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-^ ^ 1890 ^/Oi?ir;^ib^^^ rec- :...:!:. F 2.-^ MEN OF THE BIBLE. Under an arrangement with the Enj^ ish pub- lishers, Messrs. A. D. F. RANDOLPH & Co. will issue a series of volumes by distinguished scholars, on THE MEN OF THE BIBLE. ABRAHAM : HIS LIFE AND TIMES. By tlM Rev. W. J. Deank, M.A. MOSES : HIS LIFE AND TIMES. By the Rev. Canon G. Rawlinson, M.A. SOLOMON : HIS LIFE AND TIMES. By the Veo. Arrhdeacon Farrar, D.D. ISAIAH: HIS LIFE AND TIMES. By the Rev. Canon S. R. Driver, M.A. SAMUEL AND SAUL: THEIR LIVES AND TIMES. By Rev. William J. Dean, M.A. JEREMIAH: HIS LIFE AND TIMES. By the Rev. Canon T. K. Cheyne, M.A. JESUS THE CHRIST: HIS LIFE AND TIMES By the Rev. F. J. Vallings, M.A. ELIJAH : HIS LIFE AND TIMES. By the Rev W. MiLUGAN, D.D. DANIEL : HIS LIFE AND TIMES. By H. Deane, B.D. DAVID : HIS LIFE AND TIMES. By Rev. Wm. J. Deane, M.A. KINGS OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH. By the Rev. Canon G. Rawlinson, iM.A. JOSHUA: HIS LIFE AND TIMES. By Rev. \Villi.\m J. Deane. To the student and the getwral reader thes* vohvnes wiil be found alike nscftii ajid inter- esting, and the question may well be asked, why the intelligent reader should not find the lives of the great men of the Bible as useful or as fascinating as the story of //•,;:•.'• -vho have 7Von a conspic2(oits place in the aun'.ils of secular history. Andyet how indifferent thousands oj cultivated persons are to these lives, save only as they are recorded in outline in the Holy Scriptures. Price, $i.oo each. *,fc* Sent hy mail on receipt of price. ANSON D. F. RANDOLPH & COMPANY, 38 WF.ST TWENTY-THIl^D STRP.ET. N. \ : THE MINOR PROPHETS REV. F. W. FARRAR, D.D., F.R.S. ARCHDEACON AND CANON OF WESTMINSTER; AND CHAI'LAIN IN ORDINARY TO THE QUEEN. NEW YORK ANSON D. F. RANDOLPH & COMPANY, 38 WEST T\VE?TTV TIIIRO STREET. —A CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE General Characteristics of Hebrew Prophecy . i Prophet or Seer—The origin of the words and the distinctions between them—The word "prophet" — Its modern and its scrip- tural meaning— Predictions— Old sense of "prophecy" — Pro- phetic insight —Prophecies dependent on conditions—Jonah and Ezekiel— Micah and Jeremiah —The prophets preachers of right- eousness — Prophetic schools — Prophecy not ecstatic — The prophets as statesmen —Their heroic faith —Their spirituality Their proclamation of righteousness —Their Messianic announce- ment—Their unwavering hopefulness. CHAPTER n. • The Writings of the Prophets t6 The prophets as authors —Amos—Written and spoken prophecy — Style of the prophets—Their fragmentary preservation—Their subsequent publication—What is meant by " Minor" Prophets The reformers of Judaism— Use of the Minor Prophets in the New Testament. CHAPTER HI. Chronological Order of the Prophets 23 Unchronological order—Three groups of prophets —Their true chronological sequence—Supposed subjective arrangement— general survey of the epochs of prophecy. CHAPTER IV. Thil Prophets as Spiritual Teachers 28 Amos as a prophet— Grandeur of his attitude—Existence of the Law—Asserted limitations of the prophets—Anthropomorphism — Particularism — Imperfect knowledge of immortality — They rarely address individuals — Need of a re-statement of the argu- ment from prophecy— Literal and ideal predictions — Irreconcilable elements —The Messianic expectation. —— CONTENTS. CHAPTER V. Amos 3S The heading of Amos— His date— Historic allusions— Reign of Jeroboam II. — Moral corruption and its inevitable doom— Idola- try and disorder —The irony uf history —A Southerner—A peasant- prophet— His images from nature—His intellectual eminence His tremendous rhetoric — His summons to the north^His stem denunciations and tlireats of doom—Episode of bis personal history — His return to Tekoah. CHAPTER VI. I iiK Prophecy of Amos 49 General subject of his prophecy— Five main sections : — I. The first section : Denunciation of seven nations —Syria, Philistia, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab, Judah —The iniquities of Israel Her fourfold transgressions— Her base ingratitude—Noble moral indignation. II. The condemnation — i. Significance of his mis- sion — 2. The arraignment— a. P"or civil opi)ression—j8. For luxury y. For impenitence. HI. The final doom— i. The dirge — 2. Renewed accusations —3. Reproof of formalism —4. Fresh menaces — 5. The doom once more. IV. Four visions and a history. V. Last warnings—One vision more— Last words of hope. CHAPTER VIL MOSEA 69 Traditional heading— Probable dates of his various prophecies Five divisions —The chronology partly artificial CHAPTER VHI. IiiK Prophecy of Ho.sea 82 Hosea obscure in outline — His style — His allusions to nature and to history — His parofiomasias- -References to him in the New Testament— His theology—The book of his prophecies — i. Accu- sations against Israel—2. More special accusations— 3. The punishment—4. Retrospect, denunciation, consolation —Wrong lines of interpretation— 5. Final