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Zephaniah (/zɛfəˈnaɪ.ə/,Hebrew:צְפַנְיָה,Modern: Ṣəfanya,Tiberian: Ṣep̄anyā, "Concealed of/isYHWH";Greek:Σοφονίας –Sōfənīəs) is the name of several people in theHebrew Bible; the most prominent being the prophet who prophesied in the days ofJosiah,king of Judah (640–609 BCE) and is attributeda book bearing his name among theTwelve Minor Prophets.[1] His name is commonly transliteratedSophonias in Bibles translated from theVulgate orSeptuagint. The name might mean "Yahweh has hidden/protected,"[2] or "Yah lies in wait".[3] The church fatherJerome interpreted the name to mean "the watchman of the Lord".[4]
The best known Biblical figure bearing the name Zephaniah is the son of Cushi, and great-great grandson of King[5]Hezekiah, ninth in the literary order of theTwelve Minor Prophets. He prophesied in the days ofJosiah, ruler of theKingdom of Judah (640–609 BCE), but before Josiah's reform in 621 BCE,[1] and was contemporary withJeremiah, with whom he had much in common. The unique source containing the minimal knowledge of his personality and rhetorical and literary qualities is the short, three chapter book of the Old Testament which bears his name.[1] The scene of his activity was the city ofJerusalem, which he seems to know well.[1] The existence of two Zephaniahs linked to the book is considered purely hypothetical.[1]
Under the two preceding kings of Judah,Amon of Judah andManasseh of Judah, the cult of other deities, especiallyBaal andAstarte, had developed in Jerusalem,[6][7] bringing with it elements of alien culture and morals. Josiah, a dedicated reformer,[8] wished to put an end to perceived misuse of the holy places. One of the most zealous champions and advisers of this reform was Zephaniah, and his writing remains one of the most important documents for the understanding of the era of Josiah.
Boldly predicting the destruction ofJudah for the evil committed by its occupants,[1] the prophet spoke against the religious and moral corruption, when, in view of the idolatry which had penetrated even into the sanctuary, he warned that God would "destroy out of this place the remnant of Baal, and the names of the idolatrous priests" (Zeph 1:4), and pleaded for a return to the simplicity of their fathers instead of the luxurious foreign clothing which was worn especially in aristocratic circles (1:8).
The age of Zephaniah was also a key historical period, because the lands ofWestern Asia were overrun by foreigners due to the migration of theScythians in the last decades of the seventh century BC, and because Jerusalem was only a few decades beforeits downfall in 586 BC.[9] In light of these events, a message of impending judgment is the primary burden of this figure's preaching (1:7).
TheBook of Zephaniah contains the fundamental ideas of the preaching of Zephaniah. The scheme of the book in its present form is as follows:
He is commemorated with the other minor prophets in thecalendar of saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church on July 31. On theEastern Orthodox liturgical calendar and in theRoman Martyrology, he is commemorated on December 3.
His book is an inspiration for the hymn,Dies irae.
InIslam, Safanyah (Arabic: صفني) is recognized by some scholars as a prophet sent toBani-Israel, though he is not mentioned in theQuran and there are no authenticHadiths about him. His story is known mainly throughIsraʼiliyyat and historical works likeIbn Kathir'sAl-Bidaya wa l-Nihaya.[citation needed] Details about his life, family, and mission remain largely unknown in Islamic sources.
Other individuals named Zephaniah include:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Easton, Matthew George (1897). "Zephaniah".Easton's Bible Dictionary (New and revised ed.). T. Nelson and Sons.
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