Six Minor Prophets Through the Centuries E-Book

Richard J. Coggins

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: Blackwell Bible Commentaries
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 533

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

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

Leseprobe

Contents

Illustrations

Series Editors’ Preface

Preface

Acknowledgments

Illustrations

Abbreviations

I Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah

Introduction

The Three Among the Twelve

The Manner of Presentation

1 Nahum

Nahum in Literature

Nahum in the Arts

Nahum in Worship

Nahum 1: The Avenging God

Nahum 2: Destruction of Nineveh

Nahum 3: Woe Oracle against the City of Bloodshed

2 Habakkuk

Habakkuk in Literature

Habakkuk in the Arts

Habakkuk in Worship

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

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

Habakkuk 3: The Prophet’s Prayer

3 Zephaniah

Zephaniah in the Arts

Zephaniah and Dies Irae

Zephaniah in Worship

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

Zephaniah 2: Oracles against the Nations

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

II Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi

Introduction

Linkages

4 Haggai

Haggai 1

Haggai 2

5 Zechariah

Zechariah 1

Zechariah 2

Zechariah 3–4

Zechariah 5

Zechariah 6

Zechariah 7

Zechariah 8

Zechariah 9–14

Zechariah 11–13

Zechariah 14

6 Malachi

Malachi 1

Malachi 2

Malachi 3

Malachi 4

Glossary

Brief Biographies

Bibliography

Online Sources (Select)

Index of Biblical References

Index of Names and Subjects

Blackwell Bible Commentaries

Series Editors: John Sawyer, Christopher Rowland, Judith Kovacs, David M. Gunn

John Through the CenturiesMark Edwards

Revelation Through the CenturiesJudith Kovacs and Christopher Rowland

Judges Through the CenturiesDavid M. Gunn

Exodus Through the CenturiesScott M. Langston

Ecclesiastes Through the CenturiesEric S. Christianson

Esther Through the CenturiesJo Carruthers

Psalms Through the Centuries: Volume ISusan Gillingham

Galatians Through the CenturiesJohn Riches

Pastoral Epistles Through the CenturiesJay Twomey

1 & 2 Thessalonians Through the CenturiesAnthony C. Thiselton

Six Minor Prophets Through the CenturiesRichard Coggins and Jin H. Han

Forthcoming

1 & 2 Samuel Through the CenturiesDavid M. Gunn

1 & 2 Kings Through the CenturiesMartin O’Kane

Psalms Through the Centuries: Volume IISusan Gillingham

Song of Songs Through the CenturiesFiona Black

Isaiah Through the CenturiesJohn F. A. Sawyer

Jeremiah Through the CenturiesMary Chilton Callaway

Lamentations Through the CenturiesPaul M. Joyce and Diane Lipton

Ezekiel Through the CenturiesAndrew Mein

Jonah Through the CenturiesYvonne Sherwood

Mark Through the CenturiesChristine Joynes

The Acts of the Apostles Through the CenturiesBy Mikeal C. Parsons and Heidi J. Hornik

Romans Through the CenturiesPaul Fiddes

1 Corinthians Through the CenturiesJorunn Okland

Hebrews Through the CenturiesJohn Lyons

James Through the CenturiesDavid Gowler

Genesis 1–21 Through the CenturiesChristopher Heard

Genesis 22–50 Through the CenturiesChristopher Heard

Deuteronomy Through the CenturiesJonathan Campbell

Daniel Through the CenturiesDennis Tucker

This edition first published 2011© 2011 Richard Coggins and Jin H. Han

Blackwell Publishing was acquired by John Wiley & Sons in February 2007. Blackwell’s publishing program has been merged with Wiley’s global Scientific, Technical, and Medical business to form Wiley-Blackwell.

Registered OfficeJohn Wiley & Sons Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, United Kingdom

Editorial Offices350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-5020, USA9600 Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2DQ, UKThe Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, UK

For details of our global editorial offices, for customer services, and for information about how to apply for permission to reuse the copyright material in this book please see our website at www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell.

The right of Richard Coggins and Jin H. Han to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books.

Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book are trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publisher is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold on the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services. If professional advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Coggins, R. J., 1929– Six minor prophets through the centuries : Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi / Richard Coggins, Jin H. Han. p. cm. – (Blackwell bible commentaries ; 29) Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4051-7675-0 (hardback)1. Bible. O.T. Minor Prophets–Criticism, interpretation, etc. I. Han, Jin Hee. II. Title. BS1560.C54 2011224′.907–dc22

2011010585

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This book is published in the following electronic formats: ePDFs ISBN 9781444342796; oBook ISBN 9781444342826; ePub ISBN 9781444342802

To our families

Illustrations

1

Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah.

