ZEPHANIAH
(Heb. “Sephania”: “Jehovah has hidden, protected”).
(a) Kohathite Levite, of the house of Izhar (1 Chron. 6:36, 38).
(b) Priest son of Maaseiah. One of those who conveyed messages from Zedekiah to Jeremiah (Jer. 21:1; 37:3). Zephaniah showed Jeremiah the letters of Shemaiah, a false prophet who resided in Babylon, striving to seek the punishment of Jeremiah, because he recommended submission to the Chaldeans (Jer. 29:2-32).
Zephaniah, in charge of the Temple guard, was second in eminence after the high priest Seraiah. Zephaniah was executed at Riblah after the fall of Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:18-21; Jer. 52:24-27).
(c) An Israelite whose son, named Josiah, lived in the time of Zerubbabel and the prophet Zechariah (Zech. 6:10, 14)
(d) The prophet Zephaniah. His lineage is indicated back to Hezekiah, of whom he is the fourth generation (Zeph. 1:1). This is probably King Hezekiah, king of Judah. The arguments supporting this assumption are:
(A) In contrast to the other prophets, who mention only his father, Zephaniah goes back to the fourth generation.
(B) Rabbinic tradition states that Zephaniah was indeed descended from King Hezekiah.
(C) The internal evidence from the book of Zephaniah shows that the prophet was well acquainted with the Jewish court and aristocracy. Zephaniah lived under the reign of Josiah, to whom he was also related, and whom he helped during