Haggai 2:1

The Glory to Come

2:1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, ¹  the Lord spoke again through the prophet Haggai: ² 

Haggai 2:10

The Promised Blessing

2:10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of Darius’ second year, ³  the Lord spoke again to the prophet Haggai: ⁴ 

Haggai 2:20

Zerubbabel the Chosen One

2:20 Then the Lord spoke again to Haggai ⁵  on the twenty-fourth day of the month: ⁶ 

Ezra 4:24--5:2

4:24 So the work on the temple of God in Jerusalem came to a halt. It remained halted until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia. ⁷ 

Tattenai Appeals to Darius

5:1 Then the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son ⁸  of Iddo ⁹  prophesied concerning the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem ¹⁰  in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. 5:2 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak began ¹¹  to rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were with them, supporting them.

Zechariah 1:1

Introduction

1:1 In the eighth month of Darius’ ¹²  second year, ¹³  the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, ¹⁴  son of Berechiah son of Iddo, as follows:

¹ tn Heb “In the seventh [month], on the twenty-first day of the month.”

² 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 sn The twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of Darius’ second year was Kislev 24 or December 18, 520 b.c.

⁴ tn Heb “the word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet, saying.” This Hebrew expression is slightly different from the one in 1:1, 3; 2:1.

⁵ 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.

⁶ sn Again, the twenty-fourth day of the month was Kislev 24 or December 18, 520 b.c. See v. 10.

⁷ sn Darius I Hystaspes ruled Persia ca. 522–486 b.c.

⁸ tn Aram “son.” According to Zech 1:1 he was actually the grandson of Iddo.

⁹ tn Aram “and Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo the prophet.”

¹⁰ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

¹¹ tn Aram “arose and began.” For stylistic reasons this has been translated as a single concept.

¹² sn Darius is Darius Hystaspes, king of Persia from 522-486 b.c.

¹³ sn The eighth month of Darius’ second year was late October – late November, 520 b.c., by the modern (Julian) calendar. This is two months later than the date of Haggai’s first message to the same community (cf. Hag 1:1).

¹⁴ sn Both Ezra (5:1; 6:14) and Nehemiah (12:16) speak of Zechariah as a son of Iddo only. A probable explanation is that Zechariah’s actual father Berechiah had died and the prophet was raised by his grandfather Iddo. The “Zechariah son of Barachiah” of whom Jesus spoke (Matt 23:35; Luke 11:51) was probably the martyred prophet by that name who may have been a grandson of the priest Jehoiada (2 Chr 24:20-22).