Freeing the Burden of Prophecy 345 history and describes the historical manifestation of YHWH’s actions in response to that problem. Zech 9–11; 12–14 and Malachi are treated together because Weis proposes that they are a literary unit. Zech 9–11 responds to the expectations of Haggai and Zechariah (Hag 1,1–Zech 8,23). Zech 12–14 entails a reinterpretation based on the symbolic action of Zech 11,4-17. Finally, Malachi responds to Haggai-Zechariah as a whole, explicating why the community’s history does not appear to manifest the intention of YHWH. d) Genre definition Near the end of his work, Weis synthesizes his analysis to provide a genre definition. In terms of the genre’s constitution (that is the oral origin of the genre), a ma¢¢˝’ is “a prophetic speech or text unit, composed by a prophet in order to show how YHWH’s acting or intention will or does manifest itself in human affairs. It does this for the purpose of providing insight into the future or direction for human action in the present or near future. The immediate topic of the ma¢¢˝’ will, in accord with this, always be some human historical entity whether or not that entity is actually addressed directly, or in apostrophe, by the text. The addressee of a ma¢¢˝’ is either its topic or the prophet’s own community” (22). In terms of the genre’s use in the final form of the Hebrew Bible the definition of ma¢¢˝’ is more limited: Except for Nah 1,2–3,19, the exemplars of the genre ma¢¢˝’ that survive in the final form of the Hebrew Bible are used to expound the manifestation in human events and affairs of the divine plan/intention revealed in some previously communicated expression of the divine will. This previously communicated revelation is always outside the ma¢¢˝’. Except for Hab 1,2–2,20 this previously communicated [sic?] is always found in the literary context of the ma¢¢˝’. This is true even if the ma¢¢˝’ itself communicates a revelation as described above. Moreover, this previous communication (be it speech, vision, drama, symbolic action) is presented as communication through a prophet and, at least in the final form, is written although, as with the genre ma¢¢˝’ itself, there are indications of oral delivery or performance. Finally, the problem addressed concerns some question about the way YHWH’s intention or acting will manifest itself in human affairs, but the points at which the question may arise are significantly restricted. The question may arise from an indeterminacy inherent in some revelation of YHWH”s intention (e.g., Isa 30,6b-7; Ezek 12,11-16). It may arise because the relation between some revelation of YHWH’s (22) Ibid., 272.