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.