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Haggai Chapter
One
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO HAGGAI 1
This
chapter contains the first sermon of the Prophet Haggai to the people of the
Jews
directed to Zerubbabel the governor
and Joshua the high priest; the date
of which is fixed
Haggai 1:1. It
begins with a charge against that people; saying the time to build the house of
the Lord was not come
Haggai 1:2 which is
refuted by the prophet; arguing
that
if the time to panel their dwelling
houses was come
then much more the time to build the Lord's house
Haggai 1:3. They
are urged to consider how unsuccessful they had been in their civil employments
and labours
which was owing to their neglect of building the temple;
wherefore
if they consulted their own good
and the glory of God
the best way
was to set about it in all haste
and with diligence
Haggai 1:5 yea
even the famine
which they had been afflicted with for some time
and which
affected both man and beast
sprung from the same cause
Haggai 1:10. This
discourse had such an effect upon the governor
high priest
and people
that
they immediately rose up
and went about the work they were exhorted to; upon
which the prophet
by a special message from the Lord
promises his presence
with them
Haggai 1:12.
Haggai 1:1 In the second
year of King Darius
in the sixth month
on the first day of the month
the
word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel
governor of Judah
and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak
the high priest
saying
YLT
1In the second year of
Darius the king
in the sixth month
in the first day of the month
hath a word
of Jehovah been by the hand of Haggai the prophet
unto Zerubbabel son of
Shealtiel
governor of Judah
and unto Joshua son of Josedech
the high priest
saying:
In the second year of
Darius the King
.... That is
of Persia; he is spoken of as if he was the only
king in the world; and indeed he was the then greatest king in it; and
therefore is emphatically called "the king". This was not Darius the
Mede
as Genebrard; who was contemporary with Cyrus
and partner in the
kingdom; nor Darius Nothus
as Scaliger
and those that follow him; since the
second year of this Darius was
according to Cocceius
who follows this
opinion
one hundred and thirty eight years after the first edict of Cyrus; and
so Zerubbabel and Joshua must exercise their office
the one of governor
the
other of high priest
such a term of years
and more
which is not credible;
and some of the Jews in captivity must have lived upwards of two hundred years;
even those who saw the temple in its first glory
before the captivity
and now
behold it in Haggai's time
in a very different condition
Haggai 2:3. It
seems therefore more probable
according to JosephusF9Antiqu. l. 11.
c. 3. sect. 1. and c. 4. sect. 5
7.
and others
that this was Darius
Hystaspis
who was chosen king by the nobles of Persia
upon his horse's
neighing first as HerodotusF11Thalia
sive l. 3. c. 84
85
86.
relates: the second year of his reign was about seventeen or eighteen years
after the proclamation of Cyrus; during whose reign
he being much engaged in
affairs abroad
and the reign of his successor Cambyses
the enemies of the Jews
encouraged by the latter
greatly obstructed the building of the temple
and
discouraged them from going on with it; but when this king came to the throne
things took another turn
being favoured by him; for JosephusF12Ut
supra. (Antiqu. l. 11. c. 3. sect. 1. and c. 4. sect. 5
7.) relates
that
when a private person
he vowed
if ever he became king
whatever of the holy
vessels were in Babylon
he would send to the temple at Jerusalem; and upon
solicitations made to him
the Jews were encouraged to go on with the building
of it:
in the sixth month; the month Elul
answering
to part of
August
and part of September; which was the sixth
reckoning from the month
Nisan:
in the first day of the month; which was the feast of
the new moon:
came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet; or
"by
the hand of Haggai"F13ביד חגי "in manu Aggaei"
V. L. Pagninus
Montanus
Cocceius. ; by his means; he was the instrument by whom the Lord delivered his
word; the word was not the prophet's
but the Lord's; and this is observed
to
give weight and authority to it:
unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel: the same who
is called Salathiel
Matthew 1:12
according to Kimchi and Ben Melech
he was the grandson of Salathiel; though
rather Salathiel seems to be his uncle
he being the son of Pedaiah his
brother
1 Chronicles 3:17
however
he was his heir and successor in the government
and so called his
son; See Gill on Matthew 1:12
governor of Judah; not king; for the country was under the
dominion of the king of Persia
and Zerubbabel was a deputy governor under him;
so the apocryphal Ezra calls him governor of Judea
"And
also he commanded that Sisinnes the governor of Syria and Phenice
and
Sathrabuzanes
and their companions
and those which were appointed rulers in
Syria and Phenice
should be careful not to meddle with the place
but suffer
Zorobabel
the servant of the Lord
and governor of Judea
and the elders of
the Jews
to build the house of the Lord in that place.' (1 Esdras 6:27)
and
according to JosephusF14Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 11. c. 3. sect. 1. and
c. 4. sect. 5
7.)
