Minor Prophets Research Articles

Modern forms of a prophecy: From written word to audiovisual Internet product

Prophecies contain a unique cultural and linguistic code, which plays an essential role in organizing the linguistic worldview and shapes national consciousness. The article aims to specify the linguistic features of prophecies and identify their modern forms. To achieve this goal, biblical texts were compared with modern prophecies within and outside religion. Due to the phenomenon's complexity, the material selection criteria were flexible. The Canonic Bible was the initial source of the material (4 books of Major Prophets and 12 books of Minor Prophets). The modern prophecies were obtained from 2 collections of written prophecies (157 texts) as well as 10 audio recordings of prophetic sessions (4 hours) and 40 videos (10 hours). We explored prophetic texts and changes in their forms using semiotic modeling. The interdisciplinary nature of the research necessitated the use of the descriptive method, as well as methods of contextual, interpretative, and content analysis to identify the meaning of the linguistic units by highlighting mechanisms of the construction of meaning. The chosen methods helped to identify the meanings of linguistic units, highlighting the mechanisms of constructing meaning, as well as the ethnocultural language code of prophecies. The method of interpretative analysis made it possible to determine the patterns of expression of meaning associated with the system of ideal images and the rules for their transformation into meanings. The results of the study demonstrated a clear simplification of the initial characteristics during the transition of biblical prophecies from written form to an audiovisual Internet product. In addition, the results revealed an obvious displacement of the vector of decoding and interpretation of ethnoculturally-conditioned components. Further research will allow us to build a linguosemiotic model of prophetic discourse to trace ethnocultural and linguistic changes in the form, content, and entire genre of prophecy, which will open up new prospects for the study and interpretation of the phenomenon itself.

The Theology of the Minor Prophets

The Theology of the Minor Prophets

Reading the Locust Plague in the Prophecy of Joel in the Context of African Biblical Hermeneutics and the Decolonial Turn

Joel is one of the 12 minor prophets (dōdekaprophēton). His prophecy aims at calling the nation and people to repentance through emphasizing that the Day of the Lord (yōm ădȏnay) is at hand (3:1–5 [2:28–32]). The locust plague (ʾarbbeh) in Joel’s message—which recalls the insects that threaten to destroy crops and vegetation in Africa and beyond, but which can also be used as food and livestock feed and offer other benefits as well—could be interpreted as Joel’s prophetic sign that the great Day of the Lord is near (1:2–2:17). Throughout history, scholars, theologians, and exegetes of differing schools of thought and from numerous locations have offered various interpretations for Joel’s prophecy and subjected it to diverse Eurocentric and Americo-centric hermeneutical methods. This work, however, with its focus on Africa, takes a different approach. Drawing from the work of many African hermeneuticians, it reads Joel’s prophecy using the tools of African Biblical Hermeneutics (ABH), a post-colonial enterprise, in light of the decolonial turn. The article exegetes and theologically analyzes the narrative of the locust plague (ʾarbbeh) in Joel 1:2–7, within the context of Joel 1–3, with the hopes that it will be transformational and beneficial for African readers within their faith context.

Old Testament Saints in Menologia of Cyrillic Early Printed Tetraevangelia

This artile examines Old Testament saints present in menologia of cyrillic early printed Tetraevangelia, i.e., books issued in the 16th–18th centuries. Only twenty-seven Old Testament figures mentioned by name and three groups of saints can be found in the fixed liturgical calendar of cyrillic early printed Tetraevangelia. Three prophets, Elisseus, Elias and Daniel, together with the Three Holy Youths, as well as Forefathers, Fathers and Seven Maccabean Martyr Brothers, are present in all cyrillic early printed Tetraevangelia. Prophet Malachi is missing in all Lviv and the fourth Vilnius editions, while two prophets, Jeremiah and Moses, are absent in all eleven South Slavonic cyrillic early printed Tetraevangelia. Six minor prophets, together with Samuel and Righteous Job, were introduced with the inclusion of the full menologion in the Moscow cyrillic early printed Tetraevangelion issued in 1653. Four prophets (Isaiah, Sophonias, Nahum and Micah) can be found in some editions printed before 1653. Six other Old Testament figures, Solomonia and Eleazar, Jonah, Zachariah, Ezekiel and Jesus of Navi, were introduced into Moscow cyrillic early printed Tetraevangelia issued in the 1680s. The last four saints occurred for the last time in 1694. The results obtained in this research have proven that liturgical tradition reflected in menologia of cyrillic early printed Tetraevangelia was not homogeneous nor stable but was subject to change. Old Testament saints are present in menologia of cyrillic early printed Tetraevangelia, but they are overshadowed by New Testament and other figures commemorated by the Orthodox Church.

