Page 80 - Old Testament Survey Student Textbook

750-745 Amos Jonah 793-758

750-745 Hosea

Isaiah of Jerusalem 742-700

Micah 722-701
Zephaniah 628-622

Jeremiah 626-586

Nahum 612
Habakkuk 605

Ezekiel 593-573

Obadiah c. 586/5

Isaiah 40-55 540

Haggai 520-515
Zechariah 520-515

Isaiah 56-66 515-500

Malachi 500-450
Jonah 450-400

The Forms of Prophetic Literature

The prophets employed three main forms of literature in their books: (1) narratives - both biographical
(Dan. 1-3), and autobiographical (Jer. 1; Isa. 6), (2) addresses to God - laments (Lam.; Jer. 9:10; Ezek. 2:3-
10), petitions (Jer. 42:2; Da 9:17), and praise (Isa 12:1-6), and (3) addresses to people - such as taunt
songs (Isa. 14), wisdom sayings (Isa. 28:23-29), and disputations (Isa. 1:18; 43:26), to name a few.

Oracles addressed to people dominate the prophetic books. These addresses may be categorized by
their tendency to focus more on covenant curses or covenant blessings. Although the prophets
addressed people with many different forms of speech, a number of basic patterns appear so frequently
that it is helpful to identify and describe them.

On one side, several forms of speech primarily announced curses, ranging from lesser covenant curses
to the greatest threat, namely exile:

• (1) Lawsuits. As emissaries of the Israel's heavenly King, prophets heard and sometimes participated
in the court of heaven. They then reported what they had seen and heard in the formal language of
that courtroom. God brought his people to trial for having flagrantly broken covenant and sentenced
them to severe curses (Mich. 6:1-2; Isa. 3:13).

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