R.C. Flores, SVD

Introduction to Prophetic Literature

Divine Word Seminary

Tagaytay City

4120 Philippines

 

1. The terms

a. “Former Prophets” appeared in the Rabbinic literature in the early Middle Ages, but could be influenced by the use of “former prophets” in Zechariah 1:4; 7:7.  Thus the division in the Hebrew Bible between Former and Latter Prophets (“Neviim Ahronim”) goes back to this period.

b. “Historical Books” was first used by the Church Fathers like Cyril of Jerusalem at the end of the fourth century A.D. referring to Genesis through Esther. Today, the term refers to Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah. Sometimes Ruth, Esther, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabbees are included in this category. Notice that in the New American Bible, historical books begin in 1 Samuel to 2 Maccabees.

c. “Deuteronomistic History” Also called the D strand (abbreviated as DH). Scholarly hypothesis, first proposed by Martin Noth (1943), that the books of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings make up a single historical work written by the same person (the Deuteronomistic Historian or simply Deuteronomist, abbreviated as Dtr) or group of persons during the Babylonian exile (cf. Tetrateuch). On this hypothesis, Deut 1–3 or 4 constitute the introduction to the historical work, while Deut 5–7 introduce the Deuteronomic law.

 

2. The Deuteronomistic History

            a. Reading: STEVEN L. MCKENZIE, “Deuteronomistic History” in Anchor Bible Dictionary II: 160-168. This article explains the development of the Noth’s hypothesis.

b. Four Periods of History acc. to Dtr: (1) The time of Moses; (2) the settlement of Canaan under Joshua; (3) the period of Judges; (4) and the era of the monarchy up to its end.

--periods are marked by speeches. E.g. Joshua 1; 23; 1 Sam 12; 1 Kings 8 (Solomon’s speech/prayer)

c. Theology of DH: To show that the sufferings of Israel and Judah in exile are due to the infidelity of its kings and their people, not heeding the warnings of the prophets. The main criterion of loyalty to YHWH is obedience to the law in Deuteronomy. History is judged in the light of Deuteronomistic theology (hence the name “Deuteronomistic”).

d. Criticisms of Martin Noth’s Hypothesis

            1) Theology is very negative.

G. VON RAD (1962) found a more positive theology, e.g. YHWH’s promise to David in Nathan’s oracle in 2 Samuel 7;

WOLFF (1982) argued further that the DH is at its core a call to repentance.

Note: In synthesis of the theology of DH: three major themes should be considered: God’s judgment on infidelity (apostasy), God’s commitment to the house of David, and God’s call to repentance.

 

2) The question of single authorship.

            F. M. CROSS (1973) developed the theory that there were two editions of the DH

                        a) Deuteronomistic editor during of the reign of Josiah (640-609 B.C.)

                                    --inspiring the Josiah’s reform movement

                        b) Second Deuteronomistic editor around the exile (550 B.C.).

                                    --explaining the fall of Jerusalem and failure of the monarchy

Note:  The composition of DH is more complex than what M. Noth originally thought. We can thus speak of multiple authorship here.

            e. Conclusion:

1) There is a literary and thematic unity of the books of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings. The theme is “Israel in the Land” (Walter Brueggemann). This unity does not necessarily undermine the literary and thematic unity of the Pentateuch (Ska).

 

2) DH is put together and edited several hundred years after the supposed time of the conquest and the judges. Final edition of DH is set near the end of the Babylonian exile.

 

3) The reconstruction of the history of Israel in these books has a clear ideological character (historiographical rather than historical); e.g. anti-Northern Kingdom, pro-Davidic Dynasty; legitimacy of the monarchy.

 

3. The Significance of the Division “Former Prophets”

a. The object of these books is not history per se but to “bear witness to the working out of the

prophetic word in the life of the nation” (Childs, p. 236). “Former Prophets” is then a more appropriate term because it bears the “strong prophetic influence of its northern origins” especially theme of prophecy-fulfillment” (Ceresko, p. 130).

 

Note:  the incorporation of historical material within the books of the prophets (Isa 36-39 // 2 Kings 18-20; Jer 40:7-9 //2 Kings 25:23-26; Jer 50:31-34 // 2 Kings 25:27-30; Jer 52:1ff. // 2 Kings 24:18ff.).

 

b. The selective nature of the material preserved (historiography) in the Former Prophets attest to the “canonical history of the prophetic word” (B. Childs, p, 237).

 

Example:  King Omri, founder of the Omride dynasty of the Northern Kingdom and father of the famous king Ahab is only portrayed in eight verses (1 Kgs 16:21-28). Outside biblical sources however, Omri is famous. He is significant enough that his name is mentioned on a stele erected by Mesha, king of Moa (the so-called Mesha Stele or Moabite Stone discovered in Jordan in 1868 now displayed in Louvre Museum)

 

c. These books are not simply compiled and edited to explain the past but to “function as scripture for the new generation of Israel who are instructed from the past for the sale of the future” (Childs, p. 238).

 

Read Deut 29:29 “. . .  but the revealed things belong to us and to our children forever, to observe all the words of this law.”