MINOR PROPHETS: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Amos 6:4-7 What is wrong with lying down on beds, eating lambs and calves, and inventing musical instruments like David did?

One might expect verse 4 to be a poetic exaggeration, but actual bed frames and headboards with ivory veneer from 8-9^th century BC Samaria have been excavated. They were decorated with pictures of pagan gods. Thus, Israel is being condemned here for their decadent wealth and possibly their idolatry.

There are possible translation problems with verse 5 since David didn't invent musical instruments and that is not a typical feast activity. This verse should read “strum on the lyre and improvise on musical instruments.” It is probably the nature of the songs that is suspect here.

The Hebrew word translated “revelry” is the key to understanding this passage. It appears in the OT only here and in Jeremiah 16:5-8 (“Do not enter into the house of mourning to eat and drink and give consolation.”) Inscriptions from Israel have been found dating from a wide time period that contain this same word in the context of eating, drinking, beds, and anointing with oil. From these inscriptions, we can piece together the custom of social and religious associations of wealthy couples who would host orgies lasting several days to honor the dead and dedicated to pagan gods. They would mourn in that manner, but (verse 6) would not bother mourning over what had become of Israel (“the ruin of Joseph”).

Book of Obadiah I have heard it said that this book is plagiarized from other sources. Is that true?

Yes, there are many parallels between the words in this book and those found elsewhere in other OT prophets. However, keep in mind the following principles: (1) It is often impossible to determine which prophet was the original source, (2) both prophets may have been quoting a common source, (3) one prophet may have been commenting on the words of another one, and most importantly (4) the word did not belong to any of these prophets to begin with – it was, and is, God's Word. With that said, here are some examples of parallel language and teaching:

    Obadiah 1-9 // Jeremiah 49:7-16

    Obadiah 4,18-19 // Balaam in Numbers 24:18-19,21

    Obadiah 17 // Joel 2:32

    Obadiah 19 // Amos 9:11-12

Book of Nahum I can't understand this book because I can't keep track of who is talking to whom. Can you help?

This is a common problem in understanding other books of prophecy as well. Here is a rough guide:

Nahum 1:2-8      The prophet talks about God in the 3^rd person.

Nahum 1:9-11     The prophet addresses Assyria directly.

Nahum 1:12-15    God addresses first Judah, then Assyria, and finally Judah.

Nahum 2:1-12     The prophet talks about Nineveh in the 3^rd person.

Nahum 2:13-3:4  God addresses Assyria directly in verse 13 and then talks about them in the 3^rd person.

Nahum 3:5-19    God addresses Assyria directly (“you...you...you”).

The overall flow of the book serves to first remind us of God's attributes, prod our conscience, demonstrate how He comforts those who obey him, and lastly threaten our security by events in our lives.

Zechariah 1:14,17 In this passage Zechariah refers to Judah, Israel, Jerusalem and Zion. What (or who) specifically is Zion? How did this name originate?

Any good analytical concordance (I prefer Young's) will show that the word Zion (meaning “fortress” in Hebrew) is first used in the Bible during the time of David and his conquest of Jerusalem/Salem. The word refers to the southwest hill of Jerusalem, the older and higher part of the city which is often called the City of David.

“Zion” appears most often in the poetic portions of the Bible: the Psalms and the prophetic writings. In these settings it is employed as a poetic synonym for Jerusalem, the Temple, or the people and cities of Judah. A few examples will demonstrate this fact. Keep in mind that to understand Hebrew poetic couplets, in most cases the two lines will use different wording for variety to state the same basic idea.

Zechariah 1:17 (incomplete parallelism)

    The LORD will again comfort Zion,

                      and again choose Jerusalem.

Psalm 20:12 (incomplete parallelism)

    May he send you help     from the sanctuary,

          and give you support from Zion.

 

Psalm 48:11 (identical parallelism)

    Let Mount Zion           be glad;

    Let the towns of Judah rejoice.

Psalm 78:68 (inverted parallelism)

    But he chose          the tribe of Judah,

    Mount Zion,          which he loves.

Psalm 99:2 (identical parallelism)

The LORD is great    in Zion,

He              is exalted over all the peoples.