What can one person say or do to change the hearts, minds, and actions of society’s most powerful people? Armed with God’s Word, a young prophet named Zephaniah faced this question.

What makes Zephaniah special?

In Hebrew, the name “Zephaniah” means “The Lord protects.” Zephaniah is the only prophet who traces his family ancestry back four generations (1.1). As a great-great-grandson of Judah’s King Hezekiah (ruled 716-687 B.C.), Zephaniah probably came from a family that had some wealth and social standing. And he was very familiar with the customs and the politics of the royal court in Jerusalem. Zephaniah may have known the prophets Nahum and Jeremiah, who lived about the same time.

Why was Zephaniah written?

Zephaniah has two key messages. The first is to announce that a “great day of the Lord” is coming soon. The people of Judah believed that one day the Lord was going to make them powerful and wipe out their enemies. But Zephaniah told the people that when the day of the Lord did come, the Lord would punish those who had not obeyed him. And this included Judah, as well as other nations. Zephaniah described how the people and their leaders had disobeyed the Lord: Many worshiped idols (1.5); the king and other leaders were following foreign customs (1.8) and abusing their power (1.9; 3.3); false prophets told the people not to worry about what the Lord demanded, and said the Lord wouldn’t do anything about it anyway (1.12); and priests were disgracing the temple and abusing God’s Law (3.4). Zephaniah tells the people to be humble, obey the Lord, and worship only God (2.3; 3.12). If they do this, they could still avoid the terrible punishment that would destroy them (2.4-15).

But Zephaniah has a second message. The Lord also wants to create a new people who will “live right” (3.13) and will “celebrate and shout” (3.14), because the Lord has given them victory and refreshes their lives with his love (3.15-17). The Lord will bring home to Judah those who have been scattered or exiled by war. They will once again worship the Lord in Jerusalem, and other nations will see how the Lord has blessed them (3.18-20).

What’s the story behind the scene?

Zephaniah probably preached his message from the Lord near the beginning of the reign of Judah’s King Josiah (640-609 B.C.). The people of Judah were greatly influenced by the powerful Assyrians during the reigns of Manasseh (687-642 B.C.) and Amon (642-640 B.C.). Apparently, these kings and other royal leaders of Judah followed Assyrian customs and dressed in Assyrian clothing (1.8). People were allowed to worship the stars and foreign gods, such as Baal and Milcom (1.4,5). Zephaniah’s message was clear: Judah and its leaders must reform and turn back to the Lord. This was also the message that King Josiah would later give to the people in 621 B.C. after The Book of God’s Law was discovered in the temple in Jerusalem (see 2 Kgs 22,23). Josiah got rid of foreign gods in the temple and encouraged the people to live according to the Law given to them by Moses. But Josiah was killed by the Egyptians in a battle at Megiddo in 609 B.C., and Jerusalem’s leaders fell back into their old evil ways. See 2 Kgs 23.31—24.20 and 2 Chr 34.1—35.27 and the Introduction to Jeremiah, p. 1344.

It is possible that some of Zephaniah’s criticism of Jerusalem took place after Josiah’s attempt to reform Jerusalem and its leaders. After the reformer Josiah died, Zephaniah reports that the people were “eager to start sinning again” (3.7). Eventually, Zephaniah’s warnings of a day of punishment came true when the Babylonians captured and destroyed Jerusalem in 587 or 586 B.C. It took nearly fifty years before the people taken as prisoners to Babylon were allowed to return home to Judah and begin to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple, a hopeful time that seems to be described in 3.18-20.

How is Zephaniah constructed?

Zephaniah has three main sections. The first two focus on God’s judgment. The final section focuses on a time of celebration after the day of judgment has passed.

  • A day of judgment for Judah (1.1—2.3)
  • A day of judgment for all people (2.4—3.13)
  • A new day of celebration promised (3.14-20)

A Day of Judgment for Judah

Zephaniah introduces himself and brings a message from the Lord, who is angry with the people and leaders of Judah. They are worshiping the idols of foreign gods, following foreign customs, and treating one another badly. He warns that a “great and terrible day” is coming when no one will escape God’s judgment (1.2-18). But Zephaniah also says that those who humbly obey and worship the Lord will be safe on that day (2.3).

A Day of Judgment for All People

Zephaniah declares that the Lord will also punish Judah’s enemies (2.4-15) on every side. But this does not mean that the people of Jerusalem are pardoned for their sins. The Lord’s judgment will also fall on all in Jerusalem who “have disgraced the place of worship and abused God’s Law” (3.4).

A New Day of Celebration Promised

The nations have been punished and purified, and some of the people scattered to other lands are returning home to Judah and Jerusalem. The Lord’s punishment has ended, and the people can celebrate. The Lord will bless the people once again and make them famous everywhere on earth (3.20).

Questions about Zephaniah

1. What sins described in 1.2-13 led to Judah being punished by the Lord?

2. How could the people escape the Lord’s anger? (2.3)

3. According to Zephaniah, how will Judah’s neighbors be affected by the Lord’s day of judgment? Why? (2.4-15)

4. What does Zephaniah say about the leaders of the people and what they have done to misuse their powers? What will happen to Jerusalem as a result? (3.1-7)

5. Why will Jerusalem and the people of Judah celebrate once again? (3.11-20)

6. Briefly describe the historical situation in Judah shortly before and during Zephaniah’s lifetime. For example, how might the reforms of King Josiah fit with Zephaniah’s prophecies?

7. What, if anything, in our society today needs to be “reformed”? Why?