2

Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

3

Fall of Nineveh. Poster for an American educational entertainment.

4

Opening page of the book of Nahum.

5

“The mountains shall quake” (Nah. 1:5).

6

Habakkuk (Lo Zuccone), by Donatello (original).

7

Donatello’s Habakkuk (Lo Zuccone), on the campanile of the Duomo, Florence (copy).

8

Habakkuk and the Angel, by Bernini.

9

“Their horses are swifter than leopards” (Hab. 1:8).

10

The song of faith (Hab. 3:17–18).

11

“Those who bow down on the roofs to the host of the heavens” (Zeph. 1:5).

12

The destruction of Assyria and Nineveh foretold (Zeph. 2:13).

13

Nineveh, “the exultant city that lived secure” (Zeph. 2:15).

14

Song of joy (Zeph. 3:14–20).

15

Haggai, by Pisano.

16

Haggai addresses the people (Hag. 1:13).

17

Haggai addresses Zerubbabel and Joshua (Hag. 2:2).

18

Haggai urges the building of the Second Temple (Hag. 1:3).

19

Zechariah, by Michelangelo.

20

Zechariah’s vision of the four horns (Zech. 1:18–19).

21

Zechariah’s vision of the flying scroll (Zech. 5:1–2).

22

Zechariah’s vision of the four chariots, by Doré (Zech. 6:1–8).

23

“Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem … . And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing” (Zech. 8:4–5).

24

The entry into Jerusalem (Zech. 9:9).

25

The great mourning of Hadad-rimmon (Zech. 12:11).

26

Zechariah, in the sculpture The Well of Moses, by Sluter.

27

Presentation of Christ in the Temple with the Prophets Solomon and Malachi, by Duccio.

28

The great day of the Lord (Mal. 4).

Series Editors’ Preface

The Blackwell Bible Commentaries series, the first to be devoted primarily to the reception history of the Bible, is based on the premise that how people have interpreted, and been influenced by, a sacred text like the Bible is often as interesting and historically important as what it originally meant. The series emphasizes the influence of the Bible on literature, art, music, and film, its role in the evolution of religious beliefs and practices, and its impact on social and political developments. Drawing on work in a variety of disciplines, it is designed to provide a convenient and scholarly means of access to material until now hard to find, and a much-needed resource for all those interested in the influence of the Bible on western culture.

Until quite recently this whole dimension was for the most part neglected by biblical scholars. The goal of a commentary was primarily if not exclusively to get behind the centuries of accumulated Christian and Jewish tradition to one single meaning, normally identified with the author’s original intention.

The most important and distinctive feature of the Blackwell Commentaries is that they will present readers with many different interpretations of each text, in such a way as to heighten their awareness of what a text, especially a sacred text, can mean and what it can do, what it has meant and what it has done, in the many contexts in which it operates.

The Blackwell Bible Commentaries will consider patristic, rabbinic (where relevant), and medieval exegesis as well as insights from various types of modern criticism, acquainting readers with a wide variety of interpretative techniques. As part of the history of interpretation, questions of source, date, authorship, and other historical-critical and archaeological issues will be discussed, but since these are covered extensively in existing commentaries, such references will be brief, serving to point readers in the direction of readily accessible literature where they can be followed up.

Original to this series is the consideration of the reception history of specific biblical books arranged in commentary format. The chapter-by-chapter arrangement ensures that the biblical text is always central to the discussion. Given the wide influence of the Bible and the richly varied appropriation of each biblical book, it is a difficult question which interpretations to include. While each volume will have its own distinctive point of view, the guiding principle for the series as a whole is that readers should be given a representative sampling of material from different ages, with emphasis on interpretations that have been especially influential or historically significant. Though commentators will have their preferences among the different interpretations, the material will be presented in such a way that readers can make up their own minds on the value, morality, and validity of particular interpretations. The series encourages readers to consider how the biblical text has been interpreted down the ages and seeks to open their eyes to different uses of the Bible in contemporary culture. The aim is to write a series of scholarly commentaries that draw on all the insights of modern research to illustrate the rich interpretative potential of each biblical book.

