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The Prophets
Abraham Heschel is a seminal name in religious studies and the author of Man Is Not Alone and God in Search of Man. When The Prophets was first published in 1962, it was immediately recognized as a masterpiece of biblical scholarship.
The Prophets provides a unique opportunity for readers of the Old Testament, both Christian and Jewish, to gain fresh and deep knowledge of Israel's prophetic movement. The author's profound understanding of the prophets also opens the door to new insight into the philosophy of religion.
The Prophets provides a unique opportunity for readers of the Old Testament, both Christian and Jewish, to gain fresh and deep knowledge of Israel's prophetic movement. The author's profound understanding of the prophets also opens the door to new insight into the philosophy of religion.
704 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1962
About the author
Abraham Joshua Heschel
72 books557 followersHeschel was a descendant of preeminent rabbinic families of Europe, both on his father's (Moshe Mordechai Heschel, who died of influenza in 1916) and mother's (Reizel Perlow Heschel) side, and a descendant of Rebbe Avrohom Yehoshua Heshl of Apt and other dynasties. He was the youngest of six children including his siblings: Sarah, Dvora Miriam, Esther Sima, Gittel, and Jacob. In his teens he received a traditional yeshiva education, and obtained traditional semicha, rabbinical ordination. He then studied at the University of Berlin, where he obtained his doctorate, and at the Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judentums, where he earned a second liberal rabbinic ordination.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
March 2, 2017
As much as I love Abraham Heschel's writing I probably wouldn't have picked this up if my Catholic women's book club hadn't selected it. We read book 1 (the first half) and it was simply superb.
I especially appreciated the inclusion of scriptural excerpts because I'd never have gone to look up referenced quotes. And I liked that he took the time to set each prophet firmly in his own historical context. Every single prophet isn't covered but there are various lesser prophets like Amos, Habakkuk, and Hosea to go along with the expected biggies (Isaiah and Jeremiah).
Heschel also takes side trips to discuss bigger issues like history, chastisement, and justice so that we get an overview from the prophets' point of view.
The second book goes into more depth on such topics as inspiration, wrath, and comparisons to prophets in other faiths. I will be reading that part in the future. Heschel is too good not to get the whole story from.
It is common to characterize the prophet as a messenger of God, thus to differentiate him from the tellers of fortune, givers of oracles, seers, and ecstatics. Such a characterization expresses only one aspect of his consciousness. The prophet claims to be far more than a messenger. He is a person who stands in the presence of God (Jer. 15:19), who stands "in the council of the Lord" (Jer. 23:18), who is a participant, as it were, in the council of God, not a bearer of dispatches whose function is limited to being sent on errands. He is a counselor as well as a messenger. ...Heschel digs deep into selected prophets and shows how they were not just God's messengers but God's witnesses, interpreters, and friends. As well as being on the people's side also. It ain't easy being a prophet. It was inspirational and thought provoking.
The words the prophet utters are not offered as souvenirs. His speech to the people is not a reminiscence, a report, hearsay. The prophet not only conveys; he reveals. He almost does unto others what God does unto him. In speaking, the prophet reveals God. This is the marvel of a prophet's work: in his words, the invisible God becomes audible. He does not prove or argue. The thought he has to convey is more than language can contain. Divine power bursts in the words. The authority of the prophet is in the Presence his words reveal.
I especially appreciated the inclusion of scriptural excerpts because I'd never have gone to look up referenced quotes. And I liked that he took the time to set each prophet firmly in his own historical context. Every single prophet isn't covered but there are various lesser prophets like Amos, Habakkuk, and Hosea to go along with the expected biggies (Isaiah and Jeremiah).
Heschel also takes side trips to discuss bigger issues like history, chastisement, and justice so that we get an overview from the prophets' point of view.
The second book goes into more depth on such topics as inspiration, wrath, and comparisons to prophets in other faiths. I will be reading that part in the future. Heschel is too good not to get the whole story from.
March 3, 2021
A great work by one of the greatest Jewish thinkers of our modern era. Totally different than other classics like "The Sabbath," this 600+ page read was a very comprehensive examination of the office of the Biblical prophet.
This volume is contracted around two parts. The first of which focuses on who the prophet is and how they function. It looks at some biblical examples (namely Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, Habakkuk) and makes some observations about what concerns the prophets. Great chapters on history, justice, and chastisement.
The second part is a very large apologetic that stands against any cold, academic attempt to write off the biblical prophet as something other than who they are. He starts by talking about what the prophet is doing in comparison to the ancient world around him and then dismantles the idea that the prophet is simply the result of ecstasy, suffering from psychosis, and a list of other conclusions that historical critics are bound to make. I found this section challenging in a very positive way to where my cerebral mind tends to trend.
Finally, the whole book is an attempt to associate the prophet's work to that of experiencing the divine "pathos" which Heschel addresses repeatedly throughout the book. The conclusion is fantastic and a chapter that I re-read more than once to appreciate what Heschel had done in this work.
This volume is contracted around two parts. The first of which focuses on who the prophet is and how they function. It looks at some biblical examples (namely Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, Habakkuk) and makes some observations about what concerns the prophets. Great chapters on history, justice, and chastisement.
The second part is a very large apologetic that stands against any cold, academic attempt to write off the biblical prophet as something other than who they are. He starts by talking about what the prophet is doing in comparison to the ancient world around him and then dismantles the idea that the prophet is simply the result of ecstasy, suffering from psychosis, and a list of other conclusions that historical critics are bound to make. I found this section challenging in a very positive way to where my cerebral mind tends to trend.
Finally, the whole book is an attempt to associate the prophet's work to that of experiencing the divine "pathos" which Heschel addresses repeatedly throughout the book. The conclusion is fantastic and a chapter that I re-read more than once to appreciate what Heschel had done in this work.
June 28, 2018
Still a classic!
A. J. Heschel's The Prophets remains one of the most readable and moving works on prophecy in Israel. He points out that, while most religions concern themselves with attaining mystical union with God, the Jewish prophet is concerned with the well-being of the common man or women in the mundane world:
The prophet's mission is not merely to bring the word of God to man, but equally to represent man before God. Heschel sees the prophet as a tragic figure, constantly caught between God's high expectations of man, and his own compassion for his people's weakness. And yet, the prophet must remain convinced of the eventual reform of society, via the right choices of individuals.
Kindness and right behavior can be learned, and are the underpinning of a lasting and stable society. The prophet's mission is not to inculcate religious dogmas, but rather, to teach and to admonish, and to open the heart of those in power to the needs of the weakest members of society. "The opposite of freedom is not determinism, but hardness of heart. Freedom presupposes openness of heart, of mind, of eye and ear. (p. 191)"
A. J. Heschel's The Prophets remains one of the most readable and moving works on prophecy in Israel. He points out that, while most religions concern themselves with attaining mystical union with God, the Jewish prophet is concerned with the well-being of the common man or women in the mundane world:
In contrast, the prophet's field of concern is not the mysteries of heaven, but the affairs of the market place; not the glories of eternity, but the blights of society. He addresses himself to those who trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of the land; who increase the price of the grain, use dishonest scales, and sell the refuse of the corn (Amos 8:4-6). What the prophet's ear perceives is the world of God, but what the word contains is God's concern for the world. (p. 363)
The prophet's mission is not merely to bring the word of God to man, but equally to represent man before God. Heschel sees the prophet as a tragic figure, constantly caught between God's high expectations of man, and his own compassion for his people's weakness. And yet, the prophet must remain convinced of the eventual reform of society, via the right choices of individuals.
