who wrote zephaniah

The Book of Zephaniah is traditionally attributed to the prophet Zephaniah , whose name appears in the opening verse as the author.

Traditional authorship

• The book’s superscription states it is 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.”

• Jewish and Christian tradition consistently regard this Zephaniah as the prophetic author, placing him among the Twelve Minor Prophets.

Historical setting

• Zephaniah’s ministry is usually dated to the reign of King Josiah of Judah, around 640–630 BCE, before or during Josiah’s reforms.

• The book reflects a context of moral corruption and impending judgment on Judah and surrounding nations, which fits this late–seventh century BCE period.

Scholarly discussion

• Many scholars hold that a historical prophet Zephaniah produced the core oracles, while some suggest later editors may have arranged or slightly expanded the text after the fall of Judah.

• Despite such redaction theories, there is no major dispute that the central voice and name behind the book is the prophet Zephaniah himself.

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