Abstract
This volume attests to both years of teaching practice and the research expertise of its author James D. Nogalski, a renowned scholar on the Hebrew Prophets. He realised that his students, most of whom did not have any Hebrew, struggled more with assignments on prophetic texts than on narrative texts, which shows that the understanding of prophetic literature requires specific expertise. However, most of the available introductions are based on narrative literature or focus on other questions, so that Nogalski saw the need for an introduction into prophetic literature for beginning students. The present product of his insight is a remarkable rich toolbox, equipping the beginner with a great understanding of the characteristics of prophetic literature and the necessary skills to read and interpret these texts.
The introduction is structured into seven short chapters, which are supplemented with few, but helpful notes, and an index of scripture. The first chapter (‘Getting Started’) provides an introduction into Hebrew Prophecy in its Ancient Near Eastern context and outlines the task of interpretation, taking into account the dependency on and the engagement with English translations in this process. The second chapter (‘Analyzing Literary Parameters and Rhetorical Flow’) equips the student with the necessary tools for a literary analysis by introducing form elements of prophetic speech, while the third chapter (‘Selecting Key Words’) draws attention to pertinent historical and sociological elements. The fourth chapter (‘Literary Forms and Rhetorical Aims’) engages with prophetic literary genres, providing ample examples for the variety of prophetic literature. The relationship of a single text with its context is dealt with in chapter 5 (‘Analyzing a Unit’s Relationship to the Context’), while chapter 6 (‘Common Themes on Prophetic Texts’) focuses on content analysis, introducing the student to the richness of fixed contents in prophetic literature. Finally, the last chapter (‘Developing a Hermeneutical Approach’) addresses the question of hermeneutics and asks how the biblical Prophets can be interpreted in the present, taking seriously the gap between the historic setting of the texts and their modern target audience.
This is a perfect and comprehensive introduction to prophetic literature for the beginner’s student that fills a gap in Old Testament study books. By acknowledging the immense task that the interpretation of Hebrew prophetic literature represents for students with no or only few Hebrew, Nogalski draws attention to the specific characteristics of these texts. He shows ways and tools how for developing adequate skills to interpret this rich body of biblical writings. This volume promises to become a standard reference for teaching Hebrew Bible prophecy and will certainly find a grateful readership at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Divinity.