The Books of Haggai and Malachi (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament | NICOT)
Digital Verbum Edition
Overview
In this commentary on Haggai and Malachi, Mignon Jacobs offers clear and insightful interpretation of the text while highlighting themes that are especially relevant to contemporary concerns, such as honoring or dishonoring God, the responsibilities of leaders, questioning God, and hearing the prophetic word in challenging times.
Engaging with the latest scholarship, Jacobs provides a thorough introduction to both prophets in which she addresses questions of authorship, date, purpose, structure, and theology, followed by a new translation of the biblical text and a verse-by-verse commentary. With intertextual discussions about key aspects of the text and attention to competing perspectives, this commentary offers a rich new interpretation of Haggai and Malachi.
For more from the New International Commentary series, see here.
- Expert commentary from a writer aware of tradition and sensitive to a modern setting
- Draws out helpful and approachable wisdom from an ancient text
- Features an extensive biblography for further research
Top Highlights
“The message of the book is Yahweh’s love for Israel and the fractured state of the Yahweh-Israel relationship.” (Page 129)
“Why is Mal 2:16 talking about divorce? It is because of the violated relationships within the covenant community that have resulted from marrying worshipers of deities other than Yahweh. In that context, divorce is viewed as a path toward idolatry; taking a wife who does not share the covenant of Yahweh takes one further along the path.” (Page 261)
“There is no biographical information about the prophet in the book and no consensus about whether the designation malʾākî is the name of a person or a title.” (Page 129)
“Commentators’ views on the date of the Malachi prophecies are, from the most ancient to the most recent (605–333 BCE): (1) before or during the time of Haggai and Zechariah;5 (2) before either Ezra or Nehemiah;6 (3) after Ezra but before Nehemiah;7 (4) contemporary with Ezra and Nehemiah;8 (5) during Nehemiah’s first governorship;9 (6) between Nehemiah’s first and second governorship;10 (7) during Nehemiah’s second governorship;12 and (8) during the late Persian or Hellenistic period.13 At issue is understanding the historical context of the prophecies and the first audience of the message.” (Pages 131–132)
“That the two nations to whom Yahweh had given land were destroyed speaks to the similarities between Edom and Israel. However, the difference between the two nations is their response to their destruction and Yahweh’s plan for each nation. One initiates its own return (Edom); the other’s return is orchestrated and prophesied (Judah/Israel).” (Page 168)
A commentary on Haggai and Malachi from a wise and experienced scholar like Mignon Jacobs is to be welcomed. . . . Those who may be unsure of what two shorter prophetic books have to say to the modern reader need look no further. This is an excellent contribution to an increasingly important commentary series.
—Daniel L. Smith-Christopher, Loyola Marymount University
Mignon Jacobs offers fresh readings of Haggai and Malachi for pastors and students. Her work has an accessible style, and the voluminous footnotes list alternative positions within the scholarly discussions. Her introductions to these prophets emphasize their social location at different points in the Persian period, and her exegetical treatments in the commentary proper include extensive exploration of biblical contexts to explain the concepts, phrases, and idioms that shape the message.
—James Nogalski, Baylor University
Jacobs provides an in-depth treatment of these two oft-neglected prophetic works, always with close attention to the Hebrew text.
—Marvin A. Sweeney, Claremont School of Theology, Academy for Jewish Religion California
One of the most readable commentaries on Haggai and Malachi I have ever read. Jacobs’s achievement is even more admirable in that she often presents her readers with multiple interpretative options, and she brings to bear numerous intertextual references and much material to engender further discussion. This commentary on two important—though often overlooked—prophetic books will be very helpful to the main target readership of the series and beyond.
—Ehud Ben Zvi, University of Alberta
Mignon R. Jacobs is professor of Old Testament studies, dean, and chief academic officer at Ashland Theological Seminary in Ohio. Among her other books is Gender, Power, and Persuasion: The Genesis Narratives and Contemporary Portraits.
Reviews
5 ratings
Anderson Abreu
10/19/2024
Peter Ryan
6/22/2020
Henrik Wågbrant-Bina
6/11/2020
I used this commentary on Malachi. It offers good analysis on the language and old testament connections, the best I've come across so far. However, I have some remarks. There's hardly any references to the New Testament (not even the part on Mal 4:5 talking about "Elijah to come", which is even mentioned by Jesus Matt 11:14). She often writes "the Deity" instead of "God" or "Him" (referring to God) which is quite annoying when it is repeated over and over again. She offers few discussions on how Malachi fits in a broader biblical theology. That being said, If you want a good commentary on the language and OT references this is a commentary for you. If you want a complete package (a broader theological discussion) I recommend the older NICOT-commentary by Pieter A. Verhoef.
Chan Yew Ming
1/27/2018
pieter
1/26/2018
