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{{Booksshort description|Book of the Old TestamentBible}}
{{About |the Book of Zephaniah|the Hebrew prophet|Zephaniah}}
{{Books of Nevi'im}}
{{Tanakh OT|Nevi'im|prophetic}}
==Writer==
[[File:Leningrad-codex-13-twelve-minor-prophets.pdf |250px |thumb|The [[Leningrad Codex]] (AD. 1008) contains the complete text of the Book of Zephaniah in [[Hebrew]].]]
The superscription of the Book of Zephaniah attributes its authorship to “Zephaniah son of Cushi son of Gedaliah son of Amariah son of [[Hezekiah]], in the days of King [[Josiah]] son of Amon of [[Kingdom of Judah|Judah]]” (1:1, [[New Revised Standard Version|NRSV]]). All that is known of [[Zephaniah]] comes from the text. The superscription of the book is lengthier than most and contains two features. The name Cushi, Zephaniah’s father, means ‘[[Ethiopia]]n’. In a society where genealogy was considered extremely important because of [[Tetragrammaton|God's]] covenant with [[Abraham]] and his descendants, the author may have felt compelled to establish his [[Hebrews|Hebrew]] lineage. In fact, this lineage is traced back to [[Hezekiah]], who was king of [[Kingdom of Judah|Judah]]. The author of Zephaniah does not shrink from condemning the Cushites or Ethiopians. Chapter 2:12 contains a succinct but unequivocal message: “You also, O Ethiopians, / Shall be killed by my sword.” Zephaniah’s familial connection with King [[Hezekiah]] may have also legitimized his harsh indictment of the royal city in 3:1-7.
The '''Book of Zephaniah''' {{IPAc-en|ˌ|z|ɛ|f|ə|ˈ|n|aɪ|.|ə}} ({{lang-he|צְפַנְיָה}}, ''Ṣəfanyā''; sometimes Latinized as ''Sophonias'') is the ninth of the [[Twelve Minor Prophets]] of the [[Old Testament]] and [[Tanakh]], preceded by the [[Book of Habakkuk]] and followed by the [[Book of Haggai]]. Zephaniah means "[[Yahweh]] has hidden/protected,"{{sfn |Grudem et al. |2008|p=1729}} or "Yahweh hides".{{sfn |Carson et al. |2015|p= 1839}} Zephaniah is also a male given name. The original text was written in [[Biblical Hebrew]].
 
== Authorship and date ==
As with many of the other prophets, there is no external evidence to directly associate composition of the book with a prophet by the name of Zephaniah. Some scholars believe that much of the material does not date from the days of King [[Josiah]] (ca. 640-609 BCE), but is actually post-monarchic. Three general possibilities are that a person, possibly named Zephaniah, prophesied the words of the book of Zephaniah; the general message of a Josianic prophet is conveyed through the book of Zephaniah; or the name could have been employed, either during the monarchic or post-monarchic period, as a ‘speaking voice’, possibly for rhetorical purposes. Although it is possible that a post-monarchic author assumed the persona of a monarchic prophet to add credibility to his message, there is no evidence to support such a claim.
[[File:Southern France, Toulouse(?), 13th century - Fol. 362v, Zephaniah, historiated initial V, Zephaniah kneeling with a scro - 2008.2.362.b - Cleveland Museum of Art.tif|thumb|upright=1.1|A 13th-century Latin Bible, possibly from [[Toulouse]], with part of the Book of Zephaniah (Latin ''Sophonias'')]]
The book's superscription attributes its authorship to "Zephaniah son of Cushi son of Gedaliah son of Amariah son of Hezekiah, in the days of [[Josiah|King Josiah]] son of [[Amon of Judah]],"<ref>[[Zephaniah 1#Verse 1|Zephaniah 1:1]], [[New Revised Standard Version|NRSV]]</ref> All that is known of [[Zephaniah]] comes from the text.{{sfn|Grudem et al.|2008|p=1729}}
 
