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Interpreting the Prophetic Books: An Exegetical Handbook
A guide for students and pastors to interpret and communicate the messages of the prophetic books well
Preaching from a prophetic text can be daunting because it can be difficult to place these prophecies in their proper historical setting. The prophets used different literary genres and they often wrote using metaphorical poetry that is unfamiliar to the modern reader. This handbook offers an organized method of approaching a prophecy and preparing a persuasive, biblically based sermon that will draw modern application from the theological principle embedded in the prophetic text.
Preaching from a prophetic text can be daunting because it can be difficult to place these prophecies in their proper historical setting. The prophets used different literary genres and they often wrote using metaphorical poetry that is unfamiliar to the modern reader. This handbook offers an organized method of approaching a prophecy and preparing a persuasive, biblically based sermon that will draw modern application from the theological principle embedded in the prophetic text.
- GenresOld Testament
224 pages, Paperback
First published November 27, 2014
6 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Gary V. Smith
32 books4 followersGary V. Smith is professor of Christian Studies at Union University in
Jackson, Tennessee. Prior to Union, Dr. Smith taught Old Testament and Hebrew at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City Missouri from
1998-2004. For two years he served as the Interim Academic Dean at the
Seminary.
Prior to coming to Midwestern, Dr. Smith taught Old Testament and Hebrew at Bethel Theological Seminary in St Paul, Minnesota from 1983-1998. Prior to coming to Bethel Dr. Smith taught Old Testament and Hebrew at Winnipeg Theological Seminary from 1973-1983. For two years he was the Interim Dean of the Seminary.
Dr. Smith did undergraduate work at Wheaton College and received his Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology in 1965, the Master of Arts from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 1968, and his Doctor of Philosophy from Dropsie College for Hebrew and Cognate Languages in Philadelphia in 1973. He has completed academic research in Jerusalem, Israel and in Cambridge,
England.
Dr. Smith’s areas of expertise include the Old Testament Prophets, especial Amos and Isaiah,
plus the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. He is a member of the Evangelical Theological
Society, the Institute for Biblical Research, and the Society of Biblical Literature.
Dr. Smith and his wife Susan live in Jackson, Tennessee. They have two children and five
grandchildren.
Jackson, Tennessee. Prior to Union, Dr. Smith taught Old Testament and Hebrew at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City Missouri from
1998-2004. For two years he served as the Interim Academic Dean at the
Seminary.
Prior to coming to Midwestern, Dr. Smith taught Old Testament and Hebrew at Bethel Theological Seminary in St Paul, Minnesota from 1983-1998. Prior to coming to Bethel Dr. Smith taught Old Testament and Hebrew at Winnipeg Theological Seminary from 1973-1983. For two years he was the Interim Dean of the Seminary.
Dr. Smith did undergraduate work at Wheaton College and received his Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology in 1965, the Master of Arts from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 1968, and his Doctor of Philosophy from Dropsie College for Hebrew and Cognate Languages in Philadelphia in 1973. He has completed academic research in Jerusalem, Israel and in Cambridge,
England.
Dr. Smith’s areas of expertise include the Old Testament Prophets, especial Amos and Isaiah,
plus the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. He is a member of the Evangelical Theological
Society, the Institute for Biblical Research, and the Society of Biblical Literature.
Dr. Smith and his wife Susan live in Jackson, Tennessee. They have two children and five
grandchildren.
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August 5, 2015
Summary: This is a concise guide for those preaching from Old Testament prophetic texts covering issues of genre, themes, interpretation, preaching, and contemporary application.
This summer, I've been part of a preaching team covering a number of the shorter books in the Bible one book per Sunday, including the Minor Prophets. My assignment has been the books of Nahum and Habakkuk. This is a challenging task if you are not a specialist in this area and some distance from your seminary classes! Distinguishing between near and distant fulfillment, understanding the setting, recognizing different genres within prophecy, and moving from the meaning of the text to relevant application for an audience separated by over two millenia and a cultural gap are all issues that face anyone working with these biblical texts.
Gary V. Smith's book, part of Kregel's series of Handbooks for Old Testament Interpretation, is a concise and helpful guide for all these issues and more. In six chapters coming in at under 200 pages, Smith covers the following:
Chapter 1. The Nature of Prophetic Literature: Temporal categories of present, future, and apocalyptic, genres of prophecy, and poetic elements including parallelism and imagery.
Chapter 2. Major Themes in the Prophetic Books: Themes running through the prophets, and themes by specific books.
Chapter 3. Preparing for Interpretation: Knowing the setting of the pre-exilic prophets to Israel and Judah, the exilic prophets, and the post-exilic prophets, issues to be aware of in Ancient Near East Prophecy, textual criticism, and the use of commentaries, including recommendations of commentaries by book (conservative to mainstream Western scholarship).
Chapter 4. Interpretive issues in Prophetic Texts: Literal vs. metaphorical, contextual limits, conditional or unconditional, near or far future, and prophecy and its New Testament fulfillment.
