Josiah (son of Zephaniah)

Biblical Account

Josiah appears in Zechariah 6:9-15. The LORD commands the prophet Zechariah to receive silver and gold from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who had been taken captive, had returned from Babylon, and were staying at the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah. Zechariah is to go to that house the same day (Zechariah 6:10). From the silver and gold he is to make crowns and set them on the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and he delivers the word that the man whose name is "the BRANCH" will build the temple of the LORD (Zechariah 6:11-13). The crowns are then to be placed in the temple of the LORD as a memorial to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah (Zechariah 6:14).

This is all that Scripture records about Josiah. He owned the house where the returnees gathered, and his name was commemorated along with the crowns. Nothing is recorded about his occupation or his life.

Significance Within Scripture

These events took place after the return from exile, while the rebuilding of the temple was under way. Josiah's house was the place where the gifts sent by the Jews still living in Babylon were delivered. The crowns made from those gifts were used in the symbolic act of crowning the high priest Joshua. The New Testament does not mention this figure.

Interpretation and Debates

• The name "Hen": The "Josiah" of 6:10 appears as "Hen" in 6:14. This is commonly understood as another name or a nickname for the same person. The Hebrew word hen also means "grace" or "favor." Some scholars therefore read it not as a proper name but as "(in memory of) the kindness of the son of Zephaniah," taking it to commemorate the hospitality he showed in receiving his guests. Some modern translations render the word here as "Josiah."
• Distinction from other figures: He is a different person from Josiah, the reforming king of Judah. Likewise, the text gives no basis for identifying his father Zephaniah with Zephaniah, the prophet active during the reign of King Josiah, or with Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest mentioned in the book of Jeremiah.

In Korean Churches

In Korean Protestant churches, sermons on Zechariah 6 usually focus on the crowns and on "the BRANCH" (a title read as a messianic prophecy). Josiah himself is rarely treated as the central figure in sermons or Sunday school lessons.