When in the days of Josiah did Zephaniah prophesy?

There is a lot of debate about specifically when it was in the days of Josiah that Zephaniah prophesied. Was it before the discovery of the Book of the Law in 622 BC (2 Kings 22:3–8; 2 Chronicles 1:1 – 36:23)? Could the prophet have contributed to Josiah’s earlier efforts toward reform, during the twelfth year of his rule? Or did he prophesy after Josiah’s reforms that followed the discovery of the Book of the Law, in which case it implicitly reveals the limitations of Josiah's reforms?

Where exactly the prophet fits into the reign of Josiah is difficult to say. It is possible that his prophecy preceded Josiah’s reforms. Some argue that the wicked and idolatrous conditions in Jerusalem that the prophecy details (Zephaniah 1:4–6; Zephaniah 3:1–7) suggest the prophecy predates Josiah’s reforms of 622 BC, perhaps even his earlier reforms of 628. In light of Josiah’s beginning to seek the God of his father David at age sixteen (2 Chronicles 34:3), one could see Zephaniah’s ministry as influencing Josiah’s activity.¹

Yet it is also quite possible that his ministry followed the finding of the Book of the Law. There are a number of references in the prophecy that appear to come from Deuteronomy. For example:

• Zephaniah 1:13 says, Their goods shall be plundered and their houses laid waste. Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink wine from them. This is an inversion of some promised blessings from Deuteronomy 6:11, Deuteronomy 28:30, and Deuteronomy 28:39.

• Zephaniah 1:15 says, A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish. The same terminology is in Deuteronomy 28:53, Deuteronomy 28:55, and Deuteronomy 28:57.

• Zephaniah 1:15 also says, “A day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness. The same terminology is in Deuteronomy 4:11.

• Zephaniah 1:17 says, I will bring distress on mankind, so that they shall walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the Lord. That is very similar to the covenant curses proclaimed against God’s people in Deuteronomy 28:29, Deuteronomy 28:52.

• Zephaniah 1:18 says, In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed. The same terminology is in Deuteronomy 32:21–22.

• Zephaniah 3:5 says, The Lord within her is righteous; he does no injustice. The same terminology is in Deuteronomy 32:4.

• Zephaniah 3:17 says, He will rejoice over you with gladness. The same terminology is in Deuteronomy 28:63; Deuteronomy 30:9.

• Zephaniah 3:19–20 is an echo of Deuteronomy 26:19.²

So it seems possible, maybe even probable, that Zephaniah’s ministry followed the finding of the Book of the Law, and that he is using content from Deuteronomy. If this timing is correct, then it suggests a remarkable faith and courage in Josiah, someone so young, who after sixty years of contrary practice would have then embarked on such a reformation without prophetic backing.³ Furthermore, to locate Zephaniah’s ministry in a post-622 BC period “would provide an explanation for the dramatic reversal, following his death, of all the good that Josiah had achieved in his lifetime. According to this argument, opposition continued even after the discovery of the Book of the Law, with many simply restricting their conformity to outward observances (cf. Jeremiah 3:10). Conscious of the existence of this group, Zephaniah joins Josiah in warning of the inevitable consequences that would befall the nation."⁴

At the same time, we simply cannot be sure. For we find similar emphases in other prophetic books. Isaiah, for example, has a great emphasis on sin and blindness. So it is not necessarily the case that Zephaniah would have been reading Deuteronomy, but it does seem probable. Most likely Zephaniah prophesied after the rediscovery of the Book of the Law.

Whichever side the interpreter falls in the discussion, it need not significantly affect his understanding of the main theme of the book.