Minor Prophets

Minor Prophets Christopher T. Begg, Fred W. Guyette, and Richard A. Taylor 738. [Spirit, Kingship, and Inner-Biblical Allusion in the Book of the Twelve and the NT] Beth M. Stovell, "Spirit, Kingship, and Inner-Biblical Allusion in the Book of the Twelve and the New Testament," The Spirit Says, 39-60 [see #910]. This chapter has explored how conceptions of God's spirit and presence join with conceptions of God's kingship in the Twelve and continue into the NT via use of inner-biblical allusion. A few key insights have emerged from this analysis. First, the depictions of the spirit as water and the spirit as oil serve key roles in joining the depictions of God's spirit in Joel and Zechariah to their interpretations in Acts and John. … Second, the conceptual understanding of the spirit in relation to God's kingship is based repeatedly on iterations of inner-biblical allusion. Such allusion may come in the form of direct or indirect citation, but in both cases, the purpose is to draw the hearer back [End Page 250] to earlier events and experiences of the spirit that shed light on the conceptualizations of the spirit and kingship. Joel and Zechariah did not come to their understandings of God's spirit and kingship entirely on their own, but are grounded in their predecessors' conceptions of God's spirit and kingship. Joel uses the Exodus account to draw links between the spirit's revelation given to all peoples with the experience of God as Divine Warrior who calls out from Zion. Joel's linking of God as king and the spirit's outpouring upon the people are picked up in the NT by Acts to illustrate the actions of the Holy Spirit in relation to the Father and to Jesus the Son who is Lord and Messiah, the anointed king. Besides the Divine Warrior-king metaphor linked with the spirit in the Twelve, the shepherd king metaphor is also linked with depictions of God's spirit and presence in the Twelve in passages such as Zechariah 9–12. Building on allusions to the Psalter and Ezekiel, Zechariah 9–12 depicts God's recurring presence to protect and fight for his people as their king and the spirit's outpouring on David's house. The interplay of spirit and kingship in these texts enables John the Evangelist … to incorporate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as oil and as water into his depictions of Jesus' kingship in John 12 and 19. … [Adapted from author's conclusion, pp. 59-60—C.T.B.] *739. [Weather Imagery in Hosea] Szabolcs Ferencz Kato, "Rain, Dew, Flourishing Plants as Images of Monolatry and Righteousness: The Weather Imagery and Its Meaning in Hosea," HTS 77 (4, 2021) 1-7 [see Editor's Notes, p. 367]. Weather imagery plays a major role in the Book of Hosea. The prophet wants us to see an interconnectedness between faithfulness and the fruitfulness of the land. Since Israel has been unfaithful to God, the land is suffering from drought and agriculture is failing (Hosea 2). There is no bread or water, no wool, no flax, and no cooking oil. Hos 4:2-3 describes the withering of the land. In 6:3; 10:12; 14:6, several types of precipitation serve to draw attention to the utterances of Yhwh and the need for righteousness. In 9:10, 13, 16; 10:1; 13:5; and 14:6, 8, Israel is symbolized by different plants that blossom and wither, depending on their relation to Yhwh. Hosea also uses weather imagery to describe the political consequences of idolatry and injustice. Those behaviors cause drought and famine in a literal sense, but they also cause the withering of Israel in a figurative sense. The remedy for the land and for God's people?: Genuine repentance and renewed trust in Yhwh.—F.W.G. 740. [Hosea 7] Kurtis Peters, "Theology in Knead of Language: Bread, Ovens, and the Politics of Hosea 7," From Words to Meanings, 107-17 [see #911]. Hosea 7 contains two separate but related enigmatic cooking images. The first is that of a heated oven...

