346 Mark J. Boda intention and events in the human situation has not been played out in the expected way (e.g., Hab 1,2–2,20; Zech 9–11). It never seems to arise from some problem or question arising out of the human situation per se (23). In short the definition of the genre ma¢¢˝’ in terms of its use in oral contexts (its constitution) is “prophetic exposition of YHWH’s revealed will or activity” (24), while the definition of the genre ma¢¢˝’ in terms of its use in literary contexts is “prophetic interpretation”. Bridging these two definitions is the following expression: “prophetic exposition (of YHWH revelation)”. e) Tradition history Weis also offers some reflection on the tradition history of the genre in order to take into account the temporal, societal and geographical ranges of the works. He discovers that the genre endured among the prophetic tradition of Judah from the 9th-8th until the 5th-4th Century BCE (in this he discounts 2 Kgs 9,25 which has a northern setting, because it has come through Dtr hands). Throughout this history, Weis discerns a few changes. First, in terms of the use of ma¢¢˝’ in titles for prophetic literature, the post-exilic examples (Zechariah, Malachi) distinguish carefully between ma¢¢˝’ and debar ˘ YHWH, while the pre-exilic examples in Isaiah make no distinction. Secondly, in terms of the citations of YHWH revelation, the 8th-7th Century examples all contained within themselves a quotation or report of the revelation, while the 6th-5th Century examples (including also the function of the ma¢¢˝’ texts in their final literary context) all expound previously communicated YHWH revelation that lies outside the ma¢¢˝’ text itself. f) Semantics At the end Weis returns to the etymological discussion and suggests three possible ways to understand the origins of the word ma¢¢˝’: from n˝¢˝’ (utter, recite=prophetic expression of divine revelation), from n˝¢˝’ (bring carry=the thing brought back to the inquirer from the prophet’s encounter with the deity), from the same root as ma¢’ˇt (fire/smoke-signal=the signal of YHWH’s intention received by the prophetic lookout). Weis prefers the final option, but adds: “a mild preference at best”. (23) Ibid., 274-275. Underlining original to cited author. (24) Ibid., 275-276.