Kindness and right behavior can be learned, and are the underpinning of a lasting and stable society. The prophet's mission is not to inculcate religious dogmas, but rather, to teach and to admonish, and to open the heart of those in power to the needs of the weakest members of society. "The opposite of freedom is not determinism, but hardness of heart. Freedom presupposes openness of heart, of mind, of eye and ear. (p. 191)"
August 30, 2012
My spiritual director, a Benedictine monk, recommended Abraham Heschl's The Prophets to me. I had brought to him some badly muddled thinking about the prophets, despite my knowledge of Israelite history and the Bible.
Heschl's book profoundly altered my thinking. He called me to a clearer understanding of the God who called the Hebrews out of Egypt, named them as a people "peculiarly" his own, and demanded their unwavering fidelity.
The prophets were those men who were called by God and given a clear understanding of God's authority and God's righteousness. They also saw very clearly how simple it could be for the people to rely on the God who had chosen, delivered and blessed them. Consequently, they were all the more appalled by the sins of the people.
There was simply no excuse for their infidelity.
I have tried to apply that lesson in my own life. There is no excuse for my sin.
Nor should I want an excuse because to make one implies I have no need of forgiveness and, hence, no need for grace. And there I would not go!
If I can persuade someone I've hurt that I couldn't help it, he or she might be willing to let it go, or to blame someone else for what I did. But if I admit that I did it, I should not have done it, I wish I had not done it, I wish I had not profited by it -- then I can ask, "Please forgive me." And this friend will have the free opportunity to give me that blessing.
But so long as I cling to my excuses the hurt will remain somewhere between us. It will be unresolved even if forgotten.
Asking God's forgiveness requires an act of faith. I acknowledge that I have done wrong, I didn't have to do it, I knew it was wrong, I chose to do it, I profited by it, I wish I had not, and I am willing to make atonement.
Accepting God's forgiveness is an act of faith and, for that reason, can penetrate all the more deeply into those mysterious, inaccessible places of my heart.
As a Catholic the Sacrament of Penance helps me believe that God forgives me, provided I have approached the sacrament with sorrow, regret and true repentance. Acknowledging my sin to another person helps me "realize" both my sorrow and my faith in God. Without actually speaking to another person who has the authority to represent God, how can I persuade myself that I have truly made atonement?
The Prophets lead us on the way of penance. Their revelation remains an outstanding,if under-appreciated, event in human history. They have limned out the way that only Jesus could follow, and he has blazed the trail for his people.
Given Heschl's remarkable achievement with this book, I have to believe it will remain a classic throughout the third and into the fourth millennium.
Heschl's book profoundly altered my thinking. He called me to a clearer understanding of the God who called the Hebrews out of Egypt, named them as a people "peculiarly" his own, and demanded their unwavering fidelity.
The prophets were those men who were called by God and given a clear understanding of God's authority and God's righteousness. They also saw very clearly how simple it could be for the people to rely on the God who had chosen, delivered and blessed them. Consequently, they were all the more appalled by the sins of the people.
There was simply no excuse for their infidelity.
I have tried to apply that lesson in my own life. There is no excuse for my sin.
Nor should I want an excuse because to make one implies I have no need of forgiveness and, hence, no need for grace. And there I would not go!
If I can persuade someone I've hurt that I couldn't help it, he or she might be willing to let it go, or to blame someone else for what I did. But if I admit that I did it, I should not have done it, I wish I had not done it, I wish I had not profited by it -- then I can ask, "Please forgive me." And this friend will have the free opportunity to give me that blessing.
But so long as I cling to my excuses the hurt will remain somewhere between us. It will be unresolved even if forgotten.
Asking God's forgiveness requires an act of faith. I acknowledge that I have done wrong, I didn't have to do it, I knew it was wrong, I chose to do it, I profited by it, I wish I had not, and I am willing to make atonement.
Accepting God's forgiveness is an act of faith and, for that reason, can penetrate all the more deeply into those mysterious, inaccessible places of my heart.
As a Catholic the Sacrament of Penance helps me believe that God forgives me, provided I have approached the sacrament with sorrow, regret and true repentance. Acknowledging my sin to another person helps me "realize" both my sorrow and my faith in God. Without actually speaking to another person who has the authority to represent God, how can I persuade myself that I have truly made atonement?
The Prophets lead us on the way of penance. Their revelation remains an outstanding,if under-appreciated, event in human history. They have limned out the way that only Jesus could follow, and he has blazed the trail for his people.
Given Heschl's remarkable achievement with this book, I have to believe it will remain a classic throughout the third and into the fourth millennium.
December 25, 2020
"'Know thy God' (I Chron. 28:9) rather than 'Know Thyself' is the categorical imperative of the biblical man. There is no self-understanding without God-understanding."
This book is definitely in the top 5 books I've ever read! The last sentence of Heschel's classic work is a great summation of the book as a whole, yet fails to communicate the depth of how Heschel can conclude with a simple statement as that. The discussion of pathos throughout this book, as the author traces the history of Israel, is one of the most profound parts as the concern of God seems to be the defining characteristic of the Bible and is what has been communicated through the prophets of Israel—God's compassion, his anger, his sorrow. The idea that God is in search of man rather than the other way around is beautiful and striking. Super fitting to finish on Christmas.
This book is definitely in the top 5 books I've ever read! The last sentence of Heschel's classic work is a great summation of the book as a whole, yet fails to communicate the depth of how Heschel can conclude with a simple statement as that. The discussion of pathos throughout this book, as the author traces the history of Israel, is one of the most profound parts as the concern of God seems to be the defining characteristic of the Bible and is what has been communicated through the prophets of Israel—God's compassion, his anger, his sorrow. The idea that God is in search of man rather than the other way around is beautiful and striking. Super fitting to finish on Christmas.
March 10, 2010
At one point, the author summarizes:'We and the prophets have no language in common. To us the moral state of society, for all its stains and spots, seems fair and trim; to the prophet it is dreadful. So many deeds of charity are done, so much decency radiates day and night; yet to the prophet the satiety of conscience is prudery and flight from responsibility. Our standards are modest; our sense of injustice tolerable, timid; our moral indignation impermament; yet human violence is interminable, unbearable, permanent. To us life is often serene, in the prophet's eye the world reels in confusion" (10).
This near-classic treatment of the prophets, written by Jewish theologian, Abraham Heschel, is full of helpful insights and reorientations of perspective. I only read the first half of the book, since the latter discussion of the psychology of ecstasy and such didn't interest me.
But the main section on OT prophets reinforced my sense that the biblical prophets saw the message or gospel of God as clearly focused on communal justice and even perhaps foreign policy, not on our post-Reformation obsession with individual salvation.
