Major and Minor Prophets

By Genelle Austin-Lett

Categories: Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, Old Testament

Question

What is the difference between "major" and "minor" prophets?

Answer

One would think, if you look at the length of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel that "major" prophets had more to say since the minor prophets' books are very short. Some people think that the "minor" prophets weren't the heavy hitters when it came to prophesy. If you have been following the Bible Overview and discussion of each of the books, you will notice that these individuals aren't "minor" meaning lesser or not as important. Simply put, if your text required more than one scroll, you were a "major" prophet. If it was limited to one scroll, you were a "minor" prophet. The usage of "major" and "minor" had nothing to do with the quality of thoughts or actions of the prophets.

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