At a Glance
Haggai at a Glance
Haggai is one of the shortest books in the Old Testament, and it dates every message to the day. Four messages in four months moved a discouraged people from excuses to work.
- Author. Haggai the prophet (Haggai 1:1). Haggai may have been old enough to remember Solomon's temple (Haggai 2:3), though the book does not say. He and Zechariah prophesied together (Ezra 5:1).
- Date. 520 BC, the second year of King Darius of Persia. His four messages came between late August and December of that year.
- Written To. Zerubbabel the governor, Joshua the high priest, and the Jews who had returned from the Babylonian exile (Haggai 1:1).
- Setting. The exiles came home under Cyrus and laid the temple foundation about 536 BC. Opposition stopped the work (Ezra 4:24). For about sixteen years the people built their own houses and let the LORD's house sit unfinished.
- Key Verse. Consider your ways (Haggai 1:5).
- Key Word or Theme. Priorities. God's work comes first, and He is with those who do it.
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Further reading
For Deeper Study
- Be HeroicAmazon Warren W. WiersbeIncludes Haggai and Zechariah (with Ezra), with warm and practical teaching on rebuilding in hard times.
- Haggai, Zechariah, MalachiAmazon Eugene H. MerrillA careful, conservative exegetical commentary on all three post-exilic prophets.
- The Minor ProphetsAmazon Charles Lee FeinbergA conservative commentary that reads Haggai's promises to Israel plainly.
- Foxe's Book of MartyrsAmazon John FoxeThe classic Protestant record of those who died for the faith, from the early church to the English Reformation.
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