Handbook on the Prophets

by Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

Provides a thorough introduction to the Old Testament prophetic books, considering their historical and social setting while surveying the important theological themes.

Genres: Christian, Theology, Biblical Studies, Reference, Nonfiction, Old Testament

512 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2002

About the author

While Dr. Chisholm enjoys teaching the full breadth of Old Testament Studies, he takes special delight in the major and minor prophets. He can take the intricacies of those books and communicate them for marketplace use, as evidenced in his published texts on the prophetic literature. Dr. Chisholm recently published Handbook on the Prophets. He was the translation consultant for the International Children’s Bible and for The Everyday Bible, and is senior Old Testament editor for the NET Bible.

Reviews

[William Albers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was assigned this book to read in a seminary class on the Hebrew prophets. This is an excellently helpful work that combines the basic background and exegetical insights of a commentary with the brevity and readability of an introductory work. If you want an overview of Isaiah thru Malachi, I don't know of a better place to start (after reading Isaiah thru Malachi of course :) ).

[Seth Mcdevitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative. Scholarly, but accessible.

[BJ Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the final "Handbook" I've read for my OT 1 and 2 Master's level classes at Liberty. I would say this is probably the best of them, but the others didn't really set the bar that high. They are all OK, but there's got to be better introductory books out there that can serve as textbooks. If you do read or use them, they will be beneficial, but if you are looking to build your ministry library, move along. These are not the books you are looking for.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Admittedly I didn’t read this as thoroughly as my other seminary readings. As one does find himself in education, he merely reads the material as assigned.

Overall, I found this book to be a good “all in one” resource for being introduced to the prophets. That said, there are glaring issues with this book. The first issue, and this may be to the nature of the work, some sections get a lot more attentions than others. The second issue are some of the theological grievances I would have with this author with little explanations. One time Chrisholm just stated something as it just was, and that all the other theologians were wrong without explanation. This struck me as odd considering the amount of exegetical work he put into most of this book.

Is it worth having on your shelf? Yes.
A pastor would find this as a useful tool to use prior to beginning an exegetical series on any of the books of the prophets. While I had to read this for class- all within (what was supposed to be) a couple of months. A disciplined pastor could read a chapter in a day or two in preparation for a new series.

[Mitchell Traver · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a handbook, which is probably why it read so dry, at times. Chisholm is well-learned and a conservative evangelical scholar who engages well with the more critical end of the spectrum while keeping his focus on the text. I think this one is a helpful guide for pretty much anyone wanting a guide through the subsections of each book in the Prophets. For me, the style of writing and the moderately dispensational viewpoints led to the three star review - more a preference than a reflection of the handbook’s quality, which is great.

[Kyleigh Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book isn't bad, I just didn't find it particularly helpful or having any significant contributions to the prophets. Although there was occasional occasional commentary about translation or historical context, the majority of the book was just summarizing the text, which was tedious. I would have preferred more discussion on controversial texts, as that was always too brief to be of much use.

[Slade Hogan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mindlessly conservative.

[Will Dole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very useful book for getting a section-by-section feels for what is being presented in the prophetic books of the Old Testament. Would recommend to any Bible student or teacher.

[LMS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good reference text.

95% excellent. 5% hmmmm….

[Joseph Mundo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book respects the prophetic voice — direct, confrontational, and anchored in God’s judgment and mercy. I appreciate that it doesn’t turn the prophets into social-commentary mascots but keeps them tied to covenant truth. It helps me teach prophecy with clarity and without falling into sensationalism.

[KJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chisholm does a great job introducing each of the prophetic books in the canon. Additionally, he provides a summary commentary on each of the prophetic books allowing the reader to grasp the main thrust of the prophet in a short amount of time. While one may not always agree with his theological conclusions, the book is a great go-to when studying the prophets.

[Jay Risner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not earth shattering.

[Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great abbreviated commentary of the prophets. Balanced conclusions and doesn't quickly jump to NT fulfillments, but does so only when appropriate.

[South Asia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good resource on the prophets.

[Nathan Whitley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction to the Prophets. Used as a textbook in my class for the Major Prophets.