Zephaniah 1:1 This is the word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:

◄ Zephaniah 1:1 ►

New International Version
The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:

New Living Translation
The LORD gave this message to Zephaniah when Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah. Zephaniah was the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah.

English Standard Version
The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

Berean Standard Bible
This is the word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
The word of the LORD which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

New American Standard Bible
The word of the LORD which came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah:

NASB 1995
The word of the LORD which came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah:

NASB 1977
The word of the LORD which came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah,

Legacy Standard Bible
The word of Yahweh which came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah:

Amplified Bible
The word of the LORD which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah:

Christian Standard Bible
The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For the choir director: on stringed instruments. The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah.

American Standard Version
The word of Jehovah which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amarah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

Contemporary English Version
I am Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, the grandson of Gedaliah, the great-grandson of Amariah, and the great-great-grandson of Hezekiah. When Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah, the LORD gave me this message.

English Revised Version
The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
This is the word that the LORD spoke to Zephaniah, who was the son of Cushi, the grandson of Gedaliah, and the great-grandson of Amariah, son of Hezekiah. The LORD spoke his word in the days of Judah's King Josiah, son of Amon.

Good News Translation
This is the message that the LORD gave to Zephaniah during the time that Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah. (Zephaniah was descended from King Hezekiah through Amariah, Gedaliah, and Cushi.)

International Standard Version
This message from the LORD came to Cushi's son Zephaniah, the grandson of Gedaliah and great-grandson of Hezekiah's son Amariah, during the reign of Amon's son Josiah, king of Judah:

Majority Standard Bible
This is the word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:

NET Bible
This is the prophetic message that the LORD gave to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah. Zephaniah delivered this message during the reign of King Josiah son of Amon of Judah:

New Heart English Bible
The word of the LORD which came to Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah.

Webster's Bible Translation
The word of the LORD which came to 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.

World English Bible
Yahweh’s word which came to Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
A word of YHWH that has been to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezikiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amoz, king of Judah:

Young's Literal Translation
A word of Jehovah that hath been unto Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezikiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amoz, king of Judah:

Smith's Literal Translation
The word of Jehovah which was to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
The word of the Lord that came to Sophonias the son of Chusi, the son of Godolias, the son of Amarias, the son of Ezechias, in the days of Josias the son of Amon king of Juda.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

New American Bible
The word of the LORD which came to Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah.

New Revised Standard Version
The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi son of Gedaliah son of Amariah son of Hezekiah, in the days of King Josiah son of Amon of Judah.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
THE word of the LORD which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Helakiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The answer of LORD JEHOVAH that was upon Tsephania, son of Kushi, son of Gedalia, son of Amaria, the son of Khelakia, in the days of Yoshia, son of Amon, King of Judea

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The word of the Lord which came to Sophonias the son of Chusi, the son of Godolias, the son of Amorias, the son of Ezekias, in the days of Josias son of Amon, king of Juda.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Zephaniah Prophesies Judgment on Judah
1This is the word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah: 2“I will completely sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

2 Kings 22:1-2
Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath. / And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

2 Chronicles 34:1-2
Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. / And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

Jeremiah 1:1-3
These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests in Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. / The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah, / and through the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, until the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.

2 Kings 23:25
Neither before nor after Josiah was there any king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, according to all the Law of Moses.

2 Chronicles 35:18
No such Passover had been observed in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel ever observed a Passover like the one that Josiah observed with the priests, the Levites, all Judah, the Israelites who were present, and the people of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 25:3-5
“From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah until this very day—twenty-three years—the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened. / And the LORD has sent all His servants the prophets to you again and again, but you have not listened or inclined your ear to hear. / The prophets told you, ‘Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways and deeds, and you can dwell in the land that the LORD has given to you and your fathers forever and ever.

Hosea 1:1
This is the word of the LORD that came to Hosea son of Beeri in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and of Jeroboam son of Jehoash, king of Israel.

Amos 1:1
These are the words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders of Tekoa—what he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, in the days when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.

Micah 1:1
This is the word of the LORD that came to Micah the Moreshite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah—what he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem:

Isaiah 1:1
This is the vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

2 Kings 21:1-2
Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. / And he did evil in the sight of the LORD by following the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.

2 Chronicles 33:1-2
Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. / And he did evil in the sight of the LORD by following the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.

Matthew 1:10
Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah,

Luke 3:30-31
the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, / the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

Acts 13:21-22
Then the people asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. / After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’

Treasury of Scripture

The word of the LORD which came to 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.

word.

Ezekiel 1:3
The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.

Hosea 1:1
The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

2 Timothy 3:16
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

in the days.