John SawyerChristopher RowlandJudith KovacsDavid M. Gunn

Preface

A singular meaning of a text is like a mirage that quenches no one’s thirst. Ecclesiastical authorities and academic establishments may marshal a certain interpretation as authoritative, dismissing alternative readings as misleading, subversive, or plainly wrong. However, the study of reception history reveals that some of the most creative and interesting readings are the ones outlawed by authorities in churches and scholarship. This commentary on the last six of the Minor Prophets (Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi) in the Blackwell Bible Commentaries continues the celebration of the riches in various forms of biblical interpretation, gazing into the ways social and cultural contexts nurtured the hermeneutical process interacting with creative human spirits.

Occasionally these Minor Prophets, partly because of their traditional nomenclature, have been mistakenly regarded as less important parts of the Bible. While the Major Prophets and even a few other Minor Prophets may have had a more illustrious reception history than these six Minor Prophets, the multifaceted use of the latter can be observed in various interpretive settings that range from historical documents to the arts and literature.

Readers will recognize divergent approaches that we have taken to our commentaries. It was long after Richard completed his manuscript on Haggai-Zechariah-Malachi that Jin was assigned Nahum-Habakkuk-Zephaniah. Soon it became clear that it would be most advantageous to have the two parts combined so that readers might have the benefit of having the reception history of these six Minor Prophets readily available in one volume. We believe that our differences in style and approach will illustrate our testimony to the richness of reception history. In addition, we hope that readers may sense our shared deference to this new way of experiencing the biblical text.

Richard CogginsJin H. Han

Acknowledgments

I was first asked to contribute to this very interesting series in about 1997. I worked on Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, and completed what is now the substance of those chapters of this book by 2002. I had already realized that it would not be feasible, in retirement and far from any research library, to do justice to the other prophets, and it was with great pleasure that I heard in around 2007, that the editors had been able to persuade Jin H. Han to work on Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah.

My thanks to Jin H. Han for all his work. I would also like to thank everyone at Wiley-Blackwell for their professional work on this project.

Richard Coggins

While it is impossible to list everyone who helped in this project, I feel a special obligation to convey my sincere gratitude to Professors J. J. M. Roberts, C. Leong Seow, Norbert Lohfink, Helmut Engel, Markus Witte, Julia O’Brien, Robert Owens, John Sawyer, David Gunn, and Christopher Rowland; faculty, staff, and students at New York Theological Seminary and General Theological Seminary; the Jesuit community at Sankt Georgen in Frankfurt am Main; Frau Beate Müller and other librarians of Wissenschaftlich-Theologisches Seminar and Institut für Europäische Kunstgeshichte of the University of Heidelberg; librarians of the Bodleian Libraries of Oxford University; librarians and staff of the Center for the Study of Religion, the Index of Christian Art, Firestone and Marquand Libraries of Princeton University; librarians of Speer Library of Princeton Theological Seminary; and librarians of Burke and Butler Libraries of Columbia University.

I express appreciation to the Warner Fund at the University Seminars at Columbia University for their help in publication, and material in this work was presented to the University Seminar: Religion in America. Thanks are also due to editors at Wiley-Blackwell and Judith Walker Mullin, who proofread every line with meticulous care. Finally, this book made me realize how much I owe to my parents, my wife Kyoung and our children, Eurie, Justine, and Danielle, who have given me a gracious reason to treasure life.

Jin H. Han

Illustrations

The authors and publisher gratefully acknowledge permission to reproduce copyright material.

Figure 1: 1930. La Bible: Version Synodale. Édition de l’année 1930 de la Concorde à Lausanne. La Société Biblique de France, à Paris. Large octavo.

Figure 2: 1930. La Bible: Version Synodale. Édition de l’année 1930 de la Concorde à Lausanne. La Société Biblique de France, à Paris. Large octavo.

Figure 3: The Fall of Nineveh. Adam Forepaugh Shows. 1982. From the Collection of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio. Courtesy of Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

Figure 4: 1870. Cassell’s Illustrated Bible . . . Illustrated with More than Nine Hundred Highly Finished Engravings. Springfield, Mass. and Chicago, Ill: W. J. Holland & Co. U.S. edition; first published in London.

Figure 5: 1839. Scripture History, Designed for the Improvement of Youth, by the Rev. A[lexander] Fletcher. London: George Virtue. 24mo.

