ZEPHANIAH zĕf’ ə nī’ ə (צְפַנְיָ֖הוּ, LXX Σοφονιας (indicating the vocalization of a participial form), meaning Yahweh has treasured or Yahweh has hidden). A cognomen for four individuals. 1. An ancestor of the Kohathites whom David put in charge of the service of song in the house of Yahweh. Included in this ancestry are Heman and Samuel (1 Chron 6:36).

2. A prophet during the early part of the reign of Josiah whose prophecy is preserved in the book bearing his name (Zeph 1:1; see also Book of Zephaniah). He is the only prophet whose ancestry is traced back four generations. This unique feature indicates that his great grandfather, Hezekiah, was the famous king bearing that name. If so he was the only prophet of royal blood, a cousin of Josiah, and of the princes to whom he directed much of his prophecy. Apparently he lived in Jerusalem, for he referred to it as “this place” (Zeph 1:4) and described its topography with intimate knowledge (Zeph 1:10-13).

3. The son of Maaseiah (Jer 21:1) and second priest during the reign of Zedekiah (Jer 52:24). The false prophet Shemaiah of Nehelam, in a letter from Babylon, appointed him priest instead of Jehoiada with responsibility to punish pretenders to the gift of prophecy, one of whom, he alleged, was Jeremiah (Jer 29:24-28). Zedekiah sent him twice to Jeremiah; once to inquire of yahweh about the Babylonian siege and once to ask him to pray for the people (Jer 21:1f.; 37:3). After the capture of Jerusalem Nebuzaradan brought him along with other leaders before the king of Babylon who had them killed at Riblah (2 Kings 25:18, 21; Jer 52:24, 27).

4. The father of Josiah II (Zech 6:10) and of Hen (Zech 6:14). By emending the text of Zechariah 6:14 to conform with 6:10, the RSV has him as father of only the former.