"Social World of the Hebrew Prophets" is an introduction to the Hebrew Prophets and the social world of which they spoke. Matthews examines ancient Israel s prophets chronologically, providing sketches of their historical contexts. He explains pertinent aspects of historical geography, economic conditions, and social forces that influence a prophet s life and message. This analysis includes many of the images and metaphors a prophet used to communicate effectively. Thus, for example, the reader only skims the surface of a text without understanding what it meant to be a member of Tekoa s community of hill country farmers and herders, or what an exiled Levite from Anathoth experienced as a prophet in Jerusalem.