2 Kings 22:1-23:37
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath…

2 Chronicles 34:1-35:27
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years…

Jeremiah 1:2
To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

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Amariah Amari'ah Amon Amoz Cushi Gedaliah Gedali'ah Hezekiah Hezeki'ah Hizkiah Josiah Josi'ah Judah Reign Word Zephaniah Zephani'ah

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Amariah Amari'ah Amon Amoz Cushi Gedaliah Gedali'ah Hezekiah Hezeki'ah Hizkiah Josiah Josi'ah Judah Reign Word Zephaniah Zephani'ah

Zephaniah 1

1. The time when Zephaniah prophesied.
2. God's severe judgments against Judah.

Berean Study Bible

The word of the LORD
This phrase signifies divine communication, emphasizing that the message Zephaniah delivers is not of human origin but from God Himself. In Hebrew, "word" is "dabar," which implies not just spoken words but a powerful, active force that accomplishes God's will. The "LORD" is rendered from "YHWH," the sacred, covenantal name of God, highlighting His eternal and unchanging nature. This introduction sets the tone for the entire book, underscoring the authority and seriousness of the prophecy.

that came to Zephaniah
The phrase indicates the divine selection of Zephaniah as a prophet. The name "Zephaniah" means "Yahweh has hidden" or "Yahweh has treasured," suggesting a divine protection or purpose. This personal calling reflects the intimate relationship between God and His prophets, who are chosen to convey His messages to the people. Historically, prophets were often seen as intermediaries, and their messages were crucial for guiding the spiritual and moral direction of Israel.

son of Cushi
This genealogical detail provides insight into Zephaniah's heritage. "Cushi" could imply Ethiopian descent, as "Cush" refers to a region in Africa. This might suggest a diverse background, indicating the inclusivity of God's call. Alternatively, it could simply be a personal name without ethnic implications. The mention of his father establishes Zephaniah's identity and credibility within the community.

son of Gedaliah
Gedaliah, meaning "Yahweh is great," further roots Zephaniah in a lineage that acknowledges the greatness of God. This name might also connect Zephaniah to a family of some standing or influence, possibly aiding in the reception of his prophetic message. It reflects the importance of family heritage in understanding one's role and mission in biblical times.

son of Amariah
Amariah means "Yahweh has promised," which could symbolize the faithfulness of God to His promises. This name in Zephaniah's lineage might serve as a reminder of God's covenantal faithfulness, a recurring theme in prophetic literature. It underscores the continuity of God's relationship with His people through generations.

son of Hezekiah
This reference potentially links Zephaniah to the royal lineage of Judah, as Hezekiah was a notable king known for his faithfulness and reforms. If this Hezekiah is indeed the king, it would place Zephaniah in a position of significant influence and authority. This connection might also highlight the gravity of the message, as it comes from someone with royal ties.

in the days of Josiah
Josiah was a king of Judah known for his religious reforms and efforts to return the nation to the worship of Yahweh. His reign is marked by a rediscovery of the Law and a commitment to covenantal faithfulness. The timing of Zephaniah's prophecy during Josiah's reign suggests a period of potential spiritual renewal, yet also impending judgment, as the reforms were not fully embraced by the people.

son of Amon, king of Judah
Amon, Josiah's father, was known for his idolatry and departure from the ways of Yahweh. Mentioning Amon highlights the contrast between the wickedness of previous reigns and the reforms attempted by Josiah. It sets the historical context of Zephaniah's prophecy, a time when Judah was at a crossroads between continued rebellion and potential revival. This backdrop emphasizes the urgency and importance of Zephaniah's message.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 1. - § 1. Title and inscription. The word of the Lord (see note on Micah 1:1). Zephaniah, "Whom the Lord shelters" (see Introduction, § II.). The son of, etc. The genealogy thus introduced shows that the prophet was of illustrious descent; or it may be inserted to distinguish him from others who bore the same name. Hizkiah. The same name which is elsewhere written in our version Hezekiah. Whether the great King of Judah is here meant may well be questioned (see Introduction). Other prophets have prefixed their genealogies to their books (see Zechariah 1:1; and in the Apocrypha, Baruch 1:1). In the days of Josiah. Zephaniah here gathers into one volume the denunciations and predictions which he had uttered daring the reign of Josiah, both before and after the great reformation effected by that good king (2 Kings 23.).

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

[This is] the word
דְּבַר־ (də·ḇar-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

of the LORD
יְהוָ֣ה ׀ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

that
אֲשֶׁ֣ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

came
הָיָ֗ה (hā·yāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Zephaniah
צְפַנְיָה֙ (ṣə·p̄an·yāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6846: Zephaniah -- 'Yah has treasured', four Israelites

son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Cushi,
כּוּשִׁ֣י (kū·šî)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3569: Cushite -- descendant of Cush

the son
בֶן־ (ḇen-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Gedaliah,
גְּדַלְיָ֔ה (gə·ḏal·yāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1436: Gedaliah -- 'Yah is great', three Israelites

the son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Amariah,
אֲמַרְיָ֖ה (’ă·mar·yāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 568: Amariah -- 'Yah has promised', the name of several Israelites

the son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Hezekiah,
חִזְקִיָּ֑ה (ḥiz·qî·yāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2396: Hezekiah -- 'Yah has strengthened', a king of Judah, also several other Israelites

in the days
בִּימֵ֛י (bî·mê)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3117: A day

of Josiah
יֹאשִׁיָּ֥הוּ (yō·šî·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2977: Josiah -- 'Yah supports', two Israelites

son
בֶן־ (ḇen-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Amon
אָמ֖וֹן (’ā·mō·wn)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 526: Amon -- 'masterworkman', three Israelites

king
מֶ֥לֶךְ (me·leḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Judah:
יְהוּדָֽה׃ (yə·hū·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites

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OT Prophets: Zephaniah 1:1 The word of Yahweh which came (Zeph. Zep Zp)