• Zenas
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • supply Zenas . . . and Apollos for their trip.” (Titus 3:13) At the time Zenas was evidently on the island of Crete, but where he and Apollos were going, whether to Nicopolis, where Paul hoped to meet Titus (vs. 12), or to some other place, is not stated. Paul says that Zenas was “versed in the [Mosaic] Law,” which may mean that he was either a Jew or a Jewish proselyte who had been converted to Christianity. His Greek name might favor the latter conclusion, but this is by no means decisive, since in the first century C.E., it was not uncommon for Jews to have Greek names. Other such examples include Justus, Dorcas and Mark.—Acts 1:23; 9:36; 12:25.

  • Zephaniah
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • ZEPHANIAH

      (Zeph·a·niʹah) [Jehovah has concealed or treasured].

      1. A Levite in the genealogical line from Kohath to Samuel and Heman.—1 Chron. 6:33-38.

      2. A prophet of Jehovah in Judah during the early part of Josiah’s reign, and writer of the book bearing his name. Zephaniah was apparently a great-great-grandson of King Hezekiah.—Zeph. 1:1; see ZEPHANIAH, BOOK OF.

      3. A leading priest during the last decade of the kingdom of Judah; son of Maaseiah. Zephaniah was twice sent by Zedekiah to Jeremiah, first to inquire of Jehovah about Judah’s future and later to request him to pray on their behalf. (Jer. 21:1-3; 37:3) From a false prophet in Babylon, Zephaniah received a letter urging him to rebuke Jeremiah, but, instead of complying, Zephaniah read the letter to Jeremiah, who then wrote Jehovah’s reply. (Jer. 29:24-32) Following the fall of Jerusalem, Zephaniah, then second priest under Seraiah, was taken to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah and killed.—Jer. 52:24, 26, 27; 2 Ki. 25:18, 20, 21.

      4. Father of Josiah or Hen, a postexilic contributor of precious metals to make a crown for High Priest Joshua.—Zech. 6:10, 11, 14.

  • Zephaniah, Book of
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • ZEPHANIAH, BOOK OF

      This book of the Hebrew Scriptures contains the word of Jehovah by means of his prophet Zephaniah. It was in the days of Judean King Josiah (659-629 B.C.E.) that Zephaniah carried on his prophetic work. (Zeph. 1:1) In the twelfth year of Josiah’s reign, he being about twenty year of age, the king began an extensive campaign against idolatry and, from the eighteenth year of his rule until its conclusion, his subjects “did not turn aside from following Jehovah.” (2 Chron. 34:3-8, 33) Therefore, since the book of Zephaniah mentions the presence of foreign-god priests and the worship of Baal and heavenly bodies in Judah, the time for its composition may reasonably be placed before the start of Josiah’s reforms about 648 B.C.E.—Zeph. 1:4, 5.

      When Zephaniah began prophesying, idolatry, violence and deception abounded in Judah. Many were saying in their heart: “Jehovah will not do good, and he will not do bad.” (Zeph. 1:12) But Zephaniah’s prophesying made it clear that Jehovah would execute vengeance upon unrepentant wrongdoers. (Zeph. 1:3–2:3; 3:1-5) His adverse judgments would be visited, not only upon Judah and Jerusalem, but also upon other peoples, the Philistines, Ammonites, Moabites, Ethiopians and Assyrians.—Zeph. 2:4-15.

      The prophecy of Zephaniah would have been especially comforting to those who were endeavoring to serve Jehovah and who must have been greatly distressed about the detestable practices of Jerusalem’s inhabitants, including her corrupt princes, judges and priests. (Zeph. 3:1-7) As rightly disposed persons would have looked forward to the execution of divine judgment upon the wicked, they are evidently addressed with the words: “‘Keep yourselves in expectation of me,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘till the day of my rising up to the booty, for my judicial decision is to gather nations, for me to collect together kingdoms, in order to pour out upon them my denunciation, all my burning anger.’” (Zeph. 3:8) Eventually, after the outpouring of his anger on the “earth,” Jehovah would turn favorable attention to the remnant of his people Israel, restoring them from captivity and making them a name and a praise among all other peoples.—Zeph. 3:10-20.

