ZEPHANIAH, a canonical book of the Old Testament, containing the predictions of Zephaniah the son of Cushi, and grandson of Gedaliah; being the ninth of the twelve lesser prophets. He prophesied in the time of king Josiah, a little after the captivity of the ten tribes, and before that of Judah; so that he was co-temporary with Jeremiah. He freely publishes to the Jews, that what increased the divine wrath against them, was their contempt of God's service, their apostasy, their treachery, their idolatry, their violence and rapine, and other enormities: such high provocations as these rendered their destruction terrible, universal, and unavoidable: and then, as most of the prophets do, he mingles exhortations with repentance, as the only expedient in these circumstances.