Post-Exilic Prophets Research Articles

The Prophets of Israel: Walking the Ancient Paths by James K. Hoffmeier

Reviewed by: The Prophets of Israel: Walking the Ancient Paths by James K. Hoffmeier John A. Beck james k. hoffmeier, The Prophets of Israel: Walking the Ancient Paths (Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic, 2021). Pp. 398. $49.99. James K. Hoffmeier's experiences as a field archaeologist couple with forty years of teaching Hebrew exegesis and the prophets to deliver this masterly treatment of prophecy and prophetic literature in the Hebrew Bible. Hoffmeier sees the prophets of the Hebrew Bible as divinely sent guides who superintend the spiritual health of the Lord's people by measuring conformity with the directions found in the Sinai covenant. The goal of this publication is to lay the foundation for a sound understanding of biblical prophets and a sound reading of the prophetic literature of the Hebrew Bible. Such competent reading requires an understanding of the various contexts of the communication event. Consequently, the author links the prophets and prophetic texts with the geopolitical realities that reside behind the texts, offers cultural insights derived from literary and archaeological sources, and attends to the role that geography plays in making the texts of the prophets meaningful. This includes sensitivity to the connotations that become linked to places—the way people think and feel about a place given what happened there before. Hoffmeier develops his discussion of the prophets and their literature over eight chapters, most averaging sixty pages in length. Chapter 1 animates the study with a general introduction to the idea of prophecy and prophets as conceived in the ancient Near East and evidenced in the language of the OT. For readers of the Bible, the prophet was a "proclaimer of divine revelations" (p. 23). Many were "personal chaplains to the rulers" putting them in "an ideal position to record the acts of the kings and comment on their fidelity to God's law" (p. 21). They were intercessors whose task was "to bring people back to a right relationship with God vis-à-vis the covenant" (p. 43). In chap. 2, H. offers a wonderful overview of the prophets of the OT who are not depicted as writing or whose writings have not survived. These are the so-called nonliterary prophets. We find such prophets active in most OT eras. They include Deborah, Samuel, Gad, Nathan, Ahijah, Shemaiah, Elijah, Elisha, Micaiah, Zechariah son of Jehoiada, and a host of male and female prophets whose names are not preserved in the texts. With the idea of prophets and prophecy firmly placed before the reader, H. moves chronologically and geographically, treating the writing prophets who share a given era and context. Chapter 3 treats the eighth-century prophets of Israel; chap. 4, the eighth-century prophets of Judah; chap. 5, the seventh- and sixth-century prophets of Judah; chap. 6, the prophets of the Babylonian exile; chap. 7, the postexilic prophets; and chap. 8, the prophets [End Page 339] of the NT. In each of these chapters, H. identifies the key issue or issues that need attention, provides copious quotations of the prophetic texts to illustrate how such issues are raised and addressed by the language of the book itself, illustrates the organization of the book and its movement of thought, all the while addressing the various types of historical, cultural, and geographical background that sharpen understanding of the messaging. Each chapter includes sidebars that offer insight on topics like the use of the bow and arrow as symbol, NT citations from Isaiah, Jeremiah's travels to Egypt, and apocalyptic literature. Finally, each chapter closes with a set of discussion questions that invite the reader to recall key elements of the chapter's presentation and solicits thought beyond the bounds of what the author said. This publication stands apart from others in a variety of ways. Given H.'s scholarly credentials, this book could have been written with a depth that made it inaccessible to the nonspecialist. That is not the case. The book has a narrative-like quality, written in clear prose that flows logically throughout. Page-spreads are beautifully composed with photographs, maps, and illustrations that further illustrate the insights the author is delivering. In short, this is a highly accessible book. I can see...

Changing Relations between Prophets and Rulers in the Bible

Abstract This article discerns a change of tendency in the nature of the relations between prophets (“religion”) and rulers (“state”) in the Bible. The examination concentrates on the differences between pre-exilic and post-exilic prophets. The sample survey shows a change of tendency between the two eras. Pre-exilic prophets act as opposition to the government, while Haggai, as a representative of post-exilic prophecy, endorses the heads of the restoration community. This change is rooted in the communal trauma of destruction and exile, as well as in the social, political and theological changes that followed.

A Study on ‘the Destruction and Restoration of the Walls of Jerusalem’ in the Proclamations of Nehemiah and Other Post-Exilic Prophets

A Study on ‘the Destruction and Restoration of the Walls of Jerusalem’ in the Proclamations of Nehemiah and Other Post-Exilic Prophets

