Prophetic Literature of the Old Testament: Minor Prophets Part 1

Featuring a comprehensive introduction and careful commentary on every major section of the text, with an analysis of structure, genre, setting, and intention, this new volume will be a valuable aid to scholars, students, and preachers.

The Anchor Bible Commentary is the collaborative effort of Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish scholars from around the world.
Contents: Hosea: a translation -- Introduction -- The eighth century B.C.E. -- Hosea the prophet -- Hosea as literature -- The study of Hosea -- A note on syllable counting -- Pt. 1: Hosea's marriage -- Introduction: The story of Hosea's marriage. The character of the narrative. The texture of the narrative. -- Title and Hosea's wife and the naming and renaming of the children (1:1--2:3) -- Defection and retribution: reconciliation and renewal (2:4-25) -- Hosea and the woman (3:1-5) -- Pt. 2: Hosea's prophecies -- Introduction: The gathering of Hosea's prophecies. The texture and themes of the prophecies -- The state of the nation: preface (4:1-3) -- The state of the nation: priest and people (4:4-19) -- The state of the nation: the leaders' profanity (5:1-7) -- The state of the nation: the nation's politics (5:8-11) -- The state of the nation: Assyria and Yahweh's sentence (5:12-15) -- The state of the nation: Israel's repentance (6:1-3) -- The state of the nation: Yahweh's sentence -- The state of the nation: the priests' crimes -- The state of the nation: domestic policies (7:3-7) -- The state of the nation: international politics (7:8-16) -- The spiritual history of Israel: the calf of Samaria (8:1-8) -- The spiritual history of Israel: alliances (8:9-14) -- The spiritual history of Israel: desolation and prophecy (9:1-9) -- The spiritual history of Israel: Baal Peor and Gilgal (9:10-17) -- The spiritual history of Israel: misattribution and misuse (10:1-8) -- The spiritual history of Israel: Gibeah and Beth Arbel (10:9-15) -- The spiritual history of Israel: childhood and consummation (11:1-11) -- Retrospect and prospect: Jacob-Israel in history and prophecy (12:1-15) -- Retrospect and prospect: the end of Ephraim (13:1--14:1) -- Retrospect and prospect: return, renunciation, and restoration (14:2-10).

Here Andrew Macintosh provides a major introduction, followed by translation and verse-by-verse commentary to Hosea. Incorporating up-to-date evidence from archaeology and the Dead Sea Scrolls, as well as the insights of more recent major commentaries, he places particular emphasis on the work of the Rabbinic authorities and especially that of Ibn Janah. He reveals important new evidence concerning the meaning of Hosea's dialectical language to provide an indispensable reference for scholars, students and clergy.

James Limburg introduces the first six of the minor prophets and provides a commentary that relates to today's world. He demonstrates why attention should be given to the words of these prophets as they communicate the word of God. Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching is a distinctive resource for those who interpret the Bible in the church. Planned and written specifically for teaching and preaching needs, this critically acclaimed biblical commentary is a major contribution to scholarship and ministry.

Following the established format of the New Century Bible Commentary Series, this study of the book of Hosea is based on thorough study of the Hebrew text and ancient translations. A general introduction deals with 12 minor prophets and Hosea's place at their head.

One of America's leading theologians defines the basic functions of the church while assessing its different roles in the lives of believers and in its mission on Earth.

Contents: The Book of Amos -- Superscription and Leitmotif (1:1-2) -- pt. 1: The Oracles against the Nations (1:3-2:16) -- pt. 2: The Collection of Amos' Sayings (chaps. 3-6) -- The Divine Oracle (chaps. 3-4) -- Excursus: The Doxologies in the Book of Amos -- The Prophetic Oracle (chaps. 5-6) -- Excursus: The Cultic Meal (mrzh) -- pt. 3: The Visions (7:1-9:6) -- Prospect: The Change in Fortune (9:7-15) -- Index of Scripture.

"...the fullest and most profound analysis of the religion and politics operating in the Westminster Assembly."

The life and mission of Amos the shepherd and prophet have always fascinated students of the Old Testament. This rancher-farmer from Tekoa, summoned dramatically by Yahweh to prophesy to Israel under the kingship of Jeroboam II (eighth century B.C.E.) about the corruption, injustice, and religious insincerity of his time, has intrigued scholars for centuries. Was Amos' message one of judgment and retribution only, or also of redemption? Noted scholars Francis I. Andersen and David Noel Freedman, authors of the critically acclaimed Hosea, team up to examine and explain this critical segment of the Bible. Using new insights and modern methods, the authors interpret the text clearly, enthusiastically, and with startling perception. Readers will gain a new understanding of the historical, literary, and religious dimensions of the book of Amos.

