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The Book of Zephaniah 


LibriVox 


The Book 


of 


Zephaniah 


American Standard | 
Version | 


The Book of Zephaniah 
from the American Standard Version 


The superscription of the Book of Zephaniah attributes its authorship to 
“Zephaniah son of Cushi son of Gedaliah son of Amariah son of Hezekiah, in the 
days of King Josiah son of Amon of Judah” (1:1, NRSV). All that is known of 
Zephaniah comes from the text. The superscription of the book is lengthier than 
most and contains two features. The name Cushi, Zephaniah’s father, means 
‘Ethiopian’. In a society where genealogy was considered extremely important 
because of God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants, the author may 
have felt compelled to establish his Hebrew lineage. In fact, this lineage is traced 
back to Hezekiah, who was king of Judah. The author of Zephaniah does not shrink 
from condemning the Cushites or Ethiopians. Chapter 2:12 contains a succinct but 
unequivocal message: “You also, O Ethiopians, / Shall be killed by my sword.” 
Zephaniah’s familial connection with King Hezekiah may have also legitimized his 
harsh indictment of the royal city in 3:1-7. (Summary by Wikipedia) 


Read by Sam Stinson. Total Running Time: 00:11:29. 


This recording is in the public domain and may be reproduced, distributed, or modified without permission. For 
more information or to volunteer, visit librivox.org. Cover picture from Trés Riches Heures du Duc de Berry 
(1412-1416). Copyright expired in US, Canada, EU, and all countries with author’s life +70 yrs laws. Cover 
design by Janette Brown. This design is in the public domain. 


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