וַיָּ֣עַד יְהוָ֡ה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל וּבִיהוּדָ֡ה בְּיַד֩ כָּל־נביאו [נְבִיאֵ֨י] כָל־חֹזֶ֜ה לֵאמֹ֗ר שֻׁ֝֠בוּ מִדַּרְכֵיכֶ֤ם הָֽרָעִים֙ וְשִׁמְרוּ֙ מִצְוֺתַ֣י חֻקּוֹתַ֔י כְּכָ֨ל־הַתּוֹרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּ֖יתִי אֶת־אֲבֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם וַֽאֲשֶׁר֙ שָׁלַ֣חְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם בְּיַ֖ד עֲבָדַ֥י הַנְּבִיאִֽים׃
Gayunman, binalaan ng Walang-Hanggan ang Israel at ang Juda sa pamamagitan ng bawat propeta at ng bawat tagakita, na sinasabi, “Talikuran ninyo ang inyong masasamang lakad, at ingatan ninyo ang Aking mga utos at ang Aking mga alituntunin, ayon sa buong Torah na iniutos Ko sa inyong mga ninuno, at ipinadala Ko sa inyo sa pamamagitan ng Aking mga lingkod na mga propeta.”
Haamek Sheilah
[In order to comprehend this midrash], one first needs to understand that the sole purpose of the Prophets and Hagiographa is not [to convey a particular] prophet’s chastisements, due to be given at a certain moment, or to make known [to us] a particular occurrence. It surely is impossible to say so, for [in addition to the prophets recorded in Scripture], many more Prophets lived during the times of Elijah, Elisha, and [until the time of] Jeremiah. This is known, as it is written [in several instances], “I have sent them all of My servants, the prophets….”7Jer. 7:25. The verse reads in full, “From the time that your ancestors left the land of Egypt to this day, I sent them all of My servants, the prophets, every day.” This also occurred during the times of Elijah and Elisha, as a similar use of words is found in II Kings 17:13, 23; 21:10; and 24:2. And all of these [not mentioned by name] prophesied and uttered words of chastisement. [See] also Koheles Rabbah 1, which comments on the verse in Eccl. 1:2, “‘There is no remembrance of them of former times.’… Many prophets arose in Israel whose names have not been specified….” [Obviously many of the various prophets’ statements] were not meant to be recorded. [The reason why the prophecies of many prophets were not recorded in Scripture is conveyed in] Tractate Megillah 14a, in which states, “Prophecy needed for future generations was recorded, but that which was not needed was not recorded.” If anyone had recorded their words, he would have transgressed the prohibition that words that are transmitted orally must never be recorded even if they are uttered with holiness.8This is similar to the prohibition not to redact the Oral Law. As it is written, “Do not add to his words”;9Prov. 30:6. [i.e., do not record things meant to be transmitted orally], even if one is only adding to the Hagiographa. As it is said in Tractate Megillah 7a, “Is this [recorded in Proverbs] the only wisdom that King Solomon articulated?” [Solomon had expressed much more wisdom than what was revealed in Proverbs, yet no one was allowed to record it].