Issue Notes

The paper presented by Lucille Marr, “Ontario’s Conference of Historic Peace Church Families and the ‘Joy of Service,’” may be found in the Mennonite Quarterly Review(forthcoming). A revised version of the paper presented by Douglas H. Shantz, “The Master Work of a Minor Prophet: The Literary Career of German Court Pietist Court Preacher Conrad Bröske,” may be found in the Festschrift für Prof. Dr. Hans Schneider, to be published and presented to him in July 2001. The volume will appear in the series “Quellen und Studien zur hessischen Kirchengeschichte.” The papers by Elsie Watts (“From YMCA to University 101: Secularization and the University of South Carolina after 1945”) and Thomas W. Evans (“British Religious Experiences in Nineteenth-Century New Brunswick”) were not made available for publication.

Rendering of the Verbs and Verbals of Saying in the Georgian Versions of the Books of the Minor Prophets

It is well known that the Septuagint  Greek is characterized by the use of more than one (as a rule, two) verbs and verbals (participles) of saying before the direct speech, which is a Hebraism,  for instance: καὶ ἀπεκρίθη Αμως καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς Αμασιαν …] Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah… [Amos 7:14].  The aim of the given paper is to analyze the issue of rendering of the verbs and participles of saying into Georgian. With this aim, I have compared the old Georgian translation/edition (X-XI cc.) of all the twelve books of Minor Prophets with the Georgian version of the Hellenophile period (XII –XIII cc.). Observation of the Georgian versions of the Bible has proved that the earlier translator takes more account of the nature of the Georgian language. Therefore, the old versions of the Bible occupy a somewhat intermediate position between the formal and dynamic translations, whereas the translator-revisor of the Hellenophile period tries hard to preserve formal-structural or semantic equivalence with the Greek language.

Introduction and General

Introduction and General Fred W. Guyette, Christopher T. Begg, Richard A. Taylor, David A. Bosworth, and Victor H. Matthews 2521. [Scripture's Grand Story in the OT] Bryan Beyer and Bill Jones, Scripture's Grand Story through the Old Testament (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2022). Pp. xii + 273. $49. ISBN 9781666702460. This book is designed to be an introduction to the OT. The Bible has forty human authors, but one divine author and one central story. B. and J.'s book invites us into that story to embrace the life God designed for us. It is organized in four sections (1) The Torah: Genesis–Deuteronomy; (2) The Historical Books: Joshua–Esther; (3) The Poetical Books: Job to Song of Solomon; and (4) The Prophetic Books: Isaiah to Malachi. Each story in these books plays a part in the Bible's one central story, which is about Jesus. The first part of Genesis describes a wonderful Creation, but then there is a downward movement, morally and spiritually: The Fall, The Flood, and The Tower of Babel. God made a new start by forming a covenant with Abraham, the first of the patriarchs. In Exodus, God delivers his people from slavery in Egypt and through Moses. He gives them the Ten Commandments. Hundreds of years later, Jesus showed us what a life of perfect obedience to the commandments would look like. Joshua led God's people into the promised land, but after struggling against their enemies, they asked God for a king to lead them in battle. Saul was their first king, but his reign ended in spiritual failure. After David became king, he enjoyed political victories, spiritual victories, and military victories. But God rebuked David for his adultery with Bathsheba and the killing of Uriah, her husband. Next came King Solomon, who made a good beginning: he asked God for wisdom and built the temple as a house of prayer. But Solomon failed, too, after his foreign wives turned his heart away from the Lord. After Solomon, there was another trend downward, spiritually speaking. The one notable exception was Josiah, who did his best to lead the nation back to God, but he was killed in battle in 609 b.c. When Israel went into exile in Babylon, they cherished hope for a coming Messiah who would save them from their sins. Ezra and Nehemiah were among their leaders when they returned to the land of Israel, where they renewed their covenant with God. Among the prophets, it is Isaiah who has the most glorious vision of the coming Messiah, a suffering servant who would save the people from their sins. Among the minor prophets, Zechariah and Malachi have a profound sense of Messianic expectation, our great need for repentance, and God's mercy toward sinners—F.W.G. 2522. [Edom] Bradley L. Crowell, Edom at the Edge of Empire: A Social and Political History (Archaeology and Biblical Studies 29; Atlanta: SBL Press, 2021). Pp. xix + 488. Paper $75. ISBN 978-1-62837-306-6. The above volume combines biblical, epigraphic, archaeological, and comparative evidence to reconstruct the history of ancient Edom, Judah's neighbor to the southeast. With reference to material and linguistic evidence, extending from early Egyptian sources that recall conflicts with nomadic tribes to later Assyrian texts that reference compliant Edomite kings, C. offers alternative scenarios regarding Edom's transformation from a collection of nomadic tribes and workers in the Wadi Faynan into a later polity centered around the city of Busaya in the mountains of southern Jordan. This is the first book to incorporate the important evidence from the Wadi Faynan copper mines into a thorough account of ancient Edom's history which provides students and scholars of the ANE and the Hebrew Bible with a key resource. [Adapted from published abstract] C.'s volume comprises an introduction, followed by a total of 10 chapters, titled respectively (1) A Tale of Three Edoms; (2) The Material Culture of Iron Age Southwestern [End Page 938] Jordan; (3) Egyptian and Mesopotamian Sources for the History of Edom; (4) Iron Age Epigraphs from Edom; (5) Narrative Biblical Sources for the History of Edom...

