The Book Of Haggai

Who is the Author?

The author of this book of the Bible is the prophet Haggai. Haggai is the first of three postexilic prophets who ministered in Judah to the tiny community established after the Jews were permitted to return to their homeland.1 The life and ministry of Haggai are wrapped in comparative obscurity. He referred to himself simply as “the Prophet Haggai” (Hag. 1:1, etc.;cf. Ezra 5:1; 6:14). Nothing is known of his parentage or genealogy. His name apparently means “festive” or “festival,” derived from the Hebrew word ḥā (“a festival”). A few scholars therefore suppose that he was born on a feast day, but nothing in the text supports this. Some believe his reference to the Solomonic temple in Haggai 2:3shows he was one of the exiles who saw it destroyed in 586 BCE. If so, he may have been an elderly prophet.2 Haggai was not bashful about claiming that he was the recipient of divine revelation. “The word of Yahweh” came to him, and through him, to the people. “For the first time in the postexilic era, the authentic voice of prophecy was heard.” This divine word came literally, “in the hand of Haggai”—that is, into his care or his stewardship. Haggai’s right to speak came not because of his family status; rather, what was important was that he had received the divine word. Haggai was the spokesman for Yahweh, the instrument by whom the divine word would be presented to the postexilic community.3 Three things set this prophet’s work apart. First, each message is carefully dated. One can locate his preaching of each sermon recorded in this book to the day! Second, the people acted on his exhortation. While many Old Testament prophets saw no real response to their ministries, Haggai saw the Jews heed his words. Third, rebuilding the temple is linked to the “shaking of the nations”—the coming of Messiah to establish the kingdom promised by the Lord.4