The book is attributed to a prophet named zephaniah, who prophesied in judah during the seventh century b. The day of the lord is near, and it will be a terrible day, zephaniah 1. Summary of the book of zephaniah the story of the bible. Zephaniah prophesied of the day of the lord zephaniah 1. Among the prophets, this is a unique introduction with its long list of fathers.
All that is known of zephaniah comes from the text. The terrible day of the lord will burst suddenly upon the whole earth and all of its inhabitants zephaniah 1. In chapter 1, zephaniah told the people in judah that god would punish them. The word of the lord which came unto zephaniah the son of cushi, the son of gedaliah, the son of. Verse 1, the word of the l ord which came to zephaniah the son of cushi, the son of gadaliah.
Zephaniah means yahweh hides or has hidden, hidden in yahweh, yahwehs watchman, or yahweh treasured. The bible journey introduction to the book of zephaniah. Introduction to the book of zephaniah, old testament seminary student material 2018 why study this book. This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophet zephaniah, and is a part of the book of the twelve minor prophets. Author the author, zephaniah, traces his ancestry back four generations. Zephaniah 1 new english translation net bible introduction. Zephaniah 1 commentary john gills exposition on the whole. The name of the book it is named after the prophet. This was a common name in the hebrew scriptures cf. This is an authorized web site of jehovahs witnesses. Introduction to the book of zephaniah the bible journey.
Josiahs reforms reached their peak in the twentieth years of. The book tells us that zephaniah prophesied during the reign of josiah, the king of judah from 640 to 609 bc zephaniah 1. The jewish royal family shall be reckoned with for their pride and vanity. The book ends with the promise of the kingdom of god. Judgment on the whole earth in the day of the lord i will sweep away everything from the face of the earth, declares the lord. Zephaniah may have been a contemporary of other old testament prophets such as jeremiah and nahum and the book of mormon prophet lehi see bible chronology. Like other old testament prophets, zephaniah is a book rich in literary forms and features. Book introduction zephaniah this prophet, a contemporary of jeremiah, exercised his ministry during the reign of josiah. It probably dates from just before king josiahs religious reforms of 621bc see 2 kings 23.
They must hold their peace because they had greatly sinned, zephaniah 1. The book of zephaniah introduction to the book of zephaniah in the bible. The word of the lord that came to zephaniah son of cushi, the son of gedaliah, the son of amariah, the son of hezekiah, during the reign of josiah son of amon king of judah. Zephaniah introduction commentary commentary critical. We should not expect the world environment to become increasingly godcentered as we approach the second coming of the lord jesus christ. A summary, synopsis or recap is a shortened version of the original. If so, it would mean that zephaniah had royal blood. The book of zephaniah center point bible institute. According to the arrangement of the hebrew scriptures, zephaniah was the last of the prophets before the captivity. The book of zephaniah was written before the fall of judah in 587 bc. This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophet zephaniah, and is. Josiahs reforms reached their peak in the twentieth years of the 7th century b. Zephaniah chapter 2 1 the word of the lord which came unto zephaniah the son of cushi, the son of gedaliah, the son of amariah, the son of hizkiah, in the days of josiah the son of amon, king of judah. Zephaniah 1 niv bible the word of the lord that came.
In hebrew the book is titled hynpx meaning yahweh hides perhaps reflecting the terror of the. The purpose of this book was to show that god raised up his prophet zephaniah to proclaim a warning of coming judgment and to encourage repentance. Zephaniah summary we have detailed a brief summary of the book of zephaniah for bible study or sunday school lessons. Zephaniah means yahweh has hiddenprotected, or yahweh hides. Zephaniah ministered in judah during the reign of king josiah, which lasted from about 639 to 608 b. I will sweep, sweep away everything from the face of the earth, is the saying of jehovah. The moral state of israel for which the captivity was to come, 3. Among the prophets, this is a unique introduction with its long list of fathers back to zephaniahs great. The books superscription attributes its authorship to zephaniah son of cushi son of gedaliah son of amariah son of hezekiah, in the days of king josiah son of amon of judah 1.