A Study of the Background to the Book of Amos

The book of Amos is among the most studied books in the Bible. The high scholarly interest in Amos is due to the prophet’s emphasis on true religion. Amos’ message cannot be understood without a proper understanding of the context in which it was delivered. Amos ministered in eighth-century Israel when the nation had prospered economically and politically. The nation’s prosperity had yielded a high level of religiosity evident in the payment of tithes, offerings, religious gatherings and singing of hymns. Unfortunately, the religiosity of the people had no positive impact on their social lives. This situation prompted Amos’ prophecy of an impending divine judgment which was to decimate the nation and finally send the people into exile. The purpose of this paper is to explore the contextual issues within which Amos’ message emerged and then compare Amos’ situation with the contemporary Ghanaian socio-religious and political contexts. The paper used literary research methodology as well as textual and historical analyses. The findings from the study serve as a hermeneutical framework for interpreting and applying Amos’ message. Lessons are also drawn for contemporary leaders. The paper contributes to Old Testament scholarship, particularly scholarship on the minor prophets. Keywords: Amos, Ghana, Justice, Socio-economic context

Theodicy in the Minor Prophets

Theodicy in the Minor Prophets

Constance M. Furey, et al., eds. Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception. Vol. 19: Midrash–Mourning

Constance M. Furey, et al., eds. <i>Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception</i>. Vol. 19: <i>Midrash–Mourning</i>

Alison G. Salvesen and Timothy Michael Law, eds. The Oxford Handbook of the Septuagint

Alison G. Salvesen and Timothy Michael Law, eds. <i>The Oxford Handbook of the Septuagint</i>

“These Are the Things You Are to Do”

Abstract This paper aims to provide a preliminary edition of a new fragment of the Greek Minor Prophets scroll (8ḤevXIIgr; Rahlfs’ siglum 943) containing Zech 8:16–17. The fragment was discovered in an excavation conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority in the Cave of Horror (Naḥal Ḥever) at the end of 2019. Provided that for certain passages 8ḤevXIIgr is the only textual witness preserved in the Judean Desert and given the fact that it predates the earliest Greek manuscript previously known by at least three centuries, every new fragment can potentially add fresh information, raise new questions, and ultimately join an additional piece to the puzzle of our understanding of the biblical text and its transmission.

