i8 7 o] PROPHECY IN CRITICAL SCHOOLS 169 



knowing no neighbour of equal strength. 1 Kuenen, 

 again, draws from the same passage (we cannot but think 

 at the expense of the context) the conclusion that Ctesiphon 

 had already fallen, 2 and so that it was not more than 

 natural that the prophet should see in the Assyrians the 

 nation designed to fulfil the judgment which he firmly 

 expected. On this view Amos is brought down to the 

 latter half of Jeroboam s reign, when Assyria, as appears 

 from Hosea, was already much nearer the thoughts of the 

 Israelites. It is easy to see the divergent tendencies of 

 these views. Ewald is ready to ascribe to the prophet 

 a spiritual insight into the course of Jahveh s purpose 

 which no man could attain by mere natural reasoning. 

 They are the thoughts of Jahveh, not thoughts of his own, 

 that the prophet thinks ; and so he is able to apprehend 

 new combinations in history before they begin to arise. 

 Kuenen, on the other hand, would have everything 

 explained by the psychology of ordinary life. He ascribes 

 to the prophet no really new creative thought, as will 

 appear more clearly when we trace the way in which he 

 accounts for the rise of a spiritual conception of the God 

 of Israel. If we hold fast the clue which this instance 

 affords, we shall soon see how wide the difference is 

 between two men who on the surface may seem closely 

 allied, and whom, in fact, Kuenen declares to hold the 

 same principles of prophetic criticism. 3 



The predictions of Amos received a speedy fulfilment. 

 The death of Jeroboam was the signal for an outburst of 

 anarchy which overthrew the house of Jehu, and dissolved 

 every band of political and social union. A struggle 

 conducted with barbarous ferocity placed in the hands of 

 Menahem a sceptre so feeble that only foreign aid could 

 ensure his position. And so for the first time the Assyrians 

 became the arbiters of Israel s fortunes, a position from 

 which they never again retired. 4 The remaining history 



1 Propheten, i. 152. 2 Onderzoek, ii. 334. 



3 Ibid, ii. 25. * 2 Kings xv. 8-20. 