The book also highlighted how idolatry, too, was not some individual doctrinal error (the way we assume) but itself an alien politics and economics. To worship Assyrian or Egyptian gods was not just to worship a god of a different personal trait. It was to embrace an opposing politics, an opposing way of life.
The book also highlighted the prophets' continual denunciations of violence and war (I hadn't realized how many). At the same time, their general opposition to violence and military might set them not only at odds with the conservatism of their day but also with the violent pagan systems surrounding them.
"Others have considered history from the point of view of power, judging its course in terms of victory and defeat, wealth and success; the prophets look at history from the point of view of justice, judging its course in terms of righteousness and corruption, of compassion and violence" (219).
Still, the more one reads the communal perspective of the prophets, the more strange become the deep individualism and pietism of much of Christian faith, whether Roman, Protestant, or Eastern. All our traditions show a deep divide with the concerns of the prophets, and then we force our individualism on Jesus, though His teaching directly repeats their perspective.
At the same time, every Christian tradition has sub-traditions that follow Jesus and the prophets. Still, how to explain the divide between the concerns of Jesus/the prophets and a precisionist concern about where our soul would go if we died tonight. That is our evangelism, but it doesn't dominate the horizon of Jesus and the prophets (and I'd add, not Paul's or the other apostles' either).
I suspect there's a political/social answer for our deep pietism (even in those traditions, such as the Reformed, which pretend to denounce pietism). Historically, individualism and pietism and a general overemphasis on the inward tends to accompany those who have been compromised by systems of Mammon. This clearly happened to the Pharisees, once dangerously social but then tamed by Rome. And perhaps the same thing happened to Protestants when we sided primarily with German nobles and Elizabeth's quests for gold and American nuclear domination. In other words, once we surrender to Mammon, we're allowed only nonthreatening, private religion, nothing that would provoke persecution.
Apart from being provocative on a few points, the book overall didn't knock me over. Much of it was common knowledge but still good.
Neat opening line: 'This book is about some of the most disturbing people who ever lived.'
This near-classic treatment of the prophets, written by Jewish theologian, Abraham Heschel, is full of helpful insights and reorientations of perspective. I only read the first half of the book, since the latter discussion of the psychology of ecstasy and such didn't interest me.
But the main section on OT prophets reinforced my sense that the biblical prophets saw the message or gospel of God as clearly focused on communal justice and even perhaps foreign policy, not on our post-Reformation obsession with individual salvation.
The book also highlighted how idolatry, too, was not some individual doctrinal error (the way we assume) but itself an alien politics and economics. To worship Assyrian or Egyptian gods was not just to worship a god of a different personal trait. It was to embrace an opposing politics, an opposing way of life.
The book also highlighted the prophets' continual denunciations of violence and war (I hadn't realized how many). At the same time, their general opposition to violence and military might set them not only at odds with the conservatism of their day but also with the violent pagan systems surrounding them.
"Others have considered history from the point of view of power, judging its course in terms of victory and defeat, wealth and success; the prophets look at history from the point of view of justice, judging its course in terms of righteousness and corruption, of compassion and violence" (219).
Still, the more one reads the communal perspective of the prophets, the more strange become the deep individualism and pietism of much of Christian faith, whether Roman, Protestant, or Eastern. All our traditions show a deep divide with the concerns of the prophets, and then we force our individualism on Jesus, though His teaching directly repeats their perspective.
At the same time, every Christian tradition has sub-traditions that follow Jesus and the prophets. Still, how to explain the divide between the concerns of Jesus/the prophets and a precisionist concern about where our soul would go if we died tonight. That is our evangelism, but it doesn't dominate the horizon of Jesus and the prophets (and I'd add, not Paul's or the other apostles' either).
I suspect there's a political/social answer for our deep pietism (even in those traditions, such as the Reformed, which pretend to denounce pietism). Historically, individualism and pietism and a general overemphasis on the inward tends to accompany those who have been compromised by systems of Mammon. This clearly happened to the Pharisees, once dangerously social but then tamed by Rome. And perhaps the same thing happened to Protestants when we sided primarily with German nobles and Elizabeth's quests for gold and American nuclear domination. In other words, once we surrender to Mammon, we're allowed only nonthreatening, private religion, nothing that would provoke persecution.
Apart from being provocative on a few points, the book overall didn't knock me over. Much of it was common knowledge but still good.
Neat opening line: 'This book is about some of the most disturbing people who ever lived.'
January 25, 2019
It’s only took me several weeks (and several highlighters), but I’ve finally made it through this gem.
Heschel, though sometimes a little bit all over the place with his thoughts (some parts of this could do with some developmental editing), is never anything short of illuminating.
*The Prophets* is a must read on the biblical prophets; especially with regards to their distinction, and their message’s distinction, within the ancient world.
Heschel, though sometimes a little bit all over the place with his thoughts (some parts of this could do with some developmental editing), is never anything short of illuminating.
*The Prophets* is a must read on the biblical prophets; especially with regards to their distinction, and their message’s distinction, within the ancient world.
January 7, 2023
Heschel is VERY thorough in his definition and defense of the manner of the biblical prophet. I really enjoyed most of this book as it was an eye opening perspective on the Prophets and their relationship with God and vice versa. There were certainly some snooze worthy chapters… But already have some more Heschel in my want to reads.
November 9, 2022
I can’t imagine there being a better book out there on the Prophets. Heschel’s work - I think this is the third book of his I’ve read - is brilliant. The first half of this one goes through most of the biblical prophets; the second half goes through various themes. The big theme here is Divine Pathos - while God is not subject to emotional whims and passions akin to a human, God is truly in relationship with humanity. Obviously a lot more could be said about Pathos. Overall, a fantastic read.
October 26, 2022
some pretty meat and potatoes scriptural / historical commentary on the prophets, followed by a bit more of a philosophical section. probably could've done without the first half of the book but it is called "The Prophets" so that comes with the territory i suppose. Still nice to read the hits.
For what it's worth, I think Rosenzweig handles prophetic "truths" in a much more interesting way in Star of Redemption, re: prophetic revelation as a creative act etc. (highly recommend Star of Redemption if you can get around the Heideggarian style of it). also Rosenzweig handles the prophets of different faiths more fairly than Heschel here who simply declares them to be "superficial".
Still interesting as a guidebook for how to be a prophet, and you've gotta think Heschel wasn't totally blind to his own ego. With his civil rights marching and anti-Vietnam war rabble-rousing, the good rabbi, in the deepest darkest part of his mind, probably recognized his own prophetic traits.
For what it's worth, I think Rosenzweig handles prophetic "truths" in a much more interesting way in Star of Redemption, re: prophetic revelation as a creative act etc. (highly recommend Star of Redemption if you can get around the Heideggarian style of it). also Rosenzweig handles the prophets of different faiths more fairly than Heschel here who simply declares them to be "superficial".
Still interesting as a guidebook for how to be a prophet, and you've gotta think Heschel wasn't totally blind to his own ego. With his civil rights marching and anti-Vietnam war rabble-rousing, the good rabbi, in the deepest darkest part of his mind, probably recognized his own prophetic traits.