Chapter 5. Proclaiming Prophetic Texts: Getting oriented, shaping the presentation, determining the principle, and reflecting on the application.
Chapter 6. From Text to Application: Offers examples of the steps of Chapter 5 with reference to near future and distant future prophecy.
The book concludes with a glossary of terms relevant to interpreting the prophetic books.
The organization of the book follows good principles of biblical exegesis and provides pointers to the most common exegetical and interpretive issues that arise in handling the prophetic material. There is a brief and then more detailed table of contents that allows one to consult material relevant to a particular prophetic text. The author provides examples from scripture throughout to illustrate points. And the examples in Chapter 6 illustrate the process and care involved in putting together a message that is both exegetically sound and appropriate for one's audience.
If there was any criticism that could be made of this book, it would be the very limited attention (six pages) given to prophecy and New Testament fulfillment, and particularly, to Christological interpretation. It may be that the author decided to defer to other texts that give greater attention to these matters but given that this is written for use by pastors of Christian churches, a fuller treatment might have been helpful.
On the whole, however, this is a valuable work that serves as a helpful review for those who have had seminary-level training in prophetic exegesis, and a valuable and accessible primer for those without such training.
_____________________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
This summer, I've been part of a preaching team covering a number of the shorter books in the Bible one book per Sunday, including the Minor Prophets. My assignment has been the books of Nahum and Habakkuk. This is a challenging task if you are not a specialist in this area and some distance from your seminary classes! Distinguishing between near and distant fulfillment, understanding the setting, recognizing different genres within prophecy, and moving from the meaning of the text to relevant application for an audience separated by over two millenia and a cultural gap are all issues that face anyone working with these biblical texts.
Gary V. Smith's book, part of Kregel's series of Handbooks for Old Testament Interpretation, is a concise and helpful guide for all these issues and more. In six chapters coming in at under 200 pages, Smith covers the following:
Chapter 1. The Nature of Prophetic Literature: Temporal categories of present, future, and apocalyptic, genres of prophecy, and poetic elements including parallelism and imagery.
Chapter 2. Major Themes in the Prophetic Books: Themes running through the prophets, and themes by specific books.
Chapter 3. Preparing for Interpretation: Knowing the setting of the pre-exilic prophets to Israel and Judah, the exilic prophets, and the post-exilic prophets, issues to be aware of in Ancient Near East Prophecy, textual criticism, and the use of commentaries, including recommendations of commentaries by book (conservative to mainstream Western scholarship).
Chapter 4. Interpretive issues in Prophetic Texts: Literal vs. metaphorical, contextual limits, conditional or unconditional, near or far future, and prophecy and its New Testament fulfillment.
Chapter 5. Proclaiming Prophetic Texts: Getting oriented, shaping the presentation, determining the principle, and reflecting on the application.
Chapter 6. From Text to Application: Offers examples of the steps of Chapter 5 with reference to near future and distant future prophecy.
The book concludes with a glossary of terms relevant to interpreting the prophetic books.
The organization of the book follows good principles of biblical exegesis and provides pointers to the most common exegetical and interpretive issues that arise in handling the prophetic material. There is a brief and then more detailed table of contents that allows one to consult material relevant to a particular prophetic text. The author provides examples from scripture throughout to illustrate points. And the examples in Chapter 6 illustrate the process and care involved in putting together a message that is both exegetically sound and appropriate for one's audience.
If there was any criticism that could be made of this book, it would be the very limited attention (six pages) given to prophecy and New Testament fulfillment, and particularly, to Christological interpretation. It may be that the author decided to defer to other texts that give greater attention to these matters but given that this is written for use by pastors of Christian churches, a fuller treatment might have been helpful.
On the whole, however, this is a valuable work that serves as a helpful review for those who have had seminary-level training in prophetic exegesis, and a valuable and accessible primer for those without such training.
_____________________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
July 6, 2015
Twenty five percent of the 66 books of the Bible are categorized as prophetic books. The genre of prophetic books is perhaps the least preached among the nine genres in the Bible. Like apocalyptic literature, they can be hard to read and interpret let alone preach and teach. But if Paul is right about the Old Testament, and “these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come” (I Cor. 10:11) then this 25% of the Bible is much more relevant for the Church than we give it credit.
Having already written, taught, and published extensively on the OT prophets, Gary V. Smith has now made a recent contribution, Interpreting the Prophetic Books: An Exegetical Handbook, for the Handbooks for Old Testament Exegesis (HOTE) series (Kregel, 2015). The HOTE series is dedicated to giving students of the text the necessary basic skills to exegeting, preaching, and teaching the text of Scripture from each genre of the Bible. Smith summarizes the goal of his book as follows:
In addition to understanding the historical setting and the literary forms, a person who wants to share the messages of the prophets needs to be able to outline the text around one main theme, the illustrate the main theme in practical ways that are meaningful and interesting to people today, to discover the theological principles that each message teaches, and to present a challenging application that is derived from the themes in that prophetic text. (18)
Background Work
As a handbook, this book is a guide on how to read and interpret the prophets and then present the text in a way that is meaningful to the modern day reader. Smith breaks down the prophetic books into three main categories of temporal prophecies: present events, future events, and symbolic apocalyptic events. Smith points out that what makes the third category more challenging to identify is that “some future prophecies contained symbolic language that was part of a vision.” (27) The prophecies are further divided by the genre of the prophecy (judgment, salvation, trial speech, etc.) and even further according to their literary structure as poetry.
