Reversing Genesis: A Theological Reading of Creation Undone in Zephaniah

Abstract

The Book of Zephaniah expresses the expectation of divine judgment as reversals of two specific features of the Genesis 1 narrative: the creation of life and the dominion of humankind. Each is inverted in Zephaniah, which envisions life destroyed and animals ascendant. However, these two prophetic trajectories appear mutually exclusive, as the former anticipates the elimination of all life while the latter anticipates the surging dominance of animal life. This article examines this tension with reference to specific oracles, exploring possible theological significance and rhetorical function of these seemingly incongruous inversions of the Genesis 1 material. I argue that this tension conveys, perhaps surprisingly, an assertion of the mercy and gracious restraint of God, as the prophet subtly suggests a disjunction between the warranted and probable intensities of divine judgement. Moving from this theological analysis, I briefly consider how this tension also proves rhetorically effective at inviting the prophet’s hearers to seek the mercy of God through repentance.