Minor Prophets:
Haggai

Build my house!  That is the command that God places before the people of Judah throughout the two chapters of Haggai's prophecy.  Like so much of the scripture, this little book reminds the follower of God not to put other things before the things of the Lord.

Left: Giovanni Pisano's likeness of Haggai from the 13th century.

 

The Bare Facts

Who:  Although Haggai gives us a great deal of time-based information, we know virtually nothing about the man.

Where:  Like many of his predecessors, Haggai writes in or very near to Jerusalem, we can reasonably assume.  However, the Jerusalem that he encounters differs markedly from that of Hosea and company.

When:  No other prophet is more specific than Haggai on dates.  His career apparently lasted less than four months, August 29 to December 18, 520 B.C.

What:  Haggai begins his prophecy by calling the people to account for neglecting the temple while living in their comfortable homes.  While he moves on from this temple-oriented message, he never strays far from the idea of putting God and the things of God first at all times.

 

Memorable Passages
1:7	Give careful thought to your ways.
2:6-9	Messianic prophecy.  The desire of all nations shall come.

Overviews and Outlines

An Introduction to the Book of Haggai

An outlined overview by David Malick.

An Argument of the Book of Haggai

One of David Malick's rhetorical outlines.

The Book of Haggai

An introduction from Quartz Hill School of Theology.

The Grace Institute: Haggai

A well-rounded overview from a Eugene Oregon church.

Bible Basics

A very brief list of facts, but it includes a wav file pronouncing the book's title.

Easton Bible Dictionary: Haggai

The article from M.G. Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary.

Catholic Encyclopedia: Haggai

The appropriate entry from the public domain edition of this venerable reference work.

Columbia Encyclopedia: Haggai

A brief article from the 2001 edition of this reference work.

Bible Explained

This is a commentary by an energetic fellow named Ted Wade.  He provides brief notes on each chapter and most verses for the entire Bible.

Luther Productions

A very brief overview including key verses.

The Blue Letter Bible

An excellent source for text, cross-references, concordance, language helps, commentaries, and more.

Columbia Encyclopedia: Haggai

A brief article from the 2001 edition of this reference work.

JPS Bible

The JPS 1917 Bible text.  Includes a search capability.

Jewish Encyclopedia

An article from the 1901-06 reference work.  Generally liberal in its critical presuppositions.

Haggai

The appropriate article from Aaron Rittmaster's Hebrew Prophets Web.

Bible Studies: Whole Book

Haggai: Build My House; Build My People

A Bible Links exclusive.  Ten devotions from Tune My Heart covering both chapters of this powerful little book.

Haggai

Lesson 11 from the 13-lesson series, The Minor Prophets, by Hampton Keathley, IV.

The Concise Ones: The Minor Prophets

A look at Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, and Malachi by Chuck Missler.

Love the Lord Bible Studies: Haggai

A two-lesson study with questions from an Arkansas-based ministry.  They seem orthodox enough, although the statement of faith makes me wonder if they're not into prosperity gospel teachings.

Talks for Growing Christians

A nifty study, which includes a brief sermon, question, and answers.  A project from Talks for Growing Christians.

John Calvin's Commentary

The commentary of the 16th-century French reformer.

Geneva Notes

In 1599, English Puritans, working in Geneva, published the first study Bible.  These are the notes from that edition.

Coffman's Commentary

A verse-by-verse commentary by Dr. James Burton Coffman, a leading Church of Christ scholar.

Matthew Henry's Commentary

The chapter-by-chapter 1712 commentary by the great English Puritan writer..

John Wesley Notes

Over his career, the founder of Methodism maintained notes on the entire Bible.

JFB Commentary

The comments of Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown from Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871).

Clarke's Commentary

The first chapter for this book from Adam Clarke's nineteenth-century commentary.

John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

The commentary of the 17th century Baptist theologian and preacher.

Scofield Reference Notes

The notes from the 1917 edition of the great study Bible.  From a dispensationalist viewpoint.

Old Testament Life and Literature

Gerald Larue's 1968 overview of the Old Testament is, oddly enough, hosted at an atheist website.  Actually, it's not odd as Larue is unabashedly modernist and liberal in his assumptions.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

A combination brief commentary and thorough cross-reference.  Developed by R.A. Torrey.

David Guzik's Commentaries on the Bible

David Guzik, a former senior pastor at Clavary Chapel Simi Valley in California, provides a verse-by-verse commentary. Currently Guzik directs the Calvary Chapel Bible College in Siegen, Germany.

The Jerome Bible Commentary

A commentary by a Catholic doctor, Jerome Dominguez, M.D.  Is English isn't perfect, but you have to admire his energy.  Although Catholic in orientation, this source has some good material for study.

The Grace Institute: Haggai

A well-rounded overview from a Eugene Oregon church.

God Is Jealous: Zephaniah, Haggai

Chapter 24 from Ray C. Stedman's book Highlights of the Bible.

The Minor Prophets: Haggai

A study by Al Maxey.

The Prophet Haggai

A study by F.B. Hole.

Haggai, the Messenger and His Message

An introduction by Hamilton Smith.

Jewish Bible (JPS 1917)

Three versions of the text in Hebrew.

Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi: Back in the Land

A study by W. Gunther Plaut hosted at MyJewishLearning.com.

Bible Studies: Part of Book

Consider Your Ways: A Call to Action (1:1-15)

A sermon by the pastor of South Woods Baptist Church.

Morning and Evening (1:9)

One of C.H. Spurgeon's renowned devotions.

Lectionary Notes (1:15b-2:9)

Notes by Dennis Bratcher, Wesleyan.

Lectionary Notes and Overall Background (1:15b-2:9)

Notes prepared for an Australian church.

How the Lord Stirred Up the People (ch. 2)

A sermon by Dr. Daniel W. Paterson.

Chris Haslam (2:1-9)

Lectionary notes.

City of God: Augustine (2:6-7)

A section of Augustine's great work dealing with the last three minor prophets.

Christ the Desire of All Nations (2:7)

A sermon by the Puritan John Flavel.

Morning and Evening (2:17)

One of C.H. Spurgeon's renowned devotions.

Conceptions of Davidic Hope in Ezekiel, Zechariah, Haggai, and the Chronicles

The final lesson from the six-part series Regal Images from Scripture by Greg Herrick.

Haggai's Temple, Constructed, Deconstructed and Reconstructed

A 33-page article from JSOT by David J.A. Clines.

Sermons

Haggai: Some Words to Discouraged Carpenters

The appropriate sermon from Ray C. Stedman's Adventuring through the Bible series.

Take Courage: You Build More than You See

A 1982 sermon by John Piper.

Ken Gehrels--The Right Kind of Fear

An overview sermon from a Reformed pastor.

Max Forsythe

Sermons from a series on the minor prophets.  Look for the appropriate sermon(s) on this page, which contains all twelve. 

Cairo Baptist Church

Four sermon outlines by "Pastor Mike."

C.H. Spurgeon

A listing of sermons, some of which are available online, by the great British Baptist.

Sermon Outlines

Links to sermon outlines from SermonLinks.

Books and Bibliographies

Annotated Bibliography on Haggai

A six-page list of sources by Thomas F. McDaniel of Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Denver Seminary Bibliography

This will take you to the top of the "Commentary" section.  You'll need to scroll down to find the relevant section.

Two-Age Bibliography

A list of recommended sources, mostly scholarly in nature, provided by a website devoted to the "Redemptive Historical" school of theology.