A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi and Jonah

by Hinckley Gilbert Thomas Mitchell, John Merlin Powis Smith & Julius August Bewer

The International Critical Commentary.

A

CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL
COMMENTARY

ON

HAGGAI, ZECHARIAH
MALACHI AND JONAH

by

HINCKLEY G. MITCHELL, D.D.
JOHN MERLIN POWIS SMITH, Ph.D.
JULIUS A. BEWER, Ph.D.

EDINBURGH
T. & T. CLARK, 38 GEORGE STREET

PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY

MORRISON AND GIBB LIMITED

FOR

T. & T. CLARK, EDINBURGH

NEW YORK: CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS

First printed	⁠1912
Second impression	⁠1937
Third impression	⁠1951

CONTENTS

⁠	⁠	⁠		PAGE
PREFACE				v
ABBREVIATIONS				xi
⁠
I. A COMMENTARY ON HAGGAI AND ZECHARIAH				1
INTRODUCTION: THE HISTORIC BACKGROUND OF THE PROPHECIES OF HAGGAI AND ZECHARIAH				3–24
	§ 1. Cyrus			3–14
	§ 2. Cambyses			14–17
	§ 3. Darius I, Hystaspes			17–24
HAGGAI AND HIS PROPHECIES				25–38
	§ 1. Personal History of the Prophet			25–27
	§ 2. The Book of Haggai			27–30
	§ 3. The Text of Haggai			30–35
	§ 4. The Thoughts and Style of Haggai			36–39
COMMENTARY ON THE PROPHECIES OF HAGGAI				40–79
	§ 1. The Movement to Rebuild the Sanctuary			40–57
	§ 2. The Resources of the Builders			58–65
	§ 3. The New Era of the Restored Temple			66–76
	§ 4. The Future of the Leader Zerubbabel			76–79
ZECHARIAH AND HIS PROPHECIES				81–106
	§ 1. The Personal History of the Prophet			81–84
	§ 2. The Structure of Chapters 1–8			84
	§ 3. The Text of Chapters 1–8			84–97
	§ 4. The Style of Zechariah			98–102
	§ 5. The Teaching of Zechariah			102–106
COMMENTARY ON THE PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH				107–217
	1. The Introduction			108–115
	2. A Series of Visions with Their Interpretation			115–194
		a. The Return from Captivity		115–147
			(1) The Hollow of the Myrtles	115–130
			(2) The Horns and Their Destroyers	130–136
			(3) The Man with the Measuring Line	136–140
			(4) An Appeal to the Exiles	140–147
		b. The Anointed of Yahweh		147–168
			(1) The Accused High Priest	147–161
			(2) The Symbolic Candelabrum	161–168
		c. The Seat of Wickedness		168–182
			(1) The Flying Roll	168–171
			(2) The Woman in the Ephah	171–177
			(3) The Four Chariots	177–182
		d. The Prince of Judah		183–194
			(1) A Symbolic Crown	183–190
			(2) Zerubbabel and the Temple	190–194
	3. A New Era			194–217
		a. An Inquiry from Bethel		194–198
		b. A Series of Oracles		198–217
			(1) The Teaching of the Past	199–205
			(2) The Promise of the Future	206–209
			(3) The Past and Future in Contrast	209–215
			(4) The Reign of Joy and Gladness	215–217
THE DATE AND AUTHORSHIP OF THE SECOND PART OF ZECHARIAH				218–259
	§ 1. The Structure of Chapters 9–14			218–220
	§ 2. The Text of Chapters 9–14			220–231
	§ 3. The Authorship of Chapters 9–14			232–259
COMMENTARY ON CHAPTERS 9–14				260–357
	1. The Revival of the Hebrew Nation			260–320
		a. The New Kingdom		260–277
		b. A Promise of Freedom and Prosperity		277–285
		c. The Plan of Restoration		286–302
		d. The Two Shepherds		302–320
	2. The Future of Judah and Jerusalem			320–357
		a. The Jews in Their Internal Relations		320–340
		b. The Jews and the Nations		341–357
INDEX				359–362
⁠
II. A COMMENTARY ON MALACHI				1–88
INTRODUCTION TO MALACHI				3–17
	§ 1. The Book of Malachi			3–5
		1. Its Contents		3
		2. Its Unity		3
		3. Its Style		4–5
	§ 2. The Times			5–9
	§ 3. The Prophet			9–11
	§ 4. The Message of Malachi			11–15
	§ 5. Literature on the Book of Malachi			15–17
COMMENTARY ON THE BOOK OF MALACHI				18–85
	§ 1. The Superscription			18–19
	§ 2. Proof of Yahweh's Love			19–24
	§ 3. Yahweh Honours Them That Honour Him			25–46
	§ 4. Yahweh's Protest against Divorce and Remarriage with Idolatrous Women			47–60
	§ 5. The Near Approach of the Day of Judgment			60–69
	§ 6. The Payment of Tithes Wins the Blessing of God			69–75
	§ 7. The Final Triumph of the Righteous			76–85
INDEX				87–88
⁠
III. A COMMENTARY ON JONAH				1–65
INTRODUCTION TO JONAH				3–27
	§ 1. The Character of the Story of Jonah			3–5
	§ 2. Origin and Purpose of the Story			6–11
	§ 3. Insertion of the Book in the Prophetic Canon			11
	§ 4. The Date of the Book			11–13
	§ 5. The Unity of the Book			13–21
	§ 6. The Psalm in Chapter 2			21–24
	§ 7. The Text of the Book			25
	§ 8. Modern Literature			25–27
COMMENTARY ON JONAH				28–65
	Jonah's Disobedience and Flight			28–32
	The Storm on the Sea			32–34
	The Discovery of Jonah as the Guilty One			34–38
	The Stilling of the Storm			38–40
	Jonah's Deliverance			41–43
	A Prayer of Thanksgiving			43–49
	Yahweh's Renewed Command and Jonah's Preaching in Nineveh			50–53
	The Result of Jonah's Preaching			53–56
	Jonah's Displeasure			56–59
	Yahweh's Rebuke of Jonah			59–62
	Application of the Object Lesson			62–64
NOTE ON THE USE OF יהוה AND אלהים IN THE BOOK OF JONAH				64–65