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1. Prophets and
Prophetic Books
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Contents
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Meaning of prophets
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Common Meanings
- 1. prophetic books of OT
- 2.Persons
- 3.charism
- grace
- e.g. moses as prophets
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Etymology
- Greek
- prophêtês
- one who speaks in the place or name of someone
- Hebrew
- nâbî’
- prophet
- general prophet
- Hôzêh
- visionary
- court prophet
- Rô’êh
- seer
- cult, worship
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Place of Prophets
in Religion
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Jewish
- Duhm divided the development of the Israelite religion in 3 phases
- moseism
- starting point of religion
- prophetism
- reminds people about previous revelation
- judaism
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in Xn Tradition
- books
- this is the law and the prophets
- persons
- Elijah, jeremiah
- charism
- e.g. St.John : not just a prophet but more than a prophet
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Jewish Scripture
- TaNaKa
- Torah
- pentateuch
- Nebiim
- former prophets
- historical books in Catholic Bible
- Isaiah, Jeremiah and Book of 12 (Minor prophets)
- Ketubim
- writings
- Daniel
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History of Exegesis of
Prophetic Books
- at first no problems re authencity
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Historico - Critical method
- diachronic method
- sitz im leben
- go through time
- go back to the time where the books were written
- a bit difficult and problematic
- how can you be sure of how the prophets were?
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Syncrhronic
- summary
- textus receptus
- reaction to diachronic
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Canonical
- study from the point of view of the development of the canonical books
- how the early Christian communities
- may be a bit better
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2. Prophetic Movement,
Origin & Development
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Contents
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prophetic movement
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question is
- does it exist?
- was israel influenced?
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answer
- does it exist?
- Egyptian seems to have a
- but....
- attached to pharoah
- to justify why the pharoah is pharoah
- Mesopotamia
- Sumer
- discovery of mari texts
- oracular specialists
- places of worship
- not attached to court
- cf. israel
- high moral content
- Assyria
- divinations
- Cana
- no oracles
- some form of divination
- was israel influenced?
- vs. Israel
- not like it
- there were divinations
- but this is not main focus in Israel
- prophets have eschatologicl end
- but not the main point
- prophetism like that of Israel does not have similarily
- there may have been influences
- but not substantial
- premise
- Israel was dealing with one God
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History of
PROPHETISM
according to Biblical data
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Divided into 4 periods
- Before Samuel / David
- no prophets before Samuel
- but there were prophetic charisms already
- God referred to Abraham regarded as prophet
- prophet as one who has a deep relationship with God
- Moses
- prototype of prophet
- he saw God face to face
- Miriam
- a prophetess
- talks about the greatness of God in a hymn
- Samuel to Monarchy
- Golden age of prophecy
- David
- court prophets
- Gad
- seer of david
- defend vs. saul
- vs ambition
- where to build temple
- counsellor of the King
- Nathan
- promised successor Messiah
- comdemned sin vs. Uriah
- access to throne of Solomon
- kingdom split
- north
- most of the prophets
- south
- davidic line
- Monarchy to Amos
- Amos to rest of Prophets
- Amos
- Hosea
- Isiah
- Micah
- Habbakuk
- Jeremiah
- Ezekiel
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3. Prophecy in the Bible
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Contents
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offices
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kings
- govt
- subject to usurpation
- not by calling of God
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priests
- worship
- tribe of Levite
- family of Aaron
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prophets
- wrt kings, priests
- relates to both
- situated on higher plane
- Calling by God is emphasized
- higher than kings and priests
- proclaim message that embraces the whole life of the people
- no one wants to be a prophet
- because of opposition
- literary genre of vocation
- main blocks
- Amos, Hosea, Jeremiah
- Similar to Moses and Gideon
- Extensively wrote about their calling
- Elements
- Eruption
- All of a sudden God enters their life
- Proposal of the mission, introductory discourse
- God tells him what he wants
- God prepares him for a mission
- Concrete mission
- Objection, Excuses: presenting dificulties
- Divine Confirmation
- I will be with you
- Sign to confirm the mission
- Isaiah and Ezekiel
- Did not write about the caling
- God entered in the context of Worship/Liturgy
- No manifest objection
- Command and concrete assignment
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4 Elements of Prophets
- Diversity of personality and circumstances
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Imperative character of the vocation
- they were convinced they were called by God
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Character of dialogue of prophecy
