THE MINOR PROPHETS

The apocryphal book of Ecclesiasticus speaks of “the twelve prophets” (9:10) as a unit of writings parallel to Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. “The twelve prophets” is a way of speaking of what we know today as the Minor Prophets. It is likely that these books were originally collected on a single scroll. Augustine was the first writer we know of to call the “Minor Prophets,” referring, not to the insignificance of their message, but to the relative brevity of their message when compared to Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.

The Jewish canon placed these works in the order it was believed they were written in, and they appear in that order in our English Bible. Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah were thought to have been written at the peak of Assyrian power. Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah were believed to have been written during the decline of Assyrian power as Babylon began its politico-military ascendancy. Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi were written after the Babylonian exile, when God’s people returned to Jerusalem.

Largely speaking, the Minor Prophets were concerned about Israel and Judah’s covenant obligations—specifically, the way in which they failed, time and again, to live up to these obligations. For the most part, these prophets rebuked the people for their covenant unfaithfulness and warned them of God’s impending judgement. James Montgomery Boice captures the theological significance of these books: “They highlight God’s sovereignty, holiness, and] love. In the Minor Prophets, we will hear the voice of God speaking to us in a fresh way as individuals and as a spiritual fellowship in the church.”