In chapter two Smith gives a thematic summary of each prophetic book. Regarding the controversy over Isaiah and whether it has more than one author, Smith is not favorable to the critical scholarly opinion that there is a second and third-Isaiah (62-63). Equally summative as chapter two, chapter three provides a brief survey of the historical contexts in which each book is written. Smith has a good four page discussion on comparative ancient near eastern prophets and their false prophecies (94-98). Understanding “this background,” Smith notes, “to the prophetic situation should help the reader sympathize with the frustration that many prophets experienced when people rejected their prophecies.” (97)
Chapter four addresses a number of interpretive issues that are unique to prophetic literature. Smith summarizes the issues under contrasting options: literal or metaphorical, limited to context or open beyond it, conditional or unconditional, near or far future, and the New Testament use of the Old Testament. What many interpreters struggle the most with will be whether a prophecy is literal or metaphorical and whether its fulfillment is near or far future. Of metaphorical interpretation Smith states that
Many of the predictions in future prophecies were much more nebulous or general in nature, and they were not tied so closely to identifiable people, places, events, or objects. Many prophecies were expressed in highly symbolic poetic language that was much harder to interpret in any kind of literal fashion. (116)
Smith closes chapter four by discussing the fulfillment of prophecies in light of the fact that some are in fact not fulfilled. How so? It is clear that some are conditional, like the prophecy to Ninevah to repent, and might or might not happen. Some prophesies are not to be fulfilled until some time in the future like the coming of the Day of the Lord. Further, some prophecies fulfillment is extended over time like God’s promise to Abraham to make him a great nation.
Preaching Work
After all of the background work is done with the text, Smith moves onto crafting the text itself into a teachable/preachable outline. While Smith does not break any new ground as far as developing a preaching outline, he does help the preacher and teacher to synthesize and package the background information about the text in a way that is presentable and not overbearing with minute details. While opinions may vary as to the best way to preach the texts, Smith is keen to bring all of the text down to one main principle that is drawn from the text, and to shape the sermon around that idea.
Drawing application from the OT can be hard, and even more so from the prophetic books. Smith uses Isaiah 31:1-9 as a test case to help the reader see how one would put into practice all that he has outlines in the book. This helps the preacher to see how application is drawn from the text in a more natural, rather than forced way.
Conclusion
Interpreting the Prophetic Books follows the trusted and reliable reputation of the HOTE series in providing the preacher and teacher with the necessary basic information and tools to interpret the prophetic books. This book points you in the right direction for further study and should be on the shelf of every pastor, teacher, and serious Bible student.
Other books in the HOTE series:
Interpreting the Pentateuch by Peter Vogt
Interpreting the Historical Books by Robert Chisholm Jr.
Interpreting the Psalms by Mark Futato
I received this book for free from Kregel for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Having already written, taught, and published extensively on the OT prophets, Gary V. Smith has now made a recent contribution, Interpreting the Prophetic Books: An Exegetical Handbook, for the Handbooks for Old Testament Exegesis (HOTE) series (Kregel, 2015). The HOTE series is dedicated to giving students of the text the necessary basic skills to exegeting, preaching, and teaching the text of Scripture from each genre of the Bible. Smith summarizes the goal of his book as follows:
In addition to understanding the historical setting and the literary forms, a person who wants to share the messages of the prophets needs to be able to outline the text around one main theme, the illustrate the main theme in practical ways that are meaningful and interesting to people today, to discover the theological principles that each message teaches, and to present a challenging application that is derived from the themes in that prophetic text. (18)
Background Work
As a handbook, this book is a guide on how to read and interpret the prophets and then present the text in a way that is meaningful to the modern day reader. Smith breaks down the prophetic books into three main categories of temporal prophecies: present events, future events, and symbolic apocalyptic events. Smith points out that what makes the third category more challenging to identify is that “some future prophecies contained symbolic language that was part of a vision.” (27) The prophecies are further divided by the genre of the prophecy (judgment, salvation, trial speech, etc.) and even further according to their literary structure as poetry.
