ZEPHATH

contemptuous taunts with which they had upbraided Judah (2»-"i) (such taunts as, according to Ezekiel [25'-"], these peoples hurled at the Jews after the Fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.); in the case of Assyria, in her presumptuous arrogance and self-confidence (2"). According to the general opinion, Zephaniah, like Jeremiah, who was prophesying at the same time, expected the Scythians to be the instruments of this judgment: for at about this time hordes of these barbarians were pouring into Asia. According to Marti, Zephaniah's original prophecy confined itself to a prediction of a destructive invasion by the Scythians, who, coming from the north, would first sweep through Judah, then southwards through Philistia to Ethiopia in the extreme south, and then, turning backwards, would overwhelm the Assyrian empire. The references to Moab and Ammon, and the touches which universalize the judgment, must in this case owe their insertion into Zephaniah's prophecy to later editors. Many also think that the promises in chs. 1. 2 (see chiefly 2'- ') are later than Zephaniah.

Ch. 3 contains (1) a description of the sins of Jerusalem (3'-'); this may be a second denunciation of Zephaniah's, parallel to ch. 1 and particularizing rather different sins, or a prophetic description of Jerusalem at a later date; (2) a description of a universal judgment from which only the godly remnant of Judah will escape (38. 11-13; cf. 23); (3) a description of the glory of the Jews after Jahweh has delivered them from captivity (314-20). All of ch. 3 may be of post-exilic origin, and the third section can scarcely be pre-exilic. Inserted in the midst of the second section are two verses (3'-'") which, like 2", predict that Jahweh will be universally worshipped; these also are probably of post-exilic origin.

It seems clear that Zephaniah, like the prophets of the 8th cent, and his own contemporary, Jeremiah, was, primarily, a prophet of judgment to come upon his own people. In this respect he differed from two prophets of the same generation — Nahum and Habakkuk, both of whom, however, probably prophesied after the Reforma-tion of Josiah. Nahum is entirely concerned with judgment on Assyria; Habakkuk is perplexed by what to Zephaniah might have appeared the fulfilment of his prophecy — the present troubles of Judah. Zephaniah marks no new departure in prophetic activity or thought, but by his moral earnestness, and his insistence on the need for single-hearted devotion to the demands of Jahweh for righteousness, he performed for his own generation the service rendered a century earlier by Isaiah, whose influence on his thought and teaching is obvious (cf. particularly 1"-" with Is 2"*).

Owing more especially to textual corruption, parts of the book, even in the RV, are unintelligible; see Dnver, Minor Prophets, vol. ii. (Century Bible); G. A. Smith, Book of the Twelve Proj)hets, vol. ii. pp. 35-74 (containing a translation from a critically emended text); see also A. B. Davidson's Commentary on the AV in the Cambridge Bible.

G. B. Gray.

ZEPHATH.— See Hormah.

ZEPHATHAH. — An unknown locality named only (if the text is correct) in 2 Ch 1411' <• .

ZEPHI (1 Ch l"*) or ZEPHO (Gn 36"- ").— A son of Eliphaz, and one of the 'dukes' of Edom.

ZEPHON, ZEPHONITES.— See Zaphon.

ZER.— A 'fenced' city of Naphtali (Jos 19»). It follows Ziddim (properly Hazziddim [with art.]), which may be the modern Hattin, N.W. of Tiberias. The identity of Zer is quite uncertain.

ZERAH.— 1. One of the sons of Reuel (Gn 36is- ", 1 Ch 1"). The name appears again as that of the father of Jobab, one of the early kings of Edom (Gn 36^', I Ch 1"). 2. The younger-born of the twin sons of Judah by Tamar his daughter-in-law (Gn 38'"). He

ZERUBBABEL

gives his name to the Zerahitea (Nu 26'»). Of this family was Achan the son of Zabdi (Jos 7') or Zimrl (1 Ch 2'). Zerah's sons are mentioned in 1 Ch 9=, and Pethahiah (Neh 11") is one of his descend-ants. He flnds a place in the genealogy of our Lord (Mt 1'). 3. A son of Simeon, and the founder of a family of Zerahites within that tribe (Nu 26", 1 Ch 4^); called also Zohar (Gn 46i», Ex 61'). 4. A Levite name, borne by a Gershonite (1 Ch 6^1) and by a Kohathite (1 Ch 6«). 5. The name of the Cushite (2 Ch 149-16) who invaded Judah in the reign of Asa. 'The story of this invasion is unknown to secular history, and rests solely upon the authority of the Chronicler. There has been much controversy as to its historicity, and the question is still involved in obscurity. In any case the numbers in the text of Chron. (580,000 men in Asa's army, 1,000,000 in Zerah's) are incredibly large.

ZERAHIAH. — 1. A priest, an ancestor of Ezra (1 Ch 6« bis. ", Ezr 7« [1 Es 8^ Zaraias, 2 Es 1' Arna]). 2. The father of Eliehoenai, Ezr 8' [1 Es 8" Zaraias].

ZERED.— The torrent-valley (nachal) of Zered is named in the itinerary of Israel's journeyings, Nu 21", immediately prior to their crossing of the Arnon, and in Dt 2" as the point that marked the close of the 38 years' wanderings. It is probably either the SaU Sa'ideh (the principal confluent of the Arnon from the S.E.) or the Wady Kerak.

ZEREDAH, ZERERAH.— See Zarethan. ZERESH.— The wife of Haman (Est S"- » 6"). ZERETH.— A Judahite (1 Ch 4'). ZERETH-SHAHAR.— A Reubenite town (Jos 13"). Its site has not been identified. ZERI.— See Izri. ZEROR.— An ancestor of Saul (1 S 9').

ZERUAH.— The mother of Jeroboam (1 K 11«

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ZERU'BBABEL(meaninguncertain,perhaps 'offspring of Babel'; the form Zorobabel is used in the Apoc-rypha). — The son of Shealtiel, and related to the house of David. He was the leader of one of the bands that returned from the Captivity (Ezr 2', Neh 7'), and was at one time pechah or 'governor' of Judah (Hag 1' etc.). On the question of his identity with Sheshbazzar, see Shebhbazzar. As the servant of the Lord, and as His specially chosen one, he is designated as one who is to be specially honoured in the 'day of the Lord,' for which reason he is called the 'signet' (Hag 22'). Both Haggai and Zechariah point to Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua as those who are to re-build the Temple (Hag l'-» 2'-'s, Zee 4i-»); this was done, though after considera-able delay owing to enemies of the Jews; it was only after a special appeal had been made to Darius that the work was proceeded with unimpeded (Ezr 6^). From Zechariah's fourth 'night-vision' (Zee 3"-, esp. vv.s-io) we learn that Zerubbabel was looked upon as the coming Messiah; in this night- vision it is pointed out that Joshua and his fellows are a pledge and an earnest of the near approach of the Messiah — the 'Branch,' as he is here called; the stone which is to adorn his crown is ready, and Jahweh Himself is about to engrave thereon a fitting inscription; when the Messiah comes, God will obliterate all guilt from the people, and peace shall rest upon the land (see Branch). Although Zerubbabel is not mentioned here by name, a com-parison of the passages Zee 3'-'" 4'-" 6»-'> makes it reasonably certain that he is intended.

This period of Jewish history presents not a few very difficult problems; one of the burning questions has reference to the respective parts played in the re-building of the Temple, and the re-organization of the Jewish State generally, by the returned exiles, and by the 'people of the land' who had been left behind when

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