1:1  Whereas Nahum and Habakkuk have rather nonstandard introductions, the introduction to Zephaniah follows the pattern of other prophetic books; it is especially close to that of Hosea. First, its editors describe the book as a whole as The word of the LORD. The word dabar can signify a section of a discourse such as a sentence, but it commonly signifies a complete discourse of some kind, such as a message or command or promise or statement (cf. 2:5). Thus little stretch would be involved in describing a whole book as “the word of such-and-such a human author,” and then by extension as “the word of the LORD.” The expression suggests something that is complete and coherent. It is the word that came to Zephaniah, literally that happened or became (hayah) to Zephaniah. That is a strong stat…