Haggai 1:4

4 1"Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while 2this 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.


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 "Thus says the LORD of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD."
3 Then the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet,
4 "Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?
5 Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways.
6 You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.

Cross References 2

  • 1. [2 Samuel 7:2]; See Psalms 132:3-5
  • 2. Nehemiah 2:3, 17; Isaiah 64:11; Jeremiah 33:10, 12
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.