The Prophets: Introducing Israel's Prophetic Writings

by Stephen L. Cook, John T. Strong, Steven S. Tuell

Overview

The prophets remain figures of enduring interest and importance in contemporary Judaism, Christianity, and even secular society. The Prophets introduces students to the rise of prophecy in ancient Israel, possible ancient Near Eastern parallels, the messages of individual prophets, and the significance of the compositional and editorial history of the prophetic writings. The book guides students into leading questions and issues in contemporary scholarship, and surveys different contemporary approaches to the messages of the prophets.

Part 1 introduces the prophets and prophecy in context. The rise of prophecy, the role of the prophet, key themes, and the fate of prophecy are explored. Part 2 profiles Israel's prophets during the eighth century, the exile, and the postexilic period. This section will also look at each book of the prophets and how the prophetic writings fit within the complete Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament. These chapters also provide insights into interpreting the prophetic writings today, including Jewish and Christian interpretations, prophecy and prediction, and the secular legacy of Israelite prophecy.

This textbook includes numerous images, charts, and maps to enhance the experience of the students.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780800699512
Publisher:	1517 Media
Publication date:	03/01/2022
Series:	Introducing Israel's Scriptures
Pages:	574
Product dimensions:	6.25(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Stephen L. Cook is Catherine N. McBurney Professor of Old Testament Language and Literature at Virginia Theological Seminary and the author of a number of books in Hebrew Bible studies, including Prophecy and Apocalypticism (Fortress, 1995). He resides in Alexandria, Virginia.

John T. Strong is professor of religion at Missouri State University and the coeditor, with Margaret S. Odell, of The Book of Ezekiel: Theological and Anthropological Perspectives (2000) and, with Steven S. Tuell, Constituting the Community: Studies on the Polity of Ancient Israel (2005). He resides in Springfield, Missouri.

Steven S. Tuell is James A. Kelso Professor emeritus of Hebrew and Old Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and the author of The Law of the Temple in Ezekiel 40-48 and commentaries on 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezekiel, and Nahum. He resides in Wexford, Pennsylvania.

Table of Contents

List of Figures, Tables, and Maps xiii

List of Sidebars xvii

Preface xix

Acknowledgments xxv

Abbreviations xxvii

Chart: Kings and Prophets in Israel and Judah xxxiii

Part I Approaching Ancient Israel's Prophets

1 Introduction to the Prophetic Writings 3

Prophecy's Place within the Biblical Canon 4

Prophets as Interpreters of Written Divine Revelation 8

Tales and Legends of the Prophets 9

Prophetic Legends as Hagiography 12

The Writing Prophets as Literary Constructs 20

2 The Historical Setting of the Israelite Prophets 29

Prophets and Prophecy in the Ancient Near East 30

The Theologies and Roles of Israelite Prophets in the Eighth Century 34

Prophecy against the Backdrop of Assyrian Imperial Development 36

Prophecy during the Crisis of Assyrian Expansion 40

The Decline of Assyria and the Reforms of King Josiah 48

The Rise of Babylonia and the Rise of Written Scripture 53

The Final Decades of Judah and Jerusalem's Destruction 55

The Exilic Era 63

Israelite Prophecy in the Early Persian Period 66

Prophecy in Mid-Fifth-Century Yehud 71

Part II The Prophetic Literature

3 Isaiah 81

Introduction 81

First Isaiah (Isaiah 1-39) 84

Second Isaiah (40-55) 102

Third Isaiah (56-66) 114

The Isaianic Apocalypse (24-27) 120

Reading Isaiah as a Book 125

4 Jeremiah 135

Preliminary Remarks on the Nature of the Materials within the Scroll 136

The Prophet Jeremiah 139

The Text of Jeremiah 156

Themes and Theology of the Jeremiah Scroll 171

Final Reflections: The Death and Life of Jeremiah 183

5 Ezekiel 191

Introduction 191

Social Historical, and Ritual Background 193

Literary Character 198

Theological Issues 201

The Prophecies of Ezekiel 208

6 Hosea 245

Introduction 245

Hosea: A Theological Portrait 247

The Hosea Scroll 255

Hosea 14:9: A Final Reflection 275

7 Joel 281

Introduction 281

Social Historical and Ritual Background 284

Literary Character 291

Theological Issues 297

8 Amos 303

Opening Reflections 303

The Prophet Amos 305

The Scroll of Amos 311

Closing Reflections 334

9 Obadiah 339

The Historical Setting of Obadiah 339

The Text of Obadiah 342

10 Jonah 355

Introduction 355

Jonah's Setting 357

Literary Issues 360

Theological Issues 363

11 Micah 373

Micah of Moresheth 374

The Scroll of Micah 378

Conclusion 393

12 Nahum 395

Historical Setting 396

Literary Issues 399

Theological Issues 409

13 Habakkuk 411

Historical and Sociological Background 413

Habakkuk's Literary Structure and Character 416

The Content of Habakkuk's Prophecies 418

14 Zephaniah 433

Introduction 433

Historical and Literary Issues 435

The Scroll of Zephaniah 437

In Summation 445

15 Haggai 449

Introduction 449

Haggai's Setting 451

Theological Issues 455

16 Zechariah 469

Historical and Sociological Background 469

Zechariah's Structure and History of Composition 473

The Content of Zechariah's Prophecies 476

17 Malachi 495

Introduction 495

Historical and Social Setting 497

The Traditions and Texts behind Malachi's Prophecies 499

The Content of Malachi's Prophecies 501

18 Daniel 511

Introduction 511

Daniel as an Apocalypse 514

Historical Setting 516

Literary Features 523

The Message of Daniel 526

Glossary 549

Image Credits 561

Author Index 567