Zephaniah 1

General context

The heading names the word of the Lord that came to 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. The Lord says he will utterly consume all things from the land: man, beast, fowl, fish and the stumblingblocks with the wicked. He will stretch out his hand on Judah and Jerusalem and cut off the remnant of Baal, the name of the Chemarims with the priests, those who worship the host of heaven on housetops, those who swear by the Lord and by Malcham, and those who have turned back or never sought him. Silence is commanded, for the day of the Lord is at hand and he has prepared a sacrifice and bid his guests. On that day he will punish princes, the king's children, those in strange apparel, and those who leap on the threshold and fill their masters' houses with violence. A cry will come from the fish gate, howling from the second, crashing from the hills, and Maktesh will howl because merchants are cut down. The Lord will search Jerusalem with candles for men settled on their lees who say he will do neither good nor evil; their houses will be desolate, built but not inhabited, vineyards planted but not drunk. The great day of the Lord is near: a day of wrath, trouble, wasteness, darkness, clouds, trumpet and alarm. Men will walk like the blind, their blood poured out as dust, and neither silver nor gold will deliver them when the whole land is devoured by the fire of his jealousy.

Cited passages: Zephaniah 1:1, Zephaniah 1:2, Zephaniah 1:3, Zephaniah 1:4, Zephaniah 1:5, Zephaniah 1:6, Zephaniah 1:7, Zephaniah 1:8, Zephaniah 1:9, Zephaniah 1:10, Zephaniah 1:11, Zephaniah 1:12, Zephaniah 1:13, Zephaniah 1:14, Zephaniah 1:15, Zephaniah 1:16, Zephaniah 1:17, Zephaniah 1:18

Zephaniah 1 (KJV)

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Historical context

The heading is printed as verse text and gives a four-generation line: "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." The text does not say why the line is traced so far or who Hizkiah is. This Zephaniah is distinct from "Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest" who carries messages for Zedekiah in Jeremiah 21:1 and Jeremiah 37:3, and from "Zephaniah the second priest" taken by the captain of the guard in 2 Kings 25:18; the prophet's father is Cushi and no priestly office is given him. Josiah is identified only as "the son of Amon, king of Judah"; the chapter does not mention his reforms or any event of his reign. The targets are named by practice: the remnant of Baal, the Chemarims with the priests, worship of the host of heaven, oaths by Malcham. The places named in verses 10 and 11, the fish gate, "the second," the hills and Maktesh, are given without explanation. "The king's children" are punished in verse 8 without names. The "sacrifice" the Lord prepares and the "guests" he bids are not identified. No enemy nation is named in this chapter.

Cited passages: Zephaniah 1:1, Jeremiah 21:1, Jeremiah 37:3, 2 Kings 25:18, Zephaniah 1:4, Zephaniah 1:5, Zephaniah 1:10, Zephaniah 1:11, Zephaniah 1:8, Zephaniah 1:7

Literary context

The chapter works by narrowing. It begins with "all things from off the land," names man, beast, fowl and fish, then closes in on Judah and Jerusalem, then on specific worshippers, then on princes and the king's children, then on merchants in one quarter, and finally on individual men found by candlelight. The command "Hold thy peace" turns the day into a sacrifice whose guests are bidden but whose victims are not named. The complacent saying, "The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil," is quoted so the day can answer it. Verses 14 to 16 pile up "day" phrases without verbs: wrath, trouble, distress, wasteness, desolation, darkness, gloominess, clouds, thick darkness, trumpet, alarm. The image of walking like blind men and blood poured like dust closes the movement in the body. Chapter 2 opens by telling the nation to gather before the decree falls, which is the first opening the chapter allows.

Cited passages: Zephaniah 1:2, Zephaniah 1:3, Zephaniah 1:4, Zephaniah 1:8, Zephaniah 1:11, Zephaniah 1:12, Zephaniah 1:7, Zephaniah 1:14, Zephaniah 1:15, Zephaniah 1:16, Zephaniah 1:17, Zephaniah 2:1

Key moments

1. The word to Zephaniah (Zephaniah 1:1). The heading gives Zephaniah's four-generation line and places the word in Josiah's days.
2. All things consumed (Zephaniah 1:2). The Lord says he will utterly consume all things from off the land.
3. Baal and Malcham cut off (Zephaniah 1:4). The Lord stretches out his hand on Judah to cut off the remnant of Baal and those who swear by Malcham.
4. A sacrifice prepared (Zephaniah 1:7). Silence is commanded because the Lord has prepared a sacrifice and bid his guests.
5. Jerusalem searched with candles (Zephaniah 1:12). The Lord will find the men settled on their lees who deny he will act.
6. The great day is near (Zephaniah 1:14). The day of the Lord is near and hastens greatly.
7. Silver cannot deliver (Zephaniah 1:18). Neither silver nor gold delivers in the day of the Lord's wrath.

For reflection

The men the Lord searches out with candles are those who say he will do neither good nor evil. Why might the text treat that indifference as a graver fault than the open worship of Baal named earlier in the chapter?

People in this chapter

• Judah
• Josiah
• Zephaniah

Also indexed here:

• Amariah
• Amon
• Cushi
• Gedaliah
• Hezekiah