Jonah: Introduction and Commentary by Amy Erickson

Reviewed by: Jonah: Introduction and Commentary by Amy Erickson Steven T. Mann amy erickson, Jonah: Introduction and Commentary by (Illuminations; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2021). Pp. xxiv + 466. $70. Amy Erickson offers readers an extensive and insightful overview of the history of interpretation regarding the Book of Jonah, as well as an intriguing analysis of its translation and meaning. E. divides the study into two parts: an introduction and a commentary. Each part is organized into smaller sections and subsections that will allow readers to easily locate a particular topic of interest. In addition to providing a broad overview of historical interpretations, the introduction illuminates ways in which interpretations of Jonah are dependent on perspectives of the interpreter and interpreting community. The commentary section demonstrates various ways in which the story itself fosters polyvalent and even ambivalent interpretations. For example, E. points out that each chapter of the book participates in its own distinct genre, generating reflection out of tension and ambiguity. This aspect of Jonah leads E. to suggest similarities with the Book of Job as explored by Carol Newsom (The Book of Job: A Contest of Moral Imaginations [New York: Oxford University Press, 2003]). The first part of the book begins with a discussion of several preliminary topics including text, language, provenance, genre, and literary characteristics. E. demonstrates ways in which interpretation is never created in a vacuum but is directly tied to specific perspectives and presuppositions held by an interpreter and/or interpretative community. Drawing on an article by Yvonne Sherwood ("Cross-Currents in the Book of Jonah: Some Jewish and Cultural Midrashim on a Traditional Text," BibInt 6 [1998] 49–79), E. points out that "commentators who have read the book as a satire have done so as a result of their Protestant biases and at the expense of a suitably complex characterization of Jonah" (p. 40). Noting that the humor in the story is not restricted to Jonah but extends to every character, E. suggests that it is better to view the story as a parody rather than a satire. The bulk of the first half of this study explores what E. calls the "history of consequences," a term that includes "a range of uses, applications, and effects" that will enable readers "to appreciate those consequences that are not (at least in the traditional sense) textually based or rooted" (p. 66). E. provides an overview of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and modern "consequences" throughout history, with different historical periods discussed separately. This includes interpretations that are found not only in midrash and canonical texts but also literature, liturgy, and various artistic expressions. E. demonstrates that many (but not all) Jewish interpreters have tended to view the character Jonah in a positive light, suggesting, for example, that Jonah refuses to follow Yhwh's initial direction to prophesy against Nineveh because he knows of Assyria's future military action and is attempting to protect Israel. In this way, Jonah's refusal is "a reverent act of disobedience" (p. 79). Jewish readings have also tended to appreciate and debate the tensions in the story in search of deeper meanings. Christian interpretations have similarly sought deep meanings but have [End Page 299] been dominated by two ambivalent perspectives: one that views Jonah typologically to represent the resurrected Christ, and the other presenting Jonah in a supersessionist light that portrays the Jewish people as stubborn and hopeless, abandoned by God in favor of the gentiles. Muslim interpretations tend to view Jonah positively due to his prayer in chap. 2, which is viewed as "a second-person iteration of Islam's basic statement of faith, the shahadah ('There is no god but God, and Muhammad is his prophet')" (p. 194). E. points out that "Jonah (Yūnus) is the only one of the twelve Minor Prophets in the OT mentioned in the Qur'an" and that "one of Muhammad's sayings warns people against saying they are superior to Jonah" (p. 194). In discussing modern consequences, E. exposes several disturbing dominant Christian interpretations of Jonah that have tended to impose inappropriate reductionist and anti-Semitic overtones upon the book. In the commentary section, E. examines several translation issues and explores the story's...

The Voice and Person of the Prophet in Joel (and the Twelve)

In this article, I argue that the presentation of the prophetic voice as belonging to an authoritative prophetic figure is an integral feature of the various books within the Twelve Minor Prophets and creates a situational context that simultaneously ties the prophetic book to an authority in the past and allows for the possibility of continued reuse of the prophetic books. By speaking with the prophetic voice, later readers and rereaders are able to take on, in some way, the mantle of the prophetic figure, as the text is reappropriated in new situations and times.

The Oxford Handbook of the Minor Prophets, Julia M.O'Brien (ed.), Oxford University Press, 2021 (ISBN 978‐0‐1906‐7320‐8), xxix + 573 pp., hb £97

Reviews in Religion & TheologyVolume 29, Issue 1-2 p. 67-69 Review The Oxford Handbook of the Minor Prophets, Julia M. O'Brien (ed.), Oxford University Press, 2021 (ISBN 978-0-1906-7320-8), xxix + 573 pp., hb £97 P. J. Harland, P. J. Harland University of CambridgeSearch for more papers by this author P. J. Harland, P. J. Harland University of CambridgeSearch for more papers by this author First published: 09 April 2022 https://doi.org/10.1111/rirt.14095Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume29, Issue1-2January/April 2022Pages 67-69 RelatedInformation

The Spirit in Daniel and The Twelve

Abstract The Spirit moves through the books of Daniel and The Twelve (Minor Prophets). In this article, the relevant texts of these books are examined in brief and summarized with regard to the Spirit’s person and work by means of engagement with those passages making use of ‮רוח‬‎. These summaries that follow the canonical order of the Old Testament are then pointedly summarized by a brief constructive theology of the Spirit in four points: the Spirit testifies, the Spirit judges, the Spirit is life, the Spirit is gift.

