Introduction to Zephaniah

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/27/2016 8:53 PM

Introduction to the book of Zephaniah

As we begin looking at the introduction to the book of Zephaniah I must confess that I know very little about this prophet.  We looked at this book briefly in a Sunday school class a few years back, and in a Bible study last year, but not sure I was there when we went over it, but we will do our best to find out where the gold nuggets of Scripture are found in this book.  I will begin by quoting from Dr. Wiersbe and then perhaps from John MacArthur’s study Bible, and may even look at what some of the older commentators had to say about this book.

“Zephaniah in His Day”

If the Hezekiah named in Zephaniah 1:1 is King Hezekiah (715-686), then the Prophet Zephaniah was his great-great-grandson.  His name means ‘Jehovah hides’ (i. e., ‘Jehovah protects’) and describes God’s ministry of protection for His faithful people when the day of His anger arrives (2:3).

“Zephaniah’s major theme is the Day of the Lord, that period of time when God will judge the nations and usher in His righteous kingdom.  This theme is found in almost all the prophets, but it is particularly evident in Joel and Zephaniah.  ‘The great day of the Lord is near’ (Zeph. 1:14 NIV).

“The Scriptures reveal very little about Zephaniah’s personal life.  He ministered in Judah during the time of King Josiah (640-609), who led the nation in a religious reformation triggered by the finding of the Book of the Law in the temple in the year 622 (2 Chron. 34:14ff).  It’s likely that Zephaniah preached prior to this reformation, or he would have said something about it in his book.  Jeremiah and Zephaniah were contemporaries.

“Politically, the times were in ferment.  Assyria was losing its power, the Scythians were invading from the north, and Babylon had become the leading empire.  King Manasseh (697-642) had led the people of Judah deeper and deeper into idolatry and the adoption of foreign ideas and customs, and Josiah had sought to reverse this trend.  Alas, King Josiah died on the battlefield before his work was finished, and his successors on the throne allowed the people to return to their sinful ways.”

I will give the shorter rendition of Dr. Wiersbe’s outline here:  “The Day of the Lord and the Jews; The Day of the Lord and the Gentiles; and The Day of the Lord and the Kingdom.”

The following comes from the John MacArthur Study Bible:  “Historical and Theological Themes:  Zephaniah’s message on the Day of the Lord warned Judah that the final days were near, through divine judgment at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, ca. 605-586 BC (1:4-13).  Yet, it also looks beyond to the far fulfillment in the judgments of Daniel’s 70^th week (1:18; 3:8).  The expression ‘Day of the Lord’ is described as a day that is near (1:7), and as a day of wrath, trouble, distress, devastation, desolation, darkness, gloominess, clouds, thick darkness, trumpet, and alarm (1:15, 16, 18).  Yet even within these oracles of divine wrath, the prophet exhorted the people to seek the Lord, offering a shelter in the midst of judgment (2:3), and proclaiming the promise of eventual salvation for His believing remnant (2:7; 3:9-20).”

“Zephaniah first mentions the time in which he prophesied; it was under the king Josiah. The reason why he puts down the name of his father Amon does not appear to me. The Prophet would not, as a mark of honor, have made public a descent that was disgraceful and infamous. Amon was the son of Manasseh, an impious and wicked king; and he was nothing better than his father. We hence see that his name is recorded, not for the sake of honor, but rather of reproach; and it may have been that the Prophet meant to intimate, what was then well known to all, that the people had become so obdurate in their superstitions, that it was no easy matter to restore them to a sound mind. But we cannot bring forward anything but conjecture; I therefore leave the matter without pretending to decide it.

 

“With regard to the pedigree of the Prophet, I have mentioned elsewhere what the Jews affirm — that when the Prophets put down the names of their fathers, they themselves had descended from Prophets. But Zephaniah mentions not only his father and grandfather, but also his great-grandfather and his great-great-grandfather; and it is hardly credible that they were all Prophets, and there is not a word respecting them in Scripture. I do not think, as I have said elsewhere, that such a rule is well-founded; but the Jews in this case, according to their manner, deal in trifles; for in things unknown they hesitate not to assert what comes to their minds, though it may not have the least appearance of truth. It is possible that the father, grandfather, the great-grandfather, and the great-great-grandfather of the Prophet, were persons who excelled in piety; but this also is uncertain. What is especially worthy of being noticed is  —  that he begins by saying that he brought nothing of his own, but faithfully, and, as it were, by the hand, delivered what he had received from God.

 

“With regard, then, to his pedigree, it is a matter of no great moment; but it is of great importance to know that God was the author of his doctrine, and that Zephaniah was his faithful minister, who introduced not his own devices, but was only the announcer of celestial truth. Let us now proceed to the contents (John Calvin).”

INTRODUCTION TO ZEPHANIAH  by John Gill

 

“This book in some Hebrew copies is called "Sepher Zephaniah," the Book of Zephaniah. Its title, in the Vulgate Latin version, is, the Prophecy of Zephaniah; and, in the Syriac version, the Prophecy of the Prophet Zephaniah; and so the Arabic version calls him a prophet; and he is the last of the minor prophets that prophesied before the Babylonish captivity. The time of his prophesying, as well as his, parentage, are expressed #Zep 1:1, and therefore need not be inquired into; only the sad mistake of Hobbes {a } may be observed, who makes him to be the most ancient of the prophets, and to be contemporary with Amaziah and Uzziah, kings of Judah, when he is expressly said to prophesy in the days of Josiah. Pseudo-epiphanius {b } calls him a prophet of Sarabatha, of a mountain of that name, and says he was of the tribe of Simeon; and in this Isidore {c } agrees with him; and both affirm that he died and was buried in his own native place; but the author of the Cippi Hebraici {d } says he was buried at Geba, in Mount Lebanon, in the midst of a cave shut up, where his school continues; and from which place the clouds never depart, and where also are flowing fountains. His name, according to Jerom, signifies either "the Lord’s watch tower," or "watchman"; or else "the secret of the Lord"; or, "his hidden one"; deriving his name, either from צפה, which signifies to "look out," as a watchman from his tower; or from צפן, "to hide"; which latter derivation is best; and some interpret it "a revealer of the secrets," or "hidden things, of the Lord"; and take it to be much the same with Zaphnathpaaneah, the name given to Joseph by Pharaoh, #Ge 41:45, and is of the same signification: but Hillerus {e } interprets the name of Zephaniah, "the Lord hid himself"; which agrees with the times in which he lived. That this prophecy was wrote by himself, there need be no doubt of; nor of the authenticity of it, being always received by the Jewish synagogue as authentic; and as it appears to be from its style and manner of composition; from the subject matter of it agreeing with other parts of Scripture, especially with Jeremiah and Ezekiel; and from the accomplishment of various prophecies in it. There are indeed some spurious things which have been ascribed to him, as the "analepsis" or assumption of Zephaniah the prophet, and the prophecy of Zephaniah, consisting of six hundred verses; but these are apocryphal, and have no likeness to this prophecy; in which he foretells the destruction of the Jews by the Chaldeans for their sins, which he inveighs against, and calls them to repentance for them, as also the ruin of many other nations, all which came to pass; as well as he prophesies of the calling of the Gentiles, and the conversion of the Jews, and of the comfortable state of the church in Gospel times, and especially in the latter day.”  (John Gill)