These sins, coupled with the spiritual and moral apathy of jerusalems citizenry, merit the fiercest kind of judgment, and zephaniah describes gods wrath with a whitehot fury almost unparalleled in scripture p. Zephaniah says that he wrote in the days of josiah son of amon, king of judah 1. Introduction zephaniah, ninth in order of the minor prophets, prophesied in the days of josiah zephaniah 1. Every proud human effort at security will ultimately fail before gods coming judgment vv. The day of the lord is coming, says the book of zephaniah, because gods patience has a limit when it comes to sin. His prophecy is probably to be dated relatively early in josiahs reign, before that kings attempt at reform and while conditions brought about by the reigns of manasseh and amon still prevailed and before the assyrian king ashurbanipals death in 627 while assyria was still powerful, though threatened. Introduction to the book of habakkuk why study this book. Zephaniah introduction scofield reference bible commentary. The title of the book comes from the name of its writer. The word of the lord which came to zephaniah the son of. Zephaniah chapter 1 verse by verse bible commentary.
Introduction to zephaniah by matthew henry blue letter bible. The book s superscription attributes its authorship to zephaniah son of cushi son of gedaliah son of amariah son of hezekiah, in the days of king josiah son of amon of judah 1. Verse 1, the word of the l ord which came to zephaniah the son of cushi, the son of gadaliah, the son of amariah, the son of hezekiah, in the days of josiah the son of amon, king of judah. I will sweep away man and cattle, sweep away the fowls of heaven, and the fishes of the sea. Enemies will be put to shame because of their opposition to gods people v. And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops. Apr 28, 2019 the day of the lord is coming, says the book of zephaniah, because gods patience has a limit when it comes to sin. Gods justice is strict and fair, with the punishment corresponding to the sins v. The coming invasion of nebuchadnezzar a figure of the day of the lord, 1.
The nwt study bible is complete with cross references, maps, and an accurate bible dictionary. Zephaniahs prophecy of judgment on judah and jerusalem emphasizes. Judgment on the whole earth in the day of the lord 2 i will sweep away everything from the face of the earth, declares the lord. Since the introduction of zephaniah takes us back these four generations, ending with hezekiah, it is possible that this hezekiah may have been king hezekiah, but this is not certain. It is a research tool for publications in various languages produced by jehovahs witnesses. The word of the lord that came to zephaniah son of cushi, the son of gedaliah, the son of. Like jeremiah, zephaniah prophesies that judah will be punished for following pagan gods. Zephaniah 1 net introduction this is the prophetic. When we speak of gods coming judgment, our primary purpose should always be to encourage unrepentant people to come. Zephaniah 1 bible commentary matthew henry concise. The book of zephaniah is narrative history and prophetic source of wisdom. Zephaniah 1 is the first chapter of the book of zephaniah in the hebrew bible or the old testament of the christian bible. Outline of the book of zephaniah the prophet introduces himself and foretells total judgment.
Zephaniah located the time of his writing just as clearly as he did his identification. But, 2, they shall howl because the trouble will be great. Zephaniah delivered this message during the reign of king josiah son of amon of judah. Book of zephaniah, the ninth of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets, collected in one book, the twelve, in the. Zephaniah delivered this message during the reign of king josiah son of amon of judah zephaniah 1. The major sins motivating this judgment, in zephaniahs view, are judahs worship of other deities 1.
The small book of zephaniah is narrative history and prophetic oracle. We can begin to pinpoint exactly when zephaniah prophesied by accounting for a few details in the text. Zephaniah 1 niv bible the word of the lord that came to. The prophet foresaw the devastating consequences of gods. The book declares judgment on many nations, all of which opposed god through opposition to his people. It was zephaniahs lot to speak on the most unpleasant subject in the bible the judgment of god. The prophet foresaw the devastating consequences of gods judgment on corruption and wickedness but also announced the lords gracious plan to restore judah. In chapter 2, zephaniah was speaking to people in many. Intro to zephaniah biblica the international bible society. The judgment of the nations followed by kingdom blessing under messiah, 3. His prophecy is probably to be dated relatively early in josiahs reign, before that kings attempt at reform and while conditions brought about by the reigns of manasseh and amon still prevailed and before the assyrian king. Book of zephaniah overview insight for living ministries. These sins, coupled with the spiritual and moral apathy of jerusalems citizenry, merit the fiercest kind of judgment, and zephaniah describes gods wrath with a whitehot fury almost unparalleled in. Zephaniah intro to zephaniah biblica the international bible.
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