Sir Robert Robinson—Minor Prophet, a most senior referee, a story of darkness and light

The story of the Tetrahedron Letters affair in 1973–1974 is described and lessons for Editors, Referees, and Authors are drawn from the TL affair and related correspondence of Sir Robert Robinson (Sir RR) (Nobel Laureate), a Minor Prophet. The TL affair centered at two related papers authored by Israel Agranat, et al. on reversible Friedel-Crafts acylations and acyl rearrangements. The first paper (A) was published in J. C. S. Chem. Comm. (1973); it was followed by the second paper (B), which contained a reference to A “in the press.” It was originally accepted for publication in TL, following a favorable review. However, a month later, it was rejected in view of the reviewer’s subsequent allegation of lack of novelty due to A. The TL Editor Professor Alan Roy Katritzky relied also on the opinion of one of the journal’s most senior referees, Sir Robert Robinson, the founder of Tetrahedron and Tetrahedron Letters and the Chairman of their Honorary Advisory Boards, who in 1973 was blind. The TL affair led to correspondences of Sir RR with Professor Ernst David Bergmann and with the Author. Paper B was published (after modifications) in 1974 in Synthetic Communications.

Minor Prophets

Minor Prophets Fred W. Guyette, Christopher T. Begg, Ian T. Kinman, and John M. Halligan 641. [Minor Prophets; Day of the Lord] Heather Bunce, "The Day of the Lord in the Book of the Twelve: Cycle of Creation," The Earth Is the Lord's, 84-100 [see #783]. The Book of the Twelve describes The Day of the Lord as a cycle of creation, uncreation, and re-creation. We can understand this cycle better by looking at the prophets within their ANE milieu. Tablets describing the exploits of Baal were discovered in the 1930s, and these happenings are sometimes referred to as the Baal Cycle. Hundreds of years separated the thriving culture of Ugarit from the time in which Israel's prophets would have been writing, but Ugaritic literature left its mark on the region. There are specific Ugaritic images, such as "Cloud-Rider," warrior, and Baal's mountain stronghold that the prophets borrow to express their understanding of Yhwh's power to create, destroy, and recreate. Amos 5:8 says Yhwh created the constellations Pleiades and Orion. In Jonah 1:9, the prophet is explaining his faith to the pagan sailors on the storm-tossed ship and tells them, "I worship the Lord, who made the dry land and the sea." Zeph 1:15-16 uses many images of judgment and destruction to describe the Day of the Lord: a day of chaos and destruction, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet blast and battle cry. However, the theme of judgment in these texts does not eclipse the repentance motif. Repentance leads to changed hearts and actions. A form of the Hebrew word šûb "to return" occurs 83 times within the Book of the Twelve. Joel 2:12–14 says, "Return (šûb) to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return (šûb) to the Lord, your God, for God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love." As Hos 14:1-7 puts it, on that day, "God will be like the dew and Israel like the plants which are beginning to take root and bloom once more."—F.W.G. 642. [Book of the Twelve; Messiah] Anthony Petterson, "The Messiah in the Book of the Twelve: Glory through Suffering," The Seed of Promise, 219-41 [see #797]. The prophet Hosea is deeply saddened by the violence he has witnessed and the political assassinations that have thrown the land of Israel into a state of upheaval. Amos protests the injustices of the king against the poor, and says the time for repentance is over. God's judgment is coming. Micah says the people will be removed from the land—that's how great their sin is. But God will forgive their sins and cast them into the depths of the sea. Habakkuk's message: God delivered Israel from Egypt and he will do it again for a later generation. Haggai sees the Temple lying in ruins, but he anticipates a glorious day when Jerusalem will be rebuilt. These are just a few of the ways that the role of the Messiah is tracked across the Book of the Twelve. God's anointed one will judge, teach, bless, and redeem all those who turn to him in repentance and faith.—F.W.G. 643. [The Twelve; Wisdom] Daniel C. Timmer, "Where Shall Wisdom Be Found (in the Book of the Twelve)?" Riddles and Revelations, 147-64 [see #772]. Seeing how it can be hard to juggle twelve balls at once, T. decides to work with just a few, to see what he can discover from these about the relationship between wisdom and [End Page 221] prophecy. Job (wisdom literature), Habakkuk, and Nahum (both prophets) exhibit some intriguing similarities and differences: (1) In these books the cosmos is currently under God's control but is not without mystery or unpunished sin; (2) they approach the timing and/or degree of realized divine justice as a problem to...