he was made governor of the captive Jews
when in Babylon
being in great favour with the king of Babylon; and
with two more
were his
body guards; and he was continued governor by the Persians
when the Jews
returned to their land:
and to Joshua the son of Josedech the high priest; who is called
Jeshua
and his father Jozadak
Ezra 3:2 his father
was carried captive by Nebuchadnezzar
1 Chronicles 6:15
now
to these two principal persons in the commonwealth of Judea was the word
of the Lord sent by the prophet; the one having the chief power in civil
things
and the other in things ecclesiastical; and both had an influence upon
the people; but very probably were dilatory in the work of building the temple;
and therefore have a message sent to them
to stir them up to this service:
saying: as follows:
Haggai 1:2 2 “Thus
speaks the Lord of hosts
saying: ‘This people says
“The time has not come
the
time that the Lord’s house should be built.”’”
YLT
2Thus spake Jehovah of
Hosts
saying: This people! -- they have said
`The time hath not come
The
time the house of Jehovah [is] to be built.'
Thus speaketh the Lord of
hosts
.... Of armies above and below; whom all ought to reverence
honour
and obey; who was able to support his people in building his house
and
protect them from their enemies
which should have been an encouragement to
them; and to punish them for their neglect of it
which might have deterred
them from it. This preface is made
to show that what follow were not the words
of the prophet
but of the Lord; and therefore to be the more regarded
and the
truth of them not to be doubted of:
saying
This people say; repeating the words of
the people of the Jews to Zerubbabel and Joshua
that they might observe them
and the wickedness and ingratitude in them. "This people"
lately
brought out of the captivity of Babylon
and loaded with various blessings and
benefits; and not a few of them
but the generality of them
the body of them
expressed themselves after this manner
when pressed to build the temple:
The time is not come
the time that the Lord's house should be
built; suggesting that the seventy years of Jerusalem and the temple
lying in ruins
reckoning from the destruction of them in the nineteenth year
of Nebuchadnezzar
were not yet fulfilled; or rather intimating that it was not
the time in Providence
since they had been forbid and hindered in former
reigns from going on with the work; or
since it had been a time of famine and
distress with them
it was not a time fit and convenient to carry on such a
service; and though they did not lay aside all thoughts of it
yet they judged
it right and proper to defer it to a more convenient time
when they were better
settled
and in a better capacity to engage in it.
Haggai 1:3 3 Then
the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet
saying
YLT
3And there is a word of
Jehovah by the hand of Haggai the prophet
saying:
Then came the word of the
Lord by Haggai the prophet
.... This is a second prophecy
distinct
from the former; that was delivered to the two governors
setting forth the
sentiments and language of the people concerning the building of the temple
which was left with them to consider how just it was; but this is sent to the
people themselves
expostulating with them about the folly and ingratitude of
it:
saying; as follows:
Haggai 1:4 4 “Is
it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses
and this temple[a] to lie
in ruins?”
YLT
4Is it time for you -- you!
To dwell in your covered houses
And this house to lie waste?
Is it time for you
O ye
to dwell in your panelled houses
.... 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?"F15והבית הזה חרב
"et domus ista deserta manebit?" Drusius; "quum domus haec vasta
est?" Junius & Tremellius
Piscator; "dum domus haec desolata
est?" Cocceius. 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.
Haggai 1:5 5 Now
therefore
thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!
YLT
5And now
thus said Jehovah
of Hosts
Set your heart to your ways.