In chapter two Smith gives a thematic summary of each prophetic book. Regarding the controversy over Isaiah and whether it has more than one author, Smith is not favorable to the critical scholarly opinion that there is a second and third-Isaiah (62-63). Equally summative as chapter two, chapter three provides a brief survey of the historical contexts in which each book is written. Smith has a good four page discussion on comparative ancient near eastern prophets and their false prophecies (94-98). Understanding “this background,” Smith notes, “to the prophetic situation should help the reader sympathize with the frustration that many prophets experienced when people rejected their prophecies.” (97)
Chapter four addresses a number of interpretive issues that are unique to prophetic literature. Smith summarizes the issues under contrasting options: literal or metaphorical, limited to context or open beyond it, conditional or unconditional, near or far future, and the New Testament use of the Old Testament. What many interpreters struggle the most with will be whether a prophecy is literal or metaphorical and whether its fulfillment is near or far future. Of metaphorical interpretation Smith states that
Many of the predictions in future prophecies were much more nebulous or general in nature, and they were not tied so closely to identifiable people, places, events, or objects. Many prophecies were expressed in highly symbolic poetic language that was much harder to interpret in any kind of literal fashion. (116)
Smith closes chapter four by discussing the fulfillment of prophecies in light of the fact that some are in fact not fulfilled. How so? It is clear that some are conditional, like the prophecy to Ninevah to repent, and might or might not happen. Some prophesies are not to be fulfilled until some time in the future like the coming of the Day of the Lord. Further, some prophecies fulfillment is extended over time like God’s promise to Abraham to make him a great nation.
Preaching Work
After all of the background work is done with the text, Smith moves onto crafting the text itself into a teachable/preachable outline. While Smith does not break any new ground as far as developing a preaching outline, he does help the preacher and teacher to synthesize and package the background information about the text in a way that is presentable and not overbearing with minute details. While opinions may vary as to the best way to preach the texts, Smith is keen to bring all of the text down to one main principle that is drawn from the text, and to shape the sermon around that idea.
Drawing application from the OT can be hard, and even more so from the prophetic books. Smith uses Isaiah 31:1-9 as a test case to help the reader see how one would put into practice all that he has outlines in the book. This helps the preacher to see how application is drawn from the text in a more natural, rather than forced way.
Conclusion
Interpreting the Prophetic Books follows the trusted and reliable reputation of the HOTE series in providing the preacher and teacher with the necessary basic information and tools to interpret the prophetic books. This book points you in the right direction for further study and should be on the shelf of every pastor, teacher, and serious Bible student.
Other books in the HOTE series:
Interpreting the Pentateuch by Peter Vogt
Interpreting the Historical Books by Robert Chisholm Jr.
Interpreting the Psalms by Mark Futato
I received this book for free from Kregel for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
January 18, 2016
TITLE: Interpreting The Prophetic Books: An Exegetical Handbook
AUTHOR: Gary V. Smith
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2014, (214 pages).
I was very interested to see Interpreting The Prophetic Books(ITPB) as part of the Handbooks for Old Testament Exegesis (HOTE)series. If you have not yet been exposed to this series it is well worth considering. The HOTE series attempts to provide students of the Bible with basic interpretive skills for Biblical exegesis. The HOTE series editor David M. Howard explains that “An appreciation for the rich diversity of literary genres in Scripture is one of the positive features of evangelical scholarship” (ITPB 15). It appears that consideration over genre is fairly recent in contemporary scholarship which makes the HOTE a very timely series. Moreover, one of the important areas where genre comes in to play is the interpretation of the Prophetic Books of the Bible. It has been a long held suspicion of mine that the neglect of the prophetic books in day to day preaching and teaching today is due in part to a lack of interpretive tools necessary for a proper interpretation of the text. Prophetic books can be demanding and without some of the proper interpretive tools teaching preparation can be a very daunting task. Gary Smith has I believe successfully provided the necessary tools to help students get the best and most out of their study of the Prophetic Books.
The book (ITPB) itself is a very manageable 214 pages of well written and understandable prose. It is broken down into six chapters that deal with The Nature of Prophetic Literature explaining the prophetic genre itself, Major Themes in the Prophetic Books providing a big picture perspective of the prophetic books, and while this book is not a book on homiletics the remaining chapters Preparing for Interpretation, Interpretive Issues In Prophetic Texts, Proclaiming Prophetic Texts, and From Text to Application are in essence instruction in homiletics. Some of the features of ITPB are a helpful outline at the beginning of each chapter that lays out the direction of the discussion. There is also a very helpful glossary of about 70 common terms used in OT studies as well as scripture and subject indices in the back of the book.
In chapter one Dr. Smith explains the genre of prophetic literature. He explains that prophetic literature of the OT was vitally important for the NT church because of their teachings on law, the coming Messiah, and God’s kingdom. However, the challenge for modern day readers is grasping the context of the prophetic books. The difficulty is that we are not only separated from the OT prophets by time but they wrote from various political, socio-economic, and religious settings. Because of this it is an over simplification to approach the prophetic literature the same way in every case without causing a distortion of the text. In order to keep the prophets teachings in their proper contexts Dr. Smith explains the use of various interpretive concepts that emerge from the prophetic text to assist the reader with analysis. Tools such as Temporal Categories of Prophecy, Genres of Prophecy, Parallelism, and Imagery help provide the way in which the Prophetic text ought to be examined and understood.