Minor Prophets

Minor Prophets Christopher T. Begg, Fred W. Guyette, John M. Halligan, and Martin Nitsche Christopher T. Begg Catholic University of America Fred W. Guyette Erskine College and Seminary John M. Halligan St. John Fisher College Martin Nitsche Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main 1505. [Hosea and Isaiah] Franz Sedlmeier, "Hosea and Isaiah: Aspects of Convergence and Difference," Isaiah and the Twelve, 9-31 [see #1754]. In his essay, S. takes on the relatively neglected issue of the relationship between the Books of Isaiah and Hosea, concerning which his findings lead to a nuanced picture. The indications are that it is unlikely that there was any direct connection between the historical figure Hosea and Isaiah. In addition, the occasional shared themes and the noteworthy similarity between their respective headings (Hos 1:1; Isa 1:1) probably are the result of later reworkings, at least some of which seem to be related to the process whereby the Book of Hosea was incorporated into the Book of the Twelve. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.] Google Scholar 1506. [Reception of Hosea 1–2 in the Book of the Twelve] Willem A. M. Beuken, "'The Same Word Is Revealed to Many Prophets, Yet No Two Prophets Prophecy in the Same Parlance' (bSanh 89a). The Reception of Hosea 1–2 in the Book of the Twelve," ETL 96 (1, 2020) 115-29. Prescinding from the question of whether or not the "Twelve Prophets" qualify to be regarded as a book, scholars agree that there are intertextual linkages between the complex's component "booklets." Against this background, my article investigates the analogy between Zech 13:9 with Hos 2:25 and the connection between Zech 10:6 and Hosea 1–2. On this basis, the article then proceeds to ask whether the promise of Hos 2:25 plays a role elsewhere in the Twelve. Malachi 2 proves especially interesting in this regard. Given the semantic configuration of the image of Israel as Yhwh's wife in Hosea 1–2, it does not seem inappropriate to suppose that the passages in question belong to a tradition or redaction that took over the image of Hosea 1–2 but discards its reference to Yhwh's relationship with a prostitute. The article concludes with a consideration of its findings from both a diachronic and synchronic perspective. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.] [End Page 546] Google Scholar 1507. [Metaphor Cluster in Hosea 7] Göran Eidevall, "Of Burning Ovens, Half-Baked Cakes, and Helpless Birds: Exploring a Cluster of Metaphors in Hosea 7," Networks of Metaphors, 111-22 [see #1717]. E.'s essay explores the cluster of metaphors in Hos 7:3-12 on the basis of three questions: (1) whether and to what extent the metaphors used in these verses can be regarded as a "cluster," the components of which are interrelated and interacting; (2) how the shifts from one source domain within the segment are to be explained; and (3) what the interweaving of different metaphors and similes contributes to the overall message of Hosea 7. In responding to these questions, E. argues that the theme of "eating" serves to unify Hos 7:3-12 where all metaphors and similes can legitimately be regarded as constituting a cluster linked to the conceptual domain of food. Whether the discourse in the section is directed against those responsible for the assassination of Israel's kings, i.e., the people in general and the court officials in particular, or the nation as a whole, or the leaders, everything in Hos 7:3-12 is, as E. puts it, about "eating and being eaten" (p. 122).—C.T.B. Google Scholar 1508. [Hosea; Baal; Yhwh] Caitlin Huber, "'No longer will you call me 'my Baal': Hosea's Polemic and the Semantics of 'Baal' in 8th century b.c.e. Israel," JSOT 44 (4, 2020) 610-23. The anti-Baal polemics of Hos 2:16-18 have typically been interpreted as evidence for the existence of a cult of Baal in 8th cent. b.c.e. Israel. However, research on the semantic range of the term bʿl...