April 30, 2008
Absolutely awesome. He had me in tears in the Introduction. That's pretty good. It is a study of the prophets from the standpoint of divine pathos. A tremendous reflection upon the emotional concern of God for man. There are some dangers I suppose if you took this too far, but if you or anyone needs a cure for a view of God - a dispassionate stoic - this is it. This one goes right up toward the top of my list!
March 21, 2020
I first read excerpts from "The Prophets" by Abraham J. Heschel in a class about the Hebrew Prophets in my Junior year at college. I appreciated it, and was fascinated by the points Heschel made, and the way in which he spoke about God and what it means to be a prophet of Israel. However, it was not until now, after I have finally had the chance to read this work in its entirety, that I realize exactly how important and beautiful of a work this is.
Abraham Heschel, a Hassidic Jew from Warsaw, Poland, published his dissertation, "The Prophetic Consciousness," which would later become the acclaimed book "The Prophets," while at the University of Berlin; this was also shortly after the rise of Hitler and Naziism to power in Germany. Soon after, Heschel fled to the United States, escaping from the clutches of the Nazi Regime; his mother and his three sisters who stayed behind in Poland were all killed by the Nazis, fueled by anti-Semitism. He spent the rest of his life in the U.S.A., teaching and writing; he was an active participant in the Civil Rights Movement, marching alongside of the Reverend and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and also was outspokenly against the Vietnam War. This historical backdrop helps to inform our understanding of who Heschel as a person is, which aids in understanding who Heschel is as a writer, a theologian, and a biblical scholar.
"The Prophets" is one of the most fundamental works to spring up in the 20th century for biblical scholarship and the theology of the Hebrew Scriptures. It continues to bear witness and impact studies and lives today. In countless ways, Heschel shows how the prophets of Israel, unlike prophets elsewhere in antiquity and around the world, are not primarily concerned with their experiencing the divine, or of being possessed by God for their own sake; rather, the prophetic experience exists only because of the divine's concern for humanity and history. According to Heschel, God is attentive to and concerned with the plight of humanity; "it is God's concern for man that is at the root of the prophet's work to save the people" (618). God's pathos is the reason for the prophetic work. Because God is concerned about justice, about the oppression of the poor and the needy, about the events of history, and about His covenant with His people--it is for this reason that the prophets were sent to Israel. God's concern, pathos, and desire for justice is made evident in the spell-binding words and actions of the prophets of Israel.
While there is much more that can be said about this work, one will simply have to read it for one's self to fully unearth the treasures found therein.
Abraham Heschel, a Hassidic Jew from Warsaw, Poland, published his dissertation, "The Prophetic Consciousness," which would later become the acclaimed book "The Prophets," while at the University of Berlin; this was also shortly after the rise of Hitler and Naziism to power in Germany. Soon after, Heschel fled to the United States, escaping from the clutches of the Nazi Regime; his mother and his three sisters who stayed behind in Poland were all killed by the Nazis, fueled by anti-Semitism. He spent the rest of his life in the U.S.A., teaching and writing; he was an active participant in the Civil Rights Movement, marching alongside of the Reverend and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and also was outspokenly against the Vietnam War. This historical backdrop helps to inform our understanding of who Heschel as a person is, which aids in understanding who Heschel is as a writer, a theologian, and a biblical scholar.
"The Prophets" is one of the most fundamental works to spring up in the 20th century for biblical scholarship and the theology of the Hebrew Scriptures. It continues to bear witness and impact studies and lives today. In countless ways, Heschel shows how the prophets of Israel, unlike prophets elsewhere in antiquity and around the world, are not primarily concerned with their experiencing the divine, or of being possessed by God for their own sake; rather, the prophetic experience exists only because of the divine's concern for humanity and history. According to Heschel, God is attentive to and concerned with the plight of humanity; "it is God's concern for man that is at the root of the prophet's work to save the people" (618). God's pathos is the reason for the prophetic work. Because God is concerned about justice, about the oppression of the poor and the needy, about the events of history, and about His covenant with His people--it is for this reason that the prophets were sent to Israel. God's concern, pathos, and desire for justice is made evident in the spell-binding words and actions of the prophets of Israel.
While there is much more that can be said about this work, one will simply have to read it for one's self to fully unearth the treasures found therein.
October 13, 2014
Abraham Heschel's The Prophets offers a thorough and insightul analysis of the phenomenon of the prophet in the Hebrew Bible.
The first part of the book begins, modestly enough, as something of a commentary on the texts of the prophets. This begins with a general discussion of the sort of man that the prophet was, before going into individual readings of the prophets and discussion of the historical contexts in which they operated.
The book then moves into a theological and philosophical discussion of the phenomenon of Biblical prophecy, and then on to a discussion of the explanations for prophetic inspiration. As is to be expected of Heschel, these sections are intellectually substantial, but are written in a dense, but surprisingly lucid manner.
This book shows its age a bit in those parts engaging with psychoanalytical and anthropological approaches to the phenomenon of prophecy. But such arguments at least provide the contemporary reader with some insight as to how Heschel might extrapolate his arguments to counter more contemporary non-Biblical approaches to prophecy.
The book really hits its stride with a comparative study of prophets throughout the surrounding Biblical world. In this section, Heschel does a thorough job of cataloging the many distinctions that separate the particular character of Biblical prophecy from the superficially similar phenomena also found in that part of the ancient world.
The Prophets is a rewarding read. It should appeal to anyone with an interest in better understanding the prophets' words as well as their particular place within ancient Israel and Judah, and their unique relationship to the priesthood and the kings.
The first part of the book begins, modestly enough, as something of a commentary on the texts of the prophets. This begins with a general discussion of the sort of man that the prophet was, before going into individual readings of the prophets and discussion of the historical contexts in which they operated.
The book then moves into a theological and philosophical discussion of the phenomenon of Biblical prophecy, and then on to a discussion of the explanations for prophetic inspiration. As is to be expected of Heschel, these sections are intellectually substantial, but are written in a dense, but surprisingly lucid manner.
This book shows its age a bit in those parts engaging with psychoanalytical and anthropological approaches to the phenomenon of prophecy. But such arguments at least provide the contemporary reader with some insight as to how Heschel might extrapolate his arguments to counter more contemporary non-Biblical approaches to prophecy.
The book really hits its stride with a comparative study of prophets throughout the surrounding Biblical world. In this section, Heschel does a thorough job of cataloging the many distinctions that separate the particular character of Biblical prophecy from the superficially similar phenomena also found in that part of the ancient world.
The Prophets is a rewarding read. It should appeal to anyone with an interest in better understanding the prophets' words as well as their particular place within ancient Israel and Judah, and their unique relationship to the priesthood and the kings.
March 11, 2013
A tome, indeed.
I first became aware of Abraham Joshua Heschel by his presence—when he walked across the Pettus Bridge, linked arms with Martin Luther King. And that is certainly an important way to remember him, as a man who put his faith on the street. He was, of course, also a traditional scholar, carrying understanding of Torah and the other Hebrew Testaments from the past and translating them for new generations and new understandings.
