the history of other nations; but the inspired guardians of the theocracy had so much to fear from them that they could not fail to bring them within the circle of their vision."

§ 202.

NAME AND IDEA OF A PROPHET.

The authors of these books, for the most part, bear the name of prophets, interpreters of God,' (Ex. vii. 1.)

• See Knobel, Der Prophetismus der Hebräer; 1837, 2 vols. 8vo. `Köster, Die Propheten des A. und N. T. nach ihren Wesen und Wirken; 1838.

......

b Ε, προφῆται, not μάντεις, the word by which the LXX. translate Esp. Plato, Timæus, Opp. ix. p. 391, ed. Bipont, or p. 101, ed. Bekker : Π. 2 μαντικὴν ἀφροσύνῃ θεὸς ἀνθρωπίνη δέδωκεν· οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἔννους ἐφάπτεται μαντικῆς ἐνθέου καὶ ἀληθοῦς, ἀλλ ̓ ἢ καθ ̓ ὕπνον τὴν τῆς φρονήσεως πεδηθεὶς δύναμιν, ἢ διὰ νόσον ἢ τινα ἐνθουσιασμὸν παραλλάξας. ̓Αλλὰ ξυννοῆσαι μὲν ἔμφρονος τά τε ῥηθέντα ἀναμνησθέντα ὄναρ ἢ ὑπαρ ὑπὸ τῆς μαντικῆς τε καὶ ἐνθουσιαστικῆς φύσεως, καὶ ὅσα ἂν φάσματα ὀφθῇ, πάντα λογισμῷ διελέσθαι, ὅπῃ τι σημαίνει καὶ ὅτῳ μέλλοντος ἢ παρελθόντος ἢ παρόντος κακοῦ ἢ ἀγαθοῦ· τοῦ δὲ μανέντος, ἔτι τε ἐν τούτῳ μένοντος, οὐκ ἔργον τὰ φανέντα ἢ φωνηθέντα ὑφ ̓ ἑαυτοῦ κρίνειν, ἀλλ' εὖ καὶ πάλαι λέγεται τὸ πράττειν καὶ γνῶναι τά τε αὑτοῦ καὶ ἑαυτὸν σώφρονι μόνῳ προσήκειν. "Οθεν δὴ καὶ τὸ τῶν προφητῶν γένος ἐπὶ ταῖς ἐνθέοις μαντείαις κριτὰς ἐπικαθιστάναι νόμος· οὓς μάντεις αὐτοὺς ἐπονομάζουσι τινὲς, τὸ πᾶν ἀγνοηκότες ότι τῆς δι' αἰνιγμῶν οὗτοι φήμης καὶ φαντάσεως ὑποκριταί· καὶ οὔ τι μάντεις, προφῆται δὲ μαντευομένων δικαιότατα ὀνομάζοιντ' ἄν. Comp. Bardili, De Significatu primitivo Vocis Προφήτης; Gott. 1786. Chrysost. Hom. xxix. in Ep. ad Corinth.: Τοῦτο γὰρ μάντεως ἴδιον τὸ ἐξεστηκέναι, τὸ ἀνάγκην ὑπομένειν, τὸ ὠθεῖσθαι, τὸ ἕλκεσθαι, τὸ σύρεσθαι, ὥσπερ μαινόμενον. ̔Ο δὲ προφήτης οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ μετὰ διανοίας νηφούσης καὶ σωφρονούσης καταστάσεως καὶ εἰδὼς ἃ φθέγγεται, φησὶν ἅπαντα. Neander, Gnost. Syst. p. 387. Jerome, Prom. in Jes. Neque vero, ut Montanus cum insanis feminis somniat, Prophetæ in extasi sunt loquuti, ut nescirent, quid loquerentur, et quum alios erudirent, ipsi ignorarent, quid dicerent. See Epiphanius, Hæres. xlviii. 3. Carpzov, Introd. vol. iii. p. 36, sq.

Yet, on the other hand, Hengstenberg (Christologie, vol. i. pt. i. p. 293) maintains the fanatical opinions of Montanus respecting the prophets of the O. T. [See Noyes, in Christian Examiner for 1833, vol. xvi. p. 321, sq., and

July, 18341

They are also called men of God, and angels, or messengers of God, because, by their inspired discourses, are 5 they carried out the divine idea of the theocracy, or the will of God, in the public life of the people."

They were likewise called seers," on account of the higher intuition they had of divine truth, and, enlightened by that, of the course of earthly events, both present and future, and by virtue of which they were prophets and foretellers of the future. After Samuel, the common practice of soothsaying seems to have been restricted by the prophethood, or office of prophets.

Other nations of antiquity had their seers also, but truthful or they were destitute of the true and moral spirit of monosincere' ? theism, by which the Hebrew prophecy was purified and made holy. The reason why prophecy in general finds no place in modern times, is to be found in the preponderance of reflection over spontaneity.

["Samuel committed the direction of the spirit of the theocratic government into the hands of the prophets, to whom merely a personal reverence was paid among the people. He left the management of the theocratic forms to the priests. By these means he produced a more free development of the Mosaic religion. The

Error in the vol. v. p. 348, sqq.] Hendewerk, Jesaias, vol. i. p. xxxiii., sqq. See, also, reference 1 Cor. xix. 32. See the use of the word in Jer. xxix. 26, Hos. ix. 7, 2 Kings ix. 11. On the use of 7, see Hartmann, Ubers. des Mich. 3 Excurs., and Gesenius, in Lexicon, sub voce. Knobel, vol. i. p. 103.

