Zephaniah

Bible #36

by Anonymous

Book 36 of the Old Testament

Genres: Nonfiction, Religion, Christian, Classics, Scripture, Spirituality, Audiobook

3 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 610

About the author

Books can be attributed to "Anonymous" for several reasons:

* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author

Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.

See also: Anonymous

Reviews

[Alex]

A reminder of judgment, but an assurance of ultimate redemption is what to be found here, and that's really it. It's just a short prophecy, a poem, three chapters.

In spite of how concise it is, the imagery presented is nonetheless very vivid and memorable, carrying important themes as well.

God's sovereignty over the entire world, over “all who live on earth” is emphasized. “It is my decision to gather together the nations, to assemble the kingdoms. In order to pour out upon them my wrath, all my blazing anger.” This is not a national chastisement, but a universal judgment.

As has happened elsewhere in the Bible, the nobility and the priesthood are called out for their corruption. “[Jerusalem's] princes... are roaring lions. Her judges are wolves...Her prophets are insolent, treacherous...Her priests profane what is holy, and do violence to the law.”

I've read that the following passage seems to reference unbelievers, whom I have no doubt have existed in all civilizations including that of Judea. “I will punish the men...who say in their hearts neither good nor evil can the Lord do.”

“Is this the exultant city that dwelt secure; that told herself there is no other than I! How has she become a waste a lair for wild beasts? Whoever passes by her hisses, and shakes his fist.”
The specific example is Nineveh, but what civilization doesn't it apply to? To abandon God is to abandon the very foundations of civilization. Why would one fear the enemies of God that have faded away again and again? Yet even believers begin to be awed by the power of the pagan civilizations, hence the need for these types of prophecies.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled
the oppressing city!
She listens to no voice;
she accepts no correction.
She does not trust in the LORD;
she does not draw near to her God (Zephaniah 3:1,2).

Today I had to swallow a bit of constructive criticism. It was good for me, because I have strong inclinations towards independence: I'll do things my way; you'll do them your way; we'll both mind our own business and no one else's. I hope I get more uncomfortably personal advice and learn to accept it gracefully because I don't want to follow in the footprints of Nineveh: "She does not trust in the LORD; she does not draw near to her God."

[Jules · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ooh, we're back to more wrath of God type stuff again. However, it does feel more positive nearer the end.

In January 2015 I set myself the challenge to read the complete Bible within a year. I discovered that was an unrealistic challenge, and decided to pick up my Bible as and when I felt ready to read more of it. Here is a link to all the reviews in my Bible challenge so far:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Shantelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

[Ella あいみ M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the Lord your God is living among you.
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With his love, he will calm all your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
Zephaniah 3:17, NLT

The book of Zephaniah encourages us to "seek the Lord" (2:3) and "serve Him with one accord" (3:9). It reminds us of the promised kingdom and the hope we can have for the day God will take away all of our shame, the shame of sinning against Him, because His love transcends all transgression. As long as He is in our midst, we don't need to be filled with fear of coming disaster (3:14).

The Lord within her is righteous;
He does no wrong.
Morning by morning he dispenses his justice,
And every new day He does not fail,
Yet the unrighteous know no shame.
Zephaniah 3:5, NIV

[Wren (fablesandwren) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sidenote: The reason for such vague and short and "eh" words on each of these books, is because I wasn't challenging the study of the Bible when I read these. I was challenging myself to read the whole Bible in a year because I knew it would be discipline to keep at it daily. I do, however, plan to pick up a book and study what it is saying. Those will be longer reads and more notes.

So here is my review from my "Read the Bible in a Year" challenge. Usually just snippets of thoughts and random things I liked about the book itself. Nothing in-depth.

So here is my review of Zephaniah.

WONDERFUL. SERIOUSLY. Lots of uplifting and encouraging verses to follow in the Lord's ways.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth reading a few times.

[Lylah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful little treasure! Absolutely loved it! Highly recommend!

[Graeme Rockerbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

God of destruction

[Pontchita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite verses:
‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭1:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬
[7] Be silent before the Sovereign Lord, for the day of the Lord is near. The Lord has prepared a sacrifice; he has consecrated those he has invited.
- Foreshadows the great Sacrifice of JESUS for us 🤍, and the redemption for all who partake in the celebration.

‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭1:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬
[8] “On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice I will punish the officials and the king’s sons and all those clad in foreign clothes.
- You gotta have the appropriate wedding attire to present yourself to the feast AND be part of the People of God. If not, one cannot partake in the Wedding of the Lamb 🐑. Parallel with the parable of the Wedding Garment in Matthew 22:11-12.

‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭1:18‬ ‭NIV‬‬
[18] Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord’s wrath.” In the fire of his jealousy the whole earth will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live on the earth.
- about the same thing was mentioned in Ezekiel 7:19

‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭2:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬
[3] Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.
- daily reminder of what we should do 🫶🏾

‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭3:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬
[2] She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the Lord, she does not draw near to her God.
- speaka about Jerusalem's behaviour. Reminder for us Christians today that we ought to do the exact opposite of what Jerusalem did.

‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭3:5‬ ‭NIV‬‬
[5] The Lord within her is righteous; he does no wrong. Morning by morning he dispenses his justice, and every new day he does not fail, yet the unrighteous know no shame.
- reminder that if someone say they have God and do not act accordingly, it's not God's fault because He is righteous always. It is the fallen human nature of said person.

‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭3:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬
[9] “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him shoulder to shoulder.

‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭3:12‭-‬13‬ ‭NIV‬‬
[12] But I will leave within you the meek and humble. The remnant of Israel will trust in the name of the Lord. [13] They will do no wrong; they will tell no lies. A deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths. They will eat and lie down and no one will make them afraid.”

‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭3:15‬ ‭NIV‬‬
[15] The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm.

‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭3:17‬ ‭NIV‬‬
[17] The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

The reading of God's Word is so remarkable that there is nothing that I can say to make it any better. Please, if you are a lost soul, turn to God! He can heal you and give you the greatest peace that you will ever know!

[Maida]

Re-read May 3, 2015

[Claire]

every once and a while, either for school or my ever-invested intrigue in christianity and the religions of the world, I pick up the bible and either look up something in particular to glean some context from a book I've never heard of and contribute it to an essay on a painting or a sculpture that my teacher could care less about reading....or sometimes, I just let it fall open to something, and read it. this came to me last week, and I read it, and I learned more about the end of the world, and went through the seventeen emotions I felt reading Revelation, but in only three or four pages. on a literary note, the bible rarely fails to evoke something in whosoever holds and reads it, religious or agnostic, atheist or polytheist, etc etc. and that is a spectacular experience, and even more spectacular to imagine how many people (artists and sculptors and architects, oh my!) across history have picked up the same or similar book, read the same or similar verses, and felt the same or similar feelings as you. I still stand by my thought that every western intellectual should take the time to read at least some of the bible. your whole life changes, for better or for worse, when you can read the same things that da vinci, or michelangelo, or bernini read, and understood something for yourself or for history, from what you've read or how you've read it.

[Silly Goose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This part is absolutely metal:

Zephaniah 3:17-20: For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty saviour. He will take DELIGHT in YOU with gladness. With HIS LOVE, he will calm ALL your fears. He will REJOICE over you with joyful songs.”
“I will gather you who mourn for the appointed festivals; you will be disgraced NO MORE. AND I WILL DEAL SEVERELY WITH ALL WHO HAVE OPPRESSED YOU. I will SAVE the weak and helpless ones; I will BRING TOGETHER those who were chased away. I will give glory and fame to my former exiles, wherever they have been mocked and shamed. On that day I will gather you together and BRING YOU HOME AGAIN. I will give you A GOOD NAME, a name of distinction, among all the nations of the earth, as I restore your fortunes before their very eyes. I, THE LORD, HAVE SPOKEN!”

I’m sorry if the bold writing looks angry I was really trying to emphasize just how much love is in this scripture alone. 😅 To those who may be filled with guilt or fear, to those who feel hurt by the church or have had religious trauma, to those who left the faith and don’t know how to reconcile with the Lord, and to those who don’t understand their identity or feel they have had it taken away from them, your Creator loves you so dearly. He wants to bring you justice, He wants to sing to you, He wants to spend time with you, to make you smile and give you peace. You do not have to have anything figured out, you don’t even need to 100% believe He’s listening, but just a simple “hey, God. Here’s how my day went.” Is ALL 👏 YOU 👏 NEED to find Him. He is waiting with the world’s most comfy hug, 24/7/365.

I love you. I wish the best for you. God bless.

[Cassie Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book of Zephaniah is the thirty-sixth book in the Bible, and it is found in the Old Testament. It is a prophetic book and categorized as a minor prophet. The author of this book is Zephaniah, who gives his ancestry back to Kung Hezekiah, making him descended from royalty. Due to clues in the text, he prophesied in Jerusalem and was likely a prominent person in the city. It is likely he prophesied during the latter part of King Josiah’s reign.

Zephaniah grew up in an evil nation, Judah ruled by evil King Manassh, yet he became an upstanding man of God. His prophecies speak of the impending conquering of Judah by the Babylonians and the subsequent exile. Judgement is a key theme of Zephaniah’s prophecies, yet there is still the promise of reconciliation and redemption.

Though the Israelites claimed to worship God, they openly defiled His temple and worshipped other gods. Today, Christians still mock God by opening their lives to sin and refusing to repent despite the admonitions to be holy. God takes your relationship with Him seriously, an Zephaniah’s boom reminds us of that, and that we should take it seriously, too.

[Sean Chick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is part of a series where I am reading the Bible in chronological order. I am not doing this for reasons of faith, as I am agnostic, but because of my interest in mythology, ancient literature, and history. I chose the NRSV because I used to be Catholic and still have sympathies there. More importantly, this version seeks a balance between an accurate translation and the literary qualities of the King James Bible. So it seems you get the best of two worlds.