Now therefore thus saith
the Lord of hosts
.... The Lord God omniscient and omnipotent
that saw all their
actions
and could punish for them; since they were so careful of their own
houses
and adorning them
and so careless of his house; he would have them now
sit down
and seriously think of these things
and of what he should further
observe unto them:
Consider your ways; their sinful ways
and repent of them
and
forsake them
particularly their ingratitude before observed; and their civil
ways
their common ways of life; their labour
work
and business
they were
continually employed in; and observe the event of them; what success they had
what these issued in; whether there were not some visible tokens of the divine
displeasure on them
which rendered all their attempts to support and enrich
themselves and families vain
and of no effect: and they would do well to
consider to what all this was to be imputed; whether it was not chiefly owing
to this
their neglect of the house of God; and this he would have considered
not in a slight cursory way; but with great earnestness
diligence
and
application of mind: "put"
or "set your hearts upon your
ways"F16שימו לבבכם
"ponite corda vestra"
V. L.; "ponite cor vestrum"
Burkius. ; so it may be literally rendered.
Haggai 1:6 6 “You
have sown much
and bring in little; You eat
but do not have enough; You
drink
but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves
but no one is
warm; And he who earns wages
Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”
YLT
6Ye have sown much
and
brought in little
To eat
and not to satiety
To drink
and not to
drunkenness
To clothe
and none hath heat
And he who is hiring himself out
Is hiring himself for a bag pierced through.
Ye have sown much
and
bring in little
.... Contrary to what is usually done; the seed that is sown is
but little
in
comparison of what springs up
is reaped
and gathered into the
barn; which commonly affords seed again to the sower
and bread to the eater;
but here much land was tilled
and a great deal of seed was sown in it; but a
thin crop was produced
little was gathered into the barn; a blessing being
withheld from the earth
and from their labours
because of their sins
which
they would do well to think of
and the cause of it:
ye eat
but ye have not enough; what the earth did
yield
and which they gathered in
they made food of
and ate of it; yet it was
not sufficient to satisfy their hunger; or it was not blessed for their
nourishment; or they had a canine appetite in judgment given them
so that they
were never satisfied: or
it was "not for fulness"F17לשבעה "ad satietatem"
Calvin
De Dieu; "ad
saturitatem"
Munster. ; they were not filled with it to satisfaction
but
still craved more; and yet
it may be
durst not eat more
if they had it
lest
they should want the next day:
ye drink
but ye are not filled with drink; or
"not
to inebriation"F18לשכרה "ad
ebrietatem"
Tigurine version
Vatablus
Calvin
De Dieu. ; it was not
sufficient to quench their thirst
much less to make them merry and; cheerful:
the vines produced such a small quantity of grapes
and those so little wine
that they had not enough to drink
at least could not drink freely
but
sparingly
lest it should be all spent before another vintage came:
ye clothe you
but there is none warm; or
"but" it is "not for heat to him"F19ואין לחם לו
"et non est ad calorem ei"
De Dieu; "sed nemo ita ut sit calor
ipsi"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator; "ut calefiat ei"
Burkius. ; to anyone; so rigorous the season
so extreme the cold
that his
clothes will not keep him warm
even though the climate was
naturally and
usually hot:
and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a
bag with holes; or
"pierced through"F20נקוב
"pertusum"
V. L. Munster
Tigurine version
Vatablus
Junius &
Tremellius
Piscator; "perforatum"
Munster
Varenius. ; if a man is
hired as a labourer
and gets much wages
and brings it home
and lays it up;
or if he trades and merchandises
and has great gains by it
and thinks to
amass great riches; yet
what through losses
and the dreariness of provisions
and the many ways he has for the spending of his money
it is as if he put it
into a bag full of holes
and it ran through as fast as put into it; signifying
hereby that all his pains and labour were in vain.
Haggai 1:7 7 Thus
says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!
YLT
7Thus said Jehovah of Hosts:
Set your heart to your ways.
Thus saith the Lord of
hosts
Consider your ways. What they have been; what has been the
consequence of them; and to what the above things are to be ascribed. This
exhortation is repeated
to impress it the more upon their minds; and to denote
the importance of it
and the necessity of such a conduct; See Gill on Haggai 1:5.
Haggai 1:8 8 Go
up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple
that I may take
pleasure in it and be glorified
” says the Lord.
YLT
8Go up the mountain
and ye
have brought in wood
And build the house
and I am pleased with it. And I am
honoured
said Jehovah.