“Revelation is not a voice crying in the wilderness, bur an act of received communication. It is not simply an act of disclosing, but is an act of disclosing to someone, the bestowal of a content, God addressing the prophet.” (page 217)
The two volumes of the Prophets bound into one book is one of those scholarly works—rich, and thick (and I’m not referring to the number of pages) but the kind of thing that, thought I sometimes struggle through, broadens and enhances my understanding of the biblical prophets.
“But the prophet casts a light by which the heart is led into the thinking of the Lord’s mind. God does not delight in unleashing anger. In what, then, does God delight? ‘I am the Lord who practices kindness, justice, and righteousness in the earth for in theses things I delight, says the Lord.’ (Jeremiah 9:24. Hosea 9:25)” (page 67)
The volumes contain both a deep discussion of each prophet and a comparison of the biblical prophets, their prophecies and other worldviews—the Greeks, Buddhist, and others.
Good stuff, and not just because it gave me an opportunity to brush up on my academic reading skills-no skimming allowed. Good stuff but not for the faint of heart.
I first became aware of Abraham Joshua Heschel by his presence—when he walked across the Pettus Bridge, linked arms with Martin Luther King. And that is certainly an important way to remember him, as a man who put his faith on the street. He was, of course, also a traditional scholar, carrying understanding of Torah and the other Hebrew Testaments from the past and translating them for new generations and new understandings.
“Revelation is not a voice crying in the wilderness, bur an act of received communication. It is not simply an act of disclosing, but is an act of disclosing to someone, the bestowal of a content, God addressing the prophet.” (page 217)
The two volumes of the Prophets bound into one book is one of those scholarly works—rich, and thick (and I’m not referring to the number of pages) but the kind of thing that, thought I sometimes struggle through, broadens and enhances my understanding of the biblical prophets.
“But the prophet casts a light by which the heart is led into the thinking of the Lord’s mind. God does not delight in unleashing anger. In what, then, does God delight? ‘I am the Lord who practices kindness, justice, and righteousness in the earth for in theses things I delight, says the Lord.’ (Jeremiah 9:24. Hosea 9:25)” (page 67)
The volumes contain both a deep discussion of each prophet and a comparison of the biblical prophets, their prophecies and other worldviews—the Greeks, Buddhist, and others.
Good stuff, and not just because it gave me an opportunity to brush up on my academic reading skills-no skimming allowed. Good stuff but not for the faint of heart.
January 29, 2020
This book was originally issued in two separate volumes. In the first volume Heschel begins with the excellent essay "What Manner of Man is the Prophet?" which stands alone as a masterpiece but also fits well within the context of the whole. He then provides a scholarly commentary on a number of major and minor prophets. The first volume is a fantastic introduction to prophetic literature. The second volume is more of a philosophical and theological investigation of the nature of prophesy. Heschel strives to explain why and how biblical prophesy cannot be accounted for by psychological theories, theories from comparative religion, or from the sociology of religion. The second volume will probably be less appealing to non-academics or non-specialists, and at times it gets repetitive as he makes similar points in different ways. It seems like an attempt to be exhaustive. Nonetheless, even when Heschel is doing very scholarly air-tight work, I find that his writing is of the type that leads the reader into awe filled moments of prayer and contemplation.
March 21, 2019
This book was (mostly) excellent. I appreciated how Heschel forces his readers to grapple with the human part of the Prophets, particularly their call and the privilege/burden of representing God to the people and the people to God. He has many profound and provocative one-liners - for example, he uses the words seduction and rape to describe the (ongoing) call of the prophets. Though graphic and jarring, his point is made well and helps readers understand the prophets better. In general, his writing is clear and well-organized. I skimmed some sections of the book that dealt more with philosophy and surveying his contemporary scholarship, but his summary of some of the prophets, his unpacking of the office, and his comments on ecstasy were all well-done. This is a book I will return to if I ever get a chance to teach or preach on the prophets.
January 11, 2022
Studies the lives of the Prophets, the historical context their missions were set in, their work, and their psychological state. It gives a detailed treatment of the phenomenon of prophecy, and what it means.
June 12, 2018
A classic !
April 15, 2020
3.5. I learned a lot, I have a new appreciation for the prophets. It was also quite repetitive and could have been shorter.
April 1, 2019
A work of moral, theological, and intellectual genius. I will be revisiting this book for many years to come.
June 7, 2023
This one's good, not great. I liked the first half considerably more than the second.
September 3, 2017
Is God involved in prophecy?
The late Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972) was one of the great Orthodox Jewish scholars, theologians, and philosophers of his generation. His books made a striking impression on many people, including me. His many insights are eye opening. His book “The Prophets” is one of his classics.
He tells us that he will not address the well-known question about prophets: Did God really speak to them? Did they actually communicate with God? Yet, I think it is clear that he did not believe that God spoke to the prophets. I say this because his book is devoted to telling us about the passions that the prophets felt that encouraged, even compelled, them to speak.
Heschel’s view of prophecy is radically different than that of Maimonides (1138-1204). The two seem to agree that prophecy is not a supernatural event, it is part of human nature. But they differ in whether the prophet is prompted to act by his emotions or his intellect. Heschel mentions Maimonides in his book ten times, but only to disagree with him.
Heschel stressed the anguish of the sensitive prophets over what they saw. He considered this emotion a good thing, and contended that their emotional reactions to what they saw around them prompted them to speak. While it seems to me that Heschel was influenced by hasidic mystical thinking, for he was raised as a hasid, Maimonides took the rational Aristotelian view that what is important is intellect, thinking, not emotions. Maimonides stressed that emotions must be controlled by the intellect, and unless emotions are controlled by the intellect, they can be evil. Maimonides contended that it was not emotions that prompted prophets to speak but the higher level of understanding that the prophets had; his or her understanding that what was being done was wrong. They saw and understood what the general population did not understand.
Heschel not only contends that emotions are good and that it is an emotional reaction that compels prophets to speak, he also takes the biblical stories about God’s reactions to the Israelite behavior literally and states that God also has emotional reactions. God, he writes, is “moved and affected by what happens in the world, and acts accordingly. Events and human actions arouse in Him joy or sorrow, pleasure or wrath…man’s deeds may move Him, affect Him, grieve Him or, on the other hand, gladden and please Him.” He writes that “the fundamental experience of the prophet is a fellowship with the feelings of God, a sympathy with the divine pathos (emphasis by Heschel).” God, according to Heschel, has these feelings because “His thoughts are about the world. He is involved in human history and is affected by human acts.”
Maimonides rejected the idea that God could be affected by human behavior. He taught that God has no body and no emotions and all of the biblical descriptions of God having an emotional reaction refers not to God, but to the way the people perceive their own behavior. When the Bible states that God is angry, it does not mean that God suddenly changed and reacted with anger. It means that the people realized that the behavior was wrong and not what God wanted. A side effect of portraying God having an emotional reaction is that it tends to frighten the masses who think that God actually is angry at them, and they become frightened and some even change their evil deeds.
Thus, for example, Heschel, as well as Rashi and the Targum, understood that the prophet Hosea actually married a harlot and suffered extreme agony as a result of her behavior, her adulteries, and these emotions caused him to understand how the wavering of the Israelites, their abandonment of God, affected God. In contrast, rationalists such as Maimonides, Abraham ibn Ezra, and Kimchi interpreted the tale of Hosea’s marriage to a prostitute as a parable that Hosea invented and used to dramatize his message, a message he developed intellectually.
