Haggai 2:13

13 Then Haggai asked, "If someone defiled by [contact with] a corpse touches any of these, does it become defiled?"^[a] The priests answered, "It becomes defiled."

Haggai 2:13 Meaning and Commentary

Haggai 2:13

Then said Haggai
To the priests; having nothing to object to their answer; but being satisfied with it, he puts another question: if [one that is] unclean by a dead body;
by the touch of it, ( Numbers 19:11 ) : touch any of these, shall it be unclean?
that is, if such an impure person, who was so in a ceremonial sense, should touch any of the above things, bread, pottage, wine, or oil, or any meat, would not they become unclean thereby, and so not fit for use? and the priests answered and said, it shall be unclean;
which was rightly answered; for whatsoever such an unclean person touched was unclean, according to the law, ( Leviticus 19:22 ) . Pollution is more easily and more extensively conveyed than holiness.

Haggai 2:13 In-Context

11 "This is what the Lord of Hosts says: Ask the priests for a ruling.

12 If a man is carrying consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and with his fold touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other food, does it become holy?" The priests answered, "No."

13 Then Haggai asked, "If someone defiled by [contact with] a corpse touches any of these, does it become defiled?" The priests answered, "It becomes defiled."

14 Then Haggai replied, "So is this people, and so is this nation before Me"-the Lord's declaration. "And so is every work of their hands; even what they offer there is defiled.

15 "Now, reflect back from this day: Before one stone was placed on another in the Lord's temple,

Footnotes

• [a]. Lv 11:39; 22:4-6; Nm 19:11-13,22