"Social World of the Hebrew Prophets" is an introduction to the Hebrew Prophets and the social world of which they spoke. Matthews examines ancient Israel s prophets chronologically, providing sketches of their historical contexts. He explains pertinent aspects of historical geography, economic conditions, and social forces that influence a prophet s life and message. This analysis includes many of the images and metaphors a prophet used to communicate effectively. Thus, for example, the reader only skims the surface of a text without understanding what it meant to be a member of Tekoa s community of hill country farmers and herders, or what an exiled Levite from Anathoth experienced as a prophet in Jerusalem.
This substantially revised and expanded second edition meets the needs of both beginning and advanced students.
"This is a user-friendly, insightful introduction to the prophets and their times. It brings together for readers the prophetic books, the figures they represent, and the world that produced them."
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Andrew Dearman, Fuller Theological Seminary
"The sheer genius of Victor Matthews is his ability to take very dense material and present it in a way that is thoroughly engaging, well researched, and brilliantly written. This study packs a lot of punch in a short amount of space and welcomes both students and scholars alike into the rich world of the ancient Near Eastern prophetic tradition and each of Israel's prophets. This text is an excellent resource, an indispensable tool for learning, and should be used in every biblical course on the prophets."
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Carol J. Dempsey, University of Portland
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The Hebrew Prophets and Their Social World suits the needs of the college and seminary classroom in exemplary fashion. In it, Matthews sets the biblical prophets in their broader social context and in their specific historical contexts. He describes the phenomenon of prophecy, traces the outlines of its developments in ancient Israel from Moses to Malachi, and sketches the key themes in the preaching of each of the classical prophets. Supplemented by inserts that examine important background issues and a very helpful glossary and couched in readable, direct prose, this introduction sets a high standard."
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Mark Biddle, Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond
"Victor Matthews has produced a very readable volume that provides the information students and other readers of the Old Testament need to begin a fruitful journey with the prophets. He has put the prophetic books in the full context of the Hebrew Bible and in the process helped his readers understand a number of issues in biblical interpretation. His volume demonstrates the value of approaching the prophetic books with attention to their social setting. The volume is a fine beginning point for those who would interpret with integrity the Old Testament prophetic books."
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W. H. Bellinger Jr., Baylor University