The name "[[Cushi]]," Zephaniah's father, means "Cushite" or "[[Ethiopia]]n," and the text of Zephaniah mentions the sin and restoration of ''Cushim''.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Zeph|2:12|NRSV}}, {{Bibleverse|Zeph|3:9–10|NRSV}}</ref> While some have concluded from this that Zephaniah was dark-skinned or African,{{sfn|Carson et al.|2015|p=1839}} [[Ehud Ben Zvi]] maintains that, based on the context, "Cushi" must be understood as a personal name rather than an indicator of nationality.{{sfn|Berlin et al.|2004|p=1235}} [[Abraham ibn Ezra]] interpreted the name Hezekiah in the superscription as [[Hezekiah|King Hezekiah of Judah]], though that is not a claim advanced in the text of Zephaniah.{{sfn|Berlin et al.|2004|p=1235}}
The prophetic book of the Bible attributed to Zephaniah occurs ninth among the twelve [[minor prophet]]s, preceded by [[Book of Habakkuk|Habakkuk]] and followed by [[Book of Haggai|Haggai]]. Zephaniah (or Tzfanya, Sophonias, &#1510;&#1508;&#1504;&#1497;&#1492;, &#7826;&#601;fanya, &#7778;&#601;p&#772;any&#257;h) means 'the Lord conceals', 'the Lord protects' or, possibly, 'God of darkness'.
 
As with many of the other prophets,{{sfn|Berlin et al.|2004|pp=781–784, 918, 1043}} there is no external evidence to directly associate composition of the book with a prophet by the name of Zephaniah.{{sfn|Grudem et al.|2008|p=1729}} Some scholars, such as Kent Harold Richards and Jason DeRouchie, consider the words in Zephaniah to reflect a time early in the reign of [[Josiah|King Josiah]] (640–609 BC) before his reforms of 622 BC took full effect,{{sfn|Attridge|Meeks|2006|p=1259}}{{sfn|Carson et al.|2015|p=1839}} in which case the prophet may have been born during the reign of [[Manasseh of Judah|Manasseh]]{{sfn|Attridge|Meeks|2006|p=1259}} (698/687–642 BC).{{sfn|Berlin et al.|2004|p=2111}} Others agree that some portion of the book is postmonarchic,{{sfn|Berlin et al.|2004|p=1234}} that is, dating to later than 586 BC when the [[Kingdom of Judah]] fell in the [[Siege of Jerusalem (587 BC)|Siege of Jerusalem]].{{sfn|Berlin et al.|2004|p=2111}} Some who consider the book to have largely been written by a historical Zephaniah have suggested that he may have been a disciple of [[Isaiah]] because of the two books' similar focus on rampant corruption and injustice in Judah.{{sfn|Attridge|Meeks|2006|p=1259}}
==When was it written?==
If the superscription of the book of Zephaniah is a reliable indicator of the time that the bulk of the book was composed, then Zephaniah was a contemporary of the prophet [[Book of Jeremiah|Jeremiah]] (or Jeremias). King [[Josiah]] ruled over [[Kingdom of Judah|Judah]] from approximately 640-609 BCE. Some scholars believe that the picture of [[Jerusalem]] which Zephaniah gives indicates that he was active prior to the religious reforms of King Josiah which are described in 2 [[Books of Kings|Kings]] 23. These reforms took place in 622 BCE. Scholars also cite the reference to “the officials and the king’s sons . . .” in 1:8 as evidence that the kingdom was still ruled by a regent for the Josiah. The portrait of foreign nations in chapter 2 also indicates the late seventh century.
 
== Purpose ==
Zephaniah was probably the first prophet following the prophecies of [[Book of Isaiah|Isaiah]] and the violent reign of [[Manasseh]]. Both Zephaniah and [[Book of Jeremiah|Jeremiah]] urged King [[Josiah]] to enact religious reforms, which he eventually did.
 
If Zephaniah was largely composed during the monarchic period, then its composition was occasioned by Judah's refusal to obey its [[Covenant (biblical)|covenant]] obligations toward Yahweh despite having seen [[Kingdom of Israel (Samaria)|Israel's]] [[Assyrian captivity|exile]] a generation or two previously{{sfn|Grudem et al.|2008|p=1729}}—an exile that the Judahite literary tradition attributed to Yahweh's anger against Israel's disobedience to his covenant.<ref>{{Bibleverse|1 Kings|17:5-18|NRSV}}</ref>{{sfn|Berlin et al.|2004|pp=758-759}} In this historical context, Zephaniah urges Judah to obedience to Yahweh, saying that "perhaps" he will forgive them if they do.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Zeph|2:3|NRSV}}</ref>{{sfn|Grudem et al.|2008|p=1729}}
Other scholars have presented evidence pointing to a post-monarchic date (as late as 200 BCE) based on language and theme, although the book might still have been based on an earlier composition.
 