Chapters 2 and 3 are discussions that I would categorize as “preparation”. One of the pitfalls in a book like this which seeks to help students with interpretation is to impose an interpretation. ITPB works very hard at providing the framework without providing the interpretation. So in chapter 2 for example the reader is given a broad overview of each of the prophetic books with attention to the primary themes without offering too much by way of interpretation. Chapter 3 restricts itself to only providing background information about the prophetic books to include the use of textual criticism and further resources to assist one with the study of the prophetic books.
Chapter 4 deals with the thorny complexity of Interpretive Issues in Prophetic Texts. This chapter discusses some of the errors that we tend to make in interpreting prophetic books to include: is prophecy literal or metaphorical, metaphorical interpretation of prophecy, difficulties between prophecy and its New Testament fulfillment, and is prophecy always fulfilled. This isn’t a complete list of the discussions found in this chapter but they are some that I found very helpful.
While this isn’t a book on homiletics (the method of sermon preparation) chapters 5 and 6 provide a very good homiletic outline useful for anyone in the role of teaching. Chapter 5 covers more of the process of teaching preparation while chapter 6 has more to do with the practical application of prophetic text. Chapter 6 is lengthy but very important in that this process of practical application has demonstrated itself to be challenging for modern day teachers. While most teachers want to give practical application many times it is at the expense of the text. This is where ITPB demonstrates its merits by demonstrating how one can provide practical application without compromising the content of the text.
PERSONAL REFLECTION
There is so much substance in the prophetic books. Smith makes the point that “the prophetic books were of great importance to the New Testament church” (ITPB 23). While it is quite understandable why some are apprehensive about teaching the prophetic books because of their complexity, I think the ITPB reader will be pleasantly surprised by how helpful this volume can be to them in their teaching ministry.
PERSONAL RATING: 5 Stars out of 5
________________________________________
This book is provided to me courtesy of Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
AUTHOR: Gary V. Smith
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2014, (214 pages).
I was very interested to see Interpreting The Prophetic Books(ITPB) as part of the Handbooks for Old Testament Exegesis (HOTE)series. If you have not yet been exposed to this series it is well worth considering. The HOTE series attempts to provide students of the Bible with basic interpretive skills for Biblical exegesis. The HOTE series editor David M. Howard explains that “An appreciation for the rich diversity of literary genres in Scripture is one of the positive features of evangelical scholarship” (ITPB 15). It appears that consideration over genre is fairly recent in contemporary scholarship which makes the HOTE a very timely series. Moreover, one of the important areas where genre comes in to play is the interpretation of the Prophetic Books of the Bible. It has been a long held suspicion of mine that the neglect of the prophetic books in day to day preaching and teaching today is due in part to a lack of interpretive tools necessary for a proper interpretation of the text. Prophetic books can be demanding and without some of the proper interpretive tools teaching preparation can be a very daunting task. Gary Smith has I believe successfully provided the necessary tools to help students get the best and most out of their study of the Prophetic Books.
The book (ITPB) itself is a very manageable 214 pages of well written and understandable prose. It is broken down into six chapters that deal with The Nature of Prophetic Literature explaining the prophetic genre itself, Major Themes in the Prophetic Books providing a big picture perspective of the prophetic books, and while this book is not a book on homiletics the remaining chapters Preparing for Interpretation, Interpretive Issues In Prophetic Texts, Proclaiming Prophetic Texts, and From Text to Application are in essence instruction in homiletics. Some of the features of ITPB are a helpful outline at the beginning of each chapter that lays out the direction of the discussion. There is also a very helpful glossary of about 70 common terms used in OT studies as well as scripture and subject indices in the back of the book.
In chapter one Dr. Smith explains the genre of prophetic literature. He explains that prophetic literature of the OT was vitally important for the NT church because of their teachings on law, the coming Messiah, and God’s kingdom. However, the challenge for modern day readers is grasping the context of the prophetic books. The difficulty is that we are not only separated from the OT prophets by time but they wrote from various political, socio-economic, and religious settings. Because of this it is an over simplification to approach the prophetic literature the same way in every case without causing a distortion of the text. In order to keep the prophets teachings in their proper contexts Dr. Smith explains the use of various interpretive concepts that emerge from the prophetic text to assist the reader with analysis. Tools such as Temporal Categories of Prophecy, Genres of Prophecy, Parallelism, and Imagery help provide the way in which the Prophetic text ought to be examined and understood.
Chapters 2 and 3 are discussions that I would categorize as “preparation”. One of the pitfalls in a book like this which seeks to help students with interpretation is to impose an interpretation. ITPB works very hard at providing the framework without providing the interpretation. So in chapter 2 for example the reader is given a broad overview of each of the prophetic books with attention to the primary themes without offering too much by way of interpretation. Chapter 3 restricts itself to only providing background information about the prophetic books to include the use of textual criticism and further resources to assist one with the study of the prophetic books.
