Encyclopedia entry
Zephaniah
Disambiguation
The source enumerates 4 distinct subjects under Zephaniah. Jump to one below, or read in order.
- 1.The son of Cushi, and great-grandson of Hezekiah, and the ninth in the order of the…
- 2.The son of Maaseiah, the “second priest” in the reign of Zedekiah, often mentioned…
- 3.A Kohathite ancestor of the prophet Samuel (1 Chr.
- 4.The father of Josiah, the priest who dwelt in Jerusalem when Darius issued the…
Jehovah has concealed, or Jehovah of darkness.
Zephaniah (1)
#The son of Cushi, and great-grandson of Hezekiah, and the ninth in the order of the minor prophets. He prophesied in the days of Josiah, king of Judah (B.C. 641-610), and was contemporary with Jeremiah, with whom he had much in common. The book of his prophecies consists of:
(a) An introduction (1:1-6), announcing the judgment of the world, and the judgment upon Israel, because of their transgressions.
(b) The description of the judgment (1:7-18).
(c) An exhortation to seek God while there is still time (2:1-3).
(d) The announcement of judgment on the heathen (2:4-15).
(e) The hopeless misery of Jerusalem (3:1-7).
(f) The promise of salvation (3:8-20).
Zephaniah (2)
#The son of Maaseiah, the “second priest” in the reign of Zedekiah, often mentioned in Jeremiah as having been sent from the king to inquire (Jer. 21:1) regarding the coming woes which he had denounced, and to entreat the prophet’s intercession that the judgment threatened might be averted (Jer. 29:25, 26, 29; 37:3; 52:24). He, along with some other captive Jews, was put to death by the king of Babylon “at Riblah in the land of Hamath” (2 Kings 25:21).
Zephaniah (3)
#A Kohathite ancestor of the prophet Samuel (1 Chr. 6:36).
Zephaniah (4)
#The father of Josiah, the priest who dwelt in Jerusalem when Darius issued the decree that the temple should be rebuilt (Zech. 6:10).
Also from Smith's (1884) +−
(hidden by Jehovah).
The ninth in order of the twelve minor prophets. His pedigree is traced to his fourth ancestor, Hezekiah, (Zephaniah 1:1) supposed to be the celebrated king of that name. 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. The general tone of the last portion is Messianic, but without any specific reference to the person of our Lord. The date of the book is given in the inscription—viz, the reign of Josiah, from 642 to 611 B.C. It is most probable moreover, that the prophecy was delivered before the eighteenth year of Josiah. The son of Maaseiah, (Jeremiah 21:1) and sagan or second priest in the reign of Zedekiah. (B.C. 588.) He succeeded Jehoida, (Jeremiah 29:25,26) and was probably a ruler of the temple, whose office it was, among others, to punish pretenders to the gift of prophecy. (Jeremiah 29:29) On the capture of Jerusalem he was taken and slain at Riblah. (Jeremiah 52:24,27; 2 Kings 25:18,21) Father of Josiah, 2, (Zechariah 6:10) and of Hen, according to the reading of the received text of (Zechariah 6:14)
In the Bible
10
Verses where Zephaniah is named. Berean Standard Bible (public domain).
- 1 Chronicles 6:36
the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah,
- 2 Kings 25:18
The captain of the guard also took away Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest of second rank, and the three doorkeepers.
- Jeremiah 21:1
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malchijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. They said,
- Jeremiah 29:25
this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “In your own name you have sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests. You said to Zephaniah:
- Jeremiah 29:29
(Zephaniah the priest, however, had read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet.)
- Jeremiah 37:3
Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet with the message, “Please pray to the LORD our God for us!”
+4 more verses naming Zephaniah.
Scripture on Zephaniah
8
See all 8 +−
Entries that reference Zephaniah
32
Zephaniah references
22
Voices on Zephaniah
9
Surfaced by name match — accuracy varies by title clarity.
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Sources · Hitchcock's Bible Names (1869) · Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884)
Public-domain text. Modernized only where archaic spelling impedes reading; original facts preserved. Verify against an authoritative modern reference before quoting.