==Where wasThemes it written==
[[File:Sophonie s'adressant au peuple.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|Illustration depicting Zephaniah addressing the people, from a French 16th-century Bible]]
The author of Zephaniah describes the city of [[Jerusalem]] in considerable detail. The author of Zephaniah writes that “a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate, / a wail from the Second Quarter, / a loud crash on the hills. / The inhabitants of the Mortar wail, for all the traders have perished . . .” (1:10-11). His description of the geography and of the offenses being committed in [[Jerusalem]] indicate first-hand knowledge. Because the book most directly effects the inhabitants of [[Jerusalem]], it is probable that this is where the book was composed.
 
''The HarperCollins Study Bible'' supplies headings for the book as follows:{{sfn|Attridge|Meeks|2006|pp=1260-64}}
==Why was it written==
There are two possible reasons for the creation of the book of Zephaniah. Either way, the primary purpose of the book’s composition was to alter the behaviour (particularly religious behaviour) of the author’s contemporary Jerusalemites.
 
{| class="wikitable"
If the book of Zephaniah was largely composed during the monarchic period, the author of the book of Zephaniah attempts to accomplish this change in behaviour through the threat of future calamity for “those who have turned back from following the Lord, / who have not sought the Lord or inquired of him” (1:6). The author conceives of a date in the future – the ‘great day of the Lord’ – when [[Tetragrammaton|Yahweh]] will judge all the people of the earth. This coming judgment will affect all of the nations, including the author’s own nation of [[Kingdom of Judah|Judah]] where [[Tetragrammaton|Yahweh]] is understood to reside. The threats made against [[Jerusalem]], however, are much more specific than the oracles concerning foreign nations. This strengthened the belief that the Israelites, who understood themselves to be God’s chosen people, were even more culpable than other peoples for living up to [[Tetragrammaton|Yahweh]]’s statutes because they were to be a ‘light unto the nations’. The book concludes by extending a promise of deliverance to the remnant of [[Israel]] which remains. The fulfilment of this prophecy is commonly understood to have taken place when [[Kingdom of Judah|Judah]] was captured by the nation of [[Babylon]] and many of its inhabitants were exiled in an event known as the [[Babylonian captivity]].
|+ Verse and chapter headings in the HCSB
! Verse (NRSV) !! Heading </tr>
| 1:1 || (Superscription) </tr>
| 1:2–13 || The Coming Judgment on [[Kingdom of Judah|Judah]] </tr>
| 1:14–18 || The Great [[Day of the Lord]] </tr>
| 2:1–15 || Judgment on [[Israelites|Israel's]] Enemies </tr>
| 3:1–7 || The Wickedness of [[Jerusalem]] </tr>
| 3:8–13 || Punishment and Conversion of [[Gentile|the Nations]] </tr>
| 3:14–20 || Song of Joy </tr>
|}
 
More consistently than any other prophetic book, Zephaniah focuses on "the day of the Lord,"{{sfn|Grudem et al.|2008|p=1729}} developing this tradition from its first appearance in [[Book of Amos|Amos]].{{sfn|Attridge|Meeks|2006|pp=1259-60}}{{sfn|Berlin et al.|2004|p=1186}}<ref>{{Bibleverse|Amos|5:18–20|NRSV}}</ref> The day of the Lord tradition also appears in [[Book of Isaiah|Isaiah]], [[Book of Ezekiel|Ezekiel]], [[Book of Obadiah|Obadiah]], [[Book of Joel|Joel]], and [[Book of Malachi|Malachi]].{{sfn|Berlin et al.|2004|p=1169}}<ref>{{Bibleverse|Isaiah|13:6|NRSV}}, {{Bibleverse|Ezekiel|30:2–3|NRSV}}, {{Bibleverse|Obadiah|15|NRSV}}, {{Bibleverse|Joel|1:15|NRSV}}, {{Bibleverse|Malachi|4:5|NRSV}}</ref>
If the book gained most of its present form in post-monarchic period, then the author likely intended to draw upon an understanding of the [[Babylonian captivity]] as a punishment from [[Tetragrammaton|Yahweh]], urging his own contemporaries not to repeat the mistakes of the past. It is not known whether the religious syncretism, alluded to in chapter one, was a significant issue in post-exilic [[Kingdom of Judah|Judah]].
 
