Prophets Before and After Isaiah in the Hebrew Bible

Isaiah, whose name means "salvation of the Lord," was a significant prophet in the Hebrew Bible, prophesying during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah ^{[3, 5, 13]}. His ministry spanned approximately 64 years, from around 762 B.C. to 698 B.C. ^[1]. The book of Isaiah contains prophecies delivered throughout these reigns, addressing the prosperity and eventual desolation of Judah and Israel, and notably includes predictions of the birth of Immanuel ^[4].

Before Isaiah, several prophets delivered messages to Israel and Judah. These include figures such as Ahijah the Shilonite, Shemaiah, Iddo, Azariah, Hanani, Jehu, Elijah, Elisha, Micaiah, Joel, and Amos ^[9]. Micaiah, for instance, was a prophet from Samaria who predicted the defeat and death of King Ahab of Israel around 897 B.C. ^{[2, 8]}. These earlier prophets often prophesied against various countries and kingdoms, foretelling war, evil, and pestilence ^[10]. Some traditions distinguish between "former prophets" and "latter prophets," with the former including figures whose writings are found in Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings, and the latter including Isaiah and Jeremiah ^[11].

Prophets contemporary with or immediately following Isaiah include figures like Hosea, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah ^[10]. The prophet Hosea, for example, is mentioned as having prophesied before Jeremiah ^[10]. The prophetic tradition continued after Isaiah's time, with later prophets such as Haggai and Zechariah prophesying to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem during the time of Ezra ^[7]. The prophetic role involved communicating God's instructions and often employed visions and similitudes to convey messages ^[9]. Prophets were seen as individuals through whom God declared new things and announced events before they occurred ^{[6, 12]}.

Sources

Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Isaiah, The Book of — Consists of prophecies delivered (Isa. 1) in the reign of Uzziah (1-5), (2) of Jotham (6), (3) Ahaz (7-14:28), (4) the first half of Hezekiah's reign (14:28-35), (5) the second half of Hezekiah's reign (36-66). Thus, counting from the fourth year before Uzziah's death (B.C. 762) to the last year of Hezekiah (B.C. 698), Isaiah's ministry extended over a period of sixty-four years. He may, however, have survived Hezekiah, and may have perished in the way indicated above. The book, as a whole, has been divided into three main parts: (1.) The first ”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Micaiah — Who is like Jehovah?, the son of Imlah, a faithful prophet of Samaria (1 Kings 22:8-28). Three years after the great battle with Ben-hadad (20:29-34), Ahab proposed to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, that they should go up against Ramoth-Gilead to do battle again with Ben-hadad. Jehoshaphat agreed, but suggested that inquiry should be first made "at the word of Jehovah." Ahab's prophets approved of the expedition; but Jehoshaphat, still dissatisfied, asked if there was no other prophet besides the four hundred that had appeared, and was informed of this Micaiah”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Isaiah — the prophet, son of Amoz. The Hebrew name signifies Salvation of Jahu (a shortened form of Jehovah), He prophesied concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, (Isaiah 1:1) covering probably 758 to 698 B.C. He was married and had two sons. Rabbinical tradition says that Isaiah, when 90 years old, was sawn asunder in the trunk of a carob tree by order of Manasseh, to which it is supposed that reference is made in (Hebrews 11:37)”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Isaiah, Book Of — I. Chapters 1-5 contain Isaiah's prophecies in the reigns of Uzziah and Jotham, foretelling that the present prosperity of Judah should be destroyed, and that Israel should be brought to desolation. In chs. 6, 7 he announces the birth of the child Immanuel, which in ch. 9 is more positively predicted. Chs. 9-12 contain additional prophecies against Israel, chs. (Isaiah 10:5-12) (6) being the most highly-wrought passages in the whole book. Chs. 13-23 contain chiefly a collection of utterances, each of which is styled a "burden," fore-telling the doom ”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Isaiah — (Heb. Yesh'yahu, i.e., "the salvation of Jehovah"). (1.) The son of Amoz (Isa. 1:1; 2:1), who was apparently a man of humble rank. His wife was called "the prophetess" (8:3), either because she was endowed with the prophetic gift, like Deborah (Judg. 4:4) and Huldah (2 Kings 22:14-20), or simply because she was the wife of "the prophet" (Isa. 38:1). He had two sons, who bore symbolical names. He exercised the functions of his office during the reigns of Uzziah (or Azariah), Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (1:1). Uzziah reigned fifty-two years (B.C. 810-759), and ”
Isaiah “Behold, the former things have happened, and I declare new things. I tell you about them before they come up.” -- Isaiah 42:9”
Ezra “Ezra 5:1 (Geneva1599) — Then Haggai a Prophet and Zechariah the sonne of Iddo a Prophet prophecied vnto the Iewes that were in Iudah, and Ierusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, euen vnto them.”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Micaiah — (who is like God?). Micahiah, the son of Imlah, was a prophet of Samaria, who in the last year of the reign of Ahab king of Israel predicted his defeat and death, B.C. 897. (1 Kings 22:1-35; 2 Chronicles 18:1) ...”
Hosea (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Hosea 12:10: by . . . the prophets--literally, "upon," that is, My spirit resting on them. I deposited with them My instructions which ought to have brought you to the right way. An aggravation of your guilt, that it was not through ignorance you erred, but in defiance of God and His prophets [CALVIN]. Ahijah the Shilonite, Shemaiah, Iddo, Azariah, Hanani, Jehu, Elijah, Elisha, Micaiah, Joel, and Amos were "the prophets" before Hosea. visions . . . similitudes--I adopted such modes of communication, adapted to man's capacities, as were calculated to arouse attent”
Jeremiah (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Jeremiah 28:8: The prophets that have been before me, and before thee of old,.... Such as Isaiah, Hoses, Joel, Amos, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and others: these prophesied both against many countries and against great kingdoms; as Egypt, Babylon, Syria, Ethiopia, Moab, &c. as Isaiah particularly did: of war, and of evil, and of pestilence; by evil some think is meant famine, because that usually goes along with the other mentioned, and there being but one letter in which the words for evil and famine differ; and now the prophets that prophesied of these were sent of G”
Luke (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Luke 9:8: And of some, that Elias had appeared,.... Who had been translated, body and soul, to heaven, and whom the Jews expected a little before the coming of the Messiah: and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again; that is, one of the former prophets. It is well known, that the Jews distinguish the prophets into the former and latter; the books of the prophets of the Old Testament are so distinguished; the writings of the former prophets are those of Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 of Samuel, and the first and second of Kings: the latter prophets are Isaiah, Jeremiah,”
Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 43:9: Let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may hear it. 12 The declaration that some one else, beside the prophet sent from the Lord, had announced events before they took place.”
Isaiah (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Isaiah 1:1: Here is, I. The name of the prophet, Isaiah, or Jesahiahu (for so it is in the Hebrew), which, in the New Testament is read Esaias. His name signifies the salvation of the Lord - a proper name for a prophet by whom God gives knowledge of salvation to his people, especially for this prophet, who prophesies so much of Jesus the Saviour and of the great salvation wrought out by him. He is said to be the son of Amoz, not Amos the prophet (the two names in the Hebrew differ more than in the English), but, as the Jews think, of Amoz the brother, or son, of Amaziah king o”

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