The twelve minor writing prophets have shorter books than the major prophets. These writing prophets range from the 8th to the 5th century BCE. These include Hosea from the 8th century BCE, Joel from the 8th -5th century BCE, Amos from the 8th century BCE, Obadiah and Jonah from the 6th century BCE, Micah and Nahum from the 8th century BCE, Habakkuk and Zephaniah from the 7th century BCE, Haggai and Zechariah from the 6th century BCE, and Malachi from the 5th century BCE. Some of these prophets had an influence on New Testament Christian writers.
Haggai
Title (Zech 1:1-1:1)
“In the eighth month,
In the second year
Of King Darius,
The word of Yahweh
Came to the prophet Zechariah,
The son of Berechiah,
The son of Iddo.”
The word of Yahweh came to the prophet Zechariah in the same year as it had come to Haggai, the second year of Persian King Darius I in 520 BCE. However, this was the 8th month and not the 6th month as with Haggai, so that it was 2 month later. Zechariah was the son of Berechiah and the grandson of Iddo. In the Book of Ezra, chapter 5, there is an explicit mention of Haggai and Zechariah, the son of Iddo. Nehemiah, chapter 12, mentioned Iddo as one of the high priests who came with Zerubbabel when he left Babylon in 538 BCE. Thus, Iddo would have been an important person. Berechiah seemed to be less important, but could be the father of the young Zechariah. Nehemiah mentioned Berechiah as the son of Meshezabel, in chapter 3.
The importance of Zerubbabel (Hag 2:21-2:23)
“‘Speak to Zerubbabel,
The governor of Judah,
Saying.
‘I am about
To shake the heavens.
I am about
To shake the earth.
I am about
To overthrow
The throne of kingdoms.
I am about
To destroy
The strength
Of the kingdoms
Of the nations.
I am about
To overthrow
The chariots,
With their riders.
The horses,
With their riders,
Shall also fall.
Everyone shall fall
By the sword of a comrade.’
‘On that day,’
Says Yahweh of hosts.
‘I will take you,
O Zerubbabel,
My servant,
The son of Shealtiel.’
Says Yahweh.
‘I will make you
Like a signet ring.
I have chosen you!’
Says Yahweh of hosts.”
Yahweh said that Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, would have a special role in the new kingdom of Israel. Yahweh was going to shake up heaven and earth. He was going to overthrow all the kingdoms and countries on the earth. All the chariots, with their riders, as well as the cavalry with their horses would all fall. Zerubbabel, the servant of Yahweh, would have a signet ring because Yahweh had chosen him. His grandfather would have been a king as part of the Davidic lineage
The second oracle for Zerubbabel (Hag 2:20-2:20)
“The word of Yahweh
Came a second time
To Haggai,
On the twenty-fourth day
Of the month.”
Now there was the final oracle from Yahweh to Haggai that also took place on the 24th day of the 9th month.
The future good harvests (Hag 2:18-2:19)
“Consider from this day on,
From the twenty-fourth day
Of the ninth month!
Consider since the day
That the foundation
Of Yahweh’s temple
Was laid!
Is there any seed
Left in the barn?
Does the vine
Still yield nothing?
Does the fig tree
Still yield nothing?
Does the pomegranate tree
Still yield nothing?
Does the olive tree
Still yield nothing?
From this day on,
I will bless you.”
As opposed to the bad harvests of the past, the harvests of the future would be good from this day forward, because this 24th day of the 9th month was the day of the foundation laying for the Second Temple of Yahweh. Then in a series of questions, Yahweh indicated that there would be no seeds left in the barn. The vines, the fig trees, the pomegranate trees, and the olive trees would yield great harvests rather than nothing. From this day on, they were going to be blessed.
The poor crops (Hag 2:16-2:17)
“‘How did you fare?
When one came
To a heap
Of twenty measures,
There were but ten.
When one came
To the wine vat
To draw fifty measures,
There were but twenty.
I struck you!
I struck all the products
Of your toil
With blight,
With mildew,
With hail!
Yet you did not return
To me!’
Says Yahweh.”
Haggai has this oracle of Yahweh about their poor crops. When they were expecting 20 measures of a crop, they only got 10 measures. When they were expecting 50 measures for the wine vat, they only got 20. Thus, even when they had some crops in the fields, they were below expectations. Yahweh had struck them and all their products. Despite their hard labor, their crops were hit with blight, mildew, and hail. Why did this happen? They had not returned to Yahweh, pure and simple.
Preparing to build the Temple (Hag 2:15-2:15)
“But now,
Consider what will come to pass
From this day on!
Before a stone was placed
Upon a stone
In the Yahweh’s temple!”
They were to prepare themselves to build the Temple of Yahweh. They should think what they were about to do, before they starting putting the stones together.
The conclusion of Haggai (Hag 2:14-2:14)
“Then Haggai said.
‘So is it with this people,
With this nation before me.
Says Yahweh.
So is it
With every work
Of their hands.
What they offer there
Is unclean.’”
Haggai explained the situation about the people of Israel, the nation before him. He said that Yahweh felt the same way about all the work of their hands because of their uncleanness. Whatever they offered up would be unclean also.
Question about uncleanness (Hag 2:13-2:13)
“Then Haggai said.
‘If one who is unclean,
By contact with a dead body,
Touches any of these,
Does it become unclean?’
The priests answered.
‘Yes,
It becomes unclean.’”
Now Haggai asked the opposite question. How does anyone become unclean, the opposite of holy? Normally, people became unclean by touching a dead body. What would happen if this unclean person, who had touched the dead body, touched the bread, the stew, the wine, the oil, or any other kind of food. Would these food products become unclean? The answer of the priests was the opposite of the question about holiness, yes. Instead of no impact, the uncleanness would spread, so that all these things would be unclean, like a contagion.
Question for the priests about holiness (Hag 2:11-2:12)
“Thus says Yahweh of hosts.
‘Ask the priests
For a ruling.
If one carries
Consecrated meat
In the fold
Of one’s garment,
Then if the fold
Of his garment,
Touches
Bread,
Or stew,
Or wine,
Or oil,
Or any kind of food,
Does it become holy?’
The priests answered.
‘No.’”
Haggai gave an example of what Yahweh was talking about. Haggai was to ask the priests about holiness. If someone was carrying consecrated holy meat in the fold or cover of his garment and it touched bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other kind of food, would that food then become holy by touching it? That was the dilemma. How could holiness be passed on? The priests answered negatively, by saying no, because these things could not become holy by merely touching a holy thing accidently.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 