In spite of its diminutive size, the book of the minor prophet Obadiah has consistently occasioned major literary-critical, exegetical and hermeneutical questions. Jerome's observation 'the shorter, the more difficult' serves as a useful illustration of the complexity of the work. The present commentary seeks to answer some of the questions surrounding the book and its author on the basis of the literary structure of the transmitted text. The volume makes use for the first time of ancient text divisions gleaned from the Masoretic, Syriac and Greek textual traditions, with the help of which the colometry of the book is established and the larger literary units thereof delimited. The exegetical comments are based, among other things, on recent tradition-historical and linguistic research. The result is a contemporary commentary, accessible to students and scholars alike.

Contents: Introduction -- The text of Obadiah -- A distinctive translation of Obadiah -- Commentary -- The theology of Obadiah.

The Word Biblical Commentary delivers the best in biblical scholarship, from the leading scholars of our day who share a commitment to Scripture as divine revelation. This series emphasizes a thorough analysis of textual, linguistic, structural, and theological evidence. The result is judicious and balanced insight into the meanings of the text in the framework of biblical theology. These widely acclaimed commentaries serve as exceptional resources for the professional theologian and instructor, the seminary or university student, the working minister, and everyone concerned with building theological understanding from a solid base of biblical scholarship.

While the book of Jonah is, in some ways, unique, it stands firmly in the Old Testament tradition. There have been various suggestions as to genre, the most likely being the (short) didactic story; but the aim of the author is not easy to discern. The authenticity of Jonah's message to the Ninevites is stressed, as is their repentance, and Yahweh's mercy. The purpose of the book must lie in a combination of these themes. Lamentations is a neglected book, perhaps because it was associated with the book of Jeremiah and considered almost as an appendix. On the question of genre it has the closest affinities with the psalms of lament; but, whereas it is very difficult to link a psalm with a specific historical event or period, the five chapters of Lamentations appear to have the Fall of Jerusalem as background. While gloom abounds, the careful reader discovers the faith of the author shining through. He is a .practical monotheist. who interprets the castastrophe of the fall of Jerusalem in the light of his faith.

In this volume, now available in a new casebound edition, James Limburg examines Jonah with several questions in mind: How did the story originate? What is its place in the Bible? How did the New Testament understand the story? How has the story been understood in Judaism and in Islam? What might t mean for people today? And what does it have to say about God, about the human condition, and even about God and nature? In reviewing the book, Limburg gives special attention to the many contributions of artists, musicians, painters, and sculptors who, he says, may have been the best interpreters of Jonah. He also keeps in mind literary dimension of the text and takes great care to follow the divisions of the book as they were defined by Jewish scribal tradition. The Old Testament Library provides fresh and authoritative treatments of important aspects of Old Testament study through commentaries and general surveys. The Contributors are scholars of international standing.

Professor Wolff's clear and thorough orientation to the collection of oracles in the book of Obadiah and to the narrative art of the book of Jonah. Differently, both prophets provide an answer to what the interaction is between the whole of humanity God has created, and His people in particular.

In this masterful commentary, widely respected biblical scholar Bruce Waltke carefully interprets the message of Micah, building a bridge between Micah's own ancient world and life today.Quickly distinguishing itself from other commentaries on Micah, this volume displays an unprecedented exegetical thoroughness, an expert understanding of historical context, and a keen interest in illuminating the contribution of Micah to Christian theology. Waltke's discussion of the book's oracles of hope reveals its overall effect -- to escalate the hope of both Israel and the Christian church in the appearance of God's kingdom in history.Learned yet accessible, this is an ideal commentary on Micah for teachers, pastors, and students alike.

"In this volume Ben Zvi explores the prophetic book of Micah as a written document that presents itself as YHWH's word. The starting point of this study is that such a written document was meant to be read and reread by an ancient audience, so the commentary begins by addressing the questions of how the book was likely read by its intended or primary readers, why they read it, who read it, and to whom it was read and why. The commentary deals extensively not only with the message of Micah - and of its textual subunits - but also with the social setting of its authorship and primary readership and with the social function of this and other prophetic books in ancient Israel. Emphasis is placed on the construction of the past, on the images of the future, and on the relevance of both of these to the present of the community or communities of readers for whom the book was intended."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This much-needed commentary provides an authoritative guide to a better understanding of the often-neglected book of Micah. If gives insight into the individual sayings of Micah, to the way they were understood and used as they were gathered into the growing collection, and to their role in the final form of the document. "I am convinced," says Dr. Mays, that Micah "is not just a collection of prophetic sayings, but is the outcome of a history of prophetic proclamations and is itself in its final form prophecy."The Old Testament Library provides fresh and authoritative treatments of important aspects of Old Testament study through commentaries and general surveys. The contributors are scholars of international standing.

