TOM · The Owner's Manual · Old Testament

Zephaniah 1

Before you read Zephaniah: who, when, why

BOOK 36 OF 66 · OLD TESTAMENT · MINOR PROPHETS

Judgment Day, Then a Love Song

AUTHOR: Zephaniah son of Cushi, 1:1, maybe a great great grandson of King Hezekiah.
DATE: In the days of King Josiah, 640 to 609 BC, most likely before his reform of 622 BC. See When Was Zephaniah Written?
WRITTEN TO: Judah and Jerusalem, with messages about the nations around them.
ANCIENT MANUSCRIPTS: Parts are in the Hebrew scroll of the Twelve from Wadi Murabbaat, the Greek scroll of the Twelve from Nahal Hever, and scrolls of the Twelve from Qumran Cave 4.
KEY VERSE: Zephaniah 3:17. He will rejoice over you with singing.

The Oldest Copies of Zephaniah

A piece of 4QXII b, a scroll of the Twelve Prophets from Qumran Cave 4, copied about 150 to 125 BC. The top lines are the last words of Zephaniah, 3:20: at that time I will gather you... before your very eyes. Below them, Haggai begins: in the second year of the reign of Darius. Another piece of the same scroll has 2:13 to 15. See The Murabbaat Scroll, Joel. Photo Shai Halevi, Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library, Israel Antiquities Authority.

The Setting

King Manasseh reigned 55 years and filled Judah with idols. His grandson Josiah became king at eight years old. People bowed to Baal, the stars and Milcom, and still swore by Yahweh. Assyria was getting weak, and Babylon was not yet in sight. Into that, Zephaniah announced the Day of the LORD.

What Was Going Wrong

Mixed Worship. Those who bow down and swear by the LORD but also swear by Milcom, 1:5.
Complacency. The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad, 1:12.
Pride. Nineveh said I am it, and there is none besides me, 2:15.
Corrupt Leaders. Her princes are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves, 3:3.

Where to Find Jesus

Zephaniah 3:15. Israel's King, the LORD, is among you. Jesus is called the King of Israel, John 1:49 and 12:13.
Zephaniah 3:9. Pure lips for the nations to call on His name. Many see a first step at Pentecost, Acts 2.
Zephaniah 1:14 to 15. The great Day of the LORD. The New Testament says the day of the Lord will come like a thief, 2 Peter 3:10.

Cool Stuff Most People Miss

A Royal Prophet?. Zephaniah traces his family four generations back to Hezekiah. If that is the king, a prince preached judgment on the palace. See Was Zephaniah a Prince?
Dies Irae. Zephaniah 1:15 gave the church its most famous funeral hymn, Day of Wrath. Mozart and Verdi wrote music for it, and the tune still shows up in movies.
The Whole Alphabet. The rabbis noticed that 3:8 uses every letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
God Sings. 3:17 is one of the very few places in the Bible where God Himself sings. See Does God Really Sing Over Us?

How Did It Turn Out?

Josiah cleaned out the idols in 622 BC, but after he died the idols came back. Nineveh fell in 612 BC, Ashkelon in 604 BC, and Jerusalem in 586 BC, as Zephaniah said. A remnant came home from Babylon. And the promise that God would live among His people waited for its biggest answer.

Chapter 1 in 30 seconds

Zephaniah opens with the scariest weather report in the Bible: God is going to sweep everything away. Judah is bowing to Baal, the stars and Milcom, and calling it faith. The Day of Yahweh is coming, and no amount of silver or gold will buy a way out.

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In this chapterThe Big Question · Christians disagreeWas Zephaniah a Prince? · after verse 3 The Big Question · Christians disagreeWhen Was Zephaniah Written? · after verse 6 The Big QuestionWhat Is the Day of the Lord? · after verse 16

Zephaniah Prophesies Judgment on Judah// Matthew 13:36–43

¹This is the word of Yahweh that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:

ZEPH 1:1[NOTE]FOUR GENERATIONS. Zephaniah traces his family back to Hezekiah, most likely the king. See Was Zephaniah a Prince?
ZEPH 1:1[NOTE]ZEPHANIAH. His name means Yahweh hides, or Yahweh treasures. Compare 2:3, perhaps you will be sheltered.

²“I will completely sweep away

everything from the face of the earth,”

declares Yahweh.

ZEPH 1:2[NOTE]SWEEP AWAY. The list in 1:3 runs man, beast, birds, fish: the creation order of Genesis 1 backwards. Judgment undoes creation.

³“I will sweep away man and beast;

I will sweep away the birds of the air,

and the fish of the sea,

and the idols with their wicked worshipers.

I will cut off mankind

from the face of the earth,”

declares Yahweh.

ZEPH 1:3[DEMONIC]God will sweep away idols along with their wicked worshipers

The Big Question · Christians disagree

Was Zephaniah a Prince?

