Haggai 2:15

15 Pray now, consider what will come to pass from this day onward. Before a stone was placed upon a stone in the temple of the LORD,

Haggai 2:15 Meaning and Commentary

Haggai 2:15

And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward,
&c.] This being their case, and they so polluted with sin, particularly through their neglect of building the temple; they are most earnestly and importunately entreated to "lay" it "to their hearts", to ponder it in their minds, and thoroughly consider how it had fared with them from this twenty fourth day of the ninth month, in which the prophet was sent unto them to encourage them in their work, and upwards or backwards, for some years past: even from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the
Lord:
the foundation of the temple was laid quickly after the Jews returned from Babylon, upon the proclamation of Cyrus, ( Ezra 3:10 ) but, through difficulties and discouragements they met with, they desisted from the work, and went no further; a stone was not laid upon it; or, as the Targum, a row, or course upon course, until this time: and now all the intermediate space of time between the first laying the foundation of the temple, and their present going to work upon it, the prophet would have them take particular notice of; how it had been with them, as to their outward circumstances; whereby it would appear, they had sinned, and the Lord had been offended with them.

Haggai 2:15 In-Context

13 Then said Haggai, "If one who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?" The priests answered, "It does become unclean."

14 Then Haggai said, "So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, says the LORD; and so with every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

15 Pray now, consider what will come to pass from this day onward. Before a stone was placed upon a stone in the temple of the LORD,

16 how did you fare? When one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten; when one came to the winevat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty.

17 I smote you and all the products of your toil with blight and mildew and hail; yet you did not return to me, says the LORD.