"Go and marry a prostitute." These are the first words God spoke to his prophet Hosea. Why would he ask this of one of his special spokesman? Because he wanted to teach Hosea, the nation of Israel and all of us today a lesson we will not forget, a lesson that is painful yet joyous.Hosea's somber portrait of the human condition is our lesson in pain. All of us have played the harlot by forsaking God and his ways. The picture is not pretty but it's true. Yet Hosea clear illustration of God's love for us brings joy. While we are yet sinners, God comes to us and loves us. Derek Kidner imaginatively takes us through the unfolding story of Hosea and his wife, Gomer explaining the basic message, pointing out the subtleties and encouraging readers to live lives worthy of the God who loves the loveless.

Contents: Tradition in crisis: a study in prophetic ministry -- The covenant context of the prophets of Israel -- The prophets and the traditions of covenant -- The prophets and the covenant forms -- The prophets and the covenant institution -- Hosea as bearer of the word -- Prophetic ministry in our own situation.

Contents: pt. 1. Zephaniah: -- The prophetic corpus in miniature -- The contents of the book of Zephaniah -- Zephaniah the prophet -- The historical background -- The history of criticism -- The message of Zephaniah -- pt. 2. Habakuk: -- The contents of the book of Habakkuk -- The history of criticism -- The prophet and his times -- The theology and function of the book -- pt. 3. Joel: -- The contents of the book of Joel -- The disaster that threatens the community -- The unity of the book of Joel -- The dating of the book of Joel -- Parallels with other Old Testament material -- Theology and function of the book.

"Affluence, exploitation and the profit motive were the most notable features of the society which Amos observed and in which he worked . . . "Standards had gone to pot. Authority and the rule of law were despised, and national leadership, while reeling in the publicity and dignity of position . . . Seemed to be contributing to the complete breakdown of law and order."Thus J. A. Motyer exposes and explains the astonishingly relevant--but never popular--message of the prophet Amos. Michael Green says, "Alec Motyer has clearly got the spirit of Amos in his blood. He loves the prophet from Tekoa, and takes endless pains to give full weight to every syllable of the prophecy. He is, of course, a distinguished scholar, and we are given full value on that front; but you will find here none of the dreary academic deadness which all too often comes through in commentary work."

The book of Amos holds a unique and central place among the canonical prophetic literature and presents a special array of issues for scholarly discussion. This book provides a thorough and balanced overview of the history of scholarship on the book of Amos, two essays that trace the history of scholarship and offer promising lines for further inquiry, a substantial anthology of readings of the multiple ways Amos has been analyzed and appropriated, an extensive and current bibliography, and notes on doctoral dissertations conducted in recent years. The result is a comprehensive compendium of resources for scholarly writing on the book of Amos.

"The Book of Amos as Composed and Read in Antiquity" treats the redaction of the Book of Amos and the history of its reception in Second Temple period works including the Septuagint, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and some early Christian and Rabbinic Jewish literature. The first part of this book employs form- and redaction-critical methods. From a synchronic analysis, it attempts to establish a literary structure, genre, setting, and intention with respect to the present form of the Book of Amos. A diachronic analysis attempts to uncover earlier literary-redactional layers based on a set of controlled criteria characterized by literary -uniqueness.- The second part is a study on <I>Nachleben</I> (living tradition) and employs Comparative Midrash in <I>sensu lato</I>. This book draws the reader's attention to many differing voices documented among the various believing communities in antiquity."

Eminently qualified to write this groundbreaking book, Philip King is known as both an archaeological and biblical authority. Defining biblical archaeology as the "process of correlating archaeological evidence with the biblical record," he sees the function of this discipline as the illumination of the events recorded in the Bible in order to clarify the text. In "Amos, Hosea, and Micah," King offers an enlightening and elegant commentary on the eight-century prophets from an archaeological perspective.

The book of Jonah remains an engaging part of the religious lives of Jews and Christians. On the human level, the dramatic story speaks to us of the possibility of second chances in our lives. On the spiritual level, it describes the paths an individual and a people can take leading them back to God. Medieval Jewish commentaries unfold new perspectives of meaning beyond the surface of the biblical text. In explaining the verses of the book of Jonah, the commentators explore many core topics, including human nature, our relationship with God, the interaction of Jews and gentiles, and the meaning of our lives. This book offers the first full English translation of the commentaries of Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Kimchi, Abarbanel, and Malbim. It also provides an explanation of their comments, making them accessible to contemporary Western readers. Until now one needed a high level of Hebrew to explore these works. Go to Nineveh opens this world to the modern English reader. The book also includes the author's own modern commentary, considering questions not raised by earlier commentators.

