Engaging Hebrew Bible Test 3 Review

Prophet

A person who acts as a divine intermediary, receiving and communicating messages from a deity

Significance: communicate divine knowledge through experiences such as visions, dreams, and divine speech

Prophecy

Divine communication received by a prophet. It is associated with non-inductive divination, in which divine knowledge is communicated rather than discovered by interpreting external signs

Prophetic books

A written collection of prophetic material, including oracles, narratives, and other traditions associated with a prophet. Unique to ancient Israel

Divination

The ancient practice of obtaining knowledge from the divine or supernatural realm

Inductive divination: Interpreting observable signs, such as stars, animal entrails, and omens.

Non-inductive divination: Receiving divine knowledge through dreams, visions, and prophecy.

Pre classical prophets

Prophets generally associated with the 10th–9th centuries BCE.

Examples: Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, Nathan, and Gad.

Frequently perform miracles.

Experience ecstatic religious encounters.

Sometimes operate in groups.

Often interact with kings.

Classical prophets

Prophets generally associated with the 8th–5th centuries BCE.

Examples: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve.

Have books named after them

Focus on social injustice, faithfulness to YHWH, and judgment.

Announce warnings and future blessings.

Address the larger community.

Latter Prophets

The second major division of the Nevi'im (Prophets) in the Hebrew Bible.

Includes:

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Ezekiel

The Book of the Twelve

Sign Acts

Physical, symbolic actions performed by prophets to communicate a divine message.

Visions

Divine experiences in which a prophet sees symbolic images or scenes that communicate a message. Especially prominent in Ezekiel

Isaiah

Name means YHWH is salvation: A major prophet who addressed the southern kingdom of Judah during the expansion of the Neo-Assyrian Empire

Oracles

Words or messages attributed to a prophet.

Two main categories:

Judgment oracles: Announce punishment, disaster, or consequences for wrongdoing. Often use language such as "woe."

Salvation oracles: Announce future restoration, blessing, or well-being.

Significance: Oracles are a central literary form of prophetic book

First Isaiah

refers to chapters 1–39 of the Book of Isaiah, which contain stories about the prophet Isaiah and prophecies attributed to him

focuses on the southern kingdom of Judah during the expansion of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Its major themes include judgment, salvation, social injustice, and hope.

Superscriptions

provide historical and literary context for interpreting the message. At the beginning of books

Injustice

Unfair treatment, oppression, or exploitation of vulnerable people. presented as rebellion against YHWH

Second Isaiah

Chapters 40–55 of Isaiah.

Set in the context of Babylonian exile.

Emphasizes comfort, salvation, and restoration.

Announces that exiles will return to their homeland.

Identifies the Persian king Cyrus as an instrument of YHWH.

Includes rhetoric emphasizing YHWH's uniqueness and criticisms of idols.

Cyrus

A Persian king who conquered Babylon and permitted exiled Judahites to return to their homeland.

Persia

The empire associated with Cyrus that replaced Babylonian rule.

Important to the return from exile.

Connected with the restoration of the Judean community.

Provides the historical setting for many writings of the post-exilic period.

722 Exile

Monotheistic-ish

Believing in only one god, not always true for the people, worship and believe in more than just YHWH

Idol polemic

An argument or criticism directed against idols and the people who make or worship them.

Second Isaiah describes idols as powerless objects made by human artisans.

Significance: Emphasizes the superiority and uniqueness of YHWH.

Aniconic

A term referring to worship or religious practice without a physical image representing the deity. YHWH is this

Third Isaiah

Chapters 56–66 of Isaiah.

Reflects the period after exiles begin returning.

Focuses on rebuilding the community and restoring Jerusalem.

Emphasizes the inclusion of foreigners who remain faithful to YHWH.

Envisions the restoration of Jerusalem and the wider creation.

Significance: Addresses the religious and social life of the restored community.

Inclusivity

The inclusion of people who might otherwise be considered outsiders.

In Third Isaiah, foreigners who join themselves to YHWH, observe the Sabbath, and remain faithful to the covenant are welcomed.

