The story of the prophets of Israel

Front matter

Sa tee Se

Se rn ee es

Sa ea re eat

Preface

THE metrical version of Amos and Hosea was made by President Harper, of the University of Chicago. See “The Text of the Book of Amos ”’ in the ‘‘ Decennial b]

Publications” of the University of Chicago, and the Biblical World for December, 1904. Almost all of _ the original text of Amos is reproduced in this study, but of Hosea only those parts that most clearly present his message.

The Isaiah material is arranged as nearly as possible chronologically, the sermons being put early or late - according as they refer to historical events. The reasons for considering Ch. xl. to lv. as the work of a “Second Isaiah ”’ are simply that the words as they stand do not foretell the career of Cyrus nor the con- ~ ditions of the exile, but imply that they are well-known. The translation used is that of the Polychrome Bible wherever it is not the Revised Version except _ that the transliteration of the divine name JHVH and the name LORD is changed to Yahweh throughout. Where the translation of the Revised Version is used the arrangement as poetry follows quite closely _ that of Duhm.

6 PREFACE.

The text of Micah and Zephaniah here reproduced — is from G. A. Smith’s “ Bock of the Twelve.” Nahum and Habbakkuk belong to this period, but have been omitted because they deal with Nineveh rather than conditions in Judah.

The original form of the Book of Jeremiah is not yet fully determined. It is possible that it was partly at least in poetic form. The poetic passages given are the reconstruction of Duhm. See Duhm’s “ Handkommentar zum A. Testament.”

CONTDENTS

INTRODUCTION BY TomM BRYAN, M.A. - - CHRONOLOGICAL TABLES - ‘ a z 5

AMOS, THE SHEPHERD AND PROPHET.

I.—AMOS’ HOME AND OCCUPATION - II.—THE FIRST SERMON AT BETHEL - - III.—THE ORIGIN OF AMOS’S MESSAGE - - IV.—A TAUNT SONG, SHOWING ISRAEL’S FAILURE

TO UNDERSTAND YAHWEH - -

V.—ISRAEL’S FUNERAL SONG - - -

VI.—THE DAY OF YAHWEH - - - VII.—PRIEST AND PROPHET FACE TO FACE -

HOSEA.

I.—HOSEA’S LIFE AND ITS MEANING - II.—YAHWEH’S CONTENTION WITH ISRAEL - III.—ISRAEL’S CONFUSION AMONG THE NATIONS IV.—YAHWEH’S LOVE CAN NOT SAVE ISRAEL FROM CAPTIVITY - - - - V.-—WERE FAITH AND HOPE COMBINED WITH LOVE ? - - - - -

ISATAH.

I.—THE CALL - f - - - : 1I.—EARLY SERMONS - ~ - - IIIL.—THE PARABLE OF THE VINEYARD - -

IV.—A MESSAGE TO THE KING ~ - V.—AN APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE ~ - - - VI.—FAILURE EXTENDS FAITH - - - VII.—-ISAIAH’S PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY VIII.—ASSYRIA YAHWEH’S ROD - - - IX.—AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE PRINCES OF THE COURT - ue Ne - -

8 CONTENTS

PAGE

X.—REBELLION AND ITS RESULTS - - 1r10 XI.—IDEALS FINALLY WIN - - - ~. TFG

MICAH.

I.—MICAH, THE FARMER - - - = weE Da

II.—A LATER WORD FROM MICAH - : =< P20 ZEPHANIAH.

I.—ZEPHANIAH mes - - - - ee JEREMIAH,

I.—THE RISE OF JEREMIAH - - - - £86 II.—A SECOND CALL - - - - - 143 IlI.—THE GREAT REFORM - - - - 9748 IV.—THE TEMPLE DISCOURSE - - - 153

V.—FACE TO FACE WITH DEATH - - Se VI.—SORROW FOR JUDAH See - - 160

VII.—JEREMIAH AND THE FALL OF JUDAH =|, OO EZEKIEL.

I.—EZEKIEL’S EARLY WORK - - ot

II.—EZEKIEL’S LATER WORK - - =) a THE SECOND ISATAH.