Based on the same format and design as the Torah volumes, Jonah provides a critical line-by-line commentary of the biblical text, which is presented in its original Hebrew, complete with vocalization and cantillation marks, as well as the JPS English translation. It includes a scholarly introduction, extensive bibliographic and critical notes, and other explanatory material.

Jonah the reluctant prophet is a compact history book that clarifies the role of Jonah in the great fish and Jesus in the earth three days and nights. The author details information about the four parts of Hell, dispelling any myth or misconception about where Jonah and Jesus were.

The book of Jonah has been richly commented upon by centuries of Christians and Jews. Writers of prose and poetry have loved it as well as those interested in liturgy. Jonah is a small book, and yet it is placed with issues that have shown themselves existentially powerful over time and among readers of many types and cultures. In essence, Jonah's journey's among interpreters have had a great deal of territory to explore. In "Jonah's Journey's," Barbara Green, O.P., focuses on the character Jonah and explores the variety of ways in which the prophet and the book have been represented and understood by various interpreters. The question of how readers construct meaning is central to the text. "Barbara Green, O.P., Ph.D., is professor of Biblical Studies at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. She is editor of the "Interfaces" series published by Liturgical Press and author of several books within the series including: "King Sal's Asking" and "From Earth's Creation to John's Revelation: The Interfaces Biblical Storyline Companion."

A comprehensive new translation and commentary by one of today's most widely acclaimed scholars in the field.Professor McKane's work, referring closely to the Hebrew text, the Ancient Versions, and the Jewish medieval commentaries, has a strong textual and lexicographical interest. McKane contends that the Book of Micah represents considerably more than the work of the eighth-century prophet, being developed and supplemented as it discharged a function in the public lament which followed the fall of Jerusalem and in the later prophecies of hope towards the end of the exile.A significant new work for study and reference.

Contents: The Punishing Manifestation of God (1:1-16) -- The Justification of the Punishment: Denunciations of Power (2:1-3:12) -- Restoration and Salvation: The Great Dialogue (4:1-5:15) -- The Judgment of God and the Hope of Restoration (6:1-7:20).

Contents: I. Introduction: Orientation -- Micah of Moresheth; the profile of a prophet -- Micah's cultural and intellectual background -- II. Exposition -- The approaching blow from the Lord: Micah 1 -- Thou shalt not covet! Micah 2:1-11 -- The gathering and the breakout: Micah 2:12-13 -- Against the prophets who lead my people astray: Micah 3 -- Zion's future: Micah 3:9-5:14 -- Clear principles: Micah 6 -- Confusion and forgiveness: Micah 7 -- III. Updatings -- "Certainty of faith" and public responsibility: Micah 2-3 -- What will become of the church? Micah 3-5 -- "Neither shall they learn war any more": Micah 4:1-5 -- During the weeks of terror: Three evenings of Bible study -- Woe to wishful dreams (the roots of terrorism): Micah 2 -- What is good for a human being? (living with terror): Micah -- The path out of isolation (victory over terror): Micah 7.

A leading biblical scholar and a brillian psychologist present a fascinating guide to the book of Jonah. The father-and-son team of Andre and Pierre Lacocque offer new meaning to a popular biblical narrative. The book of Jonah --
a folktale, a popular narrative, an epic, the skillful symbolism of biblical wisdom on human nature are all part of this revealing encounter.

Phyllis Trible examines rhetorical criticism as a discipline within biblical studies. In Part One she surveys the historical antecedents of the method from ancient times to the postmodern era: classical rhetoric, literary critical theory, literary study of the Bible, and form criticism. Trible then presents samples of rhetorical analysis as the art of composition and as the art of persuasion. In Part Two, formulated guidelines are applied to a detailed study of the book of Jonah. A close reading with respect to structure, syntax, style, and substance elicits a host of meanings embedded in text, enabling the relationship between artistry and theology to emerge with clarity. Rhetorical Criticism has many distinctive features. It is the first comprehensive treatment of biblical rhetorical criticism as it has emerged within the latter half of the twentieth century. a didactic treatise that combines theoretical discussion, practical guidelines, and detailed exegesis interdisciplinary in approach, engaging the rhetorical study of the Bible with expanding developments in secular literary criticism (structuralism, poetics, reader-response criticism, and deconstruction, for example) and in the similarly burgeoning field of contemporary rhetoric itself a model of the rhetorical analysis that it describes accessible both to the novice and to the scholar