The Books of Haggai and Malachi by Mignon R. Jacobs

Reviewed by: The Books of Haggai and Malachi by Mignon R. Jacobs Andrew E. Hill mignon r. jacobs, The Books of Haggai and Malachi (NICOT; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2017). Pp. xlv + 377. $48. The commentary on the Books of Haggai and Malachi by Mignon R. Jacobs is a new iteration of the commentary first written for the NICOT series by Pieter A. Verhoef (1987). The target audience for the NICOT series includes pastors, scholar-teachers, and all serious students of the Bible. The stated aim of providing rigorous biblical scholarship to all serious students of the Bible is laudable, blending academic excellence with practical application for preaching, teaching, and ongoing academic research benefiting the Christian church. The publisher is to be commended for devoting an equivalent number of pages for this replacement commentary on the two books (377 pages compared to 364 pages for the 1987 version). [End Page 314] Jacobs's stated aim is to interpret the texts both as prophetic literature and as diverse intertextual voices within the Hebrew Bible (p. xiii). For her, this means allowing various, even potentially competing, interpretive options "to coexist"—apart from offering "a single, decisive interpretation" (p. xiii). Her stated goal in this emphasis on interpretive dissonance is to encourage the reader's more active participation in the study of Haggai and Malachi, including reflections on how one's own pre-convictions influence the reading of biblical texts. The commentary is organized accordingly and includes these section headings for each book: Prophet and Date, Historical Context, Text, Intertextual Indicators, Structural Analysis, Message, Text and Commentary. The extensive footnotes attest to J.'s wide reading of the pertinent literature, and the reader will value her engagement with a wide range of alternative viewpoints. The discussions of the literary genre and structure of the two books are concise and current and aid in bringing clarity to the interpretation of the prophetic literature. The extensive indexes of authors, subjects, and scriptural references contribute to the accessibility of the commentary. Providing a more expansive general introduction to the Books of Haggai of Malachi, including treatment of their relationship to each other, to the Haggai–Zechariah–Malachi corpus, and to the Scroll of the Twelve, would enhance the commentary. The series emphasizes the importance of understanding the cultural setting for interpreting the Bible in its ancient context. J.'s treatment of the historical and cultural context of Haggai and Malachi is well informed and complements the thorough interpretive analysis. The chronological charts and maps of the Persian Empire and postexilic Judah are welcome additions to the NICOT series. Conspicuous by their absence in the notes and bibliography, however, are references to OT Bible background commentaries (e.g., John H. Walton, gen. ed., Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary [5 vols.; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009]) and similar resources. Inclusion of such reference works could enrich the study of the cultural setting of these postexilic prophets for some readers. The authors of the NICOT series offer their own "new translation" of the given OT book under discussion. Since translation is an interpretive enterprise in its own right, the reader benefits from the perspective and nuance that the author of the commentary brings to the biblical text. This is the case for J.'s translation of Haggai and Malachi. Her careful and detailed engagement with the MT and the significant ancient versions attests her linguistic competence and enriches the exposition of the biblical text. The reader will profit from the knowledgeable, yet not overly technical, discussions of the role that the ancient versions and recent scholarly treatments play in understanding the text-critical analysis of Haggai and Malachi. The extensive notes related to the translations of the two books allow those interested in the finer points of textual criticism and translation theory and practice an opportunity to participate more deeply in the study of these rich texts (p. xiii). The discussion of "intertextual indicators" in the Books of Haggai and Malachi is a welcome feature. Increasingly, biblical commentaries are including treatments of intratextuality (the OT usage of itself), and intertextuality (the NT usage of the OT), and this offering continues that trend. Such discussions are another way to appreciate the biblical...

A Diachronic Study of the Language of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi

The language of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, the three postexilic prophets, has been relatively unstudied with regard to its contribution to a diachronic understanding of Late Biblical Hebrew. Recent scholarship argues that the entire biblical corpus was written in the literary Hebrew of the Persian and Hellenistic periods with no clear-cut dichotomy between Standard Biblical Hebrew and Late Biblical Hebrew. This view posits that Early Biblical Hebrew and Late Biblical Hebrew coexisted, places the Hebrew of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi at the center of the controversy, and claims that these postexilic prophetic books contain primarily Early Biblical Hebrew with very few Late Biblical Hebrew elements. Through discussion of selected items in morphology, phraseology, semantics, and orthography, this study shows that, contrary to the prevailing view, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi make considerable use of Late Biblical Hebrew.

PRAYER IN THE POST-EXILIC PROPHETIC BOOKS OF HAGGAI, ZECHARIAH AND MALACHI

Certain scholars (Johnson, Miller, Reventlow, Scharbert, Rhodes, et al.) declare that prayer, especially intercession, was an integral part of the prophets’ ministry. It is also significant that prayer was not neglected in the post-exilic literature of the Old Testament. Many of the longer prayers originated in the post-exilic period (Ezra 9; Neh 1; Neh 9; Dan 9; 1 Chr 29:10-19; etc.). The question posed by this article is: Does prayer play a prominent role in the ministries of the post-exilic prophets Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi? One would expect a positive answer to this question. This article illustrates that there is no recorded prayer in these prophetic books and only a few indirect references to prayer (cf. Zech 7:2, 13; 8:20-23; 10:1, 6; 12:10; 13:9; 14:16-17; Mal 1:9). These passages do not refer to the prophet as petitioner, but to the interaction between YHWH and his people. Zechariah 7:13 even states that YHWH will not answer the prayers of his people. There may be different reasons for this scarcity of prayer references and the other post-exilic prophetic literature provides more questions than answers. We can probably say that prayer was not an integral part of the ministry of these post-exilic prophets, but that it was eclipsed by their proclamation of the word of God and their focus on the rebuilding of the temple and the post-exilic community.