Chapter 4 deals with the thorny complexity of Interpretive Issues in Prophetic Texts. This chapter discusses some of the errors that we tend to make in interpreting prophetic books to include: is prophecy literal or metaphorical, metaphorical interpretation of prophecy, difficulties between prophecy and its New Testament fulfillment, and is prophecy always fulfilled. This isn’t a complete list of the discussions found in this chapter but they are some that I found very helpful.
While this isn’t a book on homiletics (the method of sermon preparation) chapters 5 and 6 provide a very good homiletic outline useful for anyone in the role of teaching. Chapter 5 covers more of the process of teaching preparation while chapter 6 has more to do with the practical application of prophetic text. Chapter 6 is lengthy but very important in that this process of practical application has demonstrated itself to be challenging for modern day teachers. While most teachers want to give practical application many times it is at the expense of the text. This is where ITPB demonstrates its merits by demonstrating how one can provide practical application without compromising the content of the text.
PERSONAL REFLECTION
There is so much substance in the prophetic books. Smith makes the point that “the prophetic books were of great importance to the New Testament church” (ITPB 23). While it is quite understandable why some are apprehensive about teaching the prophetic books because of their complexity, I think the ITPB reader will be pleasantly surprised by how helpful this volume can be to them in their teaching ministry.
PERSONAL RATING: 5 Stars out of 5
________________________________________
This book is provided to me courtesy of Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
August 22, 2024
The first two thirds of the book are excellent. Understanding themes, genre and different types of prophetic statement. The brief summary of each prophetic book in historical context is also helpful.
The last third of the book, preaching and applying, are less to be desired. There is no indication that the OT is a Christian book so we are encouraged to find timeless truths and moral examples. The outcome is a sermon that could be preached in a Jewish synagogue without objection. In the end it’s all law and no gospel.
The last third of the book, preaching and applying, are less to be desired. There is no indication that the OT is a Christian book so we are encouraged to find timeless truths and moral examples. The outcome is a sermon that could be preached in a Jewish synagogue without objection. In the end it’s all law and no gospel.
February 26, 2020
A very excellent discussion of many of the issues you encounter when translating or interpreting the prophets. His book has a section on themes in the prophets, major interpretive issues, as well as the basic ideas of parallelism, etc. It also talks about how to apply these ideas in a sermon as well. Very easy read.
November 30, 2022
This is one of the books I had to read for my BIBL 313 Study of the Prophets class. While I did find the book a bit dry at times, I still gained quite a lot from it. I'm glad that I read it and hope that it will help me with my studies.
January 13, 2024
I appreciate this series. Handy tools for both personal exegesis and also sermon writing. Probably a little on the technical side for the average reader. (Could use tighter editing/proofreading - multiple typos throughout, not just this volume but the series.)
October 3, 2020
Informative. Helpful.
April 16, 2022
Very useful.
June 9, 2025
Very useful for exegetic work
May 29, 2015
Reading and understanding the prophetic books of the Old Testament can be a challenge even for the most seasoned theologian. Matters of context, the unpacking of symbolism, and even whether the prophecies are only for the original hearers or how they impact us today or in the future, often form the greatest amount of difficulty for those engaging these texts. Unfortunately, such issues result in either many avoiding these books of the Bible altogether or even worse, incorrectly unpacking their important and timeless message. Gary Smith in his contribution to the Handbooks for Old Testament Exegesis Series called Interpreting the Prophetic Books, seeks to alleviate many of the common issues and misunderstandings.
Smith notes in the preface to this helpful book, “I do not believe that preaching or teaching from the prophetic books is easy, but it is rewarding because in the prophetic messages we come to understand the will of God for his people and God’s future plans for his people.” In order to properly understand the message of any book in Scripture, in particular something as difficult to grasp as the prophetic books, a discussion of the genre of prophecy must be first on the agenda and Smith spends chapter one unpacking the nature of prophetic literature. Topics such as the poetry of the prophetic books to include matters of symbolism and parallelism are lucidly noted as well as engaging imagery and figures of speech.
Building on this important foundation, he then explores the major themes of each of the prophetic books to give the reader an overview of the message contained in these books. One would expect from this point for Smith to begin examining each individual book; however, that is not the tact he takes. Instead of going into each book separately, he continues his exploration of the prophetic books by tackling some very important and overarching elements of exegesis of these texts. In the process, he assesses how best to exegete these books.
For example, understanding the historical setting of the prophetic books is an absolute must. Many times, this is an issue that is often overlooked as we forget who it was the prophets were actually speaking to and during what period of the history of Israel and Judah they ministered. As Smith saliently notes, “Each prophetic message was impacted by what was happening in the life of the prophet and his audience. Both the prophet and his audience were tied to the political, social, and religious setting of their time.” Before even beginning to exegete the text, the matter of historical setting must be understood and Smith does an excellent job of explaining the setting of each prophetic book.
Smith does not forget the actual text as he spends the last half of the book walking the reader on how to approach interpretive issues in each book, how to read the text, developing an exegetical outline, determining the main idea, and finally and perhaps most importantly, dealing with how to apply the text. It is this application piece that can be the hardest but the excellent foundation Smith provides in the front of the book will greatly help the reader understand the methods for application he presents.