- there's dialogue between the prophet and God
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Freedom of the Prophet
- he is free
- passes judgement to priests, kings, people
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Experience with God which they relate to the others
- Not considered mystics
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Prophetic Charism
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grace gratis datae
- given gratuitously
- it does not depend on the natural qualities of man
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Word and Spirit of God
- A person who speak moved by the Holy Spirit
- St.Peter
- A person who knows he is called by God
- speaks in God's stead
- Formula
- Thus says the Lord
- Oracle of the Lord
- Hear the word of the Lord
- combination of messenger and herald
- different from Biblical Inspiration
- A prophet transmits the word of God orally or through external signs
- Under the motion of the Holy Spirit
- on the prophet
- on the people
- composition on the sacred books
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Prophetic Transmission
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transmit God's word to the Chosen People
- Politics
- doesn't appear in Scriptures
- Polt inst as instruments of God's plans
- Kings were not acting according to what God has asked them
- Worship
- it seems that prophets speak against organized worship
- promotes intimate religiosity
- they were vs. priests' abuses
- they spoke vs. external forms of worship
- Social Relations
- social justice
- they denounce sin against God in terms of injustice against man
- Subtopic 3
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Major and Minor
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Christian classification
- Major
- Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel
- Minor
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for the Jews
- Former
- Latter
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4. Prophetic Expression
- written text is not the orig one from the prophets
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modes of speaking of the prophets
- style is messenger mixed with herald
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formulas
- Thus says the Lord
- Behold I
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oracle
- in the name of God
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2 possibilities
- condemnation
- promise of salvation
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normally addressed to all people
- but there also individual oracles
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5 types
- vs. Individual
- oldest, brief, direct style
- Structure
- appeal, accusation, prediction of punishment
- Example
- Amos vs. Amazia
- Amazia served at court of Jeroboam
- Judah, northern kingdom
- vs. Nation
- vs. Israel
- Foreign lands
- Structure
- long narration of punishable deeds
- bad needs, contrasted with good deeds of Adunai
- exhortation
- change!
- style of lament
- prediction of punishment
- if you dont change...
- divine sentence
- sometimes ends in promise of salvation
- Example
- Hosea
- Lamentation or Woes
- written in past tense but refer to future events
- Oracles of Salvation
- many during the exile
- to encourage them
- Structure
- Greeting
- Words of Encouragement
- Fear not...
- Message of Salvation
- Concusion in favor of the people or against the enemies
- Final REsolve
- Example
- Isaiah 41:8 ff
- messianic prophecy
- Judicial oracles
- aka oracles of dispute
- like in a case
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prophetic narrations
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Example
- Jeremiah
- figure of OLord
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types
- of vocation
- of vision
- of dreams
- biographical narratives
- Hymns
- Confessions
- Parables
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Symbolic Actions
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transmit message by
- word
- shout
- signs, gestures
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5.Composition of Books
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Prophetic literature
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Most books are written by 2nd c BC
- Time of Septuagint
- action of HSp also in redction of books
- by the time of Christ these books are already accepted
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6.Doctrine of the
Prophets
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main themes
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monotheism
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not monolatry
- several gods but they choose a "best god"
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1.God is absolute sovereign of history
- of all creation
- makes himself known in history
- events in history can be explained by GOd
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2.God has a special relationship with Israel
- reflected in Covenant
- gift of God
- not bilateral
- 3.God is holy
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4.punishment
- vs. NT's: love, understanding, mercy?
- but he says: I fyou dont change I have no choice but to punish
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messianism
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many prophets were contemporaries with the Psalms
- written during the exile
- prophets are impt during exile
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Isiah
- messiah will come from line of Dvid
- Kingly messiah
- his kingdom will have no end
- messiah will come from the Jesse
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social and moral doctine
- esp. justice
- care for widows