Why are some .....

[ktn4eg]

...... Old Testament prophetic books considered to be "major" prophetic books while some are considered to be "minor" prophetic books?

I've tried to figure out why this is so, but have never found an answer to this.

I've heard some folks say that it's because the "major prophets" (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel) are longer books. If that is the case:

(1) Why then is Jonah considered a "minor" prophet since that book has only four chapters; while other "minor" prophets such as

(2) Hosea and Zechariah both have fourteen chapters, Amos has nine, and Micah has seven.

I'd like to hear from you as to why exact does this "major"/"minor" prophet designation exists.

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

Jeremiah, Isaiah and Ezekiel prophesied for and against the leaders of Israel throughout their lives and their books cover most of their adult lives.

While Jonah apparently was a lifelong prophet as well (see 2 Kings 14:25) his only major prophetic event was his ministry to Ninevah, and he quite obviously did not want to do it.

Though we describe Daniel as a "prophet" and include his work in the minor books, Jewish scholars do not. His is lumped together with what they call "The Writings" which also include the Psalms, Proverbs and Song of Songs. Some such scholars also include Ruth and Esther in that mix.

Essentially, the Minor Prophets' books center on one specific prophetic event in their lives. Some were also lifelong prophets but felt compelled only to write one book regarding a specific event.

Amos was a farmer and was called out of Judah to prophecy destruction to Israel. That seems to have been his only prophetic assignment and he apparently went back to his farm afterwards.

He is an exception, however. Most of the others spent their lives in service to the Lord as His prophet. They just didn't feel the need to record all their work.

It is obvious from the "Big Three" writings that their prophecies were important, and charted a course for Israel.

 

[Deacon]

In the Hebrew bible the "minor prophets" were known as the "twelve" and probably were contained in a single scroll.

To further confuse the issue, there are the early prophets and the later prophets.

Joshua, Judges, Kings and Samuel are the "early prophets" in the Hebrew canon.

Rob

 

[Deacon]

I got home and looked thing up.

Minor correction not "early prophets" but "former prophets".

In the Hebrew Bible the books are arranged in three divisions—the Law (tôrâ), the Prophets (neḇî’îm) and the Writings (keṯûḇîm). The Law comprises the Pentateuch, the five ‘books of Moses’. The Prophets fall into two subdivisions—the ‘Former Prophets’ (neḇî’îm rî’šônîm), comprising Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings, and the ‘Latter Prophets’ (neḇî’îm ‘aḥarônîm), comprising Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and ‘The Book of the Twelve Prophets’. The Writings contain the rest of the books—first, Psalms, Proverbs and Job; then the five ‘Scrolls’ (meḡillôṯ), namely Canticles, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther; and finally Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah and Chronicles. The total is traditionally reckoned as 24, but these 24 correspond exactly to our common reckoning of 39, since in the latter reckoning the Minor Prophets are counted as 12 books, and Samuel, Kings, Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah as two each

Bruce, F. F. (1996). in the New Bible Dictionary. p 136. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press.

Rob

 

[Revmitchell]

The terms major and minor are modern day references to the size of the books. Major prohphets are the books that are much larger than the minor books which often have very few chapters.