Minor Prophets

Books of the Hebrew Bible

Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth 1–2 Samuel 1–2 Kings 1–2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Solomon (Song of Songs) Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel other Minor Prophets

A minor prophet is a book in the Twelve Prophets section of the Hebrew Bible, also known to Christians as the book of Minor Prophets of the Old Testament. Twelve individuals have had their names attributed to a section of the Hebrew Bible which has become known by the Aramaic term as the Trei Asar ("Twelve") in traditional Jewish editions and "Books of the Minor Prophets" or the "Minor Prophets" in Christian editions. The term "minor" should not be read as denigrating the importance of these texts, as it simply refers to the books' respective lengths.

Annotated List of Minor Prophetic Books

While the original Hebrew texts view the writings of the minor prophets as a single book, they are divided into separate sections in Christian Bibles. The "Twelve" are listed below (with brief overviews) in order of their appearance in Hebrew and Western Christian bibles:

• Hosea
• Joel
• Amos
• Obadiah
• Jonah
• Micah
• Nahum
• Habakkuk
• Zephaniah
• Haggai
• Zechariah
• Malachi

The Septuagint of Eastern Christian Churches has a slightly different order, beginning with Hosea, Amos, Micah, Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, with the remainder as above. Their ordering scheme also places the books of the "Minor Prophets" before (instead of after) the "Major prophets".

Recent Scholarship

Recent biblical scholarship has focused on reading the "Book of the Twelve" as a unity. See, for example, Nogalski and Sweeney (2000).

See also

• Prophet
• Major prophet
• Biblical prophecy
• List of Biblical prophets

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Alter, Robert and Kermode, Frank. The Literary Guide to the Bible. Cambridge, MS: The Belknap Press of Oxford University Press, 1987. ISBN 0674875303.
• Bandstra, Barry L. Reading the Old Testament: An Introduction to the Hebrew Bible (Second Edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1999. ISBN 0534527272.
• Buttrick, George Arthur (Commentary Editor) et al. The Interpreter's Bible: the Holy Scriptures in the King James and Revised standard versions with general articles and introduction, exegesis, exposition for each book of the Bible. New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1951-57.
• Fuller, Russell. "The Text of the Twelve Minor Prophets." Currents in Research 7 (1999), 81-95.
• The New Interpreter's Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994-2004. ISBN 0687278201.
• Nogalski, James D. and Sweeney, Marvin A. (editors). Reading and Hearing the Book of the Twelve. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2000.

External links

• Prophetic Midrash: Stories about prophets from ancient and modern sources. Accessed May 15, 2007.

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