Haggai Bible Study Resources

Study questions, maps, charts, outlines, and links to help you study the Old Testament book of Haggai.

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Jump to: Background; ** Maps; ** Key Words; ** Encyclopedias; ** Commentaries; ** Articles; ** GotQuestions ** Next **

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Basics

• Author: The Prophet Haggai, written in 520 BC while Zerubbabel was governor.
• Haggai is know only from this book and from Ezra 5:1 and Ezra 6:14.
• Haggai returned to Jerusalem from Babylon with the remnant that returned with Zerubbabel.
• Haggai 2:3 may suggest that he had seen the glory of Solomon’s temple before it was destroyed, making him at least 70 years of age when writing his prophecy.
• Both Haggai and Zechariah urged the people to rebuild the temple.
• At the time Haggai prophecies it had been 15 years since the initial work on rebuilding the temple had begun.
• Zerubbabel was an ancestor of both Joseph (Matthew 1:13) and Mary (Luke 3:27).
• The occasion of each of Haggai’s 4 prophecies is clearly specified (1:1; 2:1; 2:10; 2:20), occurring within a 4 month span in the second year (ca. 520 B.C.) of Persian king Darius (ca. 521–486 B.C.).

Chronology

• 538 – Zerubbabel and first return of the exiles ( Ezra 1-6).
• 536 BC – Work on the temple begins (Ezra 3:8).
• 530-520 BC – Work on the temple stops (Ezra 4:24).
• 520 BC – Work on the temple resumes (Ezra 5:2).
• 520 BC – Events of the book of Haggai
• 520-518 BC – Events of Zechariah 1-8.
• 516 BC – Work on the temple is completed.

Genre: Understanding Prophecy

Section 1: Background

Background

• Introduction to the Prophets
• Introduction to the Exile & Return
• Chart: Bible History at a glance
• Chronology Ezra-Nehemiah
• Blue Letter Bible: Old Testament Timeline
• Hebrew Calendar
• Bible Atlas: Persia
• Bible Atlas: Babylon
• Bible Atlas: Jerusalem
• Minor Prophets Quotes in the NT
• Ray C Stedman: Overview of the Book
• John MacArthur: Author, Date, Background
• BibleHistory.com: List of the Kings of Persia
• JVernon McGee: Haggai – Introductory Notes, Outlines
• David Malick (Bible.org): An Introduction to the Book of Haggai
• ESV: Introduction to Haggai
• ESV: The Global Message of Haggai
• NIV: Introduction to the Minor Prophets
• NIV: An Introduction to Haggai
• William Orr: Keys to Haggai
• Arend Remmers: The Prophet Haggai (Overview)
• Charles Swindoll: The Prophet Haggai

Section 2: Maps

Maps from Bible-History.com

• Persia 5th Century BC
• Persia 6th Century BC
• Nehemiah’s Jerusalem

Maps from Studylight.org

• World Powers of the 6th century BCE
• The Conquests of Cyrus the Great
• The Persian Empire
• The Return of the Jewish Exiles to Judah
• Judah in the 5th century BCE
• Palestine after the Exile

ESV Study Bible

• Chronology of Ezra
• Adversaries Hinder Work in Ezra
• Kings of Persia in Ezra–Nehemiah
• Chronology of Nehemiah
• Chronology in Esther