The book begins by describing Yahweh's judgement. With a triple repetition of "I will sweep away" in 1:2–3, Zephaniah emphasizes the totality of the destruction,{{sfn|Attridge|Meeks|2006|p=1260}} as the number three often signifies perfection in the Bible.{{sfn|Berlin et al.|2004|p=1505}} The order of creatures in Zephanaiah 1:2 ("humans and animals ... the birds ... the fish") is the opposite of the creation order in Genesis 1:1–28, signifying an undoing of creation.{{sfn|Grudem et al.|2008|p=1732}} This is also signified by the way that "from the face of the earth" forms an ''[[inclusio]]'' around Zephaniah 1:2-3, hearkening back to how the phrase is used in the [[Genesis flood narrative]] in Genesis 6:7, Genesis 7:4, and Genesis 8:8,{{sfn|Attridge|Meeks|2006|p=1260}} where it also connotes an undoing of creation.{{sfn|Berlin et al.|2004|p=21}}
==What are the themes of the book?==
The book of Zephaniah consists of three chapters in the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] [[Masoretic Text]]. In English versions, the book is divided into four chapters. The [[New Revised Standard Version]] of the Bible supplies headings for the book as follows:
 
As is common in prophetic literature in the Bible, a "remnant" survives Yahweh's judgement in Zephaniah{{sfn|Berlin et al.|2004|p=1241}} by humbly seeking refuge in Yahweh.{{sfn|Grudem et al.|2008|p=1738}}<ref>{{Bibleverse|Zeph|3:12–13|NRSV}}</ref> The book concludes in an announcement of hope and joy,{{sfn|Berlin et al.|2004|p=1242}}<ref>{{Bibleverse|Zeph|3:14–20|NRSV}}</ref> as Yahweh "bursts forth in joyful divine celebration"{{sfn|Grudem et al.|2008|p=1739}} over his people.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Zeph|3:17|NRSV}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Verse/Chapter Headings in the NRSV
|-
! Verse Reference !! Heading
|-
| 1:1 || (Superscription)
|-
| 1:2-13 || The Coming Judgment on [[Kingdom of Judah|Judah]]
|-
| 1:14-18 || [[Last Judgement|The Great Day of the Lord]]
|-
| 2:1-15 || Judgment on [[Israel]]'s Enemies
|-
| 3:1-7 || The Wickedness of [[Jerusalem]]
|-
| 3:8-13 || Punishment and Conversion of the Nations
|-
| 3:14-20 || Song of Joy
|}
 
==Later influence==
It is important to note that there are a number of different sub-divisions in use for the text with no clear consensus.
Because of its hopeful tone of the gathering and restoration of exiles, {{Bibleverse|Zephaniah|3:20|NRSV}} has been included in [[Jewish liturgy]].{{sfn|Berlin et al.|2004|p=1242}}
 
Zephaniah served as a major inspiration for the [[medieval]] [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] [[hymn]] "[[Dies Irae]]," whose title and opening words are from the [[Vulgate]] translation of {{Bibleverse|Zephaniah|1:15–16|NRSV}}.{{sfn|Attridge|Meeks|2006|pp=1259–60}}
Despite its relatively short length, the book of Zephaniah incorporates a number of common prophetic themes. Zephaniah includes one of the most vivid descriptions in the prophetic literature of God’s wrath. Yet, it is also unequivocal in its proclamation of a restoration for those who survive the ‘[[Last Judgement|Great Day of the Lord']].
 
==Surviving early manuscripts==
The book of Zephaniah incorporates a good deal of phrases and terminology which are found in other books of the Bible. This suggests that the author of Zephaniah was familiar with and drew upon earlier Israelite religious tradition and also that later biblical writers regarded the book of Zephaniah as an authoritative (or at least respectable) work in the prophetic corpus.
 
