Haggai 1:7

The Instruction of the People

1:7 “Moreover, the Lord who rules over all says: ‘Pay close attention to these things also. ¹ 

Haggai 1:5

1:5 Here then is what the Lord who rules over all says: ‘Think carefully about what you are doing. ² 

Haggai 1:8

1:8 Go up to the hill country and bring back timber to build ³  the temple. ⁴  Then I will be pleased and honored,’ ⁵  says the Lord.

Haggai 2:11

2:11 “The Lord who rules over all says, ‘Ask the priests about the law. ⁶ 

Haggai 2:21

2:21 Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah: ‘I am ready ⁷  to shake the sky ⁸  and the earth.

Haggai 1:2

The Indifference of the People

1:2 The Lord who rules over all ⁹  says this: “These people have said, ‘The time for rebuilding the Lord’s temple has not yet come.’” ¹⁰ 

Haggai 2:2

2:2 “Ask the following questions to ¹¹  Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, ¹²  and the remnant of the people:

Haggai 2:7

2:7 I will also shake up all the nations, and they ¹³  will offer their treasures; ¹⁴  then I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord who rules over all.

Haggai 2:9

2:9 ‘The future splendor of this temple will be greater than that of former times,’ ¹⁵  the Lord who rules over all declares, ‘and in this place I will give peace.’” ¹⁶ 

Haggai 2:6

2:6 Moreover, the Lord who rules over all says: ‘In just a little while ¹⁷  I will once again shake the sky ¹⁸  and the earth, the sea and the dry ground.

¹ tn Heb “Set your heart upon your ways”; see v. 5.

² tn Heb “Set your heart upon your ways” (see 2:15, 18); traditionally “Consider your ways” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB).

³ tn Heb “and build the house” (so NIV, NRSV), with “house” referring specifically to the temple here.

⁴ sn The temple was built primarily of stone, so the timber here refers to interior paneling (see v. 4) and perhaps to scaffolding (see Ezra 5:8; 6:4).

⁵ tn The Hebrew verb אֶכָּבְדָ (’ekkavda) appears to be a defectively written cohortative (“that I may be glorified”). The cohortatives (note that the preceding אֶרְצֶה, ’ertseh, “I will be pleased,” may also be taken as cohortative) indicate purpose/result (cf. NIV, NRSV “so that”; CEV “so”) following the imperatives of v. 8a (“go up,” “bring back,” “build”).

⁴ tn Heb “Ask the priests a torah, saying”; KJV “concerning the law”; NAB “for a decision”; NCV “for a teaching”; NRSV “for a ruling.”

⁵ tn The participle here suggests an imminent undertaking of action (cf. NRSV, TEV, NLT “I am about to”). The overall language of the passage is eschatological, but eschatology finds its roots in the present.

⁶ tn See the note on the word “sky” in 2:6. Most English translations render the Hebrew term as “heavens” here.

⁶ sn The epithet Lord who rules over all occurs frequently as a divine title throughout Haggai (see 1:5, 7, 9, 14; 2:4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 23). This name (יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת, yÿhvah tsÿva’ot), traditionally translated “Lord of hosts” (so KJV, NAB, NASB; cf. NIV, NLT “Lord Almighty”; NCV, CEV “Lord All-Powerful”), emphasizes the majestic sovereignty of the Lord, an especially important concept in the postexilic world of great human empires and rulers. For a thorough study of the divine title, see T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 123-57.

⁷ tn Heb “the time has not come, the time for the house of the Lord to be built” (similar KJV). A number of English versions refer to “rebuilding” (so NAB, NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT) since the reconstruction of Solomon’s temple is actually in view.

⁷ tn Heb “say to”; NAB “Tell this to.”

⁸ tn Many English versions have “Joshua (the) son of Jehozadak the high priest,” but this is subject to misunderstanding. See the note on the name “Jehozadak” at the end of v. 1.

⁸ tn Heb “all the nations.”

⁹ tn Though the subject here is singular (חֶמְדַּה, khemdah; “desire”), the preceding plural predicate mandates a collective subject, “desired (things)” or, better, an emendation to a plural form, חֲמֻדֹת (khamudot, “desirable [things],” hence “treasures”). Cf. ASV “the precious things”; NASB “the wealth”; NRSV “the treasure.” In the OT context this has no direct reference to the coming of the Messiah.

⁹ tn Heb “greater will be the latter splendor of this house than the former”; NAB “greater will be the future glory.”

¹⁰ tn In the Hebrew text there is an implicit play on words in the clause “in this place [i.e., Jerusalem] I will give peace”: in יְרוּשָׁלַיִם (yÿrushalayim) there will be שָׁלוֹם (shalom).

¹⁰ tc The difficult MT reading עוֹד אַחַת מְעַט הִיא (’od ’akhat mÿ’at hi’, “yet once, it is little”; cf. NAB “One moment yet, a little while”) appears as “yet once” in the LXX, omitting the last two Hebrew words. However, the point being made is that the anticipated action is imminent; thus the repetition provides emphasis.

¹¹ tn Or “the heavens.” The same Hebrew word, שָׁמַיִם (shamayim), may be translated “sky” or “heavens” depending on the context. Although many English versions translate the term as “heavens” here, the other three elements present in this context (earth, sea, dry ground) suggest “sky” is in view.