The Prophets: Who They Were, What They Are

by Norman Podhoretz

A radical reinterpretation of the biblical prophets by one of America's most provocative critics reveals the eternal beauty of their language and the enduring resonance of their message.Long before Norman Podhoretz became one of the intellectual leaders of American neoconservatism, he was a student of Hebrew literature and a passionate reader of the prophets of the Old Testament. Returning to them after fifty years, he has produced something an entirely new perspective on some of the world's best-known works.Or, rather, three new perspectives. The first is a fascinating account of the golden age of biblical prophecy, from the eighth to the fifth century B.C.E., and its roots in earlier ages of the ancient Israelite saga. Thus, like large parts of the Bible itself, The Prophets is a history of the Near East from the point of view of a single nation, covering not only what is known about the prophets themselves -- including Elijah, Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel -- but also the stories of King David, King Saul, and how the ancient Israelites were affected by the great Near Eastern empires that surrounded them. Layered into this work of history is a piece of extraordinary literary criticism. Podhoretz's very close reading of the verse and imagery used by the biblical prophets restores them to the top reaches of the poetic pantheon, for these books contain, unequivocally, some of the greatest poetry ever written.The historical chronicle and the literary criticism will transport readers to a time that is both exotic and familiar and, like any fine work of history or literature, will evoke a distinct and original world. But the third perspective of The Prophets is that of moral philosophy, and it serves to bring the prophets' message into the twenty-first century. For to Norman Podhoretz, the real relevance of the prophets today is more than the excitement of their history or the beauty of their it is their message. Podhoretz sees, in the words of the biblical prophets, a war being waged, a war against the sin of revering anything made by the hands of man -- in short, idolatry. In their relentless battle against idolatry, Podhoretz finds the prophets' most meaningful and enduring a stern warning against the all-consuming worship of self that is at least as relevant in the twenty-first century as it was three thousand years ago. The Prophets will earn the respect of biblical scholars and the fascinated attention of general readers; its observations will be equally valued by believers and nonbelievers, by anyone with spiritual yearnings. Learned, provocative, and beautifully written, The Prophets is a deeply felt, deeply satisfying work that is at once history, literary criticism, and moral philosophy -- a tour de force.

Genres: History, Judaism, Religion, Philosophy

494 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 29, 2002

About the author

Norman Podhoretz is an American neoconservative writer and editor.

Reviews

[Peter Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Prophets by Norman Podhoretz

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I decided to begin filling up a large hole in my knowledge base with this book. Obviously, I've been exposed to the writings of the prophets over sixty years of listening to the Mass and general cultural exposure, but my knowledge is superficial at best. I couldn't distinguish Amos from Ezekiel, or what they stood for or preached.

I've had this book since it was published in 2002, but it is a book that I have always put back for later. However, after listening to Isaiah as an audiobook and noting the confusing bipolar framing of the narrative, I decided that the time was now.

It was what I was hoping for. Podhoretz takes the reader on a prophet by prophet journey of nearly three hundred years. Podhoretz is not a professional scholar, albeit he studied the prophets as part of a course in Jewish studies decades ago. As preparation for this book, he has studied the recent scholarship, which he introduces to the reader in the discussion about each particular prophet.

Sometimes I need to be told that how I read a text is how the text reads. I find prophetic writing to be largely illogical and bipolar. Prophetic text can snap from condemnation to hope in the space of a sentence without apparent rhyme or reason. If you are reading this as a conventional text, it is a bumpy and frustrating ride. Podhoretz confirms that this is really what's happening. Prophets do make such abrupt changes. They are also frequently hard to read; Podhoretz notes that certain of the prophets are acknowledged by scholars to be among the most cryptic books in the Bible.

However, Podhoretz also admires the prophets and acknowledges that some of their writings are the greatest poetry in human history. Podhoretz finds it significant that as the prophetic inspiration was dying in Israel, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were making their appearance in Greece. (Podhoretz follows the explanation that the prophetic inspiration died when Jewish culture became more about commenting on inspired texts than about creating those inspired texts.)

If you are looking for uplift and inspiration, this is not your book. Podhoretz acknowledges that a lot of prophetic literature is focused on the "here and now" of Israel or Judah at the time. We might find those issues to be unedifying and confusing. So, as astute readers, we have to winnow out the transcendent from the mundane.

I learned a lot. I knew that Hosea married a whore, but I didn't appreciate that this was enacting a prophetic analogy of God and Israel. I didn't know that Isaiah went naked, or that Jeremiah wore a yoke, or that Ezekiel spent 400 days bound and lying on one side or another. These were not tame people that you would ask to speak at your Rotary Club.

If you are looking for a prophet by prophet walk through the Navi section of the Hebrew Bible by a scholar and literary critic, with a critical assessment of the current scholarship and the historical understanding, then you may find it, as I found it, just the introduction you are looking for.

As is wont as the godfather of Neo-Conservativism, which was a reaction by Jewish liberals against the totalitarian leftism of the New Democrats in the 1960s, Podhoretz ends with his view that the classical prophets "war against idolatry" provides some guidance against the "antinomian" culture of modernity. Antinomianism denies the law, historically, the Jewish Law, but in its modern form, any law that would stifle human freedom or impose responsibility on human beings.

Even then, Podhoretz was arguing that modern antinomianism had recreated the worst features of paganism, not the least of which was idolatry, which in the case of modernity is the exaltation of self over god.

Podhoretz wrote the book in 2002.

Look how much further we have come.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent overview of a Jewish author's interpretation of the Prophets and the messages they conveyed to ancient peoples and to those in the current age. Applicable to the Christian point of view also.

[Dani · Rating 2 out of 5]

While Podhoretz approaches the Prophets from a historical standpoint and includes some interesting information, I have lost interest in finishing this book. For lack of a better description, it is boring. I had bought this book years ago and decided to revisit it. Now, I remember why I didn't finish it then. If you are type who enjoys dry historical books, then I suppose you may find this book enjoyable. It's just not for me.

[Curtiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look at the Old Testament/Talmudic prophets in an historical context.

[Will Hambric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Preachy, but educational as well.