Go up to the mountain
.... Or
"that mountain"F21ההר "in
istum montem"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator. ; pointing either to
Lebanon
to cut down cedars
and bring them from thence for the building of the
temple; or Mount Moriah
on which the temple was to be built; and thither carry
the wood they fetched from Lebanon
or were brought from thence by the Tyrians:
and bring wood; or
"that ye may bring wood";
from Lebanon
or any other mountain on which wood grew
to Mount Moriah:
and build the house; the temple
whose
foundation was already laid
but the superstructure was neglected: now the Lord
would have them go on with it immediately
out of hand
with the utmost
diligence
alacrity
and vigour; and not desist till the whole building was
completed:
and I will take pleasure in it; as a type of Christ
for
whose sake he was so desirous of having it built; into which he was to come
and there appear as the promised Saviour. It signifies
moreover
that the Lord
would not only take pleasure in the temple built
but in their work in building
it; which would be acceptable to him
being according to his mind and will; and
that he would take pleasure in
and accept of them
being worshippers therein
when they worshipped him in spirit and in truth in it; and in their services
sacrifices
prayers
and praises
being rightly offered; and that he would
forgive their sins
and be propitious to them for his Son's sake
the antitype
of the temple:
and I will be glorified
saith the Lord; by his people
here
and by the worship and service they should perform: or
"I will show
myself glorious"F23אכבד
"gloriosum me ostendam"
Vatablus. ; that is
show his glory
causing
his Shechinah to dwell here in glory
as the Targum is. The Jews observe
that
the letter ה is wanting in the word here used
which
numerically signifies "five"; hence they gather that five things were
wanting in the second temple
the ark
the Urim and Thummim
the fire from
heaven
the Shechinah
or the divine Majesty
and the Holy Ghost.
Haggai 1:9 9 “You
looked for much
but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home
I blew it away. Why?” says the Lord of hosts.
“Because of My house that is in ruins
while every one of you runs to
his own house.
YLT
9Looking for much
and lo
little
And ye brought [it] home
and I blew on it
Wherefore? -- an
affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts
Because of My house that is waste
And ye are
running -- each to his house
Ye looked for much
and
lo
it came to little
.... They looked for a large harvest
and
very promising it was for a while; but in the end it came to little; it was a
very small crop
very little was reaped and gathered in: or
"in
looking"
ye looked "to increase"F24אל הרבה "ad rem
augendam"
Grotius. ; your substance; had raised expectations of making
themselves and families by their agriculture
and by their plantations of vines
and olives
and by their trade and merchandise; and it dwindled away
and came
to little or nothing; their riches
instead of being increased
were
diminished:
and when ye brought it home
I did blow upon it; when they
brought into their barns or houses the produce of their land
labour
and
merchandise
which was but little
the Lord blew a blast upon that little
and
brought rottenness and worms into it
as Jarchi; so that it was not a blessing
to them
but a curse. So the Targum interprets it
"behold
I sent a curse upon it:'
or
"I blew it away"F25נפחתי בו "exsufflo illud"
Vatablus; "efflo
illud"
Junius & Tremellius; "difflo"
Piscator;
"difflavi"
Drusius
Cocceius. ; as any light thing
straw or
stubble
or thistle down
are blown away with a wind; so easily can the Lord
and sometimes he does
strip men of that little substance they have; riches by
his orders make themselves wings
and flee away; or he
by one providence or
another
blows them away like chaff before the wind:
Why? saith the Lord of hosts; what was the cause and
reason of this? which question is put
not on his own account
who full well
knew it; but for their sakes
to whom he speaks
that they might be made
sensible of it; and in order to that to introduce what follows
which is an
answer to the question:
because of mine house that is waste; which they
suffered to lie waste
and did not concern themselves about the rebuilding of
it: this the Lord resented
and for this reason blasted all their labours:
and ye run every man unto his own house; were very
eager
earnest
and diligent
in building
beautifying
and adorning their own
houses; taking care of their own domestic affairs; sparing no cost nor pains to
promote their own secular interest; running in all haste to do any thing and
everything to increase their worldly substance; but sat still
were idle and
slothful
careless and negligent
about the house of God and the affairs of it.
Haggai 1:10 10 Therefore
the heavens above you withhold the dew
and the earth withholds its fruit.
YLT
10Therefore
over you
refrained have the heavens from dew
And the land hath refrained its increase.
