Zephaniah Introduction

INTRODUCTION TO ZEPHANIAH

THE NAME OF THE BOOK
1. It is named after the prophet.
2. His name.
  1. the "iah" suffix is an abbreviation of YHWH, which was common in Hebrew names
  2. the root word is disputed
    1. "YHWH has hidden," from סתר, BDB 711, NIDOTTE, vol. 4, p. 1309
    2. "YHWH has treasured," from צפניה, BDB 861
    3. "YHWH watches" or "watchman of YHWH," מצפה, BDB 859
3. There are several people in the OT who bear this name.
  1. a priest ‒ 2 Kgs. 25:18-21; Jer. 21:1; 29:25,29; 37:3; 52:24
  2. a musician of the line of Heman ‒ LXX of 1 Chr. 6:21
  3. this royal prophet ‒ Zeph. 1:1
  4. a Judean family in post-exilic Jerusalem ‒ Zech. 6:10,14
CANONIZATION
1. This book is part of the "latter prophets" (Ecclesiasticus 49:10).
2. It is part of "the Twelve," a grouping of minor prophets (Baba Bathra 14b):
  1. like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, they would all together fit on one scroll, Young Commentary, p. 1088
  2. represent the twelve tribes or the symbolic number of organization (see SPECIAL TOPIC: THE NUMBER TWELVE)
3. The order of "the Twelve" or Minor Prophets has been linked by many scholars to a chronological sequence. It is obvious that Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah form a historical unit.
GENRE
1. This was classical Hebrew prophecy (poetry) which focused on the themes of sin, judgement and restoration (see SPECIAL TOPIC: HEBREW POETRY).
2. Zephaniah 3:14-20 may be an ancient hymn/psalm.
AUTHORSHIP
1. The book had an unusually long genealogy: ". . .son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah," Zeph. 1:1.
  1. This implies that he was of the royal line of Judah. If the Hezekiah listed is the King of Judah (715-687 B.C.), then this seems to be the purpose of the lengthy genealogy.
  2. Possibly the length is to prove his Jewishness because his father's name was Cushi (i.e., Ethiopian, BDB 469).
2. Many believe he was cousin to Josiah (640-609 B.C.; see SPECIAL TOPIC: KINGS OF THE DIVIDED KINGDOM) and was possibly trained by the same teachers as the godly King.
3. Three others in the OT have the same name: 1 Chr. 6:36-38; Jer. 21:1; 2 Kgs. 25:18-21; 29:25; 37:3; 52:24-27; Zech. 6:10,14.
DATE
1. Zephaniah spoke during the life of the godly King Josiah (640-609 B.C.).
2. Because of the internal tensions in Judah mentioned in the book, Zeph. 1:4-6, 8-9, 12; 3:1-3, it seems that the recipients were Judeans before Josiah's reform was instituted (621 B.C., cf. 2 Kgs. 22:8-13; 23:1-25).
HISTORICAL SETTING
1. Some see God's instrument of invasion
  1. as the Scythian hordes (NIV, Clyde Francisco says 626 B.C.) which had earlier attacked Assyria
  2. Heroditus (I:103-106) says that the Scythians invaded through Palestine as far as Egypt before they were turned back by Pharaoh Psammetichus I (663-609 B.C.) by a pay off.
2. Although the Scythian invasion was possible, probably it is Neo-Babylon that invaded Judah. Most scholars see the invaders as Babylon.
LITERARY UNITS (taken from Introduction to the Old Testament by R. K. Harrison, p. 939-940)
1. The Day of the Lord, Zeph. 1:1-2:3
  1. threat of desolation against Ba'al worshipers, Zeph. 1:2-6
  2. the implications of the Day of the Lord, Zeph. 1:7-13
  3. the ensuing judgment, Zeph. 1:14-18
  4. means of avoiding judgment, Zeph. 2:1-3
2. Judgments Against Foreign Nations, Zeph. 2:4-15
  1. Philistia, Zeph. 2:4-7
  2. Moab and Ammon, Zeph. 2:8-11
  3. Egypt, Zeph. 2:12
  4. Assyria, Zeph. 2:13-15
3. Woe and Blessing, Zeph. 3:1-20
  1. threat of punishment for Jerusalem, Zeph. 3:1-7
  2. assurance of blessing for the faithful remnant, Zeph. 3:8-20
MAIN TRUTHS
1. This prophet warns of the approaching invasion of Judah. The reason for this act of judgement was the rampant idolatry in Jerusalem which was begun by Manasseh (cf. Ezekiel 8). Zephaniah used the concept of "the Day of the Lord." Often the prophets used a crisis in their day to foreshadow future, end-time events. See SPECIAL TOPIC: THAT DAY and SPECIAL TOPIC: DAY OF THE Lord (NT).
2. There is a call to repentance in Zeph. 2:3. Judah's only hope was in the Messiah's love (Zeph. 3:17) and presence (Zeph. 3:15 & 17)! See SPECIAL TOPIC: REPENTANCE (OT).
3. It is obvious that God used Assyria to punish Israel (Isa. 10:5-11) and this Fertile Crescent Empire now stands judged but, so too, Judah (cf. Hab. 1:2-4)!