These books, from what are often called the twelve prophets, continue to recount the story of the return from Babylonian exile. They speak with immediacy and power to the generation that was responsible for writing down and organizing the Hebrew Scriptures and founding Judaism as a religion, not just an ethnic identity. Haggai demonstrates how not to be a prophet, as his wildly optimistic and date-specific predictions don't come true. Zechariah then tries to restore the reputation of the prophets after Jeremiah denounces them as liars. A central issue is the rebuilding of the temple-how can it replace the celebrated temple of Solomon? Should it be built before the people even have the resources to build their own houses? When did God leave the temple, and what will convince God to return? These postexilic prophets affirm the many traditions of the people of Judah and Israel, who are still reeling from exile, offering them hope and direction. They promise that God's justice will include punishment of their enemies and a full restoration of God's people. John J. Collins is Holmes Professor of Old Testament at Yale Divinity School. A native of Ireland, he has a doctorate from Harvard University, and earlier taught at the University of Chicago, and the University of Notre Dame. He has published widely on the subjects of apocalypticism, wisdom, Hellenistic Judaism, and the Dead Sea Scrolls and served as president of both the Catholic Biblical Association and the Society of Biblical Literature.

Where is the line between God’s mercy and judgment? In the latest volume of the New International Commentary on the Old Testament, James D. Nogalski offers a new translation of and commentary on several of the Minor Prophets—the Books of Joel, Obadiah, and Jonah—that grapple with this theme in radically different ways. This volume includes a robust introduction for each book, delineating its textual transmission, historical context, literary form, and major themes. The introduction also discusses the role of each book within the collection of the Twelve (Minor) Prophets. The commentaries proper explain the texts verse by verse, illuminating each book’s structure and canonical significance, yet always with an eye toward pastoral application. Academically rigorous and accessibly written, The Books of Joel, Obadiah, and Jonah is an invaluable resource for scholars, students, and pastors.

The Day of the Lord texts of Malachi (Mal 3:2, 7; 4:5) demonstrate that he seems to allude to Joel's Day of the Lord (2:11, 13, 31 [MT 3:4]). Malachi's Day of the Lord seems to have a strong inner-biblical relationship with the Day of the Lord motif of Joel. A significant interpretive loss is committed when allusion is recognized in the source text but ignored and not explored. Thus, the passages themselves call for an inner-biblical allusion study. In addition, the interpretive significance of Joel's Day of the Lord in Malachi has not been investigated comprehensively as the review of literature and intertextual and inner-biblical studies on Malachi validated. Thus, these are the interrelated questions: (a) "What are the criteria to verify the inner-biblical connection between Malachi and Joel on the Day of the Lord?" (b) "How did Malachi use Joel's Day of the Lord motif?" (c) "How did Malachi develop the Day of the Lord theme in his book?" There are three purposes of this study. The first is to identify objective criteria to verify the inner-biblical connection between Malachi and Joel on the Day of the Lord. The second is to determine how Malachi used Joel's Day of the Lord motif. The last is to ascertain how Malachi developed the Day of the Lord theme in his book.

Previously published in 36 separate booklets.

The Complete text of each biblical book is given, with the commentary on the same or facing page. Review aids and discussion topics make the series practical and useful for individual or group Bible study.

In this commentary on Haggai and Malachi, Mignon Jacobs offers clear and insightful interpretation of the text while highlighting themes that are especially relevant to contemporary concerns, such as honoring or dishonoring God, the responsibilities of leaders, questioning God, and hearing the prophetic word in challenging times. Engaging with the latest scholarship, Jacobs provides a thorough introduction to both prophets in which she addresses questions of authorship, date, purpose, structure, and theology, followed by a new translation of the biblical text and a verse-by-verse commentary. With intertextual discussions about key aspects of the text and attention to competing perspectives, this commentary offers a rich new interpretation of Haggai and Malachi.

This commentary, written from a distinctively Pentecostal perspective, is primarily for pastors, lay persons and Bible students. It is based upon the best scholarship, written in popular language, and communicates the meaning of the text with minimal technical distractions. The authors offer a running exposition on the text and extended comments on matters of special signicance for Pentecostals. They acknowledge and interact with alternative interpretations of individual passages. This commentary also provides periodic opportunities for reflection upon and personal response to the biblical text.