Haggai 2

1 In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, the word of the Lord was made in the hand of Haggai, the prophet, and said, (In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord was made to the prophet Haggai, and said,)

2 Speak thou to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the duke of Judah, and to Joshua, the great priest, the son of Josedech, and to others of the people, and say thou, (Speak thou to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the ruler, or the governor, of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Josedech, the High Priest, and to all the people, and say thou,)

3 Who in you is left, that saw this house in his first glory? and what see ye this now? whether it is not thus, as if it be not before your eyes? (Who is left among you, who saw this House in its first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not thus, as if it be not before your eyes?)

4 And now, Zerubbabel, be thou strengthened, saith the Lord, and Joshua, the great priest, the son of Josedech, be thou strengthened, and all the people of the land, be thou strengthened, saith the Lord of hosts; and do ye, for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts. (And now, Zerubbabel, take courage! saith the Lord, and Joshua, the son of Josedech, the High Priest, take courage! and all the people of the land, take courage! saith the Lord of hosts; and build ye it, for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts.)

5 (This is) The word that I covenanted with you, when ye went out of the land of Egypt, and my Spirit shall be in the midst of you. Do not ye dread, (This is what I promised you, when ye went out of the land of Egypt, and my Spirit shall always be in your midst. Do not ye fear/Fear not,)

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.)

17 I smote you with burning wind, and with mildew, and hail, (in) all the works of your hands; and there was none in you that turned again to me, saith the Lord. (I struck you with burning wind, and with mildew, and with hail, on all the works of your hands; and still there was no one among you who returned to me, saith the Lord.)

18 Put ye (this on) your hearts from this day, and into coming, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, from the day in which foundaments of the temple of the Lord be casted, put ye (this) on your heart. (Think ye upon this, from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day on which the foundations of the Temple of the Lord be laid, think ye upon this.)

19 Whether now seed is in burgeoning? and yet vineyard, and fig tree, and pomegranate, and the tree of olive flowered not. From this day I shall bless. (Is the seed burgeoning now? have the vineyard, and the fig trees, and the pomegranates, and the olive trees flowered yet? No! But from this day forth, I shall bless thee.)

20 And the word of the Lord was made the second time to Haggai, in the four and twentieth day of the month, and said, (And the word of the Lord was made the second time to Haggai, on the twenty-fourth day of the month, and said,)

21 Speak thou to Zerubbabel, duke of Judah, and say thou, I shall move heaven and earth together, (Speak thou to Zerubbabel, the ruler, or the governor, of Judah, and say thou, I shall altogether move, or I shall shake, heaven and earth,)

22 and I shall destroy the seat of realms, and I shall all-break the strength of [the] realm(s) of heathen men, and I shall destroy a four-horsed cart, and the rider thereof; and [the] horses shall go down, and [the] riders of them, a man by sword of his brother. (and I shall destroy the thrones of kings, and I shall altogether break the power of the kings of the heathen, and I shall destroy the four-horsed carts, and their riders/and I shall destroy the chariots and their drivers; and the horses shall fall down, and their riders, yea, every man by the sword of his kinsman.)

23 In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, thou Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, my servant, I shall take thee, saith the Lord; and I shall put thee as a signet, for I chose thee, saith the Lord of hosts. (On that day, saith the Lord of hosts, I shall take thee, Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, and I shall wear thee like a signet ring, that is, I shall appoint thee to rule in my name, saith the Lord; for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts.)

Haggai 2 Commentary

Chapter 2

Greater glory promised to the second temple than to the first. (1-9) Their sins hindered the work. (10-19) The kingdom of Christ foretold. (20-23)

Verses 1-9 Those who are hearty in the Lord's service shall receive encouragement to proceed. But they could not build such a temple then, as Solomon built. Though our gracious God is pleased if we do as well as we can in his service, yet our proud hearts will scarcely let us be pleased, unless we do as well as others, whose abilities are far beyond ours. Encouragement is given the Jews to go on in the work notwithstanding. They have God with them, his Spirit and his special presence. Though he chastens their transgressions, his faithfulness does not fail. The Spirit still remained among them. And they shall have the Messiah among them shortly; "He that should come." Convulsions and changes would take place in the Jewish church and state, but first should come great revolutions and commotions among the nations. He shall come, as the Desire of all nations; desirable to all nations, for in him shall all the earth be blessed with the best of blessings; long expected and desired by all believers. The house they were building should be filled with glory, very far beyond Solomon's temple. This house shall be filled with glory of another nature. If we have silver and gold, we must serve and honour God with it, for the property is his. If we have not silver and gold, we must honour him with such as we have, and he will accept us. Let them be comforted that the glory of this latter house shall be greater than that of the former, in what would be beyond all the glories of the first house, the presence of the Messiah, the Son of God, the Lord of glory, personally, and in human nature. Nothing but the presence of the Son of God, in human form and nature, could fulfil this. Jesus is the Christ, is He that should come, and we are to look for no other. This prophecy alone is enough to silence the Jews, and condemn their obstinate rejection of Him, concerning whom all their prophets spake. If God be with us, peace is with us. But the Jews under the latter temple had much trouble; but this promise is fulfilled in that spiritual peace which Jesus Christ has by his blood purchased for all believers. All changes shall make way for Christ to be desired and valued by all nations. And the Jews shall have their eyes opened to behold how precious He is, whom they have hitherto rejected.

Verses 10-19 Many spoiled this good work, by going about it with unholy hearts and hands, and were likely to gain no advantage by it. The sum of these two rules of the law is, that sin is more easily learned from others than holiness. The impurity of their hearts and lives shall make the work of their hands, and all their offerings, unclean before God. The case is the same with us. When employed in any good work, we should watch over ourselves, lest we render it unclean by our corruptions. When we begin to make conscience of duty to God, we may expect his blessing; and whoso is wise will understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. God will curse the blessings of the wicked, and make bitter the prosperity of the careless; but he will sweeten the cup of affliction to those who diligently serve him.

Verses 20-23 The Lord will preserve Zerubbabel and the people of Judah, amidst their enemies. Here is also foretold the establishment and continuance of the kingdom of Christ; by union with whom his people are sealed with the Holy Ghost, sealed with his image, thus distinguished from all others. Here also is foretold the changes, even to that time when the kingdom of Christ shall overthrow and occupy the place of all the empires which opposed his cause. The promise has special reference to Christ, who descended from Zerubbabel in a direct line, and is the sole Builder of the gospel temple. Our Lord Jesus is the Signet on God's right hand, for all power is given to him, and derived from him. By him, and in him, all the promises of God are yea and amen. Whatever changes take place on earth, all will promote the comfort, honour, and happiness of his servants.

Chapter Summary

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.