The original manuscript of this book has been lost. Some early manuscripts containing the text of this book in [[Biblical Hebrew|Hebrew]] are of the [[Masoretic Text]] tradition, which includes the [[Codex Cairensis]] (895), [[Codex Babylonicus Petropolitanus|the Petersburg Codex of the Prophets]] (916), [[Aleppo Codex]] (10th century), [[Leningrad Codex|Codex Leningradensis]] (1008).{{sfn|Würthwein|1995|pp=35-37}} Fragments containing parts of this book in Hebrew were found among the [[Dead Sea Scrolls]], including 4Q77 (4QXII<sup>b</sup>; 150–125 BCE),{{sfn|Ulrich|2010|p=616}}<ref name=thewaytoyahuweh>[https://thewaytoyahuweh.com/dead-sea-scrolls/general-info/#zephaniah Dead sea scrolls - Zephaniah]</ref>{{sfn|Fitzmyer|2008|p=38}}
The book of Zephaniah draws upon several themes from the book of [[Genesis]] and reverses them. The opening verses of the book of Zephaniah are reminiscent both of the creation and of [[Noah]]’s flood. Chapter 1:2-3 declare that “I will sweep away everything / from the face of the earth says the Lord. / I will sweep away humans and animals; I will sweep away the birds of the air / and the fish of the sea.” The order of the creatures to be destroyed in Zephaniah is the opposite of the order in which they are created in Genesis 1:20-27. It is also worth noting than in both Noah’s flood and Zephaniah’s [[Last Judgement|Day of the Lord]], a ‘remnant’ survives God’s wrath.
4Q78 (4QXII<sup>c</sup>; 75–50 BCE),<ref name=thewaytoyahuweh/>{{sfn |Fitzmyer|2008|p=38}}{{sfn|Ulrich|2010|p= 618}}
and [[Wadi Murabba'at]] Minor Prophets (Mur88; MurXIIProph; 75-100 CE).<ref name=thewaytoyahuweh/>{{sfn|Fitzmyer|2008|pp=140-141}}
 
There is also a translation into [[Koine Greek]] known as the [[Septuagint]], made in the last few centuries BC. Extant ancient manuscripts of the [[Septuagint]] version include [[Codex Vaticanus]] (4th century), [[Codex Sinaiticus]] (4th century), [[Codex Alexandrinus]] (5th century) and [[Codex Marchalianus]] (6th century).{{sfn|Würthwein|1995|pp=73-74}} Some fragments containing parts of the Septuagint version of this book were found among the [[Dead Sea Scrolls]], i.e., [[Greek Minor Prophets Scroll from Nahal Hever|Naḥal Ḥever (1st century CE)]].<ref name=thewaytoyahuweh/>{{sfn|Fitzmyer|2008|p=127}}
It is also not surprising that the book of Zephaniah bears marked similarities to the book of [[Deuteronomy]] and the Deuteronomistic history. Similarities might be expected to each of these works because the Deuteronomistic history covers an overlapping period of time and because the issues which are dealt with in the book of Zephaniah go straight to the heart of the covenant which is reaffirmed in the book of Deuteronomy before Israel enters into the [[Promised Land]] of [[Canaan]]. The first 3-4 of the [[Ten Commandments]] (or Ten Words, Decalogue) contained in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:1-22 directly concern Israel’s relationship with [[Yahweh]]. It is this integral component of the covenant between [[Tetragrammaton|Yahweh]] and [[Israel]] which is threatened by the practices which to which the author of the book of Zephaniah refers in 1:4-6. In this manner, Zephaniah invokes one of the most common themes, not only in prophetic literature, but in the whole of the [[Hebrew Bible|Hebrew Scriptures]].
{{further|List of Hebrew Bible manuscripts}}
 
== Notes ==
Zephaniah also draws upon the emerging idea that [[Tetragrammaton|Yahweh]] is quite different from the regional or tribal gods of the surrounding nations. Rather, [[Tetragrammaton|Yahweh]] is beginning to be understood as the only God and the God who rules over all nations. It was an apparently unique belief in the ancient [[Middle East]] that a god could send a foreign nation to execute that god’s judgment (as the Israelites believed [[Tetragrammaton|Yahweh]] did with [[Babylon]]). In the book of Zephaniah, all nations are portrayed as being subject to [[Tetragrammaton|Yahweh]]’s divine judgment.
{{reflist|20em}}
 
