Haggai
First message – build the temple!
11In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month [Elul], on the first day [August 29, 520 BC], the word of the Lord (Yahweh) came through the prophet Haggai (Hebr. Chaggai) to:
Zerubbabel (Hebr. Zerobavel), son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah [; ; ]
and to Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest [; ; ; ]. [The message is addressed first to the leaders, as it is primarily their responsibility, but the prophetic word is also addressed to the people, see verses 3-4.] He said [Haggai prophesied]: The indifference of the people
2Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot): "This people says that the time has not come for the house of the Lord (Yahweh) to be rebuilt." [Question]
3Then the word of the Lord (Yahweh) came through the prophet Haggai, saying:
4"Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in [luxurious and costly] paneled houses while this house lies desolate?
[The same words used in for how the temple was decorated in the time of King Solomon.] [Much/little]
5Therefore know that the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot) says: 'Consider carefully (ponder in your hearts) your ways.
6You have sown much but harvested little,
you eat but do not have enough,
you drink but are not satisfied,
you clothe yourselves but are not warm,
and those who earn wages earn wages in a bag with holes.' " [Hag uses the expression "consider carefully" five times, see , ; , (twice). The consequences of disobedience were not unknown, see ; .] [The center of the chiasmus:]
7Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot):
"Consider (ponder in your hearts) your ways. 8Go up to the hill country and bring timber and build the house (the temple).
I will take pleasure in it and be honored,"
says the Lord (Yahweh). [Much/little]
9"You searched for much but found little
and when you brought it home, I blew it away." [Question]
"Why?" proclaims (says, declares) the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaot).
"Because my house lies desolate, while everyone is busy with their own house." 10"Therefore, the heavens have withheld their dew, and the earth its produce. 11I have called for a drought on the land and on the mountains and on the grain and on the wine and on the oil and on what the earth produces, on people and on livestock and on all who labor with their hands."The people's response
12Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel,
and Joshua, son of Jehozadak (Jehotsadak), the high priest,
together with the remnant of the people
listened to the voice of the Lord (Yahweh) their God (Elohim) and to the words of the prophet Haggai, which the Lord (Yahweh) their God (Elohim) had sent to him, and the people came in reverence (fear of God) before (in the presence of) the Lord (Yahweh). 13Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord (Yahweh), spoke the Lord's message to the people, saying, "I am with you!"
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh).
14The Lord (Yahweh) stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people, and they came and worked on the house of their God (Elohim), the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaots). 15This took place on the 24th day of the 6th month [Elul] in the second year of King Darius [September 21, 520 BC]. [Just over three weeks after the first message from Haggai (1st Elul, see ), work on the temple now began. Construction would continue over the next five years, to be completed on the 3rd of Adar in the sixth year of Darius. This corresponds to March 12, 515 BC in our calendar, cf. .]Second message – encouragement
[The Feast of Tabernacles (Hebr. sukkah) is celebrated from the evening of the 15th of Tishri and for seven days thereafter. It has now been almost two months since Haggai's first message. The second message comes on the 21st day of the month, which is the 7th day of the feast. This is a fitting coincidence, since Haggai's name (Hebr. Chaggai) means "my feasts." It is also exactly 440 years since 960 BC, when Solomon completed the first temple, see ; .] 21In the 7th month [Tishri] on the 21st day of the month [October 17, 520 BC], the word of the Lord (Yahweh) came to Haggai, the prophet, saying: 2Now speak to Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant [] of the people, saying: [The former glory of the temple:]
3"Who among you is left who saw this house in its former glory, and how does it look now? Is it not as if it were nothing in your eyes?" [Encouragement:]
4"Be strong (bold), Zerubbabel,"
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh).
"And be strong (courageous), Joshua, son of Jehozadak, high priest,
and be strong (courageous), all the people of the land,"
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh). "And do (act, work) [without fear], for I am with you,"
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot). [Central verse:]
5"The word [the Ten Commandments, see ] that I made with you when you came out of Egypt, I have confirmed, and my Spirit remains among you—do not fear." 6Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot):
"Yet a little while, and I will shake
the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. 7I will shake all nations, and the desired (Hebr. chemdah) [probably referring to treasures/riches, see ] of all nations shall come []
and I will fill this house with glory,"
says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot).
8"The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,"
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot). 9[The glory of the coming temple:] "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former,"
says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot).
"And in this place [Jerusalem] I will give peace (complete harmony; peace and tranquility shall reign – Hebr. shalom),"
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot). [The Hebrew name for Jerusalem is Jeroshalajim. In addition to singular and plural, Hebrew also has dual, which means two, as indicated by the ending ajim. The dual form of Jerusalem has sometimes been interpreted as the two mountains on which the city rests, but it can also be taken literally to mean that the city means double peace. Peace, shalom, is a play on words with Jerusalem. Peace is a result of the coming king, see .]Third message – blessing and impurity
10On the 24th day of the 9th month [Kislev] in the 2nd year of King Darejavesh [December 18, 520 BC], the word of the Lord (Yahweh) came to Haggai, the prophet, saying: 11"Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot): Ask the priests for instruction (Hebr. Torah) and say: 12If someone carries consecrated meat in the fold of his cloak and with his cloak touches bread or anything that is cooked or wine or oil or any other food, does it become holy?" The priests answered and said, "No." 13Then Haggai asked, "If someone who is [ceremonially] unclean because of a dead body touches any of these things, will it be considered unclean?"
The priests answered and said, "It will be unclean." 14Then Haggai answered and said, "So is this people and so is this land before my face (before me),"
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh).
"And so is all the work that their hands do and what they sacrifice, it is unclean. 15Now I ask you to consider (ponder in your hearts) from this day forward, before stone was laid upon stone in the temple of the Lord (Yahweh) 16throughout all time. When you came to the grain heap with 20 measures,
there were only 10 [half as much],
and when you came to the winepress to press out 50 measures
there were only 20 [less than half]. [The text does not specify the unit of measurement. Grain was often measured in homers (as much as a donkey could carry, see ) or ephahs (22-36 liters ; one-tenth of a homer, see ). Liquids were measured in bat and kor measures (). The point is that the grain harvest was only half of what was expected and wine production was only 40% of normal.]
17I have struck you with blight and mildew and hail in everything your hands work, and yet you do not return to me,"
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh). 18"I ask you to consider (ponder in your hearts) from this day forward,
from the 24th day of the 9th month [Kislev],
from the day when the foundation of the Lord's (Yahweh's) temple was laid,
consider (ponder) it. 19Is the grain still in the barn [from the spring harvest]? [No!]
The vine
and the fig tree
and the pomegranate tree
and the olive tree have not yielded any fruit [this autumn],
but from this day on I will bless you." [The questions here suggest a negative answer. The grain harvest was brought in during the spring. Sowing is done in the fall and should be completed by this time in December. The time for harvesting fruit is also over. The situation was hopeless: poor harvests, nothing in the barn, and no hope for another harvest. Then God's word comes with the hope of blessing from this day forward.]Fourth message – a word to Zerubbabel
20The word of the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the 24th day of the 9th month [Kislev; the same day as the third message, see verses 10–18, December 520 BC], saying: 21Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, and say:
"I will shake the heavens
and the earth,
22and I will overthrow the thrones
of the kingdoms
and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms
in the lands
and I will overthrow their chariots
and those who ride in them,
and the horses
and their riders
shall fall, every one,
by the sword of their brother." 23"On that day,"
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot),
"I will take you, Zerubbabel, my servant, son of Shealtiel,"
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh)
"and make you a signet ring, for I have chosen you,"
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot).