The Family Tree

Zephaniah 1:1 · 2 Kings 20:21

THE CLUE: Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, 1:1. Most prophets name only their father. Zephaniah names four generations.
WHY IT MATTERS: If this Hezekiah is the king, then Zephaniah was royalty, a distant cousin of King Josiah, preaching against the princes and the sons of the king, 1:8.

Was Zephaniah a Prince? · Every View

2 Kings 21:18 to 19 · Matthew 1:9 to 10 · Jeremiah 13:23

VIEW 1: KING HEZEKIAH: Many scholars think so. Why else go back four generations, unless to reach a famous name? The dates can work: Josiah was Hezekiah's great grandson, and Zephaniah would be his great great grandson, one step younger.
VIEW 2: ANOTHER HEZEKIAH: The text does not say king, and no Amariah is listed among Hezekiah's sons. Hezekiah was a common name.
VIEW 3: TO EXPLAIN CUSHI: His father's name means a man from Cush, the land south of Egypt. Some think the long family tree was given to show Zephaniah was a true Israelite. Others think he had African family, which would make him one of the first prophets with roots in Africa.
WHY THE UNDERLINE: This Bible underlines Hezekiah in 1:1 as part of Jesus' family line, Matthew 1:9 to 10, because most think he is the king. If he is not, Zephaniah is still a prophet of royal-sounding courage.
WHAT ALL SIDES AGREE ON: Zephaniah spoke boldly to the most powerful people in Jerusalem.

⁴“I will stretch out My hand against Judah

and against all who dwell in Jerusalem.

I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal,

the names of the idolatrous and pagan priests—

ZEPH 1:4[PROPHECY]God would cut off every remnant of Baal and the pagan priests from Jerusalem → 2KI 23:4-5MEDIUM
ZEPH 1:4[DEMONIC]God will cut off Baal, star worship, and swearing by Milcom
ZEPH 1:4[NOTE]EVERY REMNANT OF BAAL. Josiah tore out Baal worship and the idolatrous priests, 2 Kings 23:4 to 5. See When Was Zephaniah Written?

⁵those who bow on the rooftops

to worship the host of heaven,

those who bow down and swear by Yahweh

but also swear by Milcom,

ZEPH 1:5[NOTE]MILCOM. The Ammonite god, often thought to be Molech. Josiah defiled his shrine, 2 Kings 23:13. These people swore by Yahweh and Milcom in one breath.

⁶and those who turn back

from following Yahweh,

neither seeking Yahweh

nor inquiring of Him.”

The Big Question · Christians disagree

When Was Zephaniah Written?

The Clues

Zephaniah 1:1 · 1:4 to 6

THE KING: In the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah, 1:1. Josiah ruled from 640 to 609 BC.
THE CLUES: Baal worship, star worship and Milcom are still everywhere, 1:4 to 5. Nineveh is still standing, 2:13. Nineveh fell in 612 BC.

When Was Zephaniah Written? · Every View

2 Kings 22:3 to 23:25 · 2 Chronicles 34:3 · Nahum 3:7

VIEW 1: BEFORE THE REFORM: Most date Zephaniah to about 630 to 622 BC. The idols he names are the very things Josiah tore out in 622 BC, when the Book of the Law was found, 2 Kings 23:4 to 13. Many think Zephaniah's preaching helped start the reform.
VIEW 2: DURING THE REFORM: Josiah began to seek God at about 16 and started cleaning out idols at about 20, 2 Chronicles 34:3, in 632 and 628 BC. Zephaniah may have preached alongside these first steps.
VIEW 3: AFTER THE REFORM: A few think it came after 622 BC, when some idol worship had come back in secret. Nineveh still had to be standing, so it was before 612 BC.
WHAT ALL SIDES AGREE ON: Zephaniah preached in Josiah's day, before Nineveh fell. Every date puts him with Jeremiah, Nahum and the prophetess Huldah.

The Day of Yahweh// Malachi 4:1–6; 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11; 2 Peter 3:8–13

⁷Be silent in the presence of the Lord Yahweh,

for the Day of Yahweh is near.

Indeed, Yahweh has prepared a sacrifice;

He has consecrated His guests.

⁸“On the Day of Yahweh’s sacrifice

I will punish the princes,

the sons of the king,

and all who are dressed in foreign apparel.

ZEPH 1:8[NOTE]FOREIGN APPAREL. Dressing like the nations and adopting their gods went together. The princes copied the culture of Assyria and Egypt.

⁹On that day I will punish

all who leap over the threshold,

who fill the house of their master

with violence and deceit.

ZEPH 1:9[DEMONIC]God will punish those who leap over the threshold
ZEPH 1:9[NOTE]LEAP OVER THE THRESHOLD. Likely a pagan habit. Priests of the Philistine god Dagon would not step on the threshold of his temple, 1 Samuel 5:5.

