Zephaniah צְפַנְיָהוּ
Priest during the reign of Zedekiah
Who is Zephaniah in the Bible?
Zephaniah was a priest who served during the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah and is mentioned in Jeremiah and 2 Kings. The son of Maaseiah, he held the position of second priest, subordinate to the high priest Seraiah. King Zedekiah sent Zephaniah to inquire of the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah regarding the Babylonian threat to Judah (Jer. 21:1, 37:3). After Jerusalem fell to Babylon, Zephaniah was taken captive to Riblah, where he was executed by King Nebuchadnezzar (2 Ki. 25:18, Jer. 52:24). His fate illustrates the tragic consequences Jerusalem's leadership faced during the Babylonian exile.
Biography
Zephaniah was a priest who served during the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah. He is mentioned several times in the books of Jeremiah and 2 Kings. Zephaniah was the son of Maaseiah and held the position of second priest, subordinate to the high priest Seraiah. King Zedekiah sent Zephaniah, along with others, to inquire of the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah concerning the Babylonian threat. Zephaniah is also mentioned in a letter from Shemaiah, a false prophet in Babylon, who accused Zephaniah of not rebuking Jeremiah for his prophecies. After the fall of Jerusalem, Zephaniah was among the captives taken to Riblah, where Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had him executed.
Family
In Scripture
2 biblical books ; 1 with study content2 Kings 1 verse
- 2 Kings 25:18
"The captain of the guard also took away Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest of second rank, and the three doorkeepers."
Jeremiah 5 verses
- Jeremiah 21:1
"This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malchijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. They said,"
Study Jeremiah → - Jeremiah 29:25
"this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “In your own name you have sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests. You said to Zephaniah:"
Study Jeremiah → - Jeremiah 29:29
"(Zephaniah the priest, however, had read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet.)"
Study Jeremiah → - Jeremiah 37:3
"Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet with the message, “Please pray to the LORD our God for us!”"
Study Jeremiah → - Jeremiah 52:24
"The captain of the guard also took away Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest of second rank, and the three doorkeepers."
Study Jeremiah →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | צְפַנְיָהוּ | ṣĕpanĕyāh | Tsephanjah , the name of four Israelites |
Zephaniah
(3) Judean father or fathers of various contemporaries of Zechariah, the prophet (Zec 6:10,14).
(4) A priest, the second in rank in the days of Jeremiah. He was a leader of the "patriotic" party which opposed Jeremiah. Nevertheless, he was sent to the prophet as a messenger of King Zedekiah when Nebuchadnezzar was about to attack the city (Jer 21:1) and at other crises (Jer 37:3; compare 29:25,29; 2Ki 25:18). That he continued to adhere to the policy of resistance against Babylonian authority is indicated by the fact that he was among the leaders of Israel taken by Nebuzaradan before the king of Babylon, and killed at Riblah (2Ki 25:18 parallel Jer 52:24).
Nathan Isaacs
A (probably) Jewish apocryphal work of this name is mentioned in the Stichometry of Nicephorus and another list practically identical with this; a quotation from it is also preserved by Clement of Ale