The section of the Bible known as the latter prophets, literary prophets, or writing prophets comprise texts from the eighth through the second century BCE. These texts have worked their way into the roots of Western culture, firing the imagination of painters and poets for generations.

Declining levels of biblical literacy have left many of the prophet’s ideas orphaned from their roots in the Hebrew Bible, although they still linger in the English language. The Hebrew Prophets contains a series of very short yet illuminating essays on these literary artifacts: Ancient of Days, Valley of Dry Bones, Lion Lies down with the Lamb, and Swords into Ploughshares, to list a few. These essays are written by a mix of Canadian and American scholars.

Following about fifty pages of essays, the bulk of the book (about 170 pages) is comprised of excerpts from the latter prophets drawn from the King James Version. The selections are arranged in three chronological sections: pre-exilic, exilic, and post-exilic.

You can think of this work as an abridged collection of the latter prophets. The language, especially in the cadence of the Authorized Version, is rich and vivid. With near universal access to electronic versions of the Bible in North America, it may feel superfluous to have yet another paperbound collection of scripture. Not so for me. I found this curated collection of prophecies to be a welcome addition to my morning readings.

The Hebrew Prophets: Visionaries of the Ancient World. Lion Publishing, 1988.