Die Dag van die Here in <i>As Silo kom</i> van Hennie Jones

The Day of the Lord in As Silo kom (When Silo comes) by Hennie JonesAs Silo kom (When Silo comes) by Hennie Jones is an important novel in view of the fact that biblical themes like those of the Messianic child and the Day of the Lord are incorporated in and dealt with extensively in the novel. The way in which the Day of the Lord is described in the Bible emphasizes that it will be a day of judgement for Israel and the other nations - a given that became a fixed concept for post-exilic prophets. The Day of the Lord, however, holds not only judgement but also salvation for Israel and the other nations. The question asked in this article is whether these functions of the Day of the Lord become clear enough in Jones' novel.

Malachi: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary

Malachi: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, by Andrew E. Hill. AB 25D. New York: Doubleday, 1998. Pp. xliv + 436. $37.95. Consistent with other Anchor Bible volumes, the strengths of Hill's commentary on Malachi lie in his excellent discussion of linguistic issues and the combination of historical, literary, and theological approaches to the text. In addition to the standard AB format, Hill provides his readers with some helpful appendixes: "Appendix A: von Bulmerincq's Categories for Dating Malachi," "Appendix B: Typological Analysis of the Postexilic Prophets," "Appendix C: Intertextuality in the Book of Malachi," and "Appendix D: Vocabulary Richness in the Book of Malachi." Hill argues that the prophet Malachi was active around 500 BCE during a period of increasing skepticism due to the failure of earlier prophetic promises (e.g., Haggai, Zechariah 1-8; p. 83). Malachi's response to this skepticism included the proclamation of Yahweh's continuing love for Israel and a call to repentance. Hill understands the book of Malachi to include the prophet's oracles (1:2-3:21) with a redactional superscription (1:1) and two redactional appendixes, one concerning Moses (3:22) and the other Elijah (3:23-24; p. 12). Hill suggests that the redactional appendixes are associated with the missions of Ezra and Nehemiah, which brings the Latter Prophets to its final canonical form and ties the Latter Prophets to both sections of the already completed Primary History: Torah and Former Prophets (p. 365). From this reviewer's perspective, there are two areas where Hill depends too heavily upon the work of his mentor and the series' editor, David Noel Freedman, and does not adequately engage with the recent writings of other scholars. These two areas concern (1) the dating for the final canonical form of the Primary History and Latter Prophets and (2) the dating of the prophetic ministry of Malachi. Hill contends that the redactional additions of the two appendixes to the book of Malachi bring to completion not only the book of Malachi, but also the Book of the Twelve and the Latter Prophets. His suggestion that Ezra and Nehemiah are responsible for these appendixes as well as for the final shape of the Primary History and Latter Prophets follows closely the arguments made by Freedman in 1963 (p. 14). Hill's dependence on Freedman leads to several conclusions now contradicted by recent textcritical evidence. One example will suffice. He writes, "Both Jewish and Christian traditions have always positioned Malachi last among the Twelve Prophets" (p. …

Post-Exilic Prophets and the Ministry of Creating Community

Post-Exilic Prophets and the Ministry of Creating Community

The Message of the Post-Exilic Prophets for Our Day

THIS PAPER is based upon three assumptions, none of which can be examined here. It affirms, first, the recognition by both Jews and Christians of the authority of the Bible for religion. The second assumption affirms the continuity of the historical process. Today belongs to yesterday. The social struggle, war, economic conflict, and uneven progress which characterize history are experienced by all generations alike, for they express the same basic urges that determine human conduct. Our modern life, even our faith, is continuous with that of the Bible. Thirdly, history is an organic whole whose meaning is derived, not from the peculiarities of timeperiods, but from the character of the God who is revealed by it. The God of the Biblical revelation is also the God at work in our world.

The Religion of the Post-Exilic Prophets. W. H. Bennett

Previous articleNext article FreeRecent Theological LiteratureThe Religion of the Post-Exilic Prophets. W. H. Bennett L. W. BattenL. W. Batten Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Volume 13, Number 1Jan., 1909 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/478805 Views: 100Total views on this site Journal History This article was published in The American Journal of Theology (1897-1920), which is continued by The Journal of Religion (1921-present). PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

The Religion of the Post-Exilic Prophets. W. H. Bennett

Previous articleNext article FreeBook ReviewsThe Religion of the Post-Exilic Prophets. W. H. Bennett Harlan CreelmanHarlan Creelman Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Volume 32, Number 4Oct., 1908 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/474118 Views: 27Total views on this site Journal History This article was published in The Biblical World (1893-1920), which is continued by The American Journal of Theology (1897-1920). PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

The Religion of the Post-Exilic Prophets

Previous articleNext article FreeThe Religion of the Post-Exilic ProphetsLewis B. PatonLewis B. Paton Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Volume 22, Number 4Oct., 1903 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/473273 Views: 667Total views on this site Journal History This article was published in The Biblical World (1893-1920), which is continued by The American Journal of Theology (1897-1920). PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.