Another long apocalyptic poem, not quite as potent as Amos and Hosea, but more broad its application of doom. Everyone it seems will fall, a testament to the chaos the period when within less than 100 years Assyria fell, Babylonia rose and fell, and Persia outdid both of them.

[John Stanifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

One thing's for sure. When it comes to God's wrath in the Old Testament, it's applied more or less equally to those living within Israel and Judah and the "Gentiles" living without.

That's as clear in Zephaniah as it is anywhere else.

But what's also telling is that this ends on a note of hope. God's wrath will eventually turn to mercy (I mean, repentance goes a long way to shortening the "wrath" period, but still).

To those living in a world of failing economies, mass shootings, and oppressive political regimes, that's just as encouraging thousands of years later as it was to its earliest hearers and readers.

[Sarah Kelnhofer · Rating 5 out of 5]

God spoke to Zephaniah - this is no small, useless thing.
Said He would punish the wicked for violence, and He would bring
Vengeance with no one to rescue. Yet, to the faithful, He'd give
Mercy and restore their fortunes - give them a safe place to live.
God is a blameless, pure presence - daily He's just and He's fair.
God hears the taunts of the wicked. He is not far, unaware.
He will assist humble people, helping them call on His name.
He will rejoice over Zion with joy and He'll rescue the lame.
He will preserve His dear people. He will restore them again.
He'll replace shame with glad praises. They will be safe, whole, and rich.

[Bookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

ZEPHANIAH AND ZACHARIAH ARE THE TWO PROPHETS WHO REMINDED THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL TO HONOR AND GIVE PRIORITY TO GOD AND HIS ALTAR. THE BOOK ZEPHANIAH FOCUSED ON GODS PUNISHMENT FOR EVERY ACTION OF EACH OF HIS PEOPLE THAT STATES, THAT EVERY WRONG ACTION CORRESPONDS TO GOD"S WRATH AND GOD'S STILL CHASES HIS PEOPLE UNTIL NOW. GOD WILL WIPE OUT THE NATION AND THERE WILL ONLY BE ONE LANGUAGE THAT WILL GLORIFY HIM.

THIS BOOKS TELLS THAT EVERY ACTION OR SIN THAT WE OWE GOD HAS CONSEQUENCES.

[Overlady · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's a poetry divided into 3 sections.
1st part of judgement coming on juda and Jerusalem
2nd part judgment on the nations and Jerusalem again
3rd part hope

1st paragraph reversal of genesis, Jerusalem will be destroyed for worshipping gods of Canaan. (Other books revealed that Babylon will be the one to punish them)
It pretty much shows how god came to conclusion for punishment of people,"purifying them".

[Aaron White · Rating 5 out of 5]

a serious prophetic warning to Israel and to the whole world that evil, in the end, will not last. The first 2 chapters outline the destruction about to come on the proud nations, Israel very much included. It is a terrifying diatribe. But chapter 3 is the great reversal, the promise that the people will no longer be shamed for the things they have done, and God will restore all things. Oppressions will cease and the people can sing for joy. Lord may it be so.

[Captmashpea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a bit confusing. I just reviewed some commentary about the book to get a clearer image of its content. The way the commentator framed it really helped me understand the ideas and imagery in Zephaniah. I can see the purpose of the book but it was hard for me to glean just from the text without commentary.
(ebook with kindle dictation)

[Hayley Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent short prophet. Specific allegations are made against Judeans which are clearly applicable to us today. States even during punishment, if there is repentance, then there will be mercy. Beautiful ending praise revealing that God will bestow praise and renown on those who have been shamed.

[Dean Ryan Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was nothing new with the three chapters of the BOOK OF ZEPHANIAH. God Himself was still sending a message of punishment and redemption to various locations such as Judah, Assyria, and Jerusalem. | Now I know, God is the greatest content distributor of all time. Makes me wonder if His message trends so fast if He is using Facebook that time. Just kidding, dear God!

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short 3 chapter book on the situation under king Josiah of Judah. This book is a warning of God's judgement as the day of the Lord approaches (Zeph 1:14-17). It has many encouraging scriptures about God's love and mercy for His remnant, the humble ones who seek Him and continue in His ways. The wrath and judgement are for those who rejected God and chose to corrupt their ways (Zeph 3:7).

[Rachelle Bachiu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zephaniah writes about what will happen to God's people who do not worship Him. God will also bring destruction to the ones who pulled His people away from Himself. God restores His people and will restore their fortune their eyes.

[Ariel Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book prophetically speaking on how God will purify all of his people through a burning fire. Not to destroy us, but to purify and unify us. Making us into one people and living amongst us again!

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another prophet.

[John Pitcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

No matter what, God still loves you. Over and over again and again.

[TheBibleWithTina]

MY SUMMARY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEv8G...