The late Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972) was one of the great Orthodox Jewish scholars, theologians, and philosophers of his generation. His books made a striking impression on many people, including me. His many insights are eye opening. His book “The Prophets” is one of his classics.
He tells us that he will not address the well-known question about prophets: Did God really speak to them? Did they actually communicate with God? Yet, I think it is clear that he did not believe that God spoke to the prophets. I say this because his book is devoted to telling us about the passions that the prophets felt that encouraged, even compelled, them to speak.
Heschel’s view of prophecy is radically different than that of Maimonides (1138-1204). The two seem to agree that prophecy is not a supernatural event, it is part of human nature. But they differ in whether the prophet is prompted to act by his emotions or his intellect. Heschel mentions Maimonides in his book ten times, but only to disagree with him.
Heschel stressed the anguish of the sensitive prophets over what they saw. He considered this emotion a good thing, and contended that their emotional reactions to what they saw around them prompted them to speak. While it seems to me that Heschel was influenced by hasidic mystical thinking, for he was raised as a hasid, Maimonides took the rational Aristotelian view that what is important is intellect, thinking, not emotions. Maimonides stressed that emotions must be controlled by the intellect, and unless emotions are controlled by the intellect, they can be evil. Maimonides contended that it was not emotions that prompted prophets to speak but the higher level of understanding that the prophets had; his or her understanding that what was being done was wrong. They saw and understood what the general population did not understand.
Heschel not only contends that emotions are good and that it is an emotional reaction that compels prophets to speak, he also takes the biblical stories about God’s reactions to the Israelite behavior literally and states that God also has emotional reactions. God, he writes, is “moved and affected by what happens in the world, and acts accordingly. Events and human actions arouse in Him joy or sorrow, pleasure or wrath…man’s deeds may move Him, affect Him, grieve Him or, on the other hand, gladden and please Him.” He writes that “the fundamental experience of the prophet is a fellowship with the feelings of God, a sympathy with the divine pathos (emphasis by Heschel).” God, according to Heschel, has these feelings because “His thoughts are about the world. He is involved in human history and is affected by human acts.”
Maimonides rejected the idea that God could be affected by human behavior. He taught that God has no body and no emotions and all of the biblical descriptions of God having an emotional reaction refers not to God, but to the way the people perceive their own behavior. When the Bible states that God is angry, it does not mean that God suddenly changed and reacted with anger. It means that the people realized that the behavior was wrong and not what God wanted. A side effect of portraying God having an emotional reaction is that it tends to frighten the masses who think that God actually is angry at them, and they become frightened and some even change their evil deeds.
Thus, for example, Heschel, as well as Rashi and the Targum, understood that the prophet Hosea actually married a harlot and suffered extreme agony as a result of her behavior, her adulteries, and these emotions caused him to understand how the wavering of the Israelites, their abandonment of God, affected God. In contrast, rationalists such as Maimonides, Abraham ibn Ezra, and Kimchi interpreted the tale of Hosea’s marriage to a prostitute as a parable that Hosea invented and used to dramatize his message, a message he developed intellectually.
February 9, 2018
I originally found Heschel's The Prophets in the references on the Wikipedia site for the prophet Jeremiah. I had been reading the book of Jeremiah for my scripture study, and hand found some of the particulars difficult to understand. I knew Jeremiah was a bit of a downer, but his constant calls of destruction, his apparent self-hatred were a bit confusing (at one point, he cries, "cursed be the day my mother bore me.") I didn't want a verse-by-verse explanation, but a little context was appreciated.
I got more than I bargained for in The Prophets! But Heschel writes with amazing clarity. There is indeed a chapter dedicated to Jeremiah. But the book is a treatise on prophets and prophecy in the Old Testament. It includes more than just an explanation and backstory of the prophets; it gives a theory and theology of prophecy and how it fits into God's plan.
As a Mormon, I came at the book with a theory of prophecy and prophets of my own. With the prophetic succession of President Russell M. Nelson happening this past month, it is at the forefront of my people's mind. I taught about the centrality of prophets on my mission. Prophets are called to preach God's word to the people, and hold the necessary authority to perform sacred ordinances to return to live in God's presence. When people reject the prophets, that authority is lost, and man loses his connection to God. After a long period of apostasy, God has again called a prophet in this dispensation with all the keys necessary to salvation.
The two central principles to Heschel's theory of prophecy are twofold: divine pathos and divine sympathy. Divine pathos is defined as God's concern for man. Central to God's being is not his omniscience, omnipresence, or omnipotence; it is his pathos, his concern for man. God is not indifferent to man's plight. His love and compassion as well as his anger and wrath are elements of that pathos. The central defining attribute of a prophet is divine sympathy, or identification with the will of God. Thus, prophets experience the divine pathos, and carry the message of God's concern to man.
I would divide the book into three sections: (1) an in-depth look at the literary prophets of the Old Testament e.g. Amos, Jeremiah, Isaiah (2) a development of the theology of prophecy, and (3) a compare/contrast with different ideas of prophecy in different times and cultures. Part one is particularly informative. I have read some of these books in the Old Testament with no idea for context. You get an idea of when the prophets were prophesying, to whole they were addressing, and the problems of their day and age. Very helpful to someone who gets lost in the Old Testament.
The second portion develops the theology of pathos and sympathy, going in depth into side concepts such as justice and wrath. This is a very interesting discussion, because it changes your view of the role of prophets as well as the God of the Old Testament. For instance, I never thought of the prophets as "social justice warriors." But their concern for justice was paramount:
Justice is not important for its own sake; the validity of justice and the motivation for its exercise lies in the blessings it brings to man. For justice, as stated above, is not an abstraction, a value. Justice exists in relation to a person, and is something done by a person. An act of injustice is condemned, not because the law is broken, but because a person has been hurt. What is the image of a person? A person is a being whose anguish may reach the heart of God. "You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. If you do afflict them, and they cry out to Me, I will surely hear their cry... if he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am compassionate."
You also begin to get an idea of the importance of divine wrath, and how we often misconceive it due to the prejudice's of modern society:
To our mind the terrible threats of castigation bespeak a lack of moderation. Is it not because we are only dimly aware of the full gravity of human failure, of the sufferings inflicted by those who revile God's demand for justice? There is a cruelty which pardons, just as there is a pity which punishes. Severity must tame whom love cannot win.
Finally, the compare/contrast section gets into some technical definitions of things similar to biblical prophecy, but are actually radically different including ecstasy (the separation of body and spirit), possession or enthusiasm, divination, etc. Heschel highlights the uniqueness of the Hebrew understanding of prophecy. Prophecy is a dialigue. Prophecy isn't an end in itself. And the prophet maintains his wits about him during the experience.
There was a particular portion where he compares prophecy with some aspects found in Christianity without explicitly mentioning Christianity (e.g. prophecy is not passion, like the passion of Christ. Prophecy is also not imitatio, or the imitating of Christ). I found the discussion interesting, and I appreciated the clear distinctions in definitions Heschel provided.