Figure 6: Donatello (Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi 1386–1466): Habakkuk – 13 × 18 (1) detail (head from the side). Florence, Museo dell’Opera del Duomo. © 2010. Photo Scala, Florence.

Figure 7: Habakkuk, Donatello, Lo Zuccone (in situ). Used by permission of Justine Han.

Figure 8: Bernini, Gian Lorenzo (1598–1680): Habakkuk and the Angel. Rome, 13 × 18 Church of Santa Maria del Popola. © 2011. Photo Scala, Florence/Fondo Edifici di Culto – Min. dell’Interno.

Figure 9: 1735. Physical Sacra. By Johann Jacob Scheuchzer. First published with Latin text in Amsterdam, 1731–1735. Folio, with over 750 full-page copper engravings made under the direction of Johann Andreas Pfeffel. This plate is from the French edition, Physique Sacree, ou Histoire Naturelle de la Bible, vol. 7, 1735.

Figure 10: c.1709. ’T Groot Waerelds Tafereel [The great tableau of the world] with engravings by Romeyn de Hooghe. Folio. Third edition. Amsterdam: J. Lindenberg.

Figure 11: 1870. Cassell’s Illustrated Bible . . . Illustrated with More than Nine Hundred Highly Finished Engravings. Springfield, Mass. and Chicago, Ill: W. J. Holland & Co. U.S. edition; first published in London.

Figure 12: [1851]. Tallis’ Illustrated Scripture History for the Improvement of Youth. By the Editor of Sturm’s Family Devotions, &c. [Thomas Gaspey]. London & New York: J. & F. Tallis. 16mo.

Figure 13: c. 1938. The Story of the Bible. Told by Living Writers of Authority. With Upwards of 1200 Illustrations in Colour and Monotone. Volume Two: Hosea to Revelation. London: The Fleetway House. Quarto. c. 1938.

Figure 14: c.1709. ’T Groot Waerelds Tafereel [The great tableau of the world] with engravings by Romeyn de Hooghe. Folio. Third edition. Amsterdam: J. Lindenberg. c.1709.

Figure 15: Marble bust of the Prophet Haggai, Giovanni Pisano, Italy (Siena), ca. 1285–1297. Photo © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Figure 16: 1839. Scripture History, Designed for the Improvement of Youth, by the Rev. A[lexander] Fletcher. London: George Virtue. 24mo.

Figure 17: 1557. Bohemian Bible. Prague: Girijk Melantrych. With woodcuts borrowed from the first complete edition of the Luther translation into German published by Hans Lufft, 1534. Folio. The woodcuts measure c.150 × 110 mm plus borders.

Figure 18: c.1709. ’T Groot Waerelds Tafereel [The great tableau of the world] with engravings by Romeyn de Hooghe. Folio. Third edition. Amsterdam: J. Lindenberg.

Figure 19: Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564). The Prophet Zaccharia, Details of the Sistine ceiling. Sistine Chapel, Vatican Palace, Vatican State. Photo Credit: Scala/Art Resource, NY.

Figure 20: 1790. The Christian’s New and Compleat Family Bible; or, Universal Library of Divine Knowledge . . . By the Rev. Thomas Bankes. London: Printed for J. Cooke.

Figure 21: 1815. The Holy Bible . . . Notes and Practical Observations . . . by Adam Clarke, LL.D.F.A.S. Liverpool: Nuttall, Fisher, and Dixon.

Figure 22: 1866. La Sainte Bible selon la Vulgate. Nouvelle traduction. Avec les dessins de Gustave Doré. Tome II. Tours: Alfred Mame et fils. Elephant folio. Zechariah picture is 195 × 245mm.

Figure 23: 1870. Cassell’s Illustrated Bible . . . Illustrated with More than Nine Hundred Highly Finished Engravings. Springfield, Mass. and Chicago, Ill: W. J. Holland & Co. U.S. edition; first published in London.

Figure 24: 1685. German (Luther) Bible published in Nuremberg by Endter Verlag. First edition, 1670; last edition 1720. 110 × 80mm.

Figure 25: 1870. Cassell’s Illustrated Bible . . . Illustrated with More than Nine Hundred Highly Finished Engravings. Springfield, Mass. and Chicago, Ill: W. J. Holland & Co. U.S. edition; first published in London.

Figure 26: Sluter, Claes (1360–1406); Well of Moses. Dijon, Charterhouse of 10 × 12 Champmol. © 2011. Photo Scala, Florence.