There is a distinction between .מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִים and אַנְשֵׁי אֱלֹהִים

the leaders of the prophets, and demagogues, (judges or heroes,) and kings, which is marked the people by the idea of the word of God. Redslob, Begriff. d. Nabi; 1839.

"Jer. xxiii. 22. De Wette, Programm. de Prophetarum in V. T. Ecclesia, et Doctorum Theol. in Eccles. evang. Ratione, atque Similitudine, (Ber. 1816,) Opusc. theol. p. 169, sqq.

prophets broke through the symbolical forms, rose to a spiritual view of them, and served the cause of truth by proclaiming the word of God, while the priests remained attached to the symbols, and preserved them in their ancient restrictions and narrowness. Thus it was the office of the prophets to purify and extend the influence of religion and morality; they were politicians, naturalists, and workers of wonders. Their action and influence on the public were sustained and promoted by religion, poetry, symbols, and music. The last, perhaps, held an important place in their education at the schools of the prophets."]“

The writings of Isaiah and Jeremiah - especially Isa. liii., Jer. xx. contain allusions to the conflict of the prophets with the false prophets, with the priests. and rulers of the land, and with the unbelief of the people. ke Knobel, 1. 82 Jegg.

§ 203.

CONTENTS AND OBJECTS OF THE PROPHETIC DISCOURSES.

While the prophets were zealous for the support and perfection of the theocracy, they fixed their eyes upon the outward as well as upon the inward. They censured the false, untheocratical policy which was pursued with respect to foreign nations, and disclosed the abuses in the government and in the administration of justice. This they seem to have done especially under a feeble admin

a

De Wette, Bib. Dogmatik, §70. On the relation of the prophets to the priests, their political and scientific tendency, their ascetic life, and the schools of the prophets, see De Wette, as above, and Archäol. § 145, 268. Carpzov, vol. iii. p. 41, sqq. Knobel, 1. c. vol. i. p. 39, sqq., 82, sqq., ii. 39, sqq. Köster, p. 52, sqq.

weak admin istrations.

19/

istration. They found fault with the corrupt morals, with the degeneracy of the public worship of God, which was defiled with idolatry, and reduced to a mere shadow. In respect to all these subjects, they pointed out the True and the Right, and admonished the public and individuals to reform and amend their lives. They threatened the disobedient and impenitent with the punishments of divine justice; but they restored the downcast by joyful promises, by predicting the humiliation of the enemies of the theocracy, and the approach prosperous times."

of

§ 204.

SPIRIT OF THE PROPHETIC PREDICTIONS.

1. The predictions of the future were occasioned by, and founded upon, the idea of retribution, as we see in Levit. xxvi. and Deut. xxviii.,—and on the unshaken confidence in the love of Jehovah towards his people. Consequently their predictions had a moral and religious meaning, and might be recalled. This appears from Jer. xxvi. 13, where it is promised Jehovah will repent of the evil denounced, if the people will mend their ways; and verse 29, where an instance is given of his actually withdrawing a denunciation against Hezekiah."

2. These ideas were applied to the circumstances of the time; and in this manner the predictions were occasioned by the historical phenomena of the age. Thus Isaiah threatened the Jews with an invasion by the

a

C

Credner, Der Prophet Joel, p. 65.

Knobel, vol. i. p. 203, sqq., 246, sqq. Köster, p. 223, sqq.
See, also, Jonah iii. 10.

"Perhaps, rather,

and exhorted to a

des Lebens im Ganzen und

Thorough pu. rification and amendment of life". (und ermahnten zur inigung und Besserung

"nen).

Assyrians; Jeremiah, with invasion by the Chaldees. [At first, says Eichhorn, the prophets of the kingdom of Israel only threaten their nation with the Syrians, so long as they were the only powerful nation in the neighborhood. Thus Elisha, in his reply to Joash, (2 Kings xiii. 14, sqq.,) speaks of the Syrians. Sometimes they promise victories over them, as Jonah did, under Jeroboam II. (2 Kings xiv. 25.)

In the mean time, the Assyrians were becoming a great nation; then the prophets alarm the quiet people with threats of them; but this is done gradually, as a knowledge of this people becomes more clear and distinct. Thus Amos (vi. 14, vii. 10—17) predicts their coming without naming them, probably because in his time they were not entangled in the affairs of Israel. But during the civil troubles that ensued after the death of Jeroboam II., one of the factions into which the state was divided, it is probable, sought aid of the Assyrians, (Hos. ix. 3, xi. 5.) Then Hosea comes out boldly, and prophesies that the Assyrians, sooner or later, will overpower the feeble kingdom of Israel.

The same is true of the prophecies which relate to Judah. In the times of Isaiah, the Babylonians were so unimportant that the Hebrew prophets do not mention them. They begin to speak of them when the Chaldees in Babylon took the place of the Assyrians as rulers of Asia.]"

Eichhorn, § 513. See, also, Justi, Verm. Abhandl. ub wichtig. Gegenstande d. theol. Gelehrsamkeit, vol. i. p. 266, sqq. [contained also in Paulus, Memorab. vol. iv. p. 139, sqq. He thinks it is so certain the prophets spoke only of such nations as had direct intercourse with the Hebrews, that he denies the date of certain oracles, which speak of distant enemies. He says the office of the prophet was to be a counsellor of the king and people in the exigencies of the time, not to satisfy or excite their curiosity by dwelling on the distant future.]