Old Testament · Prophecy · book 36 of 66 · 1 min read
The book of Zephaniah
Three chapters that are almost entirely judgement and then end with God singing, which is an image that appears nowhere else in the Bible.
“Yahweh, your God, is among you, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy. He will calm you in his love. He will rejoice over you with singing.”
At a glance
- Chapters
- 3
- Author
- Zephaniah, given a royal genealogy in the opening verse
- Written
- Seventh century BC, during Josiah's reign
- Written for
- Jerusalem, shortly before its last reform
- Themes
- the day of the Lord, complacency, the remnant, singing
What it is about
Zephaniah announces the day of the Lord in sweeping terms — a sweeping away of everything from the face of the earth — and then narrows to Jerusalem's officials, judges, prophets and priests.
The middle chapter turns outward to the surrounding nations, and the third returns to the city with a charge of accepting no correction.
Then, in the last few verses, the book does something startling. God is described as rejoicing over his people with singing, and quieting them with his love. After two and a half chapters of judgement, the reversal is abrupt and deliberate.
Where to start
Chapter 3, which contains both the sharpest indictment and the closing lines that everybody who knows this book knows.
The chapters worth knowing
- Zephaniah 1 — The sweeping judgement, aimed particularly at those who say God will do nothing either way.
- Zephaniah 3 — The turn at the end, where God rejoices over his people with singing.
What people get wrong about it
That the famous verse is the tone of the book. It is the last few lines of three chapters of judgement, and its force comes from what precedes it.
Questions
What is Zephaniah about?
The day of the Lord, announced against Judah and the nations, ending with a short and startling passage about God rejoicing over his people with singing.
When was Zephaniah written?
During the reign of Josiah in the seventh century BC, most likely before his reforms — which the book's indictment of Jerusalem's leadership would suit.