Zephaniah

Family: Judah · Role: priest and messenger · First appears: Jeremiah 21

Zephaniah was a priest and messenger of Judah. In Zephaniah 1, during the days of Josiah son of Amon, the word of God came to him; he is identified there as the son of Cushi, Gedaliah, Amariah, and Hizkiah. He is also named as the father of Josiah and Hen in Zechariah 6.

In Jeremiah 21, Zedekiah sent Zephaniah with Pashur to Jeremiah to seek the LORD’s counsel about Babylon’s war. In Jeremiah 29, Shemaiah the Nehelamite sent him a letter with commands concerning his priestly duties, and Zephaniah read it aloud to Jeremiah. In Jeremiah 37, Zedekiah again sent him, this time with Jehucal, to ask Jeremiah to pray for them.

In Jeremiah 52, Nebuzaradan captured Zephaniah, the second priest, and brought him with Seraiah to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah. There, Nebuchadnezzar put them to death.

Relationship record

Life events

• Zedekiah sent Pashur and Zephaniah to Jeremiah to seek the LORD's counsel about Babylon's war.(Jeremiah 21)
  • With: Zedekiah Pashur Jeremiah
  • “The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,”
• Zephaniah read Shemaiah’s letter aloud to Jeremiah.(Jeremiah 29)
  • With: Jeremiah
  • “And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.”
• Zedekiah sent Jehucal and Zephaniah to ask Jeremiah to pray for them.(Jeremiah 37)
  • With: Zedekiah Jehucal Jeremiah
  • “And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now unto the LORD our God for us.”
• Nebuzaradan captured Seraiah and Zephaniah, and Nebuchadrezzar executed them at Riblah.(Jeremiah 52 · 📍 Riblah)
  • With: Nebuzaradan Seraiah Nebuchadnezzar
  • “So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.”
• God revealed his word to Zephaniah.(Zephaniah 1)
  • With: God
  • “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.”

Jeremiah 21

• sender: Zedekiah “The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,”
• parent: Maaseiah “Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest”
• commander: Jeremiah “Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:”

Jeremiah 29

• sender: Shemaiah the Nehelamite “Because thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest”
• commander: Shemaiah the Nehelamite “The LORD hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks.”
• with Jeremiah (Zephaniah read Shemaiah's letter aloud to Jeremiah.) “And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.”

Jeremiah 52

• with Nebuzaradan (Captured and brought to the king of Babylon.) “And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door: He took also out of the city an eunuch, which had the charge of the men of war, and seven men of them that were near the king’s person, which were found in the city; and the principal scribe of the host, who mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of the city. So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.”
• slayer: Nebuchadnezzar “So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah. And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath.”

Zephaniah 1

• parent: Cushi (Cushi is identified as Zephaniah's father.) “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.”
• with God (God's word came unto Zephaniah.) “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.”

Zechariah 6

• child: Josiah “go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah;”
• child: Hen “And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of the LORD.”

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Extracted from the original text of The Prophets. Made with Rho MD.