Haggai 1:15--2:1
1:15 This took place on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month of King Darius’ second year.
1
The Glory to Come
2:1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, 2 the Lord spoke again through the prophet Haggai: 3
Haggai 2:20
Zerubbabel the Chosen One
2:20 Then the Lord spoke again to Haggai 4 on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 5
1 sn The twenty-fourth day of the sixth month of King Darius’ second year was September 21, 520 b.c., twenty-three days after the original command by Haggai to rebuild (1:1). The text does not state the reason for the delay, but it may have resulted from the pressing need to bring in the late summer harvest.
2 tn Heb “In the seventh [month], on the twenty-first day of the month.”
3 tc Heb “the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying.” The MT has בְּיַד (bÿyad, “by the hand of” = “through” [so NAB, NIV, NLT] as in 1:1, 3); the Murabba’at Dead Sea text reads אֶל (’el, “to”), perhaps because the following command is given to the prophet.
3 tn Heb “and the word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai.” This Hebrew expression is like the one in 2:10 and is slightly different from the one in 1:1, 3; 2:1.
4 sn Again, the twenty-fourth day of the month was Kislev 24 or December 18, 520 b.c. See v. 10.