It is a short book, consisting of only two chapters. Book of haggai overview insight for living ministries. 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. Key personalities are haggai, zerubbabel, and joshua. The persian ruler cyrus the great captured babylon in 539 b. Haggai 1 background information with maps and images picture. The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here. It is the only book of the english bible to contain two chapters. Haggai is among the most carefully and precisely dated books in the entire bible. The words given to haggai urge the people to consider their ways and strengthen what they had. Haggai ministered among the jews who had returned to judea after some 70 years of exile in babylon.
In this book, haggai challenges israel after the exile to remain faithful to their god and rebuild the temple. The book of haggai, the 10th of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets. The history of this article since it was imported to new world. Intro to haggai biblica the international bible society. In greek the book is titled aggaios, a transliteration from the hebrew, from which we get our english spelling of haggai. Studying the book of haggai can help students gain a deeper understanding of the urgency and importance of building temples and worshipping in the temple. 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. Haggai 1 in the picture study bible, with maps and background information on.
When the people give priority to god and his house, they are blessed rather than cursed cf. The historical setting dates around 520 bce before the temple has been rebuilt. Next to obadiah, haggai is the shortest book in the old testament, containing but two chapters comprised of a total of 38 verses. Because the book of ezra is the whole historic background and context of what we are reading about in haggai ezra tells us of how the children of judah came out. The historical setting dates around 520 bc before the temple has been. Watch our overview video on the book of haggai, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. Haggai intro to haggai biblica the international bible society. The specific mention of the second year of darius 1. Today we study the prophet haggai and discover yhwhs passion about his house. It is a postexilic book, meaning it was written after post the captivity exile in babylon. 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. Haggai sought to challenge the people of god concerning their priorities. This was before the reconstruction of the temple or the walls of jerusalem. Haggai clearly shows the consequences of disobedience 1. In hebrew the book is titled ygj after the name of the prophet which probably meant my feast. In this book, haggai challenges israel after the exile to remain faithful. It was a time when the israelites were strangers and pilgrims in their own land. The book of haggai was written in approximately 520 b. The book of haggai is narrative history and prophetic oracle.