Hebrew prophecy
Hebrew prophecy was rooted in the prophetic activities of various individuals and groups from the nations and peoples of the ancient Near East. Though prophecy among ancient Egyptians, Mesopotamians, and Canaanites—as well as among the peoples of the Aegean civilization—generally was connected with “foretelling” (or predicting) the future, the Hebrew view of prophecy centred on “forthtelling” (or proclaiming), though it included predictive aspects. Thus, in Hebrew prophecy the phrase “Thus says the Lord” is repeated constantly to emphasize the “forthtelling” motif. The Hebrew prophets were very conscious of the absolute holiness (separateness) of God and his purpose for his chosen people, Israel. Because of this consciousness, they developed an acute awareness of sin and its effects on man and society and, from such an awareness, a radical ethical outlook that applied to both the individual and the community.
The Hebrew term for prophet (naviʾ) is probably related etymologically to the Akkadian verb nabū, meaning “to call” or “to name.” The Hebrew prophet may thus be viewed as a “caller,” or spokesman, for God. Other designations for prophet in the Old Testament are roʾe, or “seer,” and ḥoze, or “visionary,” the two latter terms indicating that the predictive element was operative in Hebrew prophecy. The distinctive element of Hebrew prophecy, however, was the relationship of the prophet to God, the Lord of the Covenant, and to Israel, the covenant people. He spoke for the sovereign Lord to remind, cajole, castigate, reprove, comfort, and give hope to the people of the covenant, constantly reminding them that they were chosen to witness to the nations of the love, mercy, and goodness of God.
Some of the Hebrew prophets, from the 11th to the 8th century bce, belonged to bands or guilds of ecstatic prophets. Such prophets were spokesmen for God whose uncontrollable actions and words caused them to be feared and, sometimes, held in contempt. In II Kings, chapter 9, verse 11, a prophet—who came to Jehu, the 9th-century-bce army commander who became king of Israel, in order to anoint him—was called a “madman” (meshuggaʿ). Other Hebrew prophets were more independent, such as Nathan and Elijah, though they continued to maintain the quality of being uncontrollable—at least as far as the political authorities were concerned. Both of these early nonwriting prophets spoke out against the oppression of the weak by the strong, a theme that came to be expressed constantly in Judaism. The activities of such early prophets, including also Micaiah and Elisha in the 9th century bce, are described in the Former Prophets.
In the 8th century bce, the writing prophets—i.e., the Latter Prophets—began their activities. Though all the books that bear their names probably have been edited by schools of a prophet or by individuals or groups that were influenced by their ideas, the editors or disciples of the prophets preserved as well as was possible the words, activities, and idiosyncratic themes of the prophetic personalities. Some of the Latter Prophets may have been connected with the priestly class, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel; most of the Latter Prophets, however, were independent of priestly connections. All of the Latter Prophets stood out in contrast to the court prophets who, in the tradition of court prophets of most ancient Near Eastern peoples, seldom contradicted what they believed was expected of them by their sovereigns or the people.