Haggai 1
1
Yahweh’s Message to the Leaders of Judah
1On the first day of the month of Elul # 1:1 This can be calculated as about August 29, 520 BC (Gregorian calendar). The first day of every month was to be a day of feasting, rejoicing, and bringing special offerings to the Lord. But with no temple standing, there was no way to properly observe this feast of the new moon. See Num. 10:10; 28:11–15. during the second year Darius was emperor of Persia, # 1:1 This is Darius I Hystaspes, Persia’s king from 521 to 486 BC after the death of Cambyses. the word of Yahweh was spoken through the prophet Haggai. He delivered this prophecy to the appointed governor of Judah, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and to the high priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak. # 1:1 Haggai’s prophecy was intended for both the civil and religious leaders of the Jewish community. The governor was Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, a grandson of Jehoiachin, the king of Judah who was taken into exile in 597 BC (see 2 Kings 24:15; see also 1 Chron. 3:16–19). Joshua the high priest is also mentioned in Zech. 3:1 and 6:11 and in the books of Ezra (see Ezra 2:2) and Nehemiah (see Neh. 12:1, 26), where his name is spelled in Hebrew “Yeshuwa,” or “Yeshua.” His father, Jehozadak, was the high priest who had been taken into exile when Jerusalem was captured by the Babylonians in 586 BC.
2“Yahweh, Commander of Angel Armies, says this: ‘These people procrastinate by saying that this is not the right time to finish rebuilding Yahweh’s house.’ ”
Rebuking the Self-Absorbed
3Then Yahweh spoke the following message to the people using Haggai as his mouthpiece: 4“Really? Is this the right time for you to be living in your expensive # 1:4 Or “paneled.” The Hebrew root meaning is “covered,” perhaps in contrast to the temple ruins being exposed to open air from above. houses while my house lies in ruins? # 1:4 Haggai masterfully used the Hebrew word chareb, the same word for “drought” in v. 11. Chareb can be translated “rubble,” “ruins,” or “drought.” Apparently, the returned exiles had cleared the site of the temple and set up an altar, but they had erected no actual building (see Ezra 3:1–6). There were likely no walls completely constructed, yet the people were warm and cozy in their homes elaborately paneled with cedar. The Lord must be first place in all things (see Matt. 6:33). To apply this to believers today, we need to see ourselves as the house, God’s living temple. There is still much “rebuilding” and restoration that God wants to accomplish in his people (see Acts 3:21; 1 Cor. 6:19; Eph. 2:21; 4:11–13). 5So now, I, Yahweh, Commander of Angel Armies, say to you: You had better be intentional about the path you choose. 6You have planted much but harvested very little. You fill your plates, but you are never full. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but not enough to keep warm. You earn wages, but your money burns a hole in your pocket and quickly runs out. # 1:6 This is a figure of speech for prices rising faster than their wages. The cost of inflation had made their hard-earned money lose its value. It was like putting money in a pocket with holes.
7“I, Yahweh, Commander of Angel Armies, repeat: Be intentional about the path you take. 8Now, go up the mountain, # 1:8 The word for “mountain” in Hebrew is harar. The feminine form is hararah, the word used for “pregnant woman.” The identical terminology for pregnant women and mountains is not a comment on size. Instead, it’s because in Jewish culture, when you are on the top of a mountain, you are closer to God, and a pregnant woman was believed to be very close to God as she carried a living child. “Go up the mountain,” taken metaphorically, is an urge to draw close to God. This illustrates how Scripture can carry both concrete and symbolic truth. cut some timber, and rebuild my house, and I will take pleasure in it and manifest my glory there. It is I, Yahweh, who say so.
9“You hoped for abundant crops, but instead you gathered little. When you brought in your meager harvest, I caused it to spoil. # 1:9 Or “I blew it away,” a figure of speech for destroying (spoiling) their meager harvest, ensuring that whatever harvest remained would not last. It is I, Yahweh, Commander of Angel Armies, asking you, ‘Why?’ It is because my house lies in ruins while each of you runs to his own house. 10That is why the sky has withheld the rain # 1:10 As translated from the Aramaic Targum; the Hebrew is “dew.” and the ground its crops. 11I have called down drought on the land and hills—your grain, oil, and new wine. It has affected both people and animals and spoiled all your attempts to grow food.”
The People Obey God’s Command
12Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jehozadak the high priest, and the entire remnant of the people obeyed the voice of Yahweh their God. They recognized that Yahweh their God had sent Haggai to them, so they obeyed his words. And the people were filled with holy awe toward Yahweh.
13Then the messenger of Yahweh, Haggai, spoke Yahweh’s promise to the people: “I am with you to bless you # 1:13 God’s promise to be “with” his people imparts encouragement and hope and brings blessing with success. See Gen. 28:15; Ex. 3:12. —declares Yahweh.”
14And Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel governor of Judah, the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak the high priest, and the spirit of the entire remnant of the people, and they came together to rebuild the temple of Yahweh, their God, the Commander of Angel Armies. 15They began their work on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month. # 1:15 That is, September 21, 520 BC. It was only three weeks after Haggai’s initial message to the people before the work on the temple began. Some translations include the words “in the second year of King Darius.” However, the Hebrew text allows for placing those words either with the text that precedes or the text that follows. Since, on a discourse level, it is more convincing to place these words with the text that follows, this translation has done so.
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Haggai 1: TPT
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