Significance: Isaiah 56 presents YHWH's house as a place of prayer for all peoples.

Exile

The forced displacement of people from their homeland.

primarily concerns the Babylonian deportations of people from Judah.

Significance: is a major turning point in Israel's history and provides the background for many prophetic books.

Exilic

Refers to the period during which Judahites were living in exile, especially in Babylon.

Significance: Exilic writings address displacement, loss of homeland, divine judgment, and hopes of restoration.

Post exilic

Refers to the period after Babylonian exile, when communities began returning and rebuilding life in Judah.

Significance: Themes include restoration, rebuilding the temple, religious faithfulness, and the identity of the restored community.

Jeremiah

Name means YHWH exhalts

A prophet from a priestly family in Anathoth who prophesied during Judah's final decades before the Babylonian exile.

Prophetic career: approximately 627–587 BCE.

Associated with the southern kingdom of Judah.

Often called the weeping prophet because of his laments over Jerusalem.

Presented as a prophet who suffers rejection and persecution.

Effective speech

Speech that has the power to accomplish what it announces.

In Jeremiah, the words YHWH places in the prophet's mouth have power to bring about judgment or restoration.

New Moses

The literary portrayal of Jeremiah as a prophet modeled on Moses.

Repentance

Turning away from wrongdoing and changing one's behavior.

Ezekiel

A priest-prophet who was deported to Babylon in 597 BCE.

His book contains 48 chapters.

Its narrative setting is the Babylonian exile.

His prophecies address both the exiles in Babylon and the community remaining in Judah.

He is presented as a watchman who warns people about divine judgment.

Name meaning: God strengthens or God will strengthen.

Nebuchadnezzar

The Babylonian king associated with the conquest of Judah and the deportation of its people.

Priestly language

Religious language that uses categories associated with priestly thought, especially purity and holiness

The 12

A collection of twelve shorter prophetic books, also called the Minor Prophets.

They are called minor because of their shorter length, not because they are less important.

Nevi’im

The Hebrew name for the Prophets, one of the three major divisions of the Tanakh.

It contains:

Former Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings.

Latter Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the Twelve.

Hosea

The first book of the Twelve.

Its major message is that Israel has broken its covenant relationship with YHWH, resulting in judgment and exile, followed by the possibility of restoration.

Uses marriage as an extended metaphor.

Presents Israel's unfaithfulness through imagery of adultery.

Addresses idolatry and covenant disobedience.

Idolatry

The worship of idols or other deities instead of remaining exclusively faithful to YHWH.

Idolatry/adultery

A prophetic metaphor comparing Israel's worship of other deities to a spouse's sexual unfaithfulness.

In Hosea, YHWH and Israel are represented through a marriage relationship.

Significance: The metaphor portrays idolatry as betrayal of the covenant

Joel

The second book of the Twelve.

Literary anchor of the 12

All major themes of the 12 are present

Major themes include:

The Day of YHWH.

Judgment.

Repentance.

Restoration.

Divine compassion.

Pre exilic

Refers to the period before the Babylonian exile.

the first six books of the 12 are grouped as pre-exilic:

Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah.

Significance: Their literary settings are associated primarily with the earlier history of Israel and Judah.

Catchwords

Words, phrases, or ideas appearing near the end of one literary composition and reappearing near the beginning of the next.

Significance: help connect neighboring books of the Twelve and provide evidence of deliberate editorial arrangement.

Day of YHWH

A future time when YHWH intervenes decisively in human affairs.

May involve judgment against Israel.

May involve judgment against foreign nations.

Often described using images of darkness, destruction, and catastrophe.

Significance: One of the most prominent recurring themes in the Book of the Twelve.

Fertility of the land

A recurring prophetic theme connecting the condition of the land with the people's relationship to YHWH.

Judgment: The land becomes barren, crops fail, and food becomes scarce.

Restoration: The land becomes fertile, productive, and abundant.

Theodicy

The attempt to reconcile the existence of a just, good, and sovereign God with the presence of evil and suffering.

