Haggai 1:4

4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?”

Haggai 1:4 Meaning and Commentary

Haggai 1:4

[Is it] time for you, O ye, to dwell in your panelled houses,
&c.] They could not only find time, leisure, and convenience to build houses to dwell in; but to wainscot them, and line them with boards of cedar, as the Targum; as bad as the times were complained of; and could sit in them, indulging themselves in luxury, ease, and sloth; and why then was it not a fit and convenient time as well to build the house of the Lord in? and this house [lie] waste?
or, "and shall this house lie waste?" or, "when this house lies waste?" ^F15 not indeed in its rubbish and ruins, as it was demolished by the Chaldeans, and left; but with a bare foundation, laid some years ago; and ever since neglected; the superstructure not carried on, and much less built up to be fit for service; and therefore might be said with propriety to lie waste and desolate, being unfinished, unfit for use, and no regard had unto it. David was of another mind, ( 2 Samuel 7:2 ) and truly religious persons will be more concerned for the house of God than for their own houses.

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 (brx hzh tybhw) "et domus ista deserta manebit?" Drusius; "quum domus haec vasta est?" Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "dum domus haec desolata est?" Cocceius.

Haggai 1:4 In-Context

2 that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.’”

3 Then the word of the LORD came through Haggai the prophet, saying:

4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?”

5 Now this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Consider carefully your ways.

6 You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough. You drink but never have your fill. You put on clothes but never get warm. You earn wages to put into a bag pierced through.”