Also of particular interest to me coming from my faith tradition was his contrast of the prophet and the priest. The prophetic role is to receive and declare revelation from God, while the role of the priest is worship and sacred ritual. In Mormonism, these two roles are fused into one. Can this effectively happen? Or is the role of prophet downplayed when constrained to a hierarchical structure?
Just as the prophet is the supreme example of anthropotropism (turning to man), so is the priest the outstanding exponent of theotropism (turning to God). The difference between them must be understood in terms of the different experiences they represent. The prophet, speaking for God to the people must disclose; the priest, acting for people before God, must carry out the will of God. The prophet speaks and acts by virtue of divine inspiration, the priest performs the ritual by virtue of his official status.
There is a warning when the role of the priest becomes dominant:
Whereas theotropic moments determine the ultimate image of existence, directedness of the mind upon the divine may become, in extreme cases, the exclusive standard and principle of judgment. Focused upon the Beyond, the mind begins to disregard the demands and values of here and now; sliding into resignation and withdrawal from action, moral indifferentism, and world denial.
A fascinating read. It will enrich your reading of the Old Testament, and give you a greater appreciation and understanding of the Jewish tradition. Sometimes I think we cheapen the faith and experience of the Jews. Historically, Christians have scorned the harsh God of the Old Testament in contrast to the loving God of the new, without realizing that the Jews very much believed in a God of love as well. We just have a very superficial idea of love.
I got more than I bargained for in The Prophets! But Heschel writes with amazing clarity. There is indeed a chapter dedicated to Jeremiah. But the book is a treatise on prophets and prophecy in the Old Testament. It includes more than just an explanation and backstory of the prophets; it gives a theory and theology of prophecy and how it fits into God's plan.
As a Mormon, I came at the book with a theory of prophecy and prophets of my own. With the prophetic succession of President Russell M. Nelson happening this past month, it is at the forefront of my people's mind. I taught about the centrality of prophets on my mission. Prophets are called to preach God's word to the people, and hold the necessary authority to perform sacred ordinances to return to live in God's presence. When people reject the prophets, that authority is lost, and man loses his connection to God. After a long period of apostasy, God has again called a prophet in this dispensation with all the keys necessary to salvation.
The two central principles to Heschel's theory of prophecy are twofold: divine pathos and divine sympathy. Divine pathos is defined as God's concern for man. Central to God's being is not his omniscience, omnipresence, or omnipotence; it is his pathos, his concern for man. God is not indifferent to man's plight. His love and compassion as well as his anger and wrath are elements of that pathos. The central defining attribute of a prophet is divine sympathy, or identification with the will of God. Thus, prophets experience the divine pathos, and carry the message of God's concern to man.
I would divide the book into three sections: (1) an in-depth look at the literary prophets of the Old Testament e.g. Amos, Jeremiah, Isaiah (2) a development of the theology of prophecy, and (3) a compare/contrast with different ideas of prophecy in different times and cultures. Part one is particularly informative. I have read some of these books in the Old Testament with no idea for context. You get an idea of when the prophets were prophesying, to whole they were addressing, and the problems of their day and age. Very helpful to someone who gets lost in the Old Testament.
The second portion develops the theology of pathos and sympathy, going in depth into side concepts such as justice and wrath. This is a very interesting discussion, because it changes your view of the role of prophets as well as the God of the Old Testament. For instance, I never thought of the prophets as "social justice warriors." But their concern for justice was paramount:
Justice is not important for its own sake; the validity of justice and the motivation for its exercise lies in the blessings it brings to man. For justice, as stated above, is not an abstraction, a value. Justice exists in relation to a person, and is something done by a person. An act of injustice is condemned, not because the law is broken, but because a person has been hurt. What is the image of a person? A person is a being whose anguish may reach the heart of God. "You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. If you do afflict them, and they cry out to Me, I will surely hear their cry... if he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am compassionate."
You also begin to get an idea of the importance of divine wrath, and how we often misconceive it due to the prejudice's of modern society:
To our mind the terrible threats of castigation bespeak a lack of moderation. Is it not because we are only dimly aware of the full gravity of human failure, of the sufferings inflicted by those who revile God's demand for justice? There is a cruelty which pardons, just as there is a pity which punishes. Severity must tame whom love cannot win.
Finally, the compare/contrast section gets into some technical definitions of things similar to biblical prophecy, but are actually radically different including ecstasy (the separation of body and spirit), possession or enthusiasm, divination, etc. Heschel highlights the uniqueness of the Hebrew understanding of prophecy. Prophecy is a dialigue. Prophecy isn't an end in itself. And the prophet maintains his wits about him during the experience.
There was a particular portion where he compares prophecy with some aspects found in Christianity without explicitly mentioning Christianity (e.g. prophecy is not passion, like the passion of Christ. Prophecy is also not imitatio, or the imitating of Christ). I found the discussion interesting, and I appreciated the clear distinctions in definitions Heschel provided.
Also of particular interest to me coming from my faith tradition was his contrast of the prophet and the priest. The prophetic role is to receive and declare revelation from God, while the role of the priest is worship and sacred ritual. In Mormonism, these two roles are fused into one. Can this effectively happen? Or is the role of prophet downplayed when constrained to a hierarchical structure?
Just as the prophet is the supreme example of anthropotropism (turning to man), so is the priest the outstanding exponent of theotropism (turning to God). The difference between them must be understood in terms of the different experiences they represent. The prophet, speaking for God to the people must disclose; the priest, acting for people before God, must carry out the will of God. The prophet speaks and acts by virtue of divine inspiration, the priest performs the ritual by virtue of his official status.
There is a warning when the role of the priest becomes dominant:
Whereas theotropic moments determine the ultimate image of existence, directedness of the mind upon the divine may become, in extreme cases, the exclusive standard and principle of judgment. Focused upon the Beyond, the mind begins to disregard the demands and values of here and now; sliding into resignation and withdrawal from action, moral indifferentism, and world denial.
A fascinating read. It will enrich your reading of the Old Testament, and give you a greater appreciation and understanding of the Jewish tradition. Sometimes I think we cheapen the faith and experience of the Jews. Historically, Christians have scorned the harsh God of the Old Testament in contrast to the loving God of the new, without realizing that the Jews very much believed in a God of love as well. We just have a very superficial idea of love.
January 24, 2022
I am afraid that I just had to give up on this one. The prophets are real downers. They prophesy the fall of kingdoms, the punishment of the people and conquest by enemies. Repent! or else. This is not a good time to be reading about the end of the world.
Heaschel remains a brilliant and amazing writer. He was fascinated by the prophets, and this book was his vehicle to explore their lives. He tries to understand them in the context of the history of the times. His historical perspective is very informative and bit surprising. To me the prophets have always been read out of the context of their history - as a general reminder to me (and the Jewish people) of what can happen if I (they) stray from God's commandments. It turns out that they were not talking to me personally, or often, even to the Jewish people. The prophets often had a message specific to the kingdoms in which the Jewish people lived and the kings who ruled them. You all know some of the stories.
