God’s character and Israel’s true mission to the world are revealed in the spirit of Hosea and of the Seer of the Exile, with much of the tenderness, the insight, the analysis of character and even the humour of classic prophecy. These qualities raise the Book of Jonah, though it is probably the latest of our Twelve, to the highest rank among them. No book is more worthy to stand by the side of Isaiah xl.—lv.; none is nearer in spirit to the New Testament. All this gives unity to the study of prophets so far separate in time, and so very distinct in character, from each other. From Zephaniah to Jonah, or over a period of three centuries, they illustrate the dissolution of Prophecy and its passage into other forms of religion. The scholars, to whom every worker in this field is indebted, are named throughout the volume. I regret that Nowack’s recent commentary on the Minor Prophets (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht) reached me too late for use (except in footnotes) upon the earlier of the nine prophets. GEORGE ADAM SMITH. FOOTNOTES: [1] Cambridge Bible for Schools, 1897 CONTENTS OF VOL. II. PAGE PREFACE v CHRONOLOGICAL TABLES _Facing p. 1_ in Volume I _INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETS OF THE SEVENTH CENTURY_ CHAP. I. THE SEVENTH CENTURY BEFORE CHRIST 3 1. REACTION UNDER MANASSEH AND AMON (695?—639). 2. THE EARLY YEARS OF JOSIAH (639—625): JEREMIAH AND ZEPHANIAH. 3. THE REST OF THE CENTURY (625—586): THE FALL OF NINIVEH; NAHUM AND HABAKKUK. _ZEPHANIAH_ II. THE BOOK OF ZEPHANIAH 35 III. THE PROPHET AND THE REFORMERS 46 ZEPHANIAH i.—ii. 3. IV. NINIVE DELENDA 61 ZEPHANIAH ii. 4-15. V. SO AS BY FIRE 67 ZEPHANIAH iii. _NAHUM_ VI. THE BOOK OF NAHUM 77 1. THE POSITION OF ELḲÔSH. 2. THE AUTHENTICITY OF CHAP. i. 3. THE DATE OF CHAPS. ii. AND iii. VII. THE VENGEANCE OF THE LORD 90 NAHUM i. VIII. THE SIEGE AND FALL OF NINIVEH 96 NAHUM ii. AND iii. _HABAḲḲUḲ_ IX. THE BOOK OF HABAKKUK 115 1. CHAP. i. 2—ii. 4 (OR 8). 2. CHAP. ii. 5-20. 3. CHAP. iii.