I.—‘‘ THE GREAT UNKNOWN ”’ - - - 182

II.— A CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNT OF CYRUS THE | GREAT - - - - - 183

IIIL—YAHWEH’S SERVANT - - - =) 1Q2

IV.—YAHWEH OR MARDUK ? - - - 5 OR

V.—THE PURPOSE OF THE EXILE - ~ - Boe

VI.—AWAKE ! AWAKE ! ~ - - - 206 VII.—THE SUFFERING SERVANT - - <2 VIII.—HO! YE THIRSTY - - - - OE

HEBREW PROPHETISM. 222

MAP 227

Introduction

I oncE heard Dr. Parker, in his own inimitable manner, say that only a woman or an angel could read the 23rd Psalm properly. He meant, of course, that the depth of tenderness and sympathy of the psalm has a charm and a strength which can be best discerned and interpreted for us by a woman’s mind and voice. In a way this could be truly said of the Old Testament Prophets generally; for they were at heart, all of them, full of tenderness and of compassion. They could, and did, denounce injustice and sin passionately—even fiercely ; but this was just because of their intense love of all human good, of their devotion to all causes right and just, and of their horror of all wrong as bringing in its train human grief,

We need to know the Old Testament prophets better. They had a message for their own age; but their message is equally true for us to-day. This book begins a new era in the Adult School method of studying the prophets. The second of our Adult School aims is ‘‘ to study the Bible frankly, freely, reverently and without prejudice.”” This we have done and shall continue todo. But we have approached the prophets too much as a collection of texts and passages, rather than as the burning words of living men, dealing with human life,and character in its highest aspects and relations. We must study the books of the prophets as a whole and not in chapters; we must become more intimate with the men and with the conditions of life of that far off time when these books were written. And above all, we must learn to see as they saw, the character of God and of His dealings with men and nations, to INTRODUCTION,

Carlyle, discussing what he called the ‘“‘ conditionof-the-people question,” once burst out with the passionate cry—* The beginning and the end of what is the matter with usis we have forgotten God.” The God we have forgotten is the God of Amos, of Hosea, of Isaiah. His character is justice, says Amos, and he bids his people serve him by being prodigal of fair play—‘ let justice roll down as waters and righteousness as an ever-flowing stream.’ His character, says Hosea, is Love, and the prophet reminds his hearers that ‘it is Love God delights in and not sacrifice.’ Huis character, says Isaiah, is Salvation : Jahweh saves; he heals, he binds up the brokenhearted, he sets at liberty the captive. Have. confidence in him! Our social, industrial and political problems are old foes, only with new faces. The same problems were met by these old Hebrews, who were men intensely human, large hearted, far seeing, and who, moreover, were * very sure of God.’

As students of the Bible we Adult School men and women are singularly fortunate in having Eleanor Wood to introduce us in this volume to these grand old prophets of God. Miss Wood brings to her work a mind well equipped for her task. Many of us in the Adult Schools have had the privilege and pleasure of sitting in her class-room and listening to her spoken words. To such this book will have an increased value, will possess an added charm. We shall now and again catch a glimpse of the teacher’s manner, or a vision of her personality. We shall not merely - be reading cold print ; as our eyes run over the pages we shall often hear the living voice. And those who have not this great advantage may be assured that Miss Wood is a great lover and a devoted student-of the Book she writes about—every line in this volume is a witness of that; and she is besides enthusiastic in her support of our Adult Schools.

I may perhaps be allowed to add a short note on the author’s transliteration of the Hebrew name of the

INTRODUCTION, If

Deity. Many in our Schools are familiar with the form Jehovah; Miss Wood renders this name Yahweh—a form not so well known to the general reader. But the change is made, we may be sure, for some very good reasons. The fact is that the pronunciation of the Hebrew name of God is a matter of conjecture. The name was very frequently on the lips of the prophets, but in later days it was endowed with great sanctity and was regarded as the ineffable name. To pronounce it was to incur the penalty of death. The word was written without the vowels—Y.H.W.H. (mim) or with the vowels of another word (Adonai; which means the mighty lord) added, and in reading, this latter word was uttered. In course of time it came about that the correct pronunciation of the name was forgotten. The form Jehovah is derived from a combination of the two names mentioned, and almost certainly does not give the true pronunciation of the word, It was transliterated into Greek by ‘fe, and this, together with considerations of contractions used, suggests the form Yahweh. It must be remembered that among the Hebrews a name meant much more than with us: with us a name is often no more than a postal address; to them it was an indication of character. What character the name Yahweh, as used by the prophets, conveyed, Miss Wood makes abundantly clear in the course of her story.