Therefore the heaven over
you is stayed from dew
.... Or
"therefore over"
or "upon you"F1על־כן עליכם "propterea super
vos"
Varenius
Reinbeck
Burkius. ; where should be a stop; that is
because
of your neglect of the house of God; therefore upon you
and upon you
only
and not upon other nations
the heaven is restrained from letting down the
dew: or
"therefore I am against you"F2"Idcirco
contra vos"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator. ; for the above reason
and which the following things show; and sad it is to have God to be an enemy
and against a people! or
"for your sake"; so the Syriac version
to
which sense is the Targum
"therefore
for your sins;'
and
so Jarchi
"the heaven is stayed from dew"; none descends from it;
the Lord
who has the ordering of it
will not suffer it: to have the dew fall
upon the earth in the night season is a great blessing; it makes the earth
fruitful
revives the corn
plants
and herbs
and causes them to flourish and
increase; and to have it restrained is a judgment:
and the earth is stayed from her fruit; from bringing
forth its increase
which is the consequence of the dew being withheld.
Haggai 1:11 11 For
I called for a drought on the land and the mountains
on the grain and the new
wine and the oil
on whatever the ground brings forth
on men and livestock
and on all the labor of your hands.”
YLT
11And I proclaim draught on
the land
And on the mountains
and on the corn
And on the new wine
and on
the oil
And on what the ground doth bring forth
And on man
and on beast
And
on all labour of the hands.'
And I called for a drought
upon the land
.... Upon the whole land of Judea; as he withheld the dew and
rain from falling on it to moisten it
refresh it
and make it fruitful; so he
ordered a vehement heat to dry and parch it; and directed the rays of the sun
to strike with great force upon it
and cause the fruits of it to wither; and
which is done by a word of his; when he calls
every creature obeys. There is
an elegant play on words
which shows the justness of such a proceeding
that
it was according to the law of retaliation; they suffered the house of God to
lie חרב
"waste"
and therefore he calls
for חרב
a "wasting" drought
to come upon
their land:
and upon the mountains; where herbage grew
and
herds of cattle and flocks of sheep were fed; but now the grass through the
drought was withered away
and so no pasturage for them
and in course must
perish:
and upon the corn
and upon the new wine
and upon the oil; that is
upon
the grain fields
and upon the vines and olive trees; so that they produced but
very little grain
wine
and oil
and that not very good
and which was not
satisfying and refreshing; at least there were not enough for their support and
comfort: now these three things were the principal necessaries of life in the
country of Judea
and therefore a scarcity of them was very distressing:
and upon that which the ground bringeth forth; whatever else
not mentioned the earth produced
as figs
pomegranates
and other fruit:
and upon men
and upon cattle; who not only suffered in
this drought
by the above said things it came upon; but by diseases it
produced upon them
as the pestilence and fever among men
and murrain upon the
cattle:
and upon all the labour of the hands: of men;
whatsoever fields and gardens
trees and plants of every kind
that were set
and cultivated by them. Of this drought
and the famine that came upon it
we
nowhere else read; but there is no doubt to be made of it.
Haggai 1:12 12 Then
Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel
and Joshua the son of Jehozadak
the high
priest
with all the remnant of the people
obeyed the voice of the Lord their God
and the words of Haggai the prophet
as the Lord their God had sent him; and the people feared the presence of the Lord.
YLT
12And Zerubbabel son of
Shealtiel
and Joshua son of Josedech
the high priest
and all the remnant of
the people
do hearken to the voice of Jehovah their God
and unto the words of
Haggai the prophet
as Jehovah their God had sent him
and the people are
afraid of the face of Jehovah.
Then Zerubbabel the son of
Shealtiel
and Joshua the son of Josedech the high priest
.... Here
follows an account of the success of Haggai's prophecy; with what power and
efficacy the word of the Lord by him was attended; how it at once reached and
affected the hearts of princes and people
and brought them to obedience to the
will of God. The governor and high priest are mentioned first
as being the
principal persons
and who very probably first declared their sense of their
former neglect
and their readiness to do as they were directed; which was
setting a good example to the people
and doubtless had some influence upon
them:
with all the remnant of the people
obeyed the voice of the Lord
their God; not the two leading men in church and state only; but all the
people that came out of the Babylonish captivity
who were but a remnant; a few
that were left through various calamities they had been exposed unto; these
one and all
signified how willing and ready they were to do the work of the
Lord enjoined them: or
"they heard the voice of the Lord"F3וישמע "et audivit"
V. L. Pagninus
Montanus
Burkius. ; by the prophet
very attentively and seriously; and received and
regarded it
not as the word of men
but as the word of God; and determined to
act according to it:
and the words of Haggai the prophet; or
"and for the
words of Haggai the prophet"F4ועל דברי חגי "idque propter
verba Chaggai"
Varenius
Reinbeck. ; because of them
considering them as
coming from the Lord himself:
as the Lord their God had sent him; regarding him as having
a mission and commission from the Lord to deliver them to them:
and the people did fear before the Lord; perceiving
that he was displeased with them for the neglect of his house; and that this
drought upon them was a chastisement and correction for this sin; and fearing
lest his wrath should continue
and they should be more severely dealt with
on
account of their transgressions.