retrospect and conclusion —The tone and colour of his jjrophecies explained by his personal ex- jieriences— Autoliiography involved in the three first chapters. —The lesson which Hosea had learnt. CHAPTER IX. J<iEL 10.1 Joel — Nothing known of him— His name—Widely different con- jectures as to his date—Elements of the decision —His style —His eschalology compared with that of other prophets— Indications that he was a post-exile prophet — Allusions to the Captivity Priestly sympathies — Recapitulation— Origin of the prophecy Indebtedness to earlier sources. — —— CONTENTS. CHAPTEsR X- The Book of Joel 113 Oufline of the_prophecy— i. The Day of the-Lofd and the locust plague— 2. Historic notice—3. Consolfng promise of the nearer future —4. The blessings of the Churcn, the judgment of the world. Difficulties of interpretation—Are fhe locusts literal or allegorical ? — DifficuUfes in either view. CHAPTER XI. MiCAH 124 Incident lelated by Jeremiah Jf. shows us the true nature of Hebrew prophecy—The heading—^The name Micali— His birth- place aad rank— His denunciations—The menace of Assyria Style of Micah—Difficulties. CH^\PTER XII. The Book of Micah 129 The heading—Abrupt diaracter of the divisions— I. The threat of judgment— Elaborate paronomasias—Their significance— II. Guilt and judgment— III. The promise of blessmg— IV. The two la^t chapters—A magnificent colloquy—A high spiritual lesson The final hope. CHAPTER XIII. Nahum 141 Nahum, his name and birthplace—Unique character of his pro* phecy—Sketch of the history of Assyria, Tiglath-Pileser I., Asshurnazipal, Shalmenezer II., Sennacherib, Esarhaddon, Asshurbanipal — Fall of Nineveh—Her cruelty and brutality Outline of Nahum's prophecy—Its fulfilment. CHAPTER XIV. Zephaniah 153 Zephaniah— His date— His style— His object — His characteristics ^Diminojtion of originality— Outline of the Book—The Menace —The Admonition—Tlie Ptomise—Conclusion CHAPTER XV. Habakkuk 159 The name HabaKkuk— Perhaps a Levite—His daft — His emi- nence and originality—His book—The com plaint -^The oracle Its deep significance —The Pa;an—legends. CHAPTER XVI. Obadiah 17J Obadiah—What is known of him—His date— His allusions Relations between Israel and Edom — Analysis an^ general bearing of the propliecy —The fiUfilments. —— VI CONTENTS. CHAPTER XVII. PAGI Haggai i8S Haggai— Beginning of an inferior order of Prophets—The return- ing exiles—Analysis of the book— Its difficulties. CHAPTKR XVIII. Zechariah 196 The name Zechariah —Various bearers of the name—Whose son ? — Iddo— Time and outline of his prophecy, i. First address ; Repent, i. First vision : The angel riders, ii. The four horses and four smiths, iii. The Restoration of Jerusalem, iv. The Priesthood and the Br;inch. v. The golden candelabrum, vi. The roll and the ephah. vii. The four chariots— Historic appen- dices : I. Tlie crowning of the High Priest. 2. The question about fasting. CHAPTER XIX. An Anonymous Propiirt 208 These chapters by an earlier prophet— Decisive proofs of this Attempts to maintain the unity of the book—How the mistake arose— i. The triumph of Zion— i. The judgment on the heathen —ii. The holy King of Zion— iii. Promises of deliverance—2. Divine exaltation of liphraim and Judah— 3. Apostasy and judg- ment—Remarkable tyjwlogy. CHAPTER XX. "Zechariah" xii-xiv 216 A third prophet— Peculiarities of his prophecy— Political circum- stances of the time—The attitude of Judah to Jerusalem— I. Thegreatdeliverance—i. God's judgments on the heathen— ii. The repentance of Jerusalem— iii. I'he purification from guilt- 11. Judgment and final glory— i. The day of the Lord— ii. Partial deliverance — iii. Judgment on enemies — iv. The Messianic kingdom. CHAPTER XXI. Malachi 223 The name Malachi—Date of the prophet—Condition of contem- porary society— Deeply seated evils—Germs of ultimate Judaism — Style of Malachi —Outline of the book— I. Sins of the priests i. Introductory statement— ii. Ingratitude of the priests — II. Sins of the peoj)le— Heathen marriages and divorces—i. Defiance — ii. Warning— iii. Distrust — iv. The day of the Lord. CHAPTER XXII. I'lNAH 231 Peculiarity of the book— Its late origin— Its purpose and lessons — Difficulties—Arguments of those who defend its genuineness i. Defence of the miraculous—ii. Historical parallels- ni. Refer- ence of our Lord. ( IlIKK PROPHKCIES in THE MiNOR PROI'IHCTS WHICH ARE MES- .-.IANICAI.LY AIM'I.IED, ok OTHEKWISIC REFERRED TO IN THE New Ie-stament 244 — BOOKS ON THE PROPHETS. Betides the monographs to which reference is made under each separate head, there are many Patristic' Rabbinic," Scholastic, Reformation,' Post-Reformation, and modern commentaries on the " Minor Prophets." It is not here necessary to give a list of these ; but the following modern books may be mentioned : Diestel, " Gesch. d. Alien Testaments," Jena, 1869. Knobel, " Prophetismus d. Hebraer," 1837. Hengsterberg, " Christologie des Alt. Test.," Berlin, and ed., 1857. Tiioluck, "Die Propheten u.

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