== Sources ==
The book of Zephaniah also interacts with the prophetic tradition – both borrowing from and contributing to the corpus in terms of language and images.
*{{cite book |title = The Harper Collins Study Bible |edition = rev. |year = 2006 |publisher = Harper Collins |place = New York |editor-last1 = Attridge |editor-first1 = Harold W. |editor1-link = Harold W. Attridge |editor-last2 = Meeks |editor-first2 = Wayne A. |isbn = 978-0-06122840-7}}
*{{cite book |ref = {{harvid|Berlin et al.|2004}} |title = The Jewish Study Bible |url = https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780195297515 |url-access = registration |year = 2004 |publisher = Oxford University Press |place = New York |editor-last1 = Berlin |editor-first1 = Adele |editor1-link = Adele Berlin |editor-last2 = Brettler |editor-first2 = Marc Zvi |editor2-link = Marc Zvi Brettler |editor-last3 = Fishbane |editor-first3 = Michael |editor3-link = Michael Fishbane |isbn = 978-0-19529751-5}}
*{{cite book |ref = {{harvid|Carson et al. |2015}} |title = NIV Zondervan Study Bible |year = 2015 |publisher = Zondervan |place = Grand Rapids |editor-last1 = Carson |editor-first1 = D. A. |editor1-link = D. A. Carson |editor-last2 = Hess |editor-first2 = Richard S. |editor2-link = Richard Hess |editor-last3 = Alexander
|editor-first3 = T. D. |editor-last4 = Moo |editor-first4 = Douglas J. |editor4-link = Douglas J. Moo |editor-last5 = Naselli |editor-first5 = Andrew David |isbn = 978-0-31043833-5}}
*{{cite book |ref = {{harvid |Grudem et al. |2008}} |title = ESV Study Bible |title-link = ESV Study Bible |year = 2008 |publisher = Crossway |place = Wheaton |editor-last1 = Grudem |editor-first1 = Wayne |editor1-link = Wayne Grudem |editor-last2 = Dennis |editor-first2 = Lane T.|editor-last3 = Packer |editor-first3 = J. I. |editor3-link = J. I. Packer |editor-last4 = Collins |editor-first4 = C. John |editor4-link = C. John Collins |editor-last5 = Schreiner |editor-first5 = Thomas R. |editor5-link = Thomas R. Schreiner |editor-last6 = Taylor |editor-first6 = Justin |isbn = 978-1-43350241-5}}
* {{Cite book|title = A Guide to the Dead Sea Scrolls and Related Literature|last = Fitzmyer|first = Joseph A.|author-link= Joseph Fitzmyer |publisher = William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=TILXeWJ2eNAC | year = 2008|isbn = 9780802862419|location = Grand Rapids, MI }}
*{{Cite book
| editor-last = Ulrich
| editor-first = Eugene |editor-link= Eugene Ulrich
| title = The Biblical Qumran Scrolls: Transcriptions and Textual Variants
| year = 2010
| publisher = Brill
| url = https://archive.org/details/TheBiblicalQumranScrolls}}
*{{cite book | last = Würthwein | first = Ernst | author-link = Ernst Würthwein | title = The Text of the Old Testament | publisher = Wm. B. Eerdmans |location = Grand Rapids, MI | year= 1995 | translator-first1 = Erroll F.| translator-last1 = Rhodes |isbn = 0-8028-0788-7 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=FSNKSBObCYwC | access-date= January 26, 2019}}
 
== Further reading ==
* Berlin, Adele. ''Zephaniah: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary''. The Anchor Bible Volume 25A. Toronto: Doubleday, 1994.
* Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897.
* {{cite Catholic Encyclopedia|last=Faulhaber |first=M. |wstitle=Sophonias (Zephaniah)}} Transcribed by Thomas M. Barrett. 2003.
* Hirsch, Emil G. & Ira Maurice Price. "[http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/15242-zephaniah Zephaniah]." ''JewishEncyclopedia.com''. 2002.
* LaSor, William Sanford et al. ''Old Testament Survey: the Message, Form, and Background of the Old Testament''. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1996.
* [[O. Palmer Robertson]]. ''The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah'' (New International Commentary on the Old Testament, 1990)
* Sweeney, Marvin A. ''Zephaniah: A Commentary''. Ed. [[Paul D. Hanson]]. Minneapolis, Fortress Press, 2003.
 
