The Minor Prophets (3 Volumes) - Thomas Edward McComiskey

REVIEWER: Bob Bartindale 

BOOK: The Minor Prophets

(BAKER, 2018) Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi – 526pp, paperback, RRP £25. Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum and Habakkuk – 424pp, paperback, RRP £25. Hosea, Joel, Amos – paperback, RRP £25.

Where does a preacher go to find engaging material on the so-called ‘minor prophets’? This is assuming, of course, that as a preacher, you are determined enough to find an opportunity to delve into the treasury to be found in the writings named after Amos, Hosea, Habakkuk and the rest. They are marginalised in the lectionary, and even the epithet ‘minor’ is unfortunate, apparently coined by Augustine of Hippo to distinguish the 12 shorter prophetic books from the four big ones – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. These writings were not marginal to Jesus though – references and allusions abound in the gospels and other New Testament writings, so perhaps we should take more notice!

In recent years, the rediscovery of the rich intertextual links throughout Scripture has prompted renewed interest in these prophetic pioneers. The work of Steve Moyise (e.g. Jesus and Scripture), Kenneth Bailey (e.g. Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes) and Nicholas Lunn (The Gospels through Old Testament Eyes) are well worth exploring. 

There have been many excellent commentaries on these books over the years, especially the more accessible of them such as Amos. Finding appropriate resources for Zephaniah and Haggai might be more challenging. Many of the volumes in the established series either tend to focus heavily on textual criticism (sometimes assuming familiarity with Hebrew) or are rather superficial, jumping too quickly to applying moral lessons out of context. Hence the three-volume set edited by Thomas McComiskey becomes a valuable resource. The contributions come from a range of authors, all from a broadly evangelical background. That said, each of them that I have read is not dismissive of critical questions and the commentary doesn’t attempt to make cultural assumptions for contemporary preaching. The layout is helpful, with the author’s own translation presented alongside the NRSV for each section. Exegesis follows, based on the Hebrew but accessible to non-Hebrew readers.

Finally, a verse-by-verse commentary is provided, which generally strikes an excellent balance between technicality and readability. These volumes are an excellent reference to have available, and you may well find yourself using them as a devotional aid for private study. There is much to learn and be inspired by here.

Reviewer: Bob Bartindale is a Methodist Local Preacher in the Bramhall & Wythenshawe circuit near Manchester. He is a chartered engineer and currently serves as the Officer for Local Preachers in the Methodist Church in Britain.