An interesting discussion of the names of the Deity will be found in Hastings’ “ Dictionary of the Bible,” and in the “‘ Encyclopedia Biblica.”’

Tom BRYAN.

Vo

PROPHETS,

Amos.

Hosea.

Isaiah.

CHRONOLOGICAL CHART.

JUDAH.

“The year King UZZIAH died.”’

Isaiah’s vision

JOTHAM.

AHAZ AHAZ is attacked

AHAZ does homag

(HEZEKIAH imonths.)

ISRAEL.

JEREBOAM II,

ZECHARIAH (739, reigned 6

SHALLUM

(reigned 1 month)

by PEKAH and e to the King of A HOSHEA

Assyria lays siege to Samaria exile of the people of Israel

Samaria re-peopled| by alien folk

Fall. of Samaria ;|

SYRIA.

Assyrian invasion of Syria’ and the West lands from!

ASSYRIA AND EG!

TIGLATH- © PILESER III.

(745-727)

utary to Assyria

REZIN of Damasc'!

Damascus besieged ssyria at Damascus!

|Fall of Gaza

Ashdod besieged a us.

and taken bi Assyria (732).

SHALMANEZE IV.

SARGON

'SARGON defe:

Egypt at Raphi:

nd taken by Assyria

SENNACHERI

| PROPHETS | Isaiah;

Zephaniah.

Nahum.

Ezekiel.

II. Isaiah.

Haggai.

Zechariah I,‘-VIII,

Jeremiah.

IMANASSEH pays tribute

[Judah and all the West la

.|under

JUDAH.

Judah invaded by Jerusalem besieged and MANASSEH |

SYRIA.

delivered. Retreat of to Assyria

Tyre falls to nds subject to Assyria

AMON JOSIAH Western Asia and Palestline invaded by Scythians red, ings XXii.-xxiii.)

Book of the Law discove Josian Reformation (2 K

JOSIAH is slain at Megiddo.

Judah subject to Egypt

\JEHOAHAZ (reigns 3 mjonths; captive in Egypt).

JEHOIAKIM

Battle of Carchemish

NEBUCHADREZZAR fiounds the world empire (often spelt Nebuchadnezjzar.) Judah vassal of Babylon

Judai s:evolts, and is invjaded by allies of Babylon

JEHOIACHIN ;

First exile to Babylon ZEDEKIAH revolts at| instigation of Egypt Jerusalem taken by NE|]BUCHADREZZAR Second exile to Babylon

The Babylonian Captivi|ty

Jews return to Jerusalem Zerubbabel and

Joshua

CHRONOLOGICAL CHART—(Contd,).

ASSYRIA AND EGYPT.

SENNACHERIB Assyrian army

SENNACHERIB murdered ESARHADDON, King

of Assyria ESARHADDON Egypt invaded; fall of Memphis ASHURBANIPAL

ASHURBANIPAL captures Thebes

Medes attack Nineveh

PHARAOH NECOH II,

Fall of Nineveh

PHARAOH: NECOH defeated by Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon.

DREZZAR

CYRUS takes Babylon

Section I. Amos’s Krome And Occupation

In the wilderness of Tekoa there once lived a great man. In this wild region lying on the heights north- _ west of the Dead Sea, lived “‘ Amos, who was among _ the shepherds of Tekoa ”’ (Amos i. 1), and who gave to the world a new idea of God.

There seems nothing in the rough, dreary hills of Judea to make one great. Life for theshepherds of Tekoa must have been, as it is to-day, lonely and hard and dreary. As one looks to the east, the Dead Sea seems to lie in a great chasm at one’s feet, its deep blue water contrasting strongly with the red hills of Moab. To the south and west and north stretches the desert, giving no sign of human life except a glimpse of the grey towers of Jerusalem.*

These are the “ only signal of the spirit, the one token _ that man has.a history.’ +

Amos sometimes left his mountain home and went to the cities and mingled in the life of the people there,

*However, a recent traveller reports that he could see, when at Tekoa, the town of Bethel on the north horizon.

t+ G. A. Smith, ‘“‘ The Book of the Twelve, ” p. 76.

T5

The wilderness of Tekoa.

Amos’s connection with cities,

Not a fortune-telling prophet.