Exodus 34:6-7

A biblical passage describing YHWH's character, particularly divine mercy, patience, steadfast love, and judgment.

The Twelve repeatedly reuse this description, emphasizing different aspects of YHWH's character.

attribute formula: it is widely considered by scholars to be the most influential, frequently cited, and recycled theological confession in the Hebrew Bible

Iiterary anchor of book of 12

Examples:

Joel emphasizes mercy and willingness to relent.

Jonah appeals to divine compassion.

Nahum emphasizes that YHWH does not leave wrongdoing unpunished.

Micah emphasizes forgiveness and steadfast love.

Wisdom

a broad concept involving human cognitive capacities and the ability to act appropriately.

The Hebrew word is hokmah.

has several meanings, including:

Practical skill.

Knowledge and understanding.

Discernment.

Intellectual ability.

The capacity to live successfully.

A divine quality.

Wisdom literature

A scholarly category for biblical books that concentrate on wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.

The three major books are:

Proverbs

Job

Ecclesiastes

Fear of the LORD

A foundational principle of biblical wisdom.

It describes the attitude of reverence toward YHWH that is necessary for true wisdom.

Retribution

The doctrine that the world is structured so that people's actions produce corresponding consequences.

The righteous and wise should prosper.

The wicked and foolish should experience misfortune.

Creation

A major theme in wisdom literature with two meanings:

God as creator: YHWH possesses wisdom beyond complete human understanding because YHWH created the world.

Creation as teacher: People can learn wisdom by observing the natural world.

Poetry

A literary form written in verse or poetic lines rather than ordinary prose.

Parallelism

A major characteristic of Hebrew poetry in which two or more lines are related in meaning.

Three major forms:

Synonymous The second line restates the first in similar words.

Antithetical The second line contrasts with or opposes the first.

Synthetic The second line develops, completes, or expands the first.

Metaphor

A literary comparison that describes one thing in terms of another. Most frequent one used to talk about YHWH is The Lord is King

Voice

The perspective or speaker through which a poem communicates.

First person.

Second person.

Third person.

An individual speaker.

A collective or community voice.

Psalms

The first book of the Ketuvim (Writings), containing 150 psalms.

Its Hebrew title is Tehillim, meaning praises.

Contains hymns, prayers, and poems.

Includes a variety of genres.

Is deliberately arranged rather than randomly collected.

Frequently presents human speech directed toward YHWH.

Significance: The Psalms express praise, suffering, thanksgiving, trust, and appeals for divine help.

David

An Israelite king who is strongly associated with the Book of Psalms.

The Hebrew text attributes 73 psalms to David in their superscriptions.

The collection has been edited to connect many psalms with his life.

Royal themes and the Davidic monarchy are important in the Psalter.

Torah Shape

The deliberate organization of the Psalms into five books, corresponding to the five books of the Torah

The first four books end with doxologies, or short statements of praise. Book Five concludes with a larger movement of praise, culminating in Psalm 150.

Psalms 1-2

The two opening psalms that function together as an introduction to the Psalter.

Introduces us to 2 main themes: Torah and Kingship

Psalm 1:

Focuses on the Torah.

Contrasts the righteous and wicked.

Describes the blessed person as someone who meditates on YHWH's law.

Psalm 2:

Focuses on YHWH's anointed king.

Describes nations and rulers opposing YHWH.

Emphasizes the authority of the divinely appointed king.

Significance: Together, these psalms introduce the importance of Torah and kingship.

Lament

A type of psalm expressing distress, suffering, or complaint while seeking help from YHWH. Dire situation crying out to a deity

Praise

A major category of psalms centered on celebrating YHWH and encouraging others to do the same.

Praise psalms may describe divine attributes, actions, or reasons YHWH deserves praise.

Shape/shaping of the Psalms

Smaller clusters of Psalms linked by similar superscriptions, theme, or recurrent words and phrasing

Longest chapter of Psalms

Psalm 119

What is the prophetic formula

“Thus says the LORD”