Haggai 2:1-9. The Second Prophecy The first prophecy had been one of severe rebuke and earnest call to duty. The second is one of encouragement to those, who having promptly obeyed the first, were in danger of being depressed and disappointed by the comparative meagreness and unworthiness of the re... [ Continue Reading ]
The Circumstances out of which the Prophecy arose 1. _In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month_ It has been pointed out that this was the seventh and last day of the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-36; Leviticus 23:39-43); and it has been suggested that the depressing co... [ Continue Reading ]
_Who is left among you?_&c. When the foundations of this Temple were laid in the second year of Cyrus there were many such. Now after sixteen more years, when seventy years had elapsed since the destruction of Solomon's Temple, the number must have been greatly diminished. Old men of fourscore years... [ Continue Reading ]
_and work_ Lit., DO, so David says to Solomon, "be strong and be alert, and do," 1 Chronicles 28:20. The use of this word, "to do," absolutely, is frequent in Hebrew, often of Almighty God as the agent, the context defining what is done. See Psalms 22:31; Ezra 10:4; Isaiah 44:23; Amos 3:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
_According to the word_ The words "according to" are wanting in the Hebrew, but are properly supplied in A. V. and R. V. It has been proposed to regard the last clause of ver. 4 as parenthetical, and make the beginning of this verse grammatically dependent on the word "do" in ver. 4. It would then r... [ Continue Reading ]
_saith the Lord of hosts_ The frequent recurrence of this expression, which is found here four times in as many verses, is a marked feature of the prophecies of Haggai and of Malachi, and of some sections of that of Zechariah. It is of the nature of an appeal to the power and resources of Almighty G... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophecy Itself In accordance with the ancient covenant, as a fresh manifestation of its perpetual virtue and undying life (for "the gifts and calling of God are without repentance," Romans 11:29), God will yet again interfere on behalf of His Church and people. And this interference shall be o... [ Continue Reading ]
_I will shake all nations_ "There was a general shaking upon earth before our Lord came. Empires rose and fell. The Persian fell before Alexander's; Alexander's world-empire was ended by his sudden death in youth; of his four successors two only continued, and they, too, fell before the Romans; then... [ Continue Reading ]
_The glory of this latter house_, &c. Rather, THE LATTER GLORY OF THIS HOUSE SHALL BE GREATER THAN THE FORMER (as in R.V.); the Temple, whether as built by Solomon or now rebuilt, being regarded as one and the same house, the one only house of God. See ver. 3. The glory here promised is first and m... [ Continue Reading ]
_the four and twentieth day of the ninth month_ This was in November or December. The people had now for three months (Haggai 1:14-15) been actively engaged in the work of restoration. Two months had elapsed (Haggai 2:1) since they were encouraged, under the depression caused by the comparative mean... [ Continue Reading ]
The Third Prophecy By a reference to the ceremonial law, as officially interpreted by the priests in answer to questions addressed to them, Haggai again impresses upon the people the truth, that the dearth and distress from which they had hitherto suffered was the consequence of their national sin... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ask now the priests concerning the law_ Lit., ASK OF THE PRIESTS LAW, OR THE LAW. The construction is a double accusative after the verb ask. (Comp. Isaiah 45:11.) The word law may be used here and in Malachi 2:7, without the article, in the sense of "instruction," or "direction." Such "law" or ins... [ Continue Reading ]
_If one bear_ Lit. LO! ONE BEARS. "See, there is a man bearing what will happen?" An emphatic Oriental way of saying, "suppose, put the case, that one bears." So in Jeremiah 3:1 we have, "Lo! a man puts away his wife." And in 2 Chronicles 7:13, where "if" occurs three times in A. V. the Hebrew has ... [ Continue Reading ]
_unclean by a dead body_ Lit. UNCLEAN BY A PERSON. The full phrase, "_a dead_person, or body," occurs Leviticus 21:11; Numbers 6:6; but the word "dead" is often left to be understood as here and Leviticus 21:1; Leviticus 22:4. The law of ceremonial uncleanness as attaching to death (under which ther... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse contains the application to the present case of the Jews of the principles brought out by the foregoing questions. The second principle, as to the transmission of uncleanness, is first applied in the former clauses of the verse, while the first principle, as to the non-transmission of hol... [ Continue Reading ]
The A.V. is a little obscure. The verse may be rendered more clearly thus: AND NOW CONSIDER, I PRAY YON, FROM THIS DAY (the 24th day of the ninth month, on which the prophet was speaking, ver. 10 18) AND UPWARD (that is backward), FROM (the time when) NOT YET STONE WAS LAID UPON STONE IN THE TEMPLE... [ Continue Reading ]
The great moral lesson of the Book is again inculcated. Let them fix their attention on the long period of their neglect of God and His House; the eighteen years that had intervened, between the laying of the foundation of the Temple and the 24th day of the ninth month of the second year of Darius,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Since those days were_ Lit. FROM THEIR BEING. We may supply either "days" as in A.V. or "things," since those things were, i.e. that reprehensible conduct of yours. The R. V. renders happily, _through all that time_. _when one came_ Lit. TO COME, i.e. there was coming, or one came. _twenty measur... [ Continue Reading ]
_I smote you with blasting and with mildew_ "Two diseases of the corn which Moses had foretold (Deuteronomy 28:22) as chastisements on disobedience, and God's infliction of which Amos had spoken of in these selfsame words (Amos 4:9). Haggai adds _the hail_as destructive of the vines (Psalms 78:47).... [ Continue Reading ]
_from this day and upward_ The Jews are again exhorted to fix their attention upon the period of time mentioned in ver. 15. It is first described as, _from this day and upward, or backward_. Then each limit of the period is more clearly defined. "This day" is "the four and twentieth day of the ninth... [ Continue Reading ]
_Is the seed yet in the barn?_ i.e. Is it any longer in the barn? Is it not all exhausted and used up? The meagre yield of the blighted corn was soon consumed and the granary left empty. Some have thought that by "the seed" is here meant what would be required to sow the land for another year, and t... [ Continue Reading ]
_again the second time_. R. V.... [ Continue Reading ]
Haggai 2:20-23. The Fourth Prophecy In a short, final prophecy, uttered on the same day as that which preceded it, Haggai addresses Zerubbabel as the Ruler and Representative of the Jewish nation, and the Predecessor and Type of the true King of the Jews. The former prediction (ver. 6, 7) of the sh... [ Continue Reading ]
_I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms_, &c. After repeating, in ver. 21, the prediction of ver. 6, "I will shake the heavens and the earth," the prophet expands in this verse the prediction of ver. 7, "I will shake all nations." This is made more clear in R. V. by keeping the same English word _n... [ Continue Reading ]
_will I take thee_ In such expressions as this (comp. Deuteronomy 4:20; 2 Kings 14:21; 2 Kings 23:30) the word "take" simply introduces the following action. It has not therefore the sense which some have here given it, "I will take thee into my care and protection." _as a signet_ This promise is re... [ Continue Reading ]