§ I. INTRODUCTION TO HAGGAI AND ZECHARIAH THE POSITION OF THE BOOKS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. The Twelve Minor Prophets are treated in the Hebrew Bible, the LXX, and the Peshitta as one book subdivided into twelve. So St Jerome (in xii Prophetas praefatio) tells Paula and Eustochium "unum librum esse duodecim Prophetarum." Accordingly in Hebrew Bibles the Masoretic statement of the number of verses (1050) and of Sĕdārīm1 (21) is made summarily for all twelve prophets at the end of Malachi, just as the corresponding statement is made for the whole of the Pentateuch at the end of Deuteronomy. The title given in Hebrew MSS is Sepher trē 'ăsar, “Book of the Twelve." This title is probably earlier than the beginning of the Christian era, for the son of Sirach (fl. circ. 190—170 B.C.) after mentioning Jeremiah and Ezekiel among the worthies of Israel proceeds immediately to mention "the twelve prophets" (Ecclus. xlix. 10, both Heb. and Greek texts). Similarly in lists of the books of the Old Testament given by the Christian Fathers we find such entries as τῶν δώδεκα προφητῶν μία βίβλος, “Of the Twelve Prophets one book" (Cyril of Jerusalem, circ. 348 A.D.), and oi δώδεκα [προφῆται] εἰς ἓν βιβλίον ἀριθμούμενοι, The Twelve Prophets numbered as one book" (Athanasius, Festal Letter of 367 A.D.). The title "Minor Prophets" (Petits Prophètes, Kleinen Propheten) is to be regarded only as a popular and comparatively modern name. 1 For the divisions of the text called Sědārim see C. D. Ginsburg, Introduction to the Hebrew Bible, pp. 32-65. In this book of the Twelve Prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi occupy respectively the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth places both in the Hebrew Bible and in the ancient versions. It should be noted that the popular saying that the Old Testament ends "with a curse (Mal. iv. 6) is true of the English Bible, but not of the Hebrew, nor of the old versions. In the Hebrew the Prophets precede the Hagiographa, in LXX the book of the Twelve Prophets precedes Isaiah, in the Peshitta it comes between Ezekiel and Daniel (so the best MSS), in the Latin Vulgate it is immediately followed by I II Maccabees, which are treated as Canonical. § 2. CONTENTS OF (a) HAGGAI; (b) ZECHARIAH. (a) Haggai. The book of Haggai is in the main prophetic in character, but it contains an element of narrative, as the following analysis shows. Haggai i. 1. Superscription of the book giving the Prophet's name together with the date and destination of the prophecy following. 2-II. The great Remonstrance. The Jews, Haggai says, are caring for their own houses and fields and are neglecting to build with timber the house of the LORD. The curse of drought is upon them because of this neglect. 12-15. Narrative passage describing the result of the Prophet's appeal. The Jews led by Zerubbabel the governor and Joshua the priest feared, and encouraged by a fresh message from JEHOVAH came and did work in the house of JEHOVAH. ii. 1. Superscription dating the prophetic passage which follows about seven weeks after its predecessor. 2-9. Promises for the future; “the latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former” (v. 7). 10. Superscription dating the prophetic passage which follows about nine weeks after its predecessor. II-19. A stern rebuke for past neglect of the Temple passing into a promise of blessing for the future because the people have now begun again to build. 20. Superscription assigning to the following prophecy the same date as its predecessor. 21-23. A promise of perfect safety for Zerubbabel in the approaching catastrophe when "the throne of kingdoms" shall be overturned. (b) Zechariah. Like the book of Isaiah, the book of Zechariah seems naturally to fall into two halves. The first half consisting of chaps. i.—viii. contains the report of the Prophet's own teaching. Chaps. ix.—xiv. differ much both in style and standpoint from the rest and are probably due to a younger contemporary and disciple of Zechariah. The supposed indications of a date later by several centuries to which some scholars have called attention are certainly untrustworthy (see § 3). The contents of the book may be analysed as follows. Zechariah i. I. Superscription giving the date and the (The superscription to Prophet's name and genealogy. 2-6. Zechariah appeals to the Jews to repent and receive the word of JEHOVAH, and not to be as their fathers who had not hearkened to the former prophets. 7. Superscription giving the date of Zechariah's first vision or (possibly) of the series of eight visions. 8-12. A VISION (I) of the Angel of JEHOVAH pleading for Jerusalem. 13-17. JEHOVAH grants the Prophet two "comfortable words" one for Jerusalem and the other for the cities of Judah. 18-21. A VISION (II) of deliverance by the hand of smiths (carpenters) from oppression by the "horns.” ii. 1-5. A VISION (III) of a measuring line followed by a promise that the new Jerusalem shall need no walls. 6-9. JEHOVAH's invitation to the exiles in Babylon to return trusting in His protection by the way. 10-13. JEHOVAH's promise of the future destiny of |