A cultivator of sycamore fruit.

and. gradually came to feel that he had a message for them, but it was a message which he brought from the desert.

‘“T am no prophet, nor am I a prophet’s son ; But ashepherd am I, and a dresser of sycamores ; And* Yahweh took me from behind the sheep, And Yahweh said unto me: Go, prophesy unto my people, Israel.”

With these words Amos defines his life work. They show that he was no ordinary prophet; he was not a wandering seer of the fortune-telling type, who made his living by telling people where to find lost articles. It was not this trade which took Amos to the cities, he was a shepherd and went to market to sell wool.

What does he mean by calling himself a dresser of sycamores ? The sycamore tree grows abundantly in the lower and warmer parts of Palestine, near water. ‘It attains the size of a walnut tree, has wide-spreading branches, and, on account of its shade, is often planted by the wayside (Luke xix. 4). The fruit grows, not on the branches, but on little sprigs, rising directly out of the stem, and in clusters like the grape—it is something like a small fig in shape and size, but insipid and woody in taste.” The word translated “‘ dresser’”’ of sycamores may mean ‘““pincher’”’ of the sycamore fruit, and may refer to the fact that the fruit is made to ripen by pinching or bruising it. At any rate, Amos seems to have considered it part of his business to raise sycamore fruit. But this fruit will not grow so high above the sea level as Tekoa is situated; how then could Amos grow it? He must have gone down to the lower land for this purpose. To-day the shepherds in that region cultivate the same fruit, and sometimes

* For note on name “ Yahweh” see Introduction by T. Bryan,

AMOS, THE SHEPHERD AND PROPHET a7 figs and apricots also, near the springs. A shepherd’s life in the region of Tekoa would be a wandering life, because vegetation is so scarce. The sheep would need to be led over wide ranges in order to find food. Probably, at certain seasons, Amos led his sheep to the lowlands and looked after his sycamore trees. Sycamore growing was not, therefore, a separate business from sheep-raising, but naturally went along

| with it, as it does to this day in that region.

But it is not probable that Amos raised sycamore fruit enough to take to market. It was not considered very good fruit, and was eaten only by the poorer

_ people. It must have been Amos’ business as wool- _ grower that took him to the cities. Jerusalem and the cities farther north were his market. At least once a year he would go north tosell his wool, travelling perhaps from city to city, until he found the best

_ market. Leaving Tekoa early in the morning, it _ would be possible to travel the twelve miles up to

Jerusalem by noon, learn about the market, and go on ten miles farther to Bethel by night. The roads were rough, but the native shepherds would know how to travel them. The cities, then, belonged to the life of Amos as well as the desert, and the one city that he was most keenly interested in was Bethel.

Bethel was the chief religious and commercial centre in Southern Israel. Ever since the division of the kingdom it had possessed a high piace, in which Yahweh was worshipped under the form of a calf. (Read I Kings xii. 27-33). Since other peoples worshipped their gods on high places with images, it gradually came about that the feast, and other features of worship of the Canaanites were adopted by the Israelites. In the earliest law-book, the Book of the Covenant (Ex. XX. 23, to XXlll. Ig), which dates from about the time of Amos, three agricultural feasts are commanded to be kept by all Israelites. (Read Ex. xxiii. 14-17). These, of course, had not belonged to the Yahweh

Bethel one of Amos’s markets.

Bethel a religious and commercial centre.

Canaanite elements had become a part of Yahweh worship.

Amos’s time q was a period of great prosperity.

Introduction.

worship, which had to do with desert life. Along with these feasts, etc., which the Israelites had borrowed from the Canaanites, they had also taken much of their immorality and unfair dealing. Bethel had become wealthy, too, during the general prosperity of recent years, and this made the temptation perhaps still greater to take up the luxurious life of the older inhabitants of the land. In Judea it is probable, though there is little evidence on the point, that more | of the original elements of Yahweh worship had been kept, at least by the country people. When Amos came north, he felt the contrast. The necessity grew upon him of delivering a message to these who were departing from the true Yahweh worship, and, at last, leaving his sheep, he came.

The work of Amos undoubtedly belongs to the reign of Jeroboam II., king of Israel (785-739). It was a period of great prosperity and belief in the coming supremacy of Israel. Jeroboam had already greatly increased the territory of Israel. (Read 2 Kings xiv. 23-20.)