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 Jo- shiah, a little after the captivity of the ten tribes, and be- fore that of Judah; so that he was contemporary with Jeremiah. He freely publishes to the Jews, that what increased the divine wrath against them, was their con- tempt of God's service, their apostacy, their treachery, their idolatry, their violence and rapine, and other enorm- ities; such high provocations as these rendered their destruction terrible, universal, and unavoidable; and then, as most of the prophets do, he mingles exhorta- tions with repentance, as the only expedient in these cir- cumstances.