Equip: Resources on the Books of Haggai and Malachi

Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi make up the three post-exilic books in the Minor Prophets.

Haggai’s ministry occurred as the Israelites returned from Babylonian captivity and began to rebuild the temple.

Zechariah’s ministry overlapped a portion of the prophet Haggai but was longer than Haggai’s. Zechariah ministered as the Israelites returned from Babylonian captivity, rebuilt the temple and anticipated the installation of a king from the line of David.

Malachi’s ministry appears to extend beyond that of Zechariah in the post-exilic period. Some commentators see Malachi as either an anonymous work or a prophetic extension of the ministry of Zechariah. It is considered to be the last prophetic word from God before the coming of John the Baptist in the New Testament period.

As a pastor, I have both preached sermons and led Bible studies from these three books.

As a professor, I also regularly teach about these important prophetic books as part of my Old Testament surveycourses.

Here are the resources I have found most helpful in my study of Haggai and Malachi.

New American Commentary: Haggai-Malachi

Richard A. Taylor contributed the chapter on Haggai. Taylor is senior professor of Old Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. He holds a Ph.D. in Semitic languages and literatures from the Catholic University of America.

Taylor provides important and helpful background information at the beginning of this volume related to the contemporary relevance of Haggai, the significance of the book, the historical background of the book and the prophet, authorship, date, purpose, as well as the theology of Haggai and the placement of the book within the Minor Prophets.

These introductory articles both enhance one’s understanding of the prophet and his book and help one better apply the text of Haggai to hearers today. Taylor’s commentary is organized logically around the four messages of Haggai.

E. Ray Clendenen contributed the chapter on Malachi. Clendenen is senior editor of Bibles and reference books for Lifeway Christian Resources. He is an occasional adjunct professor of Hebrew and Old Testament at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a prolific author on Bible and theology, and serves as the general editor of the New American Commentary series.

Clendenen provides an extensive introduction related to the author, date, historical context, text, literary style, structure, message, and purpose of Malachi.

This volume contains a full exposition of every verse using the NIV text. Insights from the original Hebrew language are provided in the commentary and are accessible for all readers.

While the main text of this commentary is accessible to all readers, there are also extensive footnotes and references to other resources for those who would like to dig deeper.

New Interpreter’s Bible, vol. VII

The New Interpreter’s Bible has been written by a stellar cast of authors. It is accessible and helpful to Christians who want to study the Bible for teaching and preaching.

The bibliography at the end of the introduction to each biblical book points the reader to other good resources for further study. The commentary uses both the NIV and NRSV Bible texts and includes important insights from Hebrew that are accessible to all readers. Insightful reflections at the end of each section of commentary will help the reader apply the text to contemporary needs.

W. Eugene March wrote the commentary on Haggai. March was dean and Arnold Black Rhodes Professor of Old Testament at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Louisville before his retirement in 2002.

In his introduction, March provides important historical context on the book of Haggai, as well as an excellent summary of its chronological organization.

Eileen M. Schuller wrote the commentary on Malachi. Schuller is professor emeritus in religious studies at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. During her long career, she has served as an official editor of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Her introduction to Malachi includes a helpful chart, “Historical Setting of the Prophetic Books.”

Honorable mention

Joyce G. Baldwin’s Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi in the Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries provides succinct treatments of all three Minor Prophets.

Baldwin provides both a general introduction to Haggai and a more detailed introduction to the prophet and his message. She also includes additional notes related to the term “The Lord of Hosts” and “the day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid” as referenced in Haggai 2:18.

She also provides a good introduction to Malachi including a good discussion of its authorship.

Although Baldwin’s commentary is a briefer treatment of these Minor Prophets than some of the other works reviewed above, her work is still a good resource for a pastor or teacher.

Bill Bryan is the pastor of Abingdon Baptist Church in Abingdon, Va. He is a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (Master of Divinity), Northern Baptist Theological Seminary (Doctor of Ministry), and B.H. Carroll Theological Seminary (Ph.D. in Old Testament Literature). He teaches in the masters and Doctor of Ministry programs of B.H. Carroll Theological Seminary at East Texas Baptist University. The views expressed in this resource article are those of the author.