Haggai 1:13 13 Then
Haggai
the Lord’s messenger
spoke the Lord’s message
to the people
saying
“I am with you
says the Lord.”
YLT
13And Haggai
messenger of
Jehovah
in messages of Jehovah
speaketh to the people
saying: `I [am] with
you
an affirmation of Jehovah.'
Then spoke Haggai the
Lord's messenger
.... Which some render "angel"; hence sprung that
notion
imbibed by some
that he was not a man
but an angel; whereas this only
respects his office
being sent of God as an ambassador in his name with a
message to his people: he now observing what effect his prophecy had upon the
people; they being convinced of their sin
and terrified with the judgments of
God upon them
and fearing that worse still would attend them; in order to
revive their spirits and comfort them
spake the words unto them which follow:
and this he did
in the Lord's message unto the people; not of his
own head
nor out of the pity of his own heart merely; but as a prophet of the
Lord
having a fresh message from him to carry a promise to them for their
comfort and encouragement:
saying
I am with you
saith the Lord; to pardon
their sins; to accept their persons; to remove his rod from them; to assist
them in the work of building the temple
they were now willing to engage in; to
protect them from their enemies
and to strengthen them to go on with the work
till they had finished it; a short promise
but a very full one: it was saying
much in a little
and enough to remove all their fears
to scatter all their
doubts
and to bear them up
and through all discouragements.
Haggai 1:14 14 So
the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel
governor
of Judah
and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak
the high priest
and
the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the
house of the Lord of hosts
their God
YLT
14And Jehovah doth stir up
the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel
governor of Judah
and the spirit of
Joshua son of Josedech
the high priest
and the spirit of all the remnant of
the people
and they come in
and do work in the house of Jehovah of Hosts
their God
And the Lord stirred up
the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel
governor of Judah
and the
spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech
the high priest
and the spirit of all
the remnant of the people
.... He roused them up from that sleep and
sloth in which they were before
both the governors and common people; he
wrought in them both to will and do; or a willing mind to do his work in
building his house; he gave them a spirit both of industry and courage; he
enabled them to shake off that sluggish disposition they were attended with
and that fear of men which possessed them; he inspired them with zeal and
resolution to enter upon the work at once
and pursue it with close
application; the Lord only could do this:
and they came and did work in the house of the Lord of hosts
their God; the governor and high priest came to direct and oversee
encourage and animate the people by their presence and example; and the people
to do the several parts of service that belonged to them
according to their
genius and employment.
Haggai 1:15 15 on
the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month
in the second year of King Darius.
YLT
15in the twenty and fourth
day of the sixth month
in the second year of Darius the king.
In the four and twentieth
day of the sixth month
.... Or
"in the four and twentieth of the month
in the
sixth"; in that sixth month before mentioned
Haggai 1:1. On this
day they came and worked; not the sixth from Tisri
for the Jews had two ways
of beginning their years
which would have answered to part of February; and
therefore
chose by some interpreters as being a proper time to begin building;
but no regard is had to the fitness of the season
but to the order of the
Lord; but the sixth month from Nisan
and answers to part of August; for so the
months are reckoned in the prophecy of Zechariah
who began to prophecy the
same year as Haggai did; see Zechariah 1:1 Zechariah 7:1 this
was three and twenty days after the prophecy was delivered out; during which
time they might be employed in cutting of stones
and sawing and hewing of
wood
as Jarchi suggests
and preparing for work in the temple:
in the second year of Darius the king; See Gill on Haggai 1:1. Here some
begin a new chapter
but wrongly; since
if these words do not belong to the
preceding
there would be a contradiction in joining them with the beginning of
the next.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)