¹⁰On that day,” declares Yahweh,

“a cry will go up from the Fish Gate,

a wail from the Second District,

and a loud crashing from the hills.

ZEPH 1:10[NOTE]THE FISH GATE AND THE SECOND DISTRICT. Neighborhoods of Jerusalem. The prophetess Huldah lived in the Second District, 2 Kings 22:14, and Nehemiah later rebuilt the Fish Gate, Nehemiah 3:3.

¹¹Wail, O dwellers of the Hollow,

for all your merchants will be silenced;

all who weigh out silver will be cut off.

ZEPH 1:11[NOTE]THE HOLLOW. Probably the market quarter in a low part of the city, where the merchants weighed out silver.

¹²And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps

and punish the men settled in complacency,

who say in their hearts,

‘Yahweh will do nothing,

either good or bad.’

ZEPH 1:12[NOTE]WITH LAMPS. God will search every dark corner. The complacent men are, word for word, thickening on their dregs, like wine left too long without being poured off.

¹³Their wealth will be plundered

and their houses laid waste.

They will build houses but not inhabit them,

and plant vineyards but never drink their wine.

ZEPH 1:13[PROPHECY]The wealth of Jerusalem would be plundered and its houses laid waste → 2KI 25:9-10; 2KI 25:13

¹⁴The great Day of Yahweh is near—

near and coming quickly.

Listen, the Day of Yahweh!

Then the cry of the mighty will be bitter.

ZEPH 1:14[NOTE]THE GREAT DAY. See What Is the Day of the Lord?

¹⁵That day will be

a day of wrath,

a day of trouble and distress,

a day of destruction and desolation,

a day of darkness and gloom,

a day of clouds and blackness,

ZEPH 1:15[NOTE]DIES IRAE. In Latin this verse begins dies irae, dies illa, that day is a day of wrath. A medieval hymn by that name, usually credited to Thomas of Celano in the 1200s, was sung at funerals for centuries. Mozart and Verdi set it to music, and its tune shows up in many movie scores.

¹⁶a day of horn blast and battle cry

against the fortified cities,

and against the high corner towers.

The Big Question

What Is the Day of the Lord?

Zephaniah's Picture

Zephaniah 1:7 · 1:14 to 18 · 3:11 to 17

THE PICTURE: That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, 1:15. No prophet paints it darker than Zephaniah.
BUT ALSO: The same book calls the future on that day a day when the remnant will not be put to shame, 3:11, and when God will rejoice over His people, 3:16 to 17.
DIES IRAE: The Latin of 1:15 begins dies irae, dies illa. The medieval hymn Day of Wrath, from this verse, was sung at funerals for centuries.

What Is the Day of the Lord? · Every View

Amos 5:18 to 20 · Joel 2:31 · Acts 2:20 · 1 Thessalonians 5:2 · 2 Peter 3:10

VIEW 1: A DAY IN HISTORY: For Judah, the day came when Babylon burned Jerusalem in 586 BC. The prophets used the Day of the LORD for any time God steps in to judge.
VIEW 2: THE LAST DAY: The New Testament uses the same words for the end of the age: the day of the Lord will come like a thief, 1 Thessalonians 5:2 and 2 Peter 3:10. The whole earth will be consumed, 1:18, sounds bigger than one city.
VIEW 3: BOTH: Most Christians say both. Like a mountain range seen from far away, near and far peaks look like one. Jerusalem's fall was a preview of the final day.
VIEW 4: ALREADY STARTED: Peter said Pentecost began what Joel said about the great and glorious Day of the Lord, Acts 2:16 to 20. Some see the last days as running from Jesus to His return.
WHAT ALL SIDES AGREE ON: God will judge evil, and the humble who seek Him have hope, 2:3. Amos warned that the day would be darkness, not light, Amos 5:18 to 20.

¹⁷I will bring such distress on mankind

that they will walk like the blind,

because they have sinned against Yahweh.

Their blood will be poured out like dust

and their flesh like dung.

¹⁸Neither their silver nor their gold

will be able to deliver them

on the Day of Yahweh’s wrath.

The whole earth will be consumed

by the fire of His jealousy.”

For indeed, He will make a sudden end

of all who dwell on the earth.

ZEPH 1:18[NOTE]THE FIRE OF HIS JEALOUSY. Zephaniah speaking about God again, so black.

Zephaniah 1

The Oldest Copies of Zephaniah

The Setting

What Was Going Wrong

Where to Find Jesus

Cool Stuff Most People Miss

How Did It Turn Out?

Zephaniah Prophesies Judgment on Judah// Matthew 13:36–43

The Day of Yahweh// Malachi 4:1–6; 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11; 2 Peter 3:8–13

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