Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi (EP Study Commentary)

This book was given to me unsolicited by the publisher, EP Books, and I chose to review it. I had previously reviewed How to Enjoy Your Bible by this publisher.This commentary is an exposition of the last three books of the Bible. It aims to interpret the Bible text section by section as opposed to verse by verse exegesis. At the end of each chapter is an Application section that deals with how the previous portion of Scripture applies to us today and how it points to Christ and the New Testament.You will find that the theology is solidly evangelical and Reformed, the latter especially showing up in the Application section. If you aren't familiar with that term, I don't think it will be of major significance.This popular level book is useful for pastors and laypeople who want to gain a better understanding of these three books of Scripture.The author provides his own translation of these texts, however in the exposition, Hebrew words are mentioned sparingly but in a helpful and understandable way.Why are these books important to study? "Gospel writers quote Zechariah 9 - 14 more often than any other biblical source in explaining Christ's sufferings and death." (pg 11) The commentary helps clarify many of the obscurities of the visions in Zechariah. Also, "The fundamental theological context of these books is the return from exile,". The commentary helps bring into perspective this relatively small portion of history with equally `small' but significant events.I enjoyed reading this succinct 255 page book. Though it doesn't go as in-depth as a more thorough and technical commentary, there weren't any major questions left unanswered for me. I didn't feel a need to to go another source for more information, although I wasn't preparing a sermon or studying deeply.The earlier mentioned Application section is very helpful. I felt these sections may have been a bit longer than necessary and stretching some things a little far. I wouldn't have minded a little more content in the expositional portions, but that may be more of a preference than a criticism.There are the dreaded endnotes instead of footnotes. If you want to look up a reference, to the back of the book you go.One of the reasons I like reading good expositions like this of the Old Testament is that in almost any section, things learned help to understand other portions of the Old Testament. This is the case over and over again with this book. Whether it's history, feasts, symbols, Christology, references to passages in other books or any number of topics, this commentary will help you not only with these three unsung but important books of the Bible, but will help you understand the whole Old Testament at least a little bit better.I highly recommend it.

Iain Duguid's commentary, "Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi" in the EP Study Commentary Series, is a popular level exposition of the last three books of the Minor Prophets (aka The Book of the Twelve), written from a Reformed and Evangelical perspective. In this volume, Duguid has provided pastors and laypeople with an eminently readable and theologically Reformed exposition of the final three books of the Minor Prophets.In this review, I will summarize a few of what I found to be strengths and weaknesses in this book. As I found this to be a very fine volume, I commend it to Reformed and Evangelical Christian readers who are seeking to understand better how the books of Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi testify to the person and work of Jesus Christ.This reviewer found many strong points to this volume; here are a few of note:1. The book is explicitly Christ centered with a clear gospel focus. Working in the Redemptive-Historical perspective familiar to the Reformed tradition, Duguid never treats any section without making reference to the One of whom the entire OT ultimately speaks (note especially pgs. 22-24). Moralism and legalism are avoided; Duguid's "gospel centered" approach continually draws readers back to the finished work of Jesus Christ on behalf of his chosen people.2. The book is an example of careful and reserved exegesis. Duguid falls neither into the allegorical method, nor the modern day equivalent of allegory seen in overly-zealous versions of redemptive-historical preaching evident in some Reformed circles today. His exegesis is reserved and exhibits sensitivity to the particular historical contexts of the texts themselves. Though he addresses larger redemptive-historical issues, these are thoughtful and compelling.3. The book makes good theological connections. Recognizing that the Bible is read theologically for Christians, Duguid draws in doctrinal issues in an appropriate way. His discussion of Zech 3.1-10 seamlessly leads to a clear and cogent articulation of Justification sola fide (pgs. 102-104).4. The book exhibits wise pastoral application. Duguid is a scholar with a pastor's heart and pastoral wisdom and experience to boot! His years of pastoral ministry shine through the application sections of this commentary as he anticipates not only the questions Christians raise about the relevance of these texts to the church in the 21st century, he knows the fears, struggles and hopes of believers and applies the text in creative and thoughtful ways. The "application" section of this volume is a strong aspect of this format.This reviewer felt that this volume also had some potential weaknesses:1. The book is not very thorough about the historical issues relevant to the texts. Duguid does touch on historical matters relating to the Persian period, however Pastors wishing to better understand the kinds of socio-political issues raised by this time period will have to look elsewhere.2. The book sometimes makes it sound as though the original audience were dealing with similar issues of stress, career and relationships as do modern day Christians. This is not to undermine the strength of his application section, rather it is to draw attention to the distinction that must always be made between what a text meant and what it now means. I felt at times that some of the gritty matters relevant to ancient readers were sometimes avoided. For example, Duguid soft-pedals the downright dangerous language of Hag 2.20-23. This material is what may account for Zerubbabel's "mysterious disappearance" - the Persians were not interested in a governor who might lead an insurrection!3. The book makes occasional innerbiblical connections on grounds that are not entirely clear. Again, this does not undermine my appreciation for Duguid's reserve in his exegesis. Rather, it draws attention to the methodology one must be intentional about when drawing texts into conversation with one another. For example, Duguid cites Psalm 2 at Hag 2.21-23, though no explicit linguistic connections warrant it. Further allusion to Gen 19 (Sodom and Gomorrah) and Exod 15 (the Exodus from Egypt) are made based on very common words (the verb hpk "to overturn," and the nouns for "horse," and "chariot").Nevertheless, the strengths of this volume - of which I have mentioned only a few - far outweigh the weaknesses. As I worked through the commentary, I became more and more convinced that this volume will be especially beneficial to laypeople for use in their personal and/or family devotions. Non-experts will benefit greatly from the books overall readability and Duguid's careful guidance through these texts.Pastors will benefit from this volume in two principal ways. First, Duguid's approach provides an excellent homiletical model to emulate in preaching Christ from the texts in Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. Second, Duguid's translation of the Hebrew text is an invaluable reference for pastors as they check their own translation against the work of experts in the field. The translation he provides is faithful to the Hebrew while still exhibiting fine prosody. Pastors should consult Duguid's translation along with others when studying these books.In conclusion, it gives me great pleasure to commend this work to pastors and laypeople alike. As a budding Old Testament scholar myself, I am grateful whenever I find a volume that will help people to see just how exciting the OT truly is! In his introduction, Duguid noted that these three minor prophets have received far less attention from the Church than they deserve, especially seeing that the NT cites them extensively. In this commentary, he has provided the exact corrective necessary. It is hoped that with this book, believers will be reminded of just how edifying Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi truly are!