      AUTHENTICITY

      The authenticity of the book of Zephaniah is well established. Often the thoughts expressed in this book find a parallel in other parts of the Bible. (Compare Zephaniah 1:3 with Hosea 4:3; Zephaniah 1:7 with Habakkuk 2:20 and Zechariah 2:13; Zephaniah 1:13 with Deuteronomy 28:30, 39 and Amos 5:11; Zephaniah 1:14 with Joel 1:15, and Zephaniah 3:19 with Micah 4:6, 7.) It harmonizes completely with the rest of the Scriptures in emphasizing vital truths. For example: Jehovah is a God of righteousness. (Zeph. 3:5; Deut. 32:4) Although providing opportunity for repentance, he does not indefinitely allow transgression to go unpunished. (Zeph. 2:1-3; Jer. 18:7-11; 2 Pet. 3:9, 10) Neither silver nor gold can deliver wicked persons in the day of Jehovah’s fury. (Zeph. 1:18; Prov. 11:4; Ezek. 7:19) To be favored with divine protection, one must conduct himself in harmony with God’s righteous judgments.—Zeph. 2:3; Amos 5:15.

      Another outstanding evidence of the book’s canonicity is the fulfillment of prophecy. The foretold destruction came upon the Assyrian capital Nineveh at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar in 632 B.C.E. (Zeph. 2:13-15) and upon Judah and Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E. (Zeph. 1:4-18; compare 2 Kings 25:1-10.) As allies of the Egyptians, the Ethiopians evidently experienced calamity at the time Nebuchadnezzar conquered Egypt. (Zeph. 2:12; compare Ezekiel 30:4, 5.) And the Ammonites, Moabites and Philistines eventually ceased to exist as a people.—Zeph. 2:4-11.

      OUTLINE OF CONTENTS

      I. Announcement of Jehovah’s judgment against Judah and Jerusalem (1:1-18)

      A. Both animal and human creation to be affected; all practicers of idolatry to be destroyed (1:1-11)

      B. Jerusalem to be searched carefully; no escape for those saying, “Jehovah will not do good, and he will not do bad” (1:12, 13)

      C. Description of Jehovah’s day for executing vengeance (1:14-18)

      II. Admonition to seek Jehovah before the coming of his day to execute vengeance (2:1-3)

      III. Jehovah’s judgment against various nations surrounding Judah (2:4-15)

      A. Philistia to become a land without inhabitant (2:4-7)

      B. Moab to become like Sodom, and Ammon like Gomorrah (2:8-11)

      C. Ethiopians to be slain by the sword (2:12)

      D. Assyria to be destroyed, with capital city Nineveh becoming desolate waste (2:13-15)

      IV. Corruption of Jerusalem’s inhabitants and their failure to heed discipline (3:1-7)

      V. Restoration to follow pouring out of God’s anger upon nations (3:8-20)

      A. Execution of God’s vengeance precedes giving peoples change to pure language (3:8, 9)

      B. Remnant of Israel to be regathered from captivity and “set . . . as a praise and as a name in all the land” (3:10-20)

      See the book “All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial,” pages 163-166.

  • Zephath
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • ZEPHATH

      (Zeʹphath) [perhaps, watchtower].

      A royal Canaanite city in the southern part of Judah’s territory, apparently S of Arad, captured by the combined forces of Judah and Simeon. (Judg. 1:16, 17; compare Joshua 15:30; 19:4) The city was renamed “Hormah,” meaning “a devoting [to destruction).” This city, like the other cities of the Canaanites, had been placed ‘under ban’ by Jehovah, and was to be devoted to destruction. (Deut. 7:1-4) The tribes of Judah and Simeon were now applying the terms of that ban on Zephath. Zephath may have been the principal Canaanite city of that district or area.

