Book of haggai study put god first in life learn religions. He is known for his prophecy in 520 bce, commanding the jews to rebuild the temple. These people say, the time has not yet come to rebuild the lord s house. We learn from ezra that it was finished on the third day of the month adar in darius sixth year. Aug 30, 2017 the book of haggai niv audio holy bible high quality and best speed book 37 duration. The name haggai, with various vocalizations, is also found in the book of esther, as a eunuch servant of the queen. Haggai summary we hope that you find the haggai summary from the kjv bible chapters and verses helpful to your bible studies and for references as a guide to further reference to the book of haggai. Haggai with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. The brief period of haggais ministry august to december 520 b. This book formed the tenth in the series of short prophetical writings that comprised the concluding section of the heb.
Chapter first comprehends the first address 211 and its effects 1215. The prophet haggai has the distinction of being called the lords messenger, and of delivering the lords message unto the people in a day of ruin and outward weakness. Most major english translations have presented the text in prose form, although a number of translators would acknowledge some poetic elements in the text. The name haggai literally means festival or joyous one. The book of haggai, also known as the book of aggeus, is a book of the hebrew bible or tanakh, and has its place as the thirdtolast of the minor prophets. In their specificity and in their link to the reign of a foreign king darius, the dates. Haggai reproves the jews for neglecting the temple. It is a short book, consisting of only two chapters. Aggaeus was a hebrew prophet during the building of the second temple in jerusalem, and one of the twelve minor prophets in the hebrew bible and the author of the book of haggai. The prophet haggai was active in jerusalem in or around the year 520 bc.
There are a number of helpful commentaries on the book of haggai, and. Haggai is second only to obadiah in brevity among the books of the old testament. The global message of haggai i am with you, declares the l ord hag. The prophets haggai and zechariah played an important role in encouraging the jewish people and their leaders zerubbabel, the governor of judah, and the high priest joshua to return to their homeland and rebuild the jerusalem temple following the babylonian exile. Haggai is the tenth of the minor prophets, the last 12 books of the old testament. Haggai urged the returned exiles to get on with rebuilding the temple in jerusalem. Haggai is known only from this book as well as two references to him in the book of ezra. Outline of the book of haggai haggais work haggai was a prophet of god that prophesied to the jews who had returned to jerusalem from babylon during the year 536 bc i. What haggai and zechariah proclaimed is recorded in the bible books bearing their names. May 02, 2020 the book of haggai is a reminder of the problems the people of god faced at this time, how the people courageously trusted in god, and how god provided for their needs.
The efforts of these prophets succeed, and the temple is completed five years later. In the prophecy of haggai, zerubbabel is usually paired with joshua. The book of haggai, the 10th of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets. Haggai ministered among the jews who had returned to judea after some 70 years of exile in babylon. These jews were led back to jerusalem to rebuild the temple of jehovah that had been destroyed by the babylonians. The prophet haggai recorded his four messages to the jewish people of jerusalem in 520 bc, eighteen years after their return from exile. He called them to reverence and glorify god by building the temple in spite of local and official opposition. Top 5 commentaries on the book of haggai ligonier ministries. Next to obadiah, haggai is the shortest book in the old testament, containing but two chapters comprised of a total of 38 verses.
After the return from captivity, haggai was sent to encourage the people to rebuild the temple, and to reprove their neglect. This summary of the book of haggai provides information about the title, author s, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of haggai. The book of haggai comprises four short oracles delivered by the prophet himself, written in the third person sing. God wants his temple built, and he encourages zerubbabel, joshua and the people to build it. The prophet haggai recorded his four messages to the jewish people of jerusalem in 520 bc, eighteen years after their return from exile in babylon 538 bc. The specific mention of the second year of darius places the book in the year 520 b.
His messages were addressed to zerubbabel, the governor of judah, and to joshua, the high priest, clearly proving that the prophet was sent to the remnant of the jews that. Haggai summary we hope that you find the haggai summary from the kjv bible chapters and verses helpful to your bible studies and for references as. Haggai introduction commentary commentary critical and. The book of haggai is narrative history and prophetic oracle. The book of haggai contains four prophetic messages, all delivered in about four months. Haggai is among the most carefully and precisely dated books in the entire bible. In hebrew the book is titled ygj after the name of the prophet which probably meant my feast 1. Haggai was sent to help gods people get their priorities in line with what. Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that i may be pleased with it and be glorified, says the lord. An exegetical commentary haggai, zechariah, malachi. The specific mention of the second year of darius 1.
It was written in 520 bce, some 18 years after cyrus had taken the kingdom of babylon and made a law in 538 bce, so that the captive jews could return to judea. The history of these times, as presented in the book of ezra, presents the adversaries as stopping the building of the house, but is silent as to the condition of the people. There is a call to consider your ways and rebuild the temple as a warning against working for self and neglecting god. Key personalities are haggai, zerubbabel, and joshua. Zechariah is a contemporary of haggai and shares his concern for a rebuilt temple and a new messianic age under the leadership of joshua and zerubbabel. The book of haggai is the first of the three postexile prophets. In a fallen world, in which it is often difficult to feel gods presence amid trials of various kinds, the message of haggai to the global church is the promise of the presence of god. The object of the prophet was generally to urge the people to proceed with the rebuilding of the temple. Haggai in the picture study bible the book of haggai. The books of ezra and nehemiah are also key literary sources on the restoration of the jewish religious community. The prophecies of haggai were given during the time of the return of israel from the babylonian captivity in about 520bc. The fate and future of zerubbabel in the prophecy of haggai jstor. The challenge to faith is the same in every generation.