As if all that did not make this an excellent book already, Smith provides at varying points recommended tools such as useful commentaries and computer resources that will assuredly help the reader even further as they engage the prophetic books.
I highly recommend this book for all believers as the discussion and material provided by Gary Smith will greatly enhance the readers appreciation for and understanding of the prophetic books of the Old Testament. His approach is scholarly yet highly understandable, lucid, beneficial, biblically accurate, and worthwhile for even the most seasoned theologian.
I received this book for free from Kregel Academic for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Smith notes in the preface to this helpful book, “I do not believe that preaching or teaching from the prophetic books is easy, but it is rewarding because in the prophetic messages we come to understand the will of God for his people and God’s future plans for his people.” In order to properly understand the message of any book in Scripture, in particular something as difficult to grasp as the prophetic books, a discussion of the genre of prophecy must be first on the agenda and Smith spends chapter one unpacking the nature of prophetic literature. Topics such as the poetry of the prophetic books to include matters of symbolism and parallelism are lucidly noted as well as engaging imagery and figures of speech.
Building on this important foundation, he then explores the major themes of each of the prophetic books to give the reader an overview of the message contained in these books. One would expect from this point for Smith to begin examining each individual book; however, that is not the tact he takes. Instead of going into each book separately, he continues his exploration of the prophetic books by tackling some very important and overarching elements of exegesis of these texts. In the process, he assesses how best to exegete these books.
For example, understanding the historical setting of the prophetic books is an absolute must. Many times, this is an issue that is often overlooked as we forget who it was the prophets were actually speaking to and during what period of the history of Israel and Judah they ministered. As Smith saliently notes, “Each prophetic message was impacted by what was happening in the life of the prophet and his audience. Both the prophet and his audience were tied to the political, social, and religious setting of their time.” Before even beginning to exegete the text, the matter of historical setting must be understood and Smith does an excellent job of explaining the setting of each prophetic book.
Smith does not forget the actual text as he spends the last half of the book walking the reader on how to approach interpretive issues in each book, how to read the text, developing an exegetical outline, determining the main idea, and finally and perhaps most importantly, dealing with how to apply the text. It is this application piece that can be the hardest but the excellent foundation Smith provides in the front of the book will greatly help the reader understand the methods for application he presents.
As if all that did not make this an excellent book already, Smith provides at varying points recommended tools such as useful commentaries and computer resources that will assuredly help the reader even further as they engage the prophetic books.
I highly recommend this book for all believers as the discussion and material provided by Gary Smith will greatly enhance the readers appreciation for and understanding of the prophetic books of the Old Testament. His approach is scholarly yet highly understandable, lucid, beneficial, biblically accurate, and worthwhile for even the most seasoned theologian.
I received this book for free from Kregel Academic for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
June 1, 2015
The prophets don't get the air play that the rest of Scripture does. Isaiah gets rolled out for the holidays, Daniel is featured at at every End Times conference, Jeremiah is selectively quoted, but by and large the prophetic literature is left untouched. No 'Book of the Twelve' on a Sunday morning because the church does not serve Minors! Those who do try to delve into the prophets are often left confused about historical context. genre, and application.
Gary Smith is a Old Testament scholar and commentator who has dug deeply and discovered the treasures that await us in the Prophets. In Interpreting the Prophetic Books: An Exegetical Handbook (part of Kregel's 'Handbooks For Old Testament Exegesis' series) Smith walks us through the process of interpreting the prophets well. The book is designed especially for students who are working with biblical languages, but the working pastor whose Hebrew is gone with the ruach, will find this a fairly accessible guide.
Smith begins in chapter one by discussing the nature of prophetic literature. Distinctive features include the temporal categories in prophecy (prophecies describing present events, prophecies about a future era, and the apocalyptic/symbolic). Smith also describes the genres of prophecies and the poetic parallelism within the prophetic literature. Chapter two explores the primary themes of each book. Chapter three identifies the things you will need for interpreting the prophets wisely. These include knowing the historical setting of each book (and Smith provides a brief overview of the pre-exilic prophets of Israel and Judah, the exilic prophets and post-exiilic), prophecy in the Ancient Near East context, awareness of text critical issues, and the best commentaries and resources at your disposal.
Chapter four is where the fun starts. Smith discusses various interpretive issues related to the prophetic literature. Including: are prophecies literary or metaphorical? Are they limited by context? Are they conditional or unconditional? Are they about the near or the far future? How the New Testament authors interpret the prophets and is their method legitimate for us? Chapters five and six describe the exegetical process for interpreting the prophets. Chapter five walks through how to 'proclaim the text' (interpreting with an eye for the central principle and application). Chapter six lays out a method which integrates all the earlier chapters.