== External links ==
{{Wikisource|Zephaniah (Bible)|Zephaniah}}
* [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=106&letter=Z Zephaniah at JewishEncyclopedia.com]
{{Commons category|Book of Zephaniah}}
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14146a.htm Sophonias (Zephaniah) at Catholic Encyclopedia]
* [http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=106&letter=Z Zephaniah at JewishEncyclopedia.com]
 
''';Translations of the book of Zephaniah:'''
 
*[[Judaism|Jewish]] translations:
** [http://www.chabad.org/library/archive/LibraryArchive2.asp?AID=15766 Tzefaniah -– Zephaniah (Judaica Press)] translation [with [[Rashi]]'s commentary] at Chabad.org
*[[Christianity|Christian]] translations:
 
*[[Christian]] translations:
**[http://www.gospelhall.org/bible/bible.php?passage=Zephaniah+1 ''Online Bible'' at GospelHall.org] (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
** [http://bible.crosswalk.com/OnlineStudyBible/bible.cgi?passage=zep+1 ''Zephaniah'' at CrossWalk.com] (various versions)
** [https://web.archive.org/web/20050305095310/http://www.anova.org/sev/htm/hb/36_zephaniah.htm ''Zephaniah'' at The Great Books] (New Revised Standard Version)
** [http[s://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Bible%2C_King_James%2C_Zephaniah, King James, Zephaniah|''Zephaniah'' at Wikisource]] (AuthorisedAuthorized King James Version)
*Non-affiliated translations:
 
** [https://theheavenlyfire.weebly.com/uploads/3/0/3/1/30313305/thf-zephaniah-2.0.pdf ''The Heavenly Fire: Zephaniah''] ([[Portable Document Format|PDF]]) (Creative Commons translation with in-depth introduction and extensive translation notes)
== References ==
* {{librivox book | title=Zephaniah}} Various versions
 
* Berlin, Adele. ''Zephaniah: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary''. The Anchor Bible Volume 25A. Toronto: Doubleday, 1994.
* Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897.
* Faulhaber, M. "Sophonias (Zephaniah)." ''[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/ Catholic Encyclopedia]''. Transcribed by Thomas M. Barrett. 2003.
* Hirsch, Emil G. & Ira Maurice Price. "Zephaniah." ''[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/ JewishEncyclopedia.com]''. 2002.
* LaSor, William Sanford et al. ''Old Testament Survey: the Message, Form, and Background of the Old Testament''. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1996.
* Sweeney, Marvin A. ''Zephaniah: A Commentary''. Ed. [[Paul D. Hanson]]. Minneapolis, Fortress Press, 2003.
 
{{s-start}}
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{{s-hou | [[Minor prophet]]s|||}}
''Prepared in 2005 for the course BIBL5023 at [[Acadia Divinity College]]''
{{s-bef | before = [[Book of Habakkuk|Habakkuk]] | rows = 2 }}
{{s-ttl | title = [[Tanakh|Hebrew Bible]] }}
{{s-aft | after = [[Book of Haggai|Haggai]] | rows = 2 }}
{{s-ttl | title = [[Christianity|Christian]]<br>[[Old Testament]] }}
{{s-end}}
{{Book of Zephaniah}}
{{Books of the Bible}}
 
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Nevi'im|Zephaniah]]
[[Category:Old Testament books|Zephaniah]]
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zephaniah}}
[[cs:Kniha Sofonjáš]]
[[Category:Book of Zephaniah| ]]
[[de:Zefanja (Buch)]]
[[Category:7th-century BC books]]
[[fr:Livre de Sophonie]]
[[Category:Twelve Minor Prophets| 09]]
[[ko:스바니야 (구약성서)]]
[[id:Zefanya]]
[[he:צפניה]]
[[jv:Zefanya]]
[[nl:Zefanja]]
[[pl:Księga Sofoniasza]]
[[fi:Sefanjan kirja]]
[[sv:Sefanja]]
[[zh:西番雅書]]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Zephaniah"