The MAJOR & MINOR Prophets - The 16 Writing Prophets Of The Hebrew Canon

Chapters 1 through 3 7KH WKUHH ´+HDUVµ PHQWLRQHG SUHYLRXVO\ LQWURGXFH FRXUWURRP VFHQHV LQ ZKLFK *RG indicts +LV SHRSOH ´/HW WKH /RUG *2' EH D ZLWQHVV DJDLQVW \RXµ +H FRQGHPQV D TXDUWHW RI evil doers: land-grabbers (that steal from the poor, 2:1; 7:5-7), rulers who hate good and love evil (3:1-4; 7:3), prophets who divine for money (3:5-7), and priests who teach for hire (3:11). The judgment on Judah (1:10-16) is described in a strange mixture of grief and satire, as the prophet recounts the towns by name that will fall before the Assyrians. The prophet here employs a play on words 12 (called paronomasia) as he laments the forthcoming judgment upon eleven of the towns in the surrounding region. Various commentaries give explanations, but I WKLQN +REDUW JLYHV WKH EHVW ´7KH QDPHV RI WKHVH WRZQV EHFRPH V\PEROLF DQG SURSKHWLF RI WKHLU punishment. The meaning, and sometimes the sound, of the names in Hebrew becomes the basis of a satirical play on words which is lost in the English translation. For example, it is as if the SURSKHW KDG VDLG ¶+LJKWRZQ ZLOO EH ODLG ORZ · ¶7KHUH ZLOO EH QR SHDFH LQ &RQFRUG · RU ¶&DQQRQ )DOOV ZLOO IDOO E\ WKH FDQQRQ ·µ 13 Here are three samples of eleven examples: 1. ǻŗDZŗŖǼȱȃdz‘Žȱ Ž‹›Ž ȱ ˜›ȱ˜›ȱȁŽ••Ȃȱœ˜–Ž ‘Šȱ›ŽœŽ–‹•Žœȱ‘Žȱ ˜›ȱȁ Š‘Ȃȱ’—ȱ œ˜ž—dzǯȄ 2. (1:10) ȃ The Hebrew name of the town, Ž‘ȱ ™‘›Š‹ǰȱȃ–ŽŠ—œȱ‘˜žœŽȱ˜ȱžœdz‘Žȱ ™›˜™‘Žȱ›ŽŽ››’—ȱ˜ȱ‘Ž’›ȱ˜›‘Œ˜–’—ȱŠ•’Œ’˜—ȱŠ—ȱ‘ž–’•’Š’˜—ǯȄ 3. ǻŗDZŗŗǼȱȃ ‘Š™‘’›ȱ–ŽŠ—œȱȁ‹ŽŠž¢Ȃȱ˜›ȱȁŠ’›—ŽœœǰȂȱ‘Žȱ™›˜™‘Žȱ‘žœȱŒ˜—›Šœ’—ȱ’œȱ –ŽŠ—’—ȱ ’‘ȱ‘Ž’›ȱŠ™™›˜ŠŒ‘’—ȱ’œ‘˜—˜›ǰȱ—Š”Ž—ŽœœȱŠ—ȱœ‘Š–ŽǯȄ

Messianic Prophecies

2:12-13 ² Christ is portrayed as Shepherd, the Breaker, King and LORD. 4:1-3 -- Christ is the coming King, teacher and judge over the whole earth. 4:8 -- Refers to birthplace of Christ 5:1 -- Christ, the judge of Israel, will be rejected and beaten. 5:2 -- Christ the Ruler will be born in Bethlehem, the City of David 5:4-5 -- Christ shall shepherd His people and be great to the ends of the earth.

12 -DFN /HZLV FDOOV WKLV VHFWLRQ WKH ³/RQJHVW VHULHV RI SXQV LQ WKH 2OG 7HVWDPHQW ´ 3 13 Freeman, p. 217f.

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