Figure 27: Duccio (di Buoninsegna) (c.1260–1319). Presentation of Christ in the Temple with the Prophets Solomon and Malachi. From the predella of the Maesta altarpiece. Museo dell’Opera Metropolitana, Siena, Italy. Photo Credit: Scala/Art Resource, NY.

Figure 28: c.1709. ’T Groot Waerelds Tafereel [The great tableau of the world] with engravings by Romeyn de Hooghe. Folio. Third edition. Amsterdam: J. Lindenberg.

Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and to obtain their permission for the use of copyright material. The publisher apologizes for any errors or omissions in the above list and would be grateful if notified of any corrections that should be incorporated in future reprints or editions of this book.

Abbreviations

AB

Anchor Bible

ACW

Ancient Christian Writers

ANF

The Ante-Nicene Fathers: Translations of the Writings of the Fathers Down to AD 325, ed. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, rev. A. Cleveland Coxe, 10 vols. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1956–62 [1885–96].

AV

Authorized Version (King James Bible)

BZAW

Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft

CCSL

Corpus Christianorum Series Latina

CG

Augustine, The City of God

CSS

Cistercian Studies Series

DJD

Discoveries in the Judaean Desert

FC

Fathers of the Church

JBL

Journal of Biblical Literature

JNES

Journal of Near Eastern Studies

JPS

Tanakh, Jewish Publication Society

JSOT

Journal for the Study of the Old Testament

JSOTSup

Journal for the Study of the Old Testament: Supplement Series

KJV

King James Version

LBW

Lutheran Book of Worship

LHBOTS

Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament studies

LNTS

Library of New Testament Studies

LXX

The Septuagint

MT

The Masoretic Text

NEB

New English Bible

NETS

New English Translation of the Septuagint

NIV

New International Version

NPNF1

A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, 1st series, ed. Philip Schaff. 14 vols. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1886–90.

NPNF2

A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, 2nd series, ed. Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. 14 vols. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1890–1900.

NRSV

New Revised Standard Version

OTP

Old Testament Pseudepigrapha

PG

Patrologiae cursus completus: Series Graeca, ed. Jacques-Paul Migne. Paris: Garnier, 1857–66. (Patrologia Graeca.)

PL

Patrologiae cursus completus: Series Latina, ed. Jacques-Paul Migne. Paris: Garnier, 1844–65. (Patrologia Latina.)

REB

Revised English Bible

RSV

Revised Standard Version

SBL

Society of Biblical Literature Symposium Series

SBLMS

Society of Biblical Literature Monograph Series

SBTS

Sources for Biblical and Theological Study Old Testament Series

UBS

United Bible Societies

Vulg.

The Vulgate

VTSup

Vetus Testamentum: Supplements

WSA

Works of St. Augustine

WUNT

Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament

ZAW

Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft

Figure 1 Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, from La Bible: Version Synodale (1930).

Figure 2 Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, from La Bible: Version Synodale (1930).

I Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah

Introduction

Jin H. Han

The Three Among the Twelve

The prophetic corpus in the Old Testament ends in a collection of twelve books (“The Twelve,” Trei Asar in Aramaic), commonly known as the Minor Prophets. The prayer of Ben Sira (second century BCE) provides the earliest reference to the collection of the twelve prophetic writings that apparently included Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah. In this prayer, Ben Sira says, “May the bones of the Twelve Prophets send forth new life from where they lie, for they comforted the people of Jacob and delivered them with confident hope” (Sir. 49:10). His words suggest that comfort and hope may have been the religious theme that facilitated the compilation of the twelve books. Other books may have found their way into the scroll for the same reason. The oldest of the fragments of the Twelve from Qumran (4Q76[4QXXIIa]) offers additional support for the idea that the Twelve were on one scroll by the second century BCE (Brooke 2006: 20–34).

The Talmud suggests that the Twelve were written by “the Men of the Great Assembly” (b. Baba Batra 15a), which in turn suggests that these books were committed to writing in the land of Israel, even though the verb “to write” here may refer to the activity of interpretation rather than to the preparation of the physical text. The Talmud offers a plausible rationale for the collection when it explains that the book of Hosea was not circulated separately because its size put it at risk of being lost (b. Baba Batra 14b). Though small in size, these prophets have been regarded by readers as significant parts of the Bible. They are minor (Lat. lit. “smaller”), “not because their writings are of any less authority or usefulness than those of the greater prophets, or as if these prophets were less in God’s account or might be so in ours than the other, but only because they are shorter, and less in bulk, than the other” (M. Henry n.d. 4: 1117).

