Zephaniah צְפַנְיָהוּ
Priest during the reign of Zedekiah
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 took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold;"
Jeremiah 5 verses
- Jeremiah 21:1
"The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, when king Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchijah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, saying,"
Study Jeremiah → - Jeremiah 29:25
"“Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says, ‘Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying,"
Study Jeremiah → - Jeremiah 29:29
"Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet."
Study Jeremiah → - Jeremiah 37:3
"Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “Pray now to Yahweh our God for us.”"
Study Jeremiah → - Jeremiah 52:24
"The captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold:"
Study Jeremiah →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | צְפַנְיָהוּ | H6846G |
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