An Exegetical Commentary: Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi

By Eugene H. Merrill

Book Overview

This is one of 3 commentaries in a set. Also checkout the commentaries by Finley and Patterson. Haggai In a day of profound discouragement and misplaced priorities following the return of the Jews from Babylonian exile, the prophet Haggai sounded a clarion call of rebuke, exhortation, and encouragement to his contemporaries. They had begun to rebuild their own homes and businesses and to establish their statehood as a Jewish community but had been derelict in tending to the construction of the temple and making the Lord the central focus of all their hopes and dreams. The message of Haggai, so effective in shaking the Jews of 520 B.C. from their lethargy, has an abiding relevance for all who fail to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Zechariah Whereas Haggai's vision encompassed, for the most part, his immediate, temporal situation, the range of his contemporary and colleague was much more expansive; for Zechariah not only shared Haggai's burden about the inertia of the postexilic community, but by vision and dream saw the unfolding of Divine purpose for all of God's people and for all the ages to come. Rich in apocalyptic imagery and packed with messianic prediction and allusion, Zechariah's writings became a favorite of the New Testament evangelists and apostles. The glorious hope expounded by the prophet was viewed by them as being fulfilled in the saving work and witness of Jesus Christ. No Minor Prophet excels Zechariah in the clarity and triumph by which he looks to the culmination of God's program of redemption. Malachi The burden of this, the last of the Old Testament prophets, was the glaring inconcinnity between the identity of the Jewish community as the people of God and the living out of all that this required of them. Theirs was not the problem of rebuilding the Temple and holy city, for that had long been done by Malachi's day; rather, it was the issue of holy living and holy service in the aftermath of all the external accomplishments. Malachi, though dead, yet speaks to the modern world about the need to bring performance into line with profession. His message, therefore, is current, especially in light of the coming of the One of whom the prophet so eloquently spoke.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1495961362
• ISBN13: 9781495961366
• Release Date: February 2014
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 422 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Great Evangelical Analysis

Eugene Merrill locates the books of Zechariah and Haggai around 515 BC But the book of Malachi is not quite as easy to nail down. After an interesting discussion, Merrill concludes that the book was probably written between 480-470 BC, before the reforms of Ezra and Nehemiah. This can be contended, especially by those who have dogmatic issues with Malachi being able to predict the future destruction of Edom (312 BC). But the contents of the book itself seems to fit a time prior to the arrival of Ezra. Merrill notes that the central theological issues in the book are the temple cult, the covenant, the conduct and character of the priests and people, and the future. In Malachi 2, Merrill handles the dodgy subject of how Malachi can flatly state that God hates divorce and yet 30 years later, Ezra commanded it. Merrill observes that Malachi was condemning divorce among the people of faith, while Ezra commanded the dissolution of pagan unions that were turning the people further away from the Lord. This is a one time, unique event in Israel's history because the future of the nation was at stake. They needed to avoid intermarriage, as Deuteronomy 7 says they should. Merrill says that in Malachi 3:1, the messenger of the covenant is the same as "My messenger" in the first part of the verse. Most interpreters (myself included) disagree. The messenger of the covenant seems to be a parallel expression for "the Lord whom you seek." Merrill argues nicely for the unity of Zechariah and the authenticity of Haggai. This book is a little on the technical side. Hebrew words are references in Hebrew font, and there is significant discussion of textual as well as theological issues. But the commentary is so helpful and solid that I must recommend it for the pastor as well as the budding theological student.