The Hebrew Prophets and Their Social World

Praise for The Hebrew Prophets and Their Social World, 2nd ed.:

“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.”—Andrew Dearman, professor of Old Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary

“Matthews’s 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.”—Mark Biddle, Russell T. Cherry Professor of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond

“The sheer genius of Victor Matthews as the author of this text, now in its second edition, 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.”—Carol J. Dempsey, professor of theology (biblical studies), University of Portland, OR
“My students often have difficulty coming to terms with the Hebrew Prophets because they are so diverse and yet all part of the same phenomenon of prophecy in ancient Israel. 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.”—W. H. Bellinger Jr., Baylor University



Praise for the previous edition of The Hebrew Prophets and Their Social World:

“This [book] is clear and well organized. Sub-headings, highlighted terms, and offset boxes make this text a wonderful pedagogical tool for teaching an introductory course in the prophets. [Matthews’s] primary focus on the prophets’ social world with attention to the various literary forms and techniques found in the prophetic texts is a welcome addition to the collection of texts already written about Israel’s prophets. Without any sacrifice of content, the work is concise, reader-friendly, and thoroughly engaging. This is an excellent resource of scholars, teachers, students, and general readers of the Bible.”—Interpretation

“Introduces students (and scholars as well) to the world in which the prophets lived and about which they spoke. Matthews brings to life the prophetic text by clarifying the significance of many social, economic, vocational, and political aspects presupposed by the prophetic oracles, aspects with which modern readers often are not acquainted. The value of the book is enhanced with a glossary and topical bibliography.”—Craig A. Evans, Bulletin for Biblical Research
“Two features help to make this book more accessible to its intended audience: the text is interspersed with highlighted boxes containing basic information of various kinds, and key terms printed in boldface can be found in a glossary. The work concludes with a selected bibliography to guide further research and indexes of names, subjects, and primary sources.”—Michael H. Floyd, Catholic Biblical Quarterly

“This text is meant as . . . an introduction and succeeds admirably. . . . Matthews is a good teacher; certainly his book has considerable pedagogical merits. The layout is clear, stages in the movement of thought are flagged for the aid of slow learners, and summaries are provided by way of tables within the text. There are two indexes, a glossary (always helpful to a beginner), [and] current bibliographies on every prophet with website addresses for updating.”—Robert C. Hill, Heythrop Journal

“The book . . . functions as a good, general introduction to the social world of biblical prophecy. It encourages the reader to be sensitive to the social realities that shaped the contexts, messages, and audiences of the prophets. The book should prove useful for students, pastors, or lay people who are unfamiliar with a sociological approach to biblical studies.”—Patricia Dutcher-Walls, Toronto Journal of Theology

“The OT prophetic books often intimidate modern readers who intuitively sense that this literature comes from a far distant time and place. Many desire to understand the prophets, but are often frustrated in their attempts to do so because of the geographical, temporal, and cultural barriers that seem to defy interpretation of such ancient literature. In this volume Victor Matthews . . . attempts to bridge this gap for readers. . . . His volume is geared for students, not specialists, and is best utilized in introductory college level courses on the prophets.”—Robert B. Chisholm Jr., Themelios

“Often books bringing a wealth of scholarship to bear on a particular subject make it difficult for general readers to gain benefit because of the use of technical language. Not so with Victor Matthew’s Social World of the Hebrew Prophets. Instead, Matthews uses his vast knowledge of the biblical world to illuminate the prophets and their message in this brief, easy-to-read introduction.”—Restoration Quarterly

“A fine textbook for secondary and college-level study. . . . It treats only the most significant critical issues, but it does so in a manner that is both readable and in contact with the best of contemporary scholarship.”—Mark E. Biddle, Review & Expositor

“Matthews has written a valuable new textbook on the Hebrew prophets. It is accessible in writing style, straightforwardly presented, and comprehensive in scope. . . . I recommend it for college-level biblical studies courses. . . . Multiple features of the volume enhance its pedagogical value.”—Stephen L. Cook, Journal of Hebrew Scriptures