Haggai 2:13

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.)

Haggai 2:13 Meaning and Commentary

Haggai 2:13

Then said Haggai
To the priests; having nothing to object to their answer; but being satisfied with it, he puts another question: if [one that is] unclean by a dead body;
by the touch of it, ( Numbers 19:11 ) : touch any of these, shall it be unclean?
that is, if such an impure person, who was so in a ceremonial sense, should touch any of the above things, bread, pottage, wine, or oil, or any meat, would not they become unclean thereby, and so not fit for use? and the priests answered and said, it shall be unclean;
which was rightly answered; for whatsoever such an unclean person touched was unclean, according to the law, ( Leviticus 19:22 ) . Pollution is more easily and more extensively conveyed than holiness.

Haggai 2:13 In-Context

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,)