Interpreting the Prophets: Reading, Understanding and Preaching from the Worlds of the Prophets

The prophetic books are some of the most captivating and fascinating texts of the Old Testament, but they are also some of the most misunderstood. Interpreting the Prophets equips the reader with the knowledge and skills they need to interpret the Prophets in a faithful and accurate fashion. Beginning with the nature of the prophetic role and prophetic books in Israel, Old Testament scholar Aaron Chalmers leads the reader through the various "worlds" of Israel's prophets―historical, social, theological and rhetorical― providing the basic contextual and background information needed both for sound and sensible exegesis, and for sensitive interpretation and application for today. He concludes with a helpful chapter giving guidelines for preaching from the Prophets―including advice on choosing the texts, making appropriate analogies, and the potential problems and common pitfalls to avoid.

Aaron Chalmers (PhD, Flinders University) is head of the School of Ministry, Theology and Culture at Tabor Adelaide, located in Adelaide, Australia, teaching Old Testament and hermeneutics. He is also the author of Exploring the Religion of Ancient Israel: Prophet, Priest, Sage and People.