Heaschel remains a brilliant and amazing writer. He was fascinated by the prophets, and this book was his vehicle to explore their lives. He tries to understand them in the context of the history of the times. His historical perspective is very informative and bit surprising. To me the prophets have always been read out of the context of their history - as a general reminder to me (and the Jewish people) of what can happen if I (they) stray from God's commandments. It turns out that they were not talking to me personally, or often, even to the Jewish people. The prophets often had a message specific to the kingdoms in which the Jewish people lived and the kings who ruled them. You all know some of the stories.
June 26, 2008
I have read the vast majority of this book for a graduate level Prophets course. It's commentary is extraordinarily helpful in understanding both the major and minor prophets of the Hebrew Bible. In particular I appreciated how Heschel embeds the word into his commentary. Through his work, Heschel helps develop what the prophet Hosea calls daath elohim - an intimate sensitivity for who God is and God hopes and desires for relationship with humanity and all creation.
August 21, 2010
Less a work of historical criticism than a philosophical tract (though certainly thoroughly researched and highly critical), Heschel holds up the prophets of the Tanakh as exemplars of not just divine revelation, but also of :"divine pathos" and "prophetic sympathy," men attuned to God's concern for humankind and brave enough to speak His word to those who've forgotten it. The key here is reciprocity between the divine and the human, a concept to which I fully subscribe.
April 9, 2012
Volume Two is more scholastic than Volume One and a slower more difficult read. As I read it, I had the sweet feeling of being in the presence of a master. What a beautiful mind! What a beautiful soul!
February 15, 2021
You haven’t met the prophets if you haven’t read Heschel.
December 17, 2021
Born in 1907 in Warsaw, Poland, Heschel moved to the United States in 1940. He died in New York City in 1972. Heschel was a Rabbi and was considered a leader in Jewish theology and philosophy. Several books have been written about Heschel and he has also been commemorated by several colleges being named after him. Heschel served as a professor of Jewish mysticism at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Heschel was an activist in the Civil Rights Movement. He also protested the Vietnam War. Heschel was awarded the National Jewish Book Award in 1970 in the Jewish thought category for his work, Israel: An Echo of Eternity. A prolific writer, Heschel authored numerous books, far too many to list, however, following is a selection of some of his most popular publications: Heavenly Torah: As Refracted Through the Generations (2005), The Ineffable name of God: Man: Poems (2004), A Passion for Truth (1973), Israel: An Echo of Eternity (1969), Who is Man (1965), God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism (1955), Man’s Quest for God: Studies in Prayer and Symbolism (1954), Man is Not Alone: A Philosophy of Religion (1951), and The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man (1951).
HarperCollins Publishing is in New York, New York. Founded in 1817 by brothers John and James Harper, HarperCollins has become the second largest publisher of books in the world. They are in 17 countries and publish about 10,000 books a year in 16 languages through 120 imprints. Publishing both fiction and non-fiction, HarperCollins is not affiliated with a specific ideology and publishes across many different genres.
The Prophets explains what it was like for the prophets of the Old Testament. Heschel is an expert in this subject and has a way of disseminating information about the prophets clearly and compels the reader to want to continue reading. Heschel’s writing style book could be described as lovely.
Heschel has divided the book into two parts. The first provides a discussion on what, exactly, a prophet is, followed by chapters on “Amos,” “Hosea,” “Isaiah (Isa. 1-39),” “Micah,” “Jeremiah,” “Habakkuk” and “Second Isaiah.” The last three chapters in the first half of this book are “History,” “Chastisement” and “Justice”.
The second part of The Prophets includes the following chapters: “The Theology of Pathos,” “Comparisons and Contrasts,” “The Philosophy of Pathos,” “Anthropopathy,” “The Meaning and Mystery of Wrath,” “Ira Dei,” “Religion of Sympathy,” “Prophecy and Ecstasy,” “The Theory of Ecstasy,” “An Examination of the Theory of Ecstasy,” “Prophecy and Poetic Inspiration,” “Explanations of Prophetic Inspiration,” “Event and Experience,” “Prophets Throughout the World,” “Prophet, Priest and King” and finally a “Conclusion.”
Although written by an academic, this book would hold the attention of anyone interested in prophetic literature.
HarperCollins Publishing is in New York, New York. Founded in 1817 by brothers John and James Harper, HarperCollins has become the second largest publisher of books in the world. They are in 17 countries and publish about 10,000 books a year in 16 languages through 120 imprints. Publishing both fiction and non-fiction, HarperCollins is not affiliated with a specific ideology and publishes across many different genres.
The Prophets explains what it was like for the prophets of the Old Testament. Heschel is an expert in this subject and has a way of disseminating information about the prophets clearly and compels the reader to want to continue reading. Heschel’s writing style book could be described as lovely.
Heschel has divided the book into two parts. The first provides a discussion on what, exactly, a prophet is, followed by chapters on “Amos,” “Hosea,” “Isaiah (Isa. 1-39),” “Micah,” “Jeremiah,” “Habakkuk” and “Second Isaiah.” The last three chapters in the first half of this book are “History,” “Chastisement” and “Justice”.
The second part of The Prophets includes the following chapters: “The Theology of Pathos,” “Comparisons and Contrasts,” “The Philosophy of Pathos,” “Anthropopathy,” “The Meaning and Mystery of Wrath,” “Ira Dei,” “Religion of Sympathy,” “Prophecy and Ecstasy,” “The Theory of Ecstasy,” “An Examination of the Theory of Ecstasy,” “Prophecy and Poetic Inspiration,” “Explanations of Prophetic Inspiration,” “Event and Experience,” “Prophets Throughout the World,” “Prophet, Priest and King” and finally a “Conclusion.”
Although written by an academic, this book would hold the attention of anyone interested in prophetic literature.
August 26, 2019
I wish I could spilt this book into two parts. I enjoyed the portions of the book which focused on the biblical and theological analysis of the prophets, which was 3/4 of the book. I didn’t understand why Heschel included the other portions, which focused on history, psychology, or other fields of study outside of Jewish thought and and biblical analysis. I felt that those inclusions were very forced and at times lacked cohesiveness and relations to the main subject matter. For that reason, my views are split between giving 4 stars to the portions I liked, and 2 stars to the parts I found hard to read through. So, average that out to a 3 star read.
Focusing on the positive, I found Heschel’s interpretation of the Old Testament prophets and their messages very insightful. While explaining the meaning of the prophets’ words as they pertained to a particular point in the history of Israel, Heschel also extracted and applied the messages as they could be understood in a universal mode. I especially admired how beautifully he described the relationship between God, the prophet, and the people as a personable relationship. The main theme being concern: the concern God had for his people and justice, and the concern the prophets had for their contemporaries to change their ways towards justice and repenting from their sins to God.
Focusing on the positive, I found Heschel’s interpretation of the Old Testament prophets and their messages very insightful. While explaining the meaning of the prophets’ words as they pertained to a particular point in the history of Israel, Heschel also extracted and applied the messages as they could be understood in a universal mode. I especially admired how beautifully he described the relationship between God, the prophet, and the people as a personable relationship. The main theme being concern: the concern God had for his people and justice, and the concern the prophets had for their contemporaries to change their ways towards justice and repenting from their sins to God.
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