Section 3: Key Words

Key Words

• LORD (24x) – Strong’s H3068 in Hag 1:1; Hag 1:2; Hag 1:3; Hag 1:5; Hag 1:7; Hag 1:8; Hag 1:9; Hag 1:12; Hag 1:13; Hag 1:14; Hag 2:1; Hag 2:4; Hag 2:6; Hag 2:7; Hag 2:8; Hag 2:9; Hag 2:10; Hag 2:11; Hag 2:14; Hag 2:15; Hag 2:17; Hag 2:18; Hag 2:20; Hag 2:23.
• hosts (Lord of Hosts; 12x) – Strong’s H6635 in Hag 1:2; Hag 1:5; Hag 1:7; Hag 1:9; Hag 1:14; Hag 2:4; Hag 2:6; Hag 2:7; Hag 2:8; Hag 2:9; Hag 2:11; Hag 2:23.
• word (of the Lord came; 5x) – Strong’s H1697 in Hag 1:1; Hag 1:3; Hag 2:1; Hag 2:10; Hag 2:20.
• rebuilt/rebuild (2x) – Strong’s H1129 in Hag 1:2; Hag 1:8.
• consider (4x) – Strong’s H7760 in Hag 1:5; Hag 1:7; Hag 2:15; Hag 2:18.
• house (6x) – Strong’s H1004 in Hag 1:2; Hag 1:4; Hag 1:9; Hag 1:14; Hag 2:7; Hag 2:9.
• temple (4x) – Strong’s H1004 in Hag 1:8; Hag 2:3; Strong’s H1964 in Hag 2:15; Hag 2:18.
• glory (3x) – Strong’s H3519b in Hag 2:3; Hag 2:7; Hag 2:9.
• shake (3x) – Strong’s H7493 in Hag 2:6; Hag 2:7; Hag 2:21.

Section 4: Encyclopedias

Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

• Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology: Haggai, Theology Of
• American Tract Society: Haggai
• Bridgeway Bible Dictionary: Haggai
• Easton’s Bible Dictionary: Haggai, Book Of; Haggai
• Fausset Bible Dictionary: Haggai, the Book Of; Haggai
• Holman Bible Dictionary: Haggai
• Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible: Haggai
• Kitto’s Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature: Haggai
• Morrish Bible Dictionary: Haggai
• International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Haggai
• McClintock and Strong: Haggai, Prophecy Of; Haggai
• The Nuttall Encyclopedia: Haggai
• The Jewish Encyclopedia: Haggai, Book Of; Haggai
• Hitchcock’s Bible names: Haggai means feast; solemnity

Section 5: Commentaries

Commentaries & Study Bibles

• Ligionier.org Top 5 Commentaries: Haggai
• Tim Challies Best Commentaries:
• Commentary Reviews: Haggai
• Walter Kaiser – Preacher’s Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentary on the Bible: Haggai
• Matthew Henry: Haggai
• Albert Barnes Notes: Haggai
• Reformation Study Bible Notes: Haggai
• Geneva Study Bible: Haggai
• Precept Austin Commentaries & Sermons: Haggai

Section 6: Articles

Articles

• Haggai Master Rhetorician — M.J. Boda
• The Shaking Of The Nations An Eschatological View — John A. Kessler
• Literary Connectors And A Haggai-Zechariah-Malachi Corpus — Ronald W. Pierce
• A Thematic Development Of The Haggai-Zechariah-Malachi Corpus –Ronald W Pierce
• Impulse And Design In The Book Of Haggai — By Duane L. Christensen
• The Theological Basis for the Prohibition of Images in the Old Testament – Edward M Curtis
• Composition, Rhetoric and Theology in Haggai 1:1-11 (Note: Jewish perspective) – Elie Assis
• The Building of the Second Temple- by J. Stafford Wright
• Greg Herrick: Conceptions of Davidic Hope in Ezekiel, Zechariah, Haggai, and the Chronicles
• JHampton Keathley: The Minor Prophets

Section 7: Got Questions

GotQuestions.org

• Book of Haggai – Bible Survey
• Haggai 1:2 Why were the Israelites not rebuilding the temple?
• Haggai 1:4 Is it wrong to live in nice houses?
• Haggai 1:6, 9 Does God use frustrations in life to awaken and/or punish us ()?
• Haggai 2:7 Who is the desired of all nations?
• Haggai 2:23 What does it mean that Zerubbabel was the LORD’s signet ring?
• What was Zerubbabel’s temple/the second temple?
• What are the Major Prophets and Minor Prophets?

Bible Study Helps

• Bible Study 101
• Interpreting Narratives
• Study Software & websites
• More Maps & Charts
• Hebrew word studies by Precepts Austin

Section 8: Next

Next: Zechariah

Previous: Zephaniah

Series: Resources by Book

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