The twelve Minor Prophets continued as a collection into the first millennium of the Common Era. In Against Apion 1.8, Josephus (ca. 37–ca. 100) speaks of twenty-two books in the Hebrew Bible, indicating that the twelve prophets were not counted separately (cf. 2 Esd. 14:45). Origen’s list of canonical books does not mention the Minor Prophets, probably because of a scribal error (B. A. Jones 1995: 12). Eusebius of Caesarea (ca. 260–ca. 339) is the first to refer to the Minor Prophets as “the Twelve in one Book” (tōn dodeka en monobibliō), an epithet he attributes to Melito, Bishop of Sardis (Ecclesiastical History 4.26; Eusebius 1989: 133). In his preface to the Minor Prophets, Jerome also mentions the Jewish practice of treating the twelve as one book (NPNF2 6: 493, 501).

The logic behind the present order of the Twelve has been a hotly debated issue in biblical studies. Modern scholars believe that the first six of the Twelve Prophets (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Jonah, Obadiah, and Micah) were collected first, followed by the collection of the late pre-exilic prophets (Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah) and the postexilic prophets (Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi). In content, the two subsets of six prophets complement each other, for the first six (Hosea–Micah) raise the question of iniquity, and the last six propose various resolutions to the problem (House 1996: 205–6). The first of the latter subset, Nahum affirms God’s righteousness displayed in the destruction of Nineveh. Habakkuk advises the people of God to wait for the vision of the end time and live by faith until God’s justice is made manifest in history. Zephaniah anticipates horrific devastation on a cosmic scale and concludes with a song that celebrates God’s deliverance of Zion.

The Manner of Presentation

The chapter on each prophetic book begins with a brief description of the main themes, followed by a general survey of its reception and a discussion of its role in the arts, literature, and worship. The commentary proper follows the structure of the biblical books and presents for each verse or passage representative interpretations arranged in chronological order, from the Dead Sea Scrolls down to modern popular culture. In deciding what to include and what to leave out, the main criteria were historical importance and impact on other areas of theological thought and religious practice.

This book draws upon the main Jewish commentators on the Twelve, such as Akiba (ca. 50–ca. 135), Rashi (1040–1105), Ibn Ezra (1092/3–1167), Moses Maimonides (1135–1204), David Kimh.i (ca. 1160–ca. 1235), Malbim (1809–79), and others. Important Christian commentators on the Minor Prophets include Irenaeus (ca. 120–ca. 200), Clement of Alexandria (ca. 150–ca. 215), Tertullian (ca. 162–ca. 220), Origen (ca. 185–235), Cyprian (ca. 200–58), Athanasius (ca. 296–373), Gregory of Nazianzus (330–89), Ambrose (ca. 333–97), Jerome (ca. 340–420), Theodore of Mopsuestia (ca. 350–428/9), Augustine (354–430), John Chrysostom (ca. 347–407), Cyril of Alexandria (ca. 375–444), Theodoret of Cyrrhus (ca. 393–ca. 458), Martin Luther (1483–1546), John Calvin (1509–64), Matthew Henry (1662–1714), John Wesley (1703–91), Edward Bouverie Pusey (1800–82), John Kitto (1804–54), and others. Other important sources for reception history include The Lives of the Prophets, the Qumran pesher commentaries, the Mishnah, the Talmud, the Targum, Seder ‘Olam Rabbah, the Tanḥuma, the Zohar, sermons, hymns, and works of literature and the other arts. Biblical texts are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version, unless specified otherwise.

1 Nahum

The crusher has come up against you.Secure the fortresses; scan the road;strengthen your loins;brace yourself with all your strength.

(Nah. 2:1, author’s translation)

The book of Nahum is famous for its portrayal of a God who executes vengeance upon enemies, demonstrating “Yahweh’s sovereignty over the nations, illustrated in the specific context of the Assyrian menace” (Coggins 1982: 84). Evoking a brutal vision of hatred toward the adversary nation, Nahum’s oracle expresses jubilation over Nineveh’s demise and Israel’s deliverance in such a way as to make the paradoxical nexus of divine wrath and comfort the focal point of the reception history of the book of Nahum.