In this way, Zephaniah frames the Day of the Lord not only as a time of judgment, but also as an opportunity for deliverance. On that day, those who survive judgment will be reborn into a new community of faith.

The people who Zephaniah prophecies will survive the Day of the Lord are referred to as the remnant. The idea of the remnant is another of Zephaniah’s crucial themes. Rather than simply being spared from the judgment, the remnant is made up of those who go through and ultimately survive the judgment because they have been deemed worthy by God as a result of their faithfulness. The survival of the remnant is a reminder that God offers His followers a chance at renewed life even after the final judgment.

The idea of “seeking the Lord” is the final major theme in Zephaniah’s prophecy. When Zephaniah implores his audience to seek the Lord, he is encouraging them to adopt a permanent posture of faith in God. Those who do otherwise risk being branded as rebellious or indifferent during God’s judgment on the Day of the Lord and will surely be destroyed. By actively seeking the Lord, the faithful may survive the judgment and be transformed afterwards. The theme of seeking the Lord also plays into the other side of the equation. While carrying out his judgment, God will seek out those who remain faithful to Him and will allow them to survive and be transformed.

Bibliography

“Book of Zephaniah.” Bible Study Tools, 2002, www.biblestudytools.com/zephaniah. Accessed 28 Apr. 2022.

“Book of Zephaniah.” Bible Studys, 2022, bible-studys.org/zephaniah. Accessed 28 Apr. 2022.

Krantz, Jeffrey. “Zephaniah: God Removes Everything, God Restores Everything.” OverviewBible, 1 Jan. 2014, overviewbible.com/zephaniah. Accessed 28 Apr. 2022.

Soroski, Jason. “Book of Zephaniah Summary.” Christianity.com, 1 June 2020, www.christianity.com/bible/summaries/book-of-zephaniah-summary.html. Accessed 28 Apr. 2022.

Zavada, Jack. “Introduction to the Book of Zephaniah.” Learn Religions, 28 Apr. 2019, www.learnreligions.com/book-of-zephaniah-3571712. Accessed 28 Apr. 2022.

“Zephaniah.” Jewish Virtual Libarary, 2022, www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/zephaniah. Accessed 28 Apr. 2022.

“Zephaniah.” Society for Old Testament Study, 2022, www.sots.ac.uk/wiki/zephaniah. Accessed 28 Apr. 2022.

“Zephaniah.” United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2022, bible.usccb.org/bible/zephaniah/0. Accessed 28 Apr. 2022.