Summary
The Books Of Haggai & Malachi by Mignon R. Jacobs is the recent NICOT volume covering two often-overlooked prophetic books. Published by Eerdmans in 2017, it spans 423 pages, and provides translations, introductions, contextual analysis and a verse-by-verse commentary on Haggai and Malachi.
Jacobs begins with careful introductions to each book, outlining authorship, date, historical setting, structure and theological thrust. She then supplies her own translation of the Hebrew text with explanatory notes, followed by detailed commentary on the verses. Throughout she engages with alternate scholarly views and intertextual connections, while seeking to treat the prophets as theological voices addressing God’s covenant people in challenging circumstances.
Why Should I Own This Commentary?
For those who preach or teach from the Minor Prophets, Haggai and Malachi often present difficulty because of the brevity of the books and their post-exilic context. Jacobs does not shrink from that challenge. Her volume provides a stable, scholarly foundation enabling pastors and teachers to handle these texts with confidence. The careful historical and literary introduction helps clarify background issues so that the words of the prophets speak clearly and not in hushed confusion.
Moreover Jacobs demonstrates both academic rigor and pastoral sensitivity. She does not force speculative or novel theological agendas. She offers interpretive options but leaves room for faithful application shaped by Scripture and Spirit. This restraint offers integrity and invites careful reflection rather than gimmickry. For ministers who value sound doctrine and careful exposition, this commentary works as a solid bridge between serious scholarship and faithful proclamation.
Closing Recommendation
We believe The Books Of Haggai & Malachi by Mignon R. Jacobs deserves a place on the shelf of any pastor, student or Bible teacher committed to faithful exposition of the prophets. Its clarity, depth, and careful handling of text and context make it a go-to resource when preparing sermons or teaching series from Haggai or Malachi.
We confidently recommend it as a valuable and trustworthy commentary for study, teaching and preaching in the local church.
Mignon R. Jacobs
Mignon R. Jacobs is a Jamaican-American Old Testament scholar known for her careful, text-focused work within a broadly evangelical academic setting, with particular interest in prophetic literature and the shaping of community identity in the Old Testament.
Jacobs has written on themes of covenant, ethical formation, and the life of God’s people under His rule, bringing clarity to books that explore faithfulness in the midst of cultural pressure and spiritual drift. Her work on Haggai and Malachi reflects a commitment to hearing the text on its own terms while also drawing out its theological and pastoral implications. She handles the prophets with a steady, disciplined attentiveness that helps modern readers recognise both the challenge and the comfort of God’s word.
Readers value Jacobs for the way she blends careful exegesis with practical sensitivity. She neither flattens the text nor burdens it with speculation; instead, she opens space for pastors and teachers to see how the prophetic call to renewed worship and covenant loyalty speaks to the church today. Her writing is clear, thoughtful, and rooted in the conviction that Scripture forms the people of God.
Key titles include Haggai and Malachi (NICOT) and The Concept of Character in the Book of Proverbs.