### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew name **Tsᵉphanyâh**, represented by `{{H6846}}`, means **Jah has secreted**. It appears **10 times** across **10 unique verses** in the Bible. The name is given to four distinct Israelites, each playing a role in the unfolding narrative of God's relationship with His people, from the heights of prophecy to the depths of exile and the hope of restoration.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The name **Tsᵉphanyâh** is most famously associated with the prophet whose writings are recorded in the book bearing his name. He is identified as the **son** `{{H1121}}` of **Cushi** `{{H3570}}`, with a lineage traced back to **Hizkiah** `{{H2396}}`, and he delivered the **word** `{{H1697}}` of the **LORD** `{{H3068}}` during the **days** `{{H3117}}` of King **Josiah** `{{H2977}}` [[Zephaniah 1:1]]. Another prominent figure is **Zephaniah** the **son** `{{H1121}}` of **Maaseiah** `{{H4641}}`, who served as the "second **priest**" `{{H4932}}` in **Jerusalem** `{{H3389}}` ([[2 Kings 25:18]], [[Jeremiah 52:24]]). He was sent by King **Zedekiah** `{{H6667}}` to **Jeremiah** `{{H3414}}` to request **prayer** `{{H6419}}` [[Jeremiah 37:3]] and was later taken captive. Other individuals include a Levite ancestor in the line of **Joel** `{{H3100}}` [[1 Chronicles 6:36]] and a man whose **son** `{{H1121}}` **Josiah** `{{H2977}}` returned from **Babylon** `{{H894}}` [[Zechariah 6:10]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words clarify the roles and contexts of the individuals named **Tsᵉphanyâh**:
* `{{H5030}}` **nâbîyʼ** (prophet): This title defines the primary ministry of **Zephaniah** the **son** `{{H1121}}` of **Cushi** `{{H3570}}` [[Zephaniah 1:1]]. It also describes **Jeremiah** `{{H3414}}`, with whom the **priest** `{{H3548}}` **Zephaniah** interacted ([[Jeremiah 37:3]], [[Jeremiah 29:29]]).
* `{{H3548}}` **kôhên** (priest): This term identifies the office of **Zephaniah** the **son** `{{H1121}}` of **Maaseiah** `{{H4641}}`, who was designated the "second **priest**" `{{H4932}}` and was involved in the final events before the fall of **Jerusalem** `{{H3389}}` ([[Jeremiah 21:1]], [[Jeremiah 52:24]]).
* `{{H1697}}` **dâbâr** (word): The "word of the LORD" is the divine message that came to the **prophet** `{{H5030}}` **Zephaniah** [[Zephaniah 1:1]] and was the subject of the interactions between King **Zedekiah** `{{H6667}}`, the **priest** `{{H3548}}` **Zephaniah**, and **Jeremiah** `{{H3414}}` [[Jeremiah 21:1]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6846}}` is demonstrated through the lives of the men who carried the name.
* **Prophetic Revelation:** The prophet **Zephaniah** serves as a vessel for the **word** `{{H1697}}` of the **LORD** `{{H3068}}`. His lineage, traced back to King **Hizkiah** `{{H2396}}`, lends authority to his message delivered during the reign of the reforming **king** `{{H4428}}`, **Josiah** `{{H2977}}` [[Zephaniah 1:1]].
* **Priestly Intermediation and Judgment:** **Zephaniah** the **priest** `{{H3548}}` is positioned as an intermediary, sent to ask the **prophet** `{{H5030}}` **Jeremiah** `{{H3414}}` to **pray** `{{H6419}}` for the nation [[Jeremiah 37:3]]. His eventual capture as the "second **priest**" `{{H4932}}` signifies the judgment that fell upon Judah's religious leadership [[2 Kings 25:18]].
* **Post-Exilic Remembrance:** In Zechariah, a man named **Zephaniah** is the father of one who returned from **Babylon** `{{H894}}`. His family is associated with the **crowns** `{{H5850}}` made for a **memorial** `{{H2146}}` in the **temple** `{{H1964}}` of the **LORD** `{{H3068}}`, symbolizing hope and the preservation of God's people through exile ([[Zechariah 6:10]], [[Zechariah 6:14]]).
### Summary
In summary, **Tsᵉphanyâh** `{{H6846}}` is a name carried by individuals at pivotal moments in Israel's history. It identifies a **prophet** `{{H5030}}` who declared God's judgment and coming restoration, a **priest** `{{H3548}}` who witnessed the final days of **Judah** `{{H3063}}`, and figures connected to the nation's lineage and its return from captivity. The name's meaning, "Jah has secreted," is reflected in these lives—from the revelation of God's "secreted" counsel through prophecy to the preservation of a remnant "secreted" away in **Babylon** `{{H894}}` who would return to rebuild.
TRV