Study questions, maps, charts, outlines, and links to help you study the Old Testament book of Zephaniah.
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Basics
- Zephaniah prophesied to the southern kingdom of Judah approximately 630-625 BC.
- Zephaniah is the only prophet descended from a king.
- Zephaniah dates his message to the reign of Josiah (640-609 BC), probably prior to Josiah’s reforms.
- 628 BC – Josiah tore down the altars to Baal (2 Chronicles 34:3-7).
- 622 BC – Josiah found the Book of the Law (2 Chronicles 34:8-35:19).
- Zephaniah was a contemporary of Jeremiah.
- Politically, the weakening of the Assyrian empire gave Judah a degree of independence for the first time in 50 years which King Josiah took advantage of.
- Theme: Judgment and destruction are certain unless you repent.
- Zephaniah was a contemporary of Jeremiah and Habakkuk.
Outline
- 1:1-2:3 – Judgment on Judah
- 2:4-15 – Judgment on the nations
- 3:1-7 – Judgment on Jerusalem
- 3:8-20 – Salvation in the Day of the Lord
Genre: Understanding Prophecy
Background
Chart: Bible History at a glance
Blue Letter Bible: Old Testament Timeline
Chart: Kings of Israel & Judah
Ray C Stedman: Overview of the Book
John MacArthur: Author, Date, Background
ESV: Introduction to Minor Prophets
ESV: Introduction to Zephaniah
ESV: The Global Message of Zephaniah
NIV: Introduction to Zephaniah
Minor prophets quotes in the New Testament
James van Dine: Analysis of Zephaniah
David Malick: An Introduction to the Book of Zephaniah
David Malick: An Argument of the Book of Zephaniah
JVernon McGee:Zephaniah and Haggai – Introductory Notes, Outlines
Charles Swindoll: Book of Zephaniah Overview
Hampton Keathley: Zephaniah – Overview
Maps from Holman Bible Atlas
The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah
The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah (1)
The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah (2)
The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah (3)
Conflicts between Israel and Aram-Damascus
The Golden Ages of the 9th & 8th centuries BCE
Phoenician Trade and Civilization
Trade Routes throughout the Middle East
Israel & Judah in the days of Jeroboam II and Uzziah
The Assyrian Empire under Tiglath-Pileser III
Fall of Samaria and Deportation of Israelites
The Fall of the Kingdom of Israel
Assyrian Districts after the Fall of Samaria
Prophets of the 8th Century BCE
Judah Alone amid International Powers
Hezekiah’s Preparation for Revolt
Sennacherib’s Campaign against Judah
Assyria in the 7th century BCE
The Rise of the Neo-Babylonian Empire
The Districts of Judah under King Josiah
Nebuchadnezzar’s Campaigns against Judah
The Persian Period
World Powers of the 6th century BCE
The Conquests of Cyrus the Great
The Return of the Jewish Exiles to Judah
ESV Study Bible Maps
Key Words
Day (13x) (of the Lord; on that day; a day of ; in that day) – Zep 1:7; Zep 1:8; Zep 1:9; Zep 1:10; Zep 1:14; Zep 1:15; Zep 1:16; Zep 1:18; Zep 2:2; Zep 2:3; Zep 3:8; Zep 3:11; Zep 3:16.
earth (8x) – Strong’s H127 in Zep 1:2; Zep 1:3; Strong’s H776 in Zep 1:18; Zep 2:3; Zep 2:11; Zep 3:8; Zep 3:19; Zep 3:20.
gather (5x) – Strong’s H7187b in Zep 2:1; Strong’s H622 in Zep 3:8; Zep 3:18; Strong’s H6908 in Zep 3:19; Zep 3:20.
remnant (4x)- Strong’s H7611 in Zep 1:4; Zep 2:7; Zep 2:9; Zep 3:13; Strong’s H7605 in Zep 1:4.
nations (3x) – Strong’s H1471 in Zep 2:11; Zep 3:6; Zep 3:8.
destroy (2x) – Strong’s H6 in Zep 2:5; Zep 2:13.
destruction – Strong’s H7724b in Zep 1:14.
Woe (2x) – Strong’s H195 in Zep 2:5; Zep 3:1.
anger (4x) – Strong’s H639 in Zep 2:2; Zep 2:3; Zep 3:8.
wrath (2x) – Strong’s H3117 in Zep 1:15; Zep 1:18.
midst (4x) – Strong’s H7130 in Zep 3:11; Zep 3:15; Zep 3:17; Strong’s H8432 in Zep 2:14.
Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology: Zephaniah Theology
American Tract Society: Zephaniah
Bridgeway Bible Dictionary: Zephaniah
Easton’s Bible Dictionary: Zephaniah
Fausset Bible Dictionary: Zephaniah, the Book Of; Zephaniah
Holman Bible Dictionary: Zephaniah, Book Of; Zephaniah
Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible: Zephaniah; Zephaniah (1)
Kitto’s Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature: Zephaniah
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Book of Zephaniah
McClintock and Strong: Zephaniah, Book Of,; Zephaniah
The Nuttall Encyclopedia: Zephaniah
The Jewish Encyclopedia: Zephaniah
Commentaries & Study Bibles
Ligionier.org Top 5 Commentaries: Zephaniah
Tim Challies Best Commentaries:
Commentary Reviews: Zephaniah
Walter Kaiser-Preacher’s Commentary
Biblehub Commentaries: Zephaniah
Calvin’s Commentary on the Bible: Zephaniah
Matthew Henry: Zephaniah
Albert Barnes Notes: Zephaniah
Reformation Study Bible Notes: Zephaniah
Geneva Study Bible: Zephaniah
Precept Austin Commentaries & Sermons: Zephaniah
Articles
The Message of Zephaniah An Urgent Echo — Greg A. King
The Day of the Lord in Zephaniah — By Greg A. King
The Remnant in Zephaniah (1995)– Greg A. King
The Remnant in Zephaniah (1994) — Greg A. King
The Historical Testimony of the Prophet Zephaniah – H Ferguson
Literary Look at Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah by Richard D. Patterson
Zephaniah’s Day of the LORD – Jonathan Patterson
Zephaniah: Protology in Eschatology – Mark A Winder
Zephaniah 1:7, 14 The Prophet’s Watchword: Day of the LORD-Richard Mayhue
The Commanding Importance of the Prophetic Scriptures – Charles Feinberg
D. Rudman, “A Note on Zephaniah,” Biblica 80 (1999): 109-112.
Additional Articles On Zephaniah at Bible.org
Hampton Keathley: The Minor Prophets
GotQuestions.org
Book of Zephaniah – Bible Survey
What are the Major Prophets and Minor Prophets?
Who are the Chemarim / Chemarims in Zephaniah 1:4?
What does it mean to worship the starry host or the host of the heavens (Zephaniah 1:5)?
When did Moab and Ammon eventually worship the Lord (Zephaniah 2:11)?
What can ordinary people do about sinful religious leaders (Zephaniah 3:4)?
What does it mean that God will rejoice over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17)?
Next: Haggai
Previous: Habakkuk
Series: Resources by Book
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