Superscription and Universal Judgment
Zephaniah 1:1-3
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Zep.1.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- היה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- צפניה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כושי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- גדליה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אמריה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חזקיה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בימי: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,cons
- יאשיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אמון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
Parallels
- Jeremiah 1:1 (verbal): Same prophetic superscription formula—'the word of the LORD that came to...' with genealogy of the prophet and dating tied to Josiah son of Amon (links both content and historical context).
- Isaiah 1:1 (structural): Opening vision/superscription giving the prophet's lineage ('Isaiah son of Amoz') and a kings-list dating formula ('in the days of Uzziah, Jotham…'), parallel structural pattern of introducing prophet and historical setting.
- Micah 1:1 (structural): Superscription introducing the prophetic word with place/lineage info and a date formula ('in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah'), paralleling Zephaniah's introductory framing of author and historical period.
- Joel 1:1 (verbal): Begins with the same wording 'The word of the LORD that came to...' and names the prophet (Joel son of Pethuel), a close verbal parallel to Zephaniah's opening formula.
- Amos 1:1 (thematic): Prophetic introduction that identifies the prophet and situates his message in the reigns of contemporary kings ('in the days of Uzziah king of Judah...'), echoing Zephaniah's practice of locating prophecy within a specific historical and political context.
Alternative generated candidates
- 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.
- 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.
Zep.1.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אסף: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אסף: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- כל: DET
- מעל: PREP
- פני: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- האדמה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- נאם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 6:13 (verbal): God announces the end of all flesh and says he will 'destroy them with the earth'—a close verbal and thematic echo of 'I will utterly sweep away all things from the face of the earth.'
- Isaiah 24:1 (verbal): 'Behold, the LORD makes the earth empty and lays it waste'—a parallel formulation of worldwide divine judgment and desolation.
- Deuteronomy 32:22 (thematic): God's wrath 'will consume the earth'—language of consuming the land in divine anger that parallels Zephaniah's sweeping away of all things.
- Jeremiah 4:23-26 (allusion): The vision of the earth as formless, void, and desolate after judgment echoes the motif of removing/emptying the land 'from the face of the earth,' invoking primordial chaos imagery used in prophetic judgments.
Alternative generated candidates
- I will gather, I will gather; I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth, declares the LORD.
- I will sweep away, I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth, declares the LORD.
Zep.1.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אסף: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אדם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובהמה: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אסף: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- עוף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- השמים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ודגי: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,const
- הים: NOUN,m,sg,abs,def
- והמכשלות: CONJ+NOUN,f,pl,def
- את: PRT,acc
- הרשעים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- והכרתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,ms,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- האדם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- מעל: PREP
- פני: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- האדמה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- נאם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 6:7 (verbal): God declares he will blot out mankind from the face of the ground — language and theme closely parallel Zephaniah’s threat to cut off man from the earth (divine destruction of humanity).
- Genesis 7:23 (verbal): The flood narrative: 'He blotted out every living thing... man and animals' — catalogue of creatures removed and the comprehensive, final nature of judgment echoes Zeph.1:3’s mention of humans, beasts, birds, and fish being swept away.
- Isaiah 24:1-3 (thematic): A prophetic description of the LORD laying the earth waste and making it desolate, affecting both people and animals — a thematic parallel of universal/cosmic judgment for sin like Zephaniah’s proclamation.
- Psalm 37:9-10 (thematic): The righteous inheritance contrasted with evildoers being 'cut off' — parallels Zephaniah’s emphasis on the removal/cutting off of the wicked from the land.
Alternative generated candidates
- I will gather humankind and beast; I will gather the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea—also the stumbling blocks that cause the wicked to fall; I will cut off humankind from the face of the earth, declares the LORD.
- I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea; I will sweep away the stumbling blocks with the wicked, and I will cut off humankind from the face of the earth, declares the LORD.
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.
I will sweep away, I will sweep away—everything from the face of the earth, declares the LORD.
I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, and the stumbling blocks that make the wicked stumble; and I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth, declares the LORD.