Zephaniah

American  

[zef-uh-nahy-uh] / ˌzɛf əˈnaɪ ə /

noun

1. a Minor Prophet of the 7th century b.c.

2. a book of the Bible bearing his name. Zeph., Zp.

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Zephaniah British  

/ ˌzɛfəˈnaɪə /

noun

1. Douay spelling: Sophonias.  Old Testament

   1. a Hebrew prophet of the late 7th century _bc

   2. the book containing his oracles, which are chiefly concerned with the approaching judgment by God upon the sinners of Judah

2. Benjamin . born 1958, British poet, writer, and activist, born in Jamaica. His poetry collections include The Dread Affair (1985) and Too Black, Too Strong (2001)

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Etymology

Origin of Zephaniah

From Hebrew Ṣəphanyāh “God has hidden”

Example Sentences

The late poet Benjamin Zephaniah rejected an OBE in 2003 because of the association with the British Empire and its history of slavery.

From BBC • Jun. 13, 2025

The council will also consider whether to award a City of Birmingham Medal to Zephaniah.

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2025

Zephaniah was also an actor and appeared in the BBC drama series Peaky Blinders, set in Birmingham, between 2013 and 2022.

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2025

They quoted postcolonial theorist Frantz Fanon, Black liberation activist Marcus Garvey, the late poet Benjamin Zephaniah, and comedian Romesh Ranganathan, who has frequently joked that his mum calls him a coconut for not speaking Tamil.

From BBC • Sep. 14, 2024

Zephaniah pondered on my tempting offer, and I could see that he wavered in opinion, but the decision was adverse to my wishes.

From The Chainbearer Or, The Littlepage Manuscripts by Cooper, James Fenimore