Haggai 2:14

14 Then Haggai said, " '¹So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

Haggai 2:14 Meaning and Commentary

Haggai 2:14

Then answered Haggai, and said
To the priests, and before the people; and made an application of these things to them, which was the thing in view in putting the questions: So [is] this people, and so [is] this nation before me, saith the
Lord;
not only those people that were present and at work at the temple, but those that were absent, even the whole body of the people; who, though they were pure in their own eyes, yet were not so before the Lord; who knew their hearts, and the spring of all their actions; what were their ends and views in all they did: as a garment carrying in it holy flesh could not sanctify other things touched by it that were common and profane, but left them as they were; so their ritual devotions, and externally holy actions, did not and could not sanctify their impure hearts, but left them as unclean as before; nor did they sanctify their common mercies, their bread, pottage, wine, and oil: and, on the other hand, as an impure person made everything impure he touched; so they, being impure in heart, all their actions, even their religious ones, were impure also, as follows: and so [is] every work of their hands; and that which they offer
there [is] unclean;
pointing at the altar, which they had built, and offered sacrifice on ever since they came out of Babylon, though the temple was not yet built, ( Ezra 3:3-6 ) but all their outward religious services, and all the sacrifices they offered up, were in the Lord's account impure and abominable, as well as themselves; coming from an unsanctified heart, and offered up with unclean hands, and without repentance towards God, and faith in Christ; and living in other respects in disobedience to God, and especially while they neglected the building of the temple; satisfying themselves with offering sacrifices on the altar, when the house of God lay desolate; which is the principal thing respected, as appears by what follows.

Haggai 2:14 In-Context

12 'If a man carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and touches bread with this fold, or cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?' " And the priests answered, "No."

13 Then Haggai said, "If one who is unclean from a corpse touches any of these, will the latter become unclean?" And the priests answered, "It will become unclean."

14 Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD , 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

15 'But now, do consider from this day onward: before one stone was placed on another in the temple of the LORD ,

16 from that time when one came to a grain heap of twenty measures, there would be only ten; and when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there would be only twenty.

Cross References

• 1. Proverbs 15:8; Isaiah 1:11-15