Haggai 2:6-16

6 for the Lord of hosts saith these things, Yet one little thing is, and I shall move heaven, and earth, and sea, and dry land; (for the Lord of hosts saith these things, Yet a little while, and then I shall move, or I shall shake, heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the dry land;)

7 and I shall move all folks, and the desired to all folks shall come; and I shall fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. (and I shall shake all the nations, and the treasure of all the nations shall come here; and I shall fill this House with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.)

8 Mine is (the) silver, and mine is (the) gold, saith the Lord of hosts.

9 The glory of this last house shall be great, more than of the first, saith the Lord of hosts. And in this place I shall give peace, saith the Lord of hosts. (The glory of this latter House, or of this Temple, shall be greater than that of the first House, saith the Lord of hosts. And I shall give thee peace and prosperity in this place, saith the Lord of hosts.)

10 In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of king Darius, the word of the Lord was made to Haggai, the prophet, and said, (On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of King Darius, the word of the Lord was made to the prophet Haggai, and said,)

11 The Lord God of hosts saith these things, Ask thou priests the law, and say thou, (The Lord God of hosts saith these things, Ask thou the priests about the Law, and say thou,)

12 If a man taketh hallowed flesh in the hem of his clothing, and toucheth of the highness thereof bread, either pottage, either wine, either oil, either any meat, whether it shall be hallowed? Soothly priests answered, and said, Nay. (If a person taketh consecrated meat in the hem of his clothing, and with part of his clothes toucheth any bread, or broth, or wine, or oil, or any other meat, shall that thing become consecrated, or sanctified? And the priests answered, and said, No.)

13 And Haggai said, If a man defouled in soul toucheth of all these things, whether it shall be defouled? And priests answered, and said, It shall be defouled. (And then Haggai asked, If a person with a defiled soul toucheth any of these things/If a person who hath touched a dead body toucheth any of these things, shall that thing then become defiled? And the priests answered, and said, Yea, it shall be defiled.)

14 And Haggai answered, and said, So is this people, and so is this folk before my face, saith the Lord, and so is all the work of their hands; and all things which they offer there shall be defouled. (And Haggai answered, and said, And so is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord, and so be all the works of their hands; and all the things which they offer there shall be defiled.)

15 And now put ye (this on) your hearts, from this day and above, before that a stone on a stone was put in the temple of the Lord, (And now think ye about this, from this day and back, before that a stone was put upon a stone in the Temple of the Lord,)

16 when ye went to an heap of twenty bushels, and there were made ten; ye entered to the presser, that ye should press out fifty gallons, and there were made twenty. (when ye went to a heap of grain expecting twenty bushels, and there were made but only ten; and ye went to the winepress, so that ye could press out fifty gallons, and there were made but only twenty.)

Haggai 2:6-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO HAGGAI 2

This chapter contains three sermons or prophecies, delivered by the prophet to the people of the Jews. The design of the first is to encourage them to go on with the building of the temple, though it might seem to come greatly short of the former temple, as to its outward form and splendour. The time of the prophecy, Hag 2:1 an order to deliver it to the governor, high priest, and all the people, Hag 2:2. A question is put concerning the difference between this temple and the former; between which it is suggested there was no comparison; which is assented to by silence, Hag 2:3 nevertheless, the prince, priest, and people, are exhorted to go on strenuously in the work of building; encouraged with a promise of the presence of the Lord of hosts, and of his Word, in whom he covenanted with them at their coming out of Egypt, and of the blessed Spirit, and his continuance with them, Hag 2:4,5 and, the more to remove their fears and faintings, it is declared that in a very short time a most wonderful thing should be done in the world, which would affect all the nations of the earth; for that illustrious Person would come, whom all nations do or should desire; and, not only come into the world, but into that temple they were building, and give it a greater glory than the former; yea, a greater glory than if all the gold and silver in the world were laid out upon it, or brought into it; which being all the Lord's, could have been easily done by him; but he would give in it something infinitely greater than that, even the Prince of peace, with all the blessings of it, Hag 2:6-9 then follows the second sermon or prophecy, the time of which is observed, Hag 2:10 and it is introduced with some questions concerning ceremonial uncleanness, by an unclean person's touching holy flesh with the skirt of his garment; and other things, which is confirmed by the answer of the priests, Hag 2:11-13 the application of which is made to the people of the Jews, who were alike unclean; they, their works, and their sacrifices, Hag 2:14 and these are directed to consider, that, during the time they had neglected to build the temple, they were attended with scarcity of provisions; their fields and vineyards being blasted with mildew or destroyed by hail, and their labours proved unsuccessful, Hag 2:15-17 but now, since they had begun the work of building, it is promised they should be blessed with everything, though they had nothing in store, and everything was unpromising to them; which is designed to encourage them to go on cheerfully in their begun work, Hag 2:18,19 and the chapter is concluded with the last discourse or prophecy, the date of which is given, Hag 2:20 an instruction to deliver it to Zerubbabel, Hag 2:21 foretelling the destruction of the kingdoms of the heathen; and the setting up of the kingdom of the Messiah, of whom Zerubbabel was a type, precious and honourable in the sight of God, Hag 2:22,23.