Six Minor Prophets Through the Centuries

Six Minor Prophets Through the Centuries is the work of highly respected biblical scholars, Richard Coggins and Jin H. Han. The volume explores the rich and complex reception history of the last six Minor Prophets in Jewish and Christian exegesis, theology, worship, and arts.

• This text is the work of two highly respected biblical scholars
• It explores the rich and complex reception history of the last six Minor Prophets in Jewish and Christian theology and exegesis

List of Illustrations x

Series Editors’ Preface xii

Preface xiv

Acknowledgments xvi

Abbreviations xx

I Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah 1
Jin H. Han

Introduction 3

The Three Among the Twelve 3

The Manner of Presentation 5

1 Nahum 6

Nahum in Literature 9

Nahum in the Arts 11

Nahum in Worship 14

Nahum 1: The Avenging God 15

Nahum 2: Destruction of Nineveh 27

Nahum 3: Woe Oracle against the City of Bloodshed 30

2 Habakkuk 36

Habakkuk in Literature 38

Habakkuk in the Arts 42

Habakkuk in Worship 47

Habakkuk 1: The Prophet’s Lament and God’s Reply 50

Habakkuk 2: God’s Counsel of Faith and Woe Oracles 58

Habakkuk 3: The Prophet’s Prayer 73

3 Zephaniah 92

Zephaniah in the Arts 95

Zephaniah and Dies Irae 96

Zephaniah in Worship 99

Zephaniah 1: The Divine Justice and the Day of the Lord 100

Zephaniah 2: Oracles against the Nations 109

Zephaniah 3: The Remnant of Israel and the Joy of the Lord 114

II Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi 127
Richard Coggins

Introduction 129

Linkages 130

4 Haggai 135

Haggai 1 140

Haggai 2 142

5 Zechariah 150

Zechariah 1 152

Zechariah 2 154

Zechariah 3–4 157

Zechariah 5 162

Zechariah 6 164

Zechariah 7 167

Zechariah 8 167

Zechariah 9–14 169

Zechariah 11–13 177

Zechariah 14 183

6 Malachi 186

Malachi 1 188

Malachi 2 193

Malachi 3 195

Malachi 4 198

Glossary 202

Brief Biographies 206

Bibliography 214

Online Sources (Select) 248

Index of Biblical References 251

Index of Names and Subjects 262

"The emphasis on reception history makes this volume an important complement to larger critical commentaries within personal and research libraries that hold collections on the prophetic literature." (Religious Studies Review, 1 September 2014)

"The uniqueness of this commentary series is that it is the "first to be devoted primarily to the reception history of the Bible" and it is done in a clearly outlined, user friendly, verse-by-verse commentary format .... This quick, illuminating display of the "genealogy" of interpretations is a unique achievement ... useful to any reader interested in biblical interpretation." (Reviews in Religion & Theology, 4 September 2013)

"It provides a fascinating journey of discovery and can be read, unlike most other commentaries, from cover to cover." (Relegere: Studies in Religion and Reception, 1 May 2013)

Richard Coggins is one of the most respected Old Testament scholars writing today and was based in the department of Theology at Kings College, London. He is a past President of the Society for Old Testament Study and co-author with J. L. Houlden of the groundbreaking Dictionary of Biblical Interpretation (1992). He is the author of numerous works, including Introducing the Old Testament (2001).

Jin H. Han is Professor of Biblical Studies at New York Theological Seminary, New York, where he has taught Old Testament and biblical Hebrew since 1992. He also teaches at the General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church. He is an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and, among other publications, is the author of Daniel's Spiel: Apocalyptic Literacy in the Book of Daniel (2008).

Six Minor Prophets Through the Centuries

Richard Coggins, Jin H. Han

Six Minor Prophets Through the Centuries is the work of highly respected biblical scholars, Richard Coggins and Jin H. Han. The volume explores the rich and complex reception history of the last six Minor Prophets in the exegesis, theology, worship, and arts of Judaism and Christianity, with Han focusing on Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, and Coggins on Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

This latest title in the outstanding Blackwell Bible Commentary series is the only available text that covers these six prophets within a single volume, providing an essential reference for students, scholars, clergy, and general readers.

The Minor Prophets have left a mark disproportionate to their length on the history of biblical reception. Suggestive allusions and references appear throughout ancient, medieval, and modern literature, as well as in sculpture and paintings. Each has a special role to play in the Jewish and Christian traditions. Although the six books examined here are known to Christians as Minor Prophets, this epithet refers only to the length of their accounts, and not to their significance to believers, readers, and artists across the centuries. "What a marvelous treasure trove! Jin Hee Han and Richard J. Coggins have made these six prophets come alive by providing rich documentation of their interpretation and impact from the ancient translations to contemporary media. This volume is a must for all students of these prophets—scholars, clergy, and lay people alike."
—C. L. Seow, Princeton Theological Seminary

"The authors have skillfully sampled the entire history of Jewish and Christian interpretation, shaping their compendium into a helpful and fascinating commentary on these six Prophets."
—Robert J. Owens, The General Theological Seminary