His word came in visions, oracles, dreams, parables, and the like. Next 1 the word of yahweh which was addressed to zephaniah son of cushi, son of gedaliah, son of amariah, son of hezekiah, in the days of josiah son of amon king of judah 2 i shall sweep away everything off the face of the earth, declares yahweh 3 i shall sweep away humans and animals, the birds of the air and the fish of the sea, i shall topple the. Indeed, his main message was regarding the day of the lord. The people of judah would return to wickedness and rebellion against god. Thus the period from 640 to 622 is the likely time for the giving of the prophecy. Josiah led judah to religious and social reform, but zephaniah declared that these spiritual changes would not last. The bible does not mention him elsewhere, but from his book. An easyenglish bible version and commentary 1200 word vocabulary on the books of nahum, habakkuk and zephaniah. 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. An integrated digital bible study library including complete notes from the niv study bible and the nkjv macarthur study bible. Zephaniahs ministry occurred during the reign of josiah, king of judah. This commentary has been through advanced checking.
The book of zephaniah shows how gods justice and love work together to give the world hope. Zephaniah with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. And he shows us that gods intention is the ultimate peace and prosperity of those who are his. Twopage spread from johannes gutenbergs 42line bible, c.
Zephaniah s message of judgment and encouragement contains three major doctrines. Zephaniah was the grandson of hezekiah, but we cannot be sure that this hezekiah was the same hezekiah who ruled jerusalem during the time of isaiah. Translators could also find the translated bible text useful, as the writer translated from the hebrew tex t. Zephaniah, book of definition and meaning bible dictionary. Among the minor prophets, we are certainly much more familiar with jonah and hosea. The most popular bible verses from zephaniah found 53 verses zephaniah 3. Zephaniah was a prophet of doom in the true sense of the word. Book of zephaniah read bible verses online bible study tools. It was zephaniahs lot to speak on the most unpleasant subject in the bible the judgment of god. The old king manasseh had lead the nation away from god and into heinous idolatry, including human. Among the prophets, this is a unique introduction with its long list of fathers back to zephaniahs great.
This prophetic concept refers to any intervention of god in. The book of zephaniah is a book of the bible and is thought to be written by zephaniah son of cushi son of gedaliah son of amariah son of hezekiah, in the days of king josiah son of amon of judah the book begins by telling of gods judgement on the kingdom of judah. The book of the twelve prophets was originally on one parchment roll because of the brevity of the text, and together formed one book of the 24 books of hebrew scripture. The prophet zephaniah was evidently a person of considerable social standing in judah and was probably related to the royal line. Zephaniah 1 niv bible the word of the lord that came. By this the godly harmony is shown in the prophecies of such different men who have lived at totally different times but who always presented the one goal of god. Book of zephaniah, the ninth of 12 old testament books that bear the names. Listen to chuck swindolls overview of zephaniah in his audio message from the. 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 jewish canon.
The book of zephaniah introduction to the book of zephaniah in the bible. Zephaniah is the ninth of the twelve prophets in the book of the twelve in hebrew scripture, our old testament of the bible. Introduction286 the book of zephaniah is probably best known for being the least known book of the entire bible. Zephaniahs message of judgment and encouragement contains three major. What zephaniah does do is show us that the lord makes a distinction between those who are his people and those who are not, as he did when the angel of death moved through egypt. Part two is devoted to the book of habakkuk, listing the contents, explaining the history of criticism of the book, illuminating the details of the. In this book, zephaniah announces gods purifying judgment on israel.
Zephaniah has summed up in his brief book many of the dominant prophetic themes, and, above all, he has bound them together with the lucid eschatological insights for which he is justly honored by. Zephaniah contemporary of jeremiah preached around 625 bc king manasseh is dead after a reign of 55 years the most evil king in judah he was the exact opposite of his father king hezekiah. Zephaniah is the ninth of the twelve prophets in the book of the. It was a day that would come against judah for all her sins, but he also acknowledged that some had remained faithful and they would be spared. Bible commentary on nahum, habakkuk and zephaniah in easy. Social injustice and moral corruption were widespread 3. Watch our overview video on the book of zephaniah, which breaks down the literary design. Zephaniah practically gives the address of the united states. Study guide for zephaniah 3 by david guzik blue letter bible.