Haggais message to rebuild the temple was passionate, simple, and straightforward haggai 1. The book of haggai emerged from a dispute in the early persian period over. Obedience brings the encouragement and strength of the spirit of god. The historical setting dates around 520 bc before the temple has been rebuilt.
The completion of the temple is not mentioned in haggai. In this case haggai would have been much older than 70 years when he wrote his book. He is given no introduction other than the prophet cf. Many christians are like those ancient hebrews, somehow convincing themselves that. Book of haggai overview insight for living ministries. Haggai figures significantly in the endtime period we are. The books of haggai, zechariah, and malachicomposed as they were in the. Haggai 1 new revised standard version nrsv the command to rebuild the temple. The historical background for haggais prophecy is found in ezra 5 and 6. After thousands of years, the book of haggai remains largely unique among the books of old testament prophets for one key reason. A rhetorical analysis of the book of haggai semantic scholar. The exile was a major turning point in the history of israel.
The book of haggai, the second shortest in the old testament, communicates this same message. After centuries of prophetic warnings, the death penalty had been carried out on israel. Haggai sought to challenge the people of god concerning their priorities. The book of haggai contains messages delivered by the prophet haggai, and thus it is reasonable to consider haggai its author. Haggai haggai is the first of the prophets which are postexilic or who prophesied after the captivity.
Haggai in the picture study bible the book of haggai with. It is a postexilic book, meaning it was written after post the captivity exile in babylon. No portion of scripture has been so misunderstood as the ook of haggai, b the tenth of the minor prophets. Haggai clearly shows the consequences of disobedience 1. The historical setting dates around 520 bc before the temple has been. They were delivered on the first day of the sixth month hag 1. The temple was still in ruins despite some work recorded in the book of ezra. The book of haggai, also called the prophecy of aggeus, the 10th of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets. The response of the prophesy of haggai and zechariah is that the people finished the temple that had been begun back some 20 years later, but stopped see ezra 3.
He probably was one of the jewish exiles of the tribes judah, benjamin, and levi who returned under zerubbabel, the civil head of the people, and joshua, the high priest, 536 b. The book of haggai is closely linked with zechariah 18. These events that build the historical background of the book of haggai are. It was written to people like us, who would say that god must be first. Verhoef, notes on the dates in the book of haggai, text and. Apart from obadiah, haggai is the shortest book in the ot, but its teachings are none the less significant. The books of haggai and zechariah were completed in 520 b.
Historical background the books of haggai and malachi location authorship, date, and provenance of the book the new american commentary. Cyrus also wanted the temple in jerusalem to be built, so that the worship there could be begun again. The most important thing we can know about haggai is that he was inspired by god. Haggai 1 nrsv the command to rebuild the temple in. The short book of haggai provides all that we know of this man. A promise of the temple to come is given to console the people who remembered the far greater glory of the previous temple. Gods people must choose to believe and reckon as true that when they turn from selfserving pursuits and personal agendas to focus on doing the work of gods word to advance his kingdom, he will bless them above anything. Haggai the international standard bible encyclopedia, revised. The books of haggai and malachi the new international commentary on the old. He is only mentioned two other times in the entirety of the bible, and only then as historical verification ezra 5.
The book of haggai is a key lesson in faith for christians today. The book of haggai was written in approximately 520 b. Transcribed and edited by david sielaff, march 2014. Jerusalem in late 2nd temple period model at israel museum yair haklai. When the people give priority to god and his house, they are blessed rather than cursed cf. Haggai, the messenger and his message hamilton smith. The people of israel had returned from exile but were experiencing economic hardship. Haggai told the people, the lord says, i am with you. The book of haggai is a book of the tanakh hebrew bible and of the old testament, written by the prophet haggai. Israel had been a very strong nation around bc, under the rule of the kings david and solomon, but since that time had been in a decline. Haggai preached his sermons during the second year of darius i 521486 b. The book of haggai probably contains poetic oracles framed by narratival sections 1.
They belong to the period told about in the books of ezra, nehemiah, and esther. It is the only book of the english bible to contain two chapters. Introduction to the book of haggai the bible journey. Stir up the people to resume the work of rebuilding the temple. Book of haggai simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. In ezra 3,1, the gathering of the people alert expect a cultic. Although it must be acknowledged that this conclusion is highly debated. Haggai prophesied in the period following the return of the exiles from babylonia about 538 b. The books of haggai and malachi the new international. To encourage their undertaking, the people are assured that the glory of the second temple shall far exceed that of the first, by the appearing therein of christ, the desire of all nations. The prophet haggai makes no allusion to the adversaries, but at once lays bare the low moral condition of the remnant.