I don't expect exegetical handbooks to be exciting reading. There is too much method and too little metaphor, by the nature of the format. However I found Smith's discuss of themes, historical backgrounds and interpretive issues to be highly interesting. I will likely refer back to this book the next time I preach or teach on the prophets. That will likely be when I roll out Isaiah for the holidays. Oh and other times to, because I really like the prophets. I think it is sad that we don't aquatint ourselves with them more. Maybe with Smith's guide we will. I give it four stars.
Notice of material connection: I received this book from Kregel Academic in exchange for my honest review.
Gary Smith is a Old Testament scholar and commentator who has dug deeply and discovered the treasures that await us in the Prophets. In Interpreting the Prophetic Books: An Exegetical Handbook (part of Kregel's 'Handbooks For Old Testament Exegesis' series) Smith walks us through the process of interpreting the prophets well. The book is designed especially for students who are working with biblical languages, but the working pastor whose Hebrew is gone with the ruach, will find this a fairly accessible guide.
Smith begins in chapter one by discussing the nature of prophetic literature. Distinctive features include the temporal categories in prophecy (prophecies describing present events, prophecies about a future era, and the apocalyptic/symbolic). Smith also describes the genres of prophecies and the poetic parallelism within the prophetic literature. Chapter two explores the primary themes of each book. Chapter three identifies the things you will need for interpreting the prophets wisely. These include knowing the historical setting of each book (and Smith provides a brief overview of the pre-exilic prophets of Israel and Judah, the exilic prophets and post-exiilic), prophecy in the Ancient Near East context, awareness of text critical issues, and the best commentaries and resources at your disposal.
Chapter four is where the fun starts. Smith discusses various interpretive issues related to the prophetic literature. Including: are prophecies literary or metaphorical? Are they limited by context? Are they conditional or unconditional? Are they about the near or the far future? How the New Testament authors interpret the prophets and is their method legitimate for us? Chapters five and six describe the exegetical process for interpreting the prophets. Chapter five walks through how to 'proclaim the text' (interpreting with an eye for the central principle and application). Chapter six lays out a method which integrates all the earlier chapters.
I don't expect exegetical handbooks to be exciting reading. There is too much method and too little metaphor, by the nature of the format. However I found Smith's discuss of themes, historical backgrounds and interpretive issues to be highly interesting. I will likely refer back to this book the next time I preach or teach on the prophets. That will likely be when I roll out Isaiah for the holidays. Oh and other times to, because I really like the prophets. I think it is sad that we don't aquatint ourselves with them more. Maybe with Smith's guide we will. I give it four stars.
Notice of material connection: I received this book from Kregel Academic in exchange for my honest review.
September 25, 2015
Be a Christian long enough and you will being to realise that the Prophets — though they take up a substantial portion of the Old Testament — are often not preach or studied at within the church. Part of the reason is that the prophets often contain genre that we’re unfamiliar with and are hard to understand. This handbook however will help us in this aspect.
Gary Smith has written a handbook that specifically wants to help us understand the prophetic books and he does so in a way that’s easy for anyone to gasp. First, Smith explains the nature or the genre of the prophetic books. This I found was one of the most helpful sections of the book, he shows with examples the different sub-genres you find as you read the Prophets and tell us how to interpret such text and teaches the readers how to read and appreciate the various literary works found in these books.
Next, he gives the readers the “bird’s eye view” of each of the prophet books showing the major themes found in the Prophets and shows the flow of the text within the each book. Next, he presents the historical backdrop of each of the prophets, highlighting that different prophets were prophesying at different eras and that we should be careful to interpret the books according to their historical background. Lastly, he shows the readers not only how to understand the text, but also how to teach it and to gather applications from the Prophets.
As mentioned earlier, having tackled such a difficult genre, Smith does an excellent job in trying to explain it to the lay-people. Most will not have a problem reading this book and it should really help pastors or teachers to be equipped to handle the prophetic books. This handbook will surely be of great use to those who wants to understand the Prophetic books better.
Rating: 4.25 / 5
Disclaimer: I was given this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Gary Smith has written a handbook that specifically wants to help us understand the prophetic books and he does so in a way that’s easy for anyone to gasp. First, Smith explains the nature or the genre of the prophetic books. This I found was one of the most helpful sections of the book, he shows with examples the different sub-genres you find as you read the Prophets and tell us how to interpret such text and teaches the readers how to read and appreciate the various literary works found in these books.
Next, he gives the readers the “bird’s eye view” of each of the prophet books showing the major themes found in the Prophets and shows the flow of the text within the each book. Next, he presents the historical backdrop of each of the prophets, highlighting that different prophets were prophesying at different eras and that we should be careful to interpret the books according to their historical background. Lastly, he shows the readers not only how to understand the text, but also how to teach it and to gather applications from the Prophets.
As mentioned earlier, having tackled such a difficult genre, Smith does an excellent job in trying to explain it to the lay-people. Most will not have a problem reading this book and it should really help pastors or teachers to be equipped to handle the prophetic books. This handbook will surely be of great use to those who wants to understand the Prophetic books better.
Rating: 4.25 / 5
Disclaimer: I was given this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
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