As with each of the 12 minor prophets, the prophecy bears the name of its author, which is generally thought to mean the lord hides compare 2. Zephaniah is the ninth of the minor prophets, the last 12 books of the old testament. The day of the lord zephaniah adult bible study guide. Part one examines the book of zephaniah by describing the contents, portraying zephaniah the person, explaining the historical background and criticisms, and illustrating the message of zephaniah. Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of josiah, king of judah 640609 bc. Zephaniah, nahum, and habakkuk book summaries, test.
Book of zephaniah simple english wikipedia, the free. Zephaniah 1, new living translation nlt the bible app. The book tells us that zephaniah prophesied during the reign of josiah, the king of judah from 640 to 609 bc zephaniah 1. We hope that you find the zephaniah summary from the kjv bible chapters and verses helpful to your bible studies and for references as a guide to further reference to the book of zephaniah. As piercing as any modern day social critic, zephaniah proclaims salvation only for those who. The lord gave this message to zephaniah when josiah son of amon was king of judah. Zephaniahs preaching condemned the hopeless corruption found in judean society.
Three times god says i will sweep away in chapter 1 verses 1 and 2. Zephaniah wrote this book between the years 630 and 625 bc. The following scripture is from the authorized king james version of the holy bible. There are many people who would like to rule this subject of judgment out of the. Zephaniah sets forth the dark side of the love of god. The book of zephaniah center point bible institute. Zephaniah is the thirtysixth book in the christian old testament, falling between habakkuk and haggai. The book of zephaniah is composed as a charged dialogue between god and the prophet. Book of zephaniah overview insight for living ministries. Apart from this statement, nothing more is said about. Interesting facts about zephaniah barnes bible charts meaning.
Like other old testament prophets, zephaniah is a book rich in literary forms and features. I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth, declares the l. This is book number 8 in the summary of the 12 minor prophets of the bible. All that is known of zephaniah comes from the text.
A call to repentance gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, o undesirable nation, before the decree is issued, or the day passes like chaff, before the lords fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the lords anger comes upon you. This summary of the book of zephaniah provides information about the title, author s, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of zephaniah. Zephaniahs ministry, then, was directed to judah just before these major changes came about. Zephaniah was the son of cushi, son of gedaliah, son of amariah, son of. And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops. The love of god is difficult to grasp while reading the book of zephaniah, which begins with a horrifying message of gods judgment. Seek the lord, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld his justice. We can begin to pinpoint exactly when zephaniah prophesied by accounting for a few details in the text. It is a small book, nestled in the midst of the minor prophets, toward the end of the old testament.
The book is concerned throughout with the day of the lord. Zephaniahs prophetic revelations and stern warnings occurred during josiahs reign zephaniah 1. Summary of the book of zephaniah the story of the bible. The book of zephaniah was written during the reign of king josiah, likely in the early part of his reign, between 635 and 625 bc. As their conversation unfolds, we learn of the doomed destiny which are indifferent to the lords power and of humans who have become too enthralled worldly riches.
Zephaniah 2 nkjv a call to repentance bible gateway. Three other old testament individuals share his name. When god had a message for the people, he spoke through the prophets. Zephaniah was a fourthgeneration descendant of hezekiah, a notable king of judah from 715 to 686 b. Bible study guide book of zephaniah saturday, november 3, 2012 background on zephaniah in zephaniah 1. A contrast between a wicked city and a righteous god.
The book tells us that zephaniah prophesied during the reign of josiah, the king. This is not the only place where this theme occurs, of course, but it is the most concentrated treatment of the judgment of god as the whole book is devoted to this one theme. The harpercollins study bible supplies headings for the book as follows. Best commentaries and books on zephaniah logos bible. Zephaniah 1 niv the word of the lord that came to bible gateway. In the book of zephaniah, gods justice and love offer future hope. The lord rejoices over the restoration of his people a. God will judge the nations with a burning fire as he purifies them from sin, evil and violence. 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. Nevertheless, this is a great book with a significant. Kjv bible verses from zephaniah offer free, online access, for those of the christian faith, to study scriptural passages for biblical studies, contained in.
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