Excerpt from The Hebrew Prophets for English Readers in the Language of the Revised Version of the English Bible, Printed in Their Poetical Form, With Headings and Brief Annotation, Vol. 1 of 4: Amos, Hosea, Isaiah (1-39), And Micah In order to avoid unnecessary repetitions we have placed an obelus (1) outside those marginal readings which we believe to be distinctly preferable to the text. It may be felt by some that such an edition tends to lay too much stress on the literary at the expense of the religious and spiritual character of the prophetic writings. Our answer to such an objection is that the present religious value of the prophets is only fully realised by those who clearly understand, in all its bearing, the character of the message which they were called upon to deliver to the men of their own time and country. It is, moreover, no depreciation of a jewel to draw attention to the beauty of the casket in which it is placed. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This informative survey presents the Old Testament prophets in an orderly format, making them accessible and understandable to readers of the Bible. The key feature of this introductory volume is the systematic outline and form. Each chapter summarizes the essential element of the prophet's message. The reader will have a basic foundation on which to build a growing understanding.

Victor Matthews, a veteran teacher and expert on the world of ancient Israel, introduces students to the Hebrew prophets and their social world. Drawing on archaeology and ancient Near Eastern texts, Matthews examines the prophets chronologically, placing them and their message into historical context. He explores pertinent aspects of historical geography, economic conditions, and social forces that influenced a prophet's life and message and explains why prophets served an integral purpose in the development of ancient Israelite religion. He also explores how prophets addressed their audience and employed rhetorical methods, images, and metaphors to communicate effectively. Logically organized, clearly written, and classroom friendly, this book meets the needs of beginning as well as advanced students. It is a substantially revised and expanded edition of the successful text Social World of the Hebrew Prophets.