      On the basis of the similarity of the names, various locations have been suggested, such as Tell esh-Sherʽah, Tell es-Seba, and the pass es-Sufa, to the NW, E, and SE of Beer-sheba respectively. An older identification, Sebata or Sebaita, some twenty-two miles (35.4 kilometers) N-NE of Kadesh-barnea, seems to fit the description better.—See DEVOTE; HORMAH.

  • Zephathah
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • ZEPHATHAH

      (Zephʹa·thah) [watchtower].

      A valley near Mareshah where Jehovah enabled the forces of Judah’s King Asa to defeat those of Zerah the Ethiopian (967-966 B.C.E.). (2 Chron. 14:9-12) Zephathah is apparently represented by the modern Wadi Zeita, which, at one point, comes to within about a mile (c. 1.6 kilometers) N of the suggested site of Mareshah. The Greek Septuagint Version has been translated to read “in the valley north of Maresa” (Bagster), but “Zephathah” appears in the Hebrew Masoretic text.

  • Zered, Torrent Valley of
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • ZERED, TORRENT VALLEY OF

      (Zeʹred).

      A torrent valley at which the Israelites camped on their way around the frontier of Moab, at the end of the thirty-eight additional years of wandering from the time of the rebellion at Kadesh-barnea. (Num. 21:12; Deut. 2:13, 14) While some would place this valley at the Wadi es-Sultani in the desert E of Moab, it is generally identified with the Wadi el-Hesa, the southernmost tributary of the Dead Sea. This valley formed the boundary between Moab and Edom, and, over a thirty-five-mile (56.3-kilometer) stretch, it descends some 3,900 feet (c. 1,189 meters), entering the Dead Sea at the SE end. The valley is some three and a quarter to four miles (5.2 to 6.4 kilometers) across at the top. There is evidence there of a series of Edomite fortresses that served to guard the natural approaches to the S of the Wadi el-Hesa.

  • Zeredah
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • ZEREDAH

      (Zerʹe·dah).

      1. The hometown of Jeroboam, first king of the northern kingdom of Israel. (1 Ki. 11:26) The only indication of its location is the statement: “And there was Jeroboam the son of Nebat an Ephraimite from Zeredah.” On this basis it is generally identified with Deir Ghassaneh (in the region of Ephraim) where the nearby spring called ‘Ain Seridah appears to preserve the original form of the name. This site is about sixteen miles (26 kilometers) SW of Shechem.

      2. Reference is made to Zeredah in the “District of the Jordan” in connection with the casting of copper utensils for the temple constructed by Solomon. (2 Chron. 4:17) The parallel text at 1 Kings 7:46 indicates this to be the same place as Zarethan, Zeredah perhaps being a variant spelling of the name.—See ZARETHAN.

  • Zererah
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • ZERERAH

      (Zerʹe·rah).

      The flight of the defeated Midianites, as they were pursued by Gideon’s forces, is described as continuing “as far as Beth-shittah, on to Zererah, as far as the outskirts of Abel-meholah by Tabbath.”—Judg. 7:22.

      Twenty Hebrew manuscripts here read “Zeredah” rather than Zererah. Since Zeredah and Zarethan are used in a parallel sense at 2 Chronicles 4:17 and 1 Kings 7:46, some suggest the location of Zererah to be the same as that of Zarethan.—See ZARETHAN.

      Such location, however, would seem to be possible only if the expression “on to Zererah” were to be taken in the sense of ‘in the direction of Zererah,’ inasmuch as the location of Zarethan seems to have been considerably S of Abel-meholah. Otherwise, Zererah would necessarily be viewed as lying between Beth-shittah and Abel-meholah; in such case its precise location is unknown.

  • Zeresh
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • ZERESH

      (Zeʹresh) [possibly, gold].

      The wife of Haman. Zeresh and Haman’s friends proposed that he erect a stake to a height of fifty cubits (c. 73 feet; 22 meters), on which to hang Mordecai. (Esther 5:10, 14) But when reversals set in, Zeresh, along with Haman’s wise men, said: “If it is from the seed of the Jews that Mordecai is before whom you have started to fall, you will not prevail against him, but you will without fail fall before him.”—Esther 6:13.