are divided into two groups: Earlier and Latter Prophets (נביאים
ראשונים ונביאים אחרונים).
The Earlier Prophets do not contain prophecies in the usual meaning of
the word. They contain the history of Israel from the accession of
Joshua to the leadership of Israel, to the capture of Jerusalem by
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. They are, nevertheless, called
“Prophets,” for two reasons:—
(1.) The history is written in a prophetic spirit, with the view of
illustrating the principle that obedience to the word of God was the
cause of Israel’s prosperity and success, disobedience the cause of
trouble and misery.
(2.) The Earlier Prophets include the history of Deborah, Samuel,
Nathan, Ahijah, Elijah, Elisha, and a few anonymous prophets.
No collection of their speeches has been made or preserved in the
Scriptures, and they are thus distinguished from the latter prophets,
whose prophecies have been collected and form the contents of the
“Latter Prophets.”