5:4 He will assume his post 1 and shepherd the people 2 by the Lord’s strength,
by the sovereign authority of the Lord his God. 3
They will live securely, 4 for at that time he will be honored 5
even in the distant regions of 6 the earth.
1:2 The Lord who rules over all 7 says this: “These people have said, ‘The time for rebuilding the Lord’s temple has not yet come.’” 8 1:3 So the Lord spoke through the prophet Haggai as follows: 9 1:4 “Is it right for you to live in richly paneled houses 10 while my temple is in ruins? 11 1:5 Here then is what the Lord who rules over all says: ‘Think carefully about what you are doing. 12 1:6 You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but are never filled. You drink, but are still thirsty. You put on clothes, but are not warm. Those who earn wages end up with holes in their money bags.’” 13
1:7 “Moreover, the Lord who rules over all says: ‘Pay close attention to these things also. 14 1:8 Go up to the hill country and bring back timber to build 15 the temple. 16 Then I will be pleased and honored,’ 17 says the Lord.
4:7 “What are you, you great mountain? 22 Because of Zerubbabel you will become a level plain! And he will bring forth the temple 23 capstone with shoutings of ‘Grace! Grace!’ 24 because of this.” 4:8 Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me as follows: 4:9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundations of this temple, 25 and his hands will complete it.” Then you will know that the Lord who rules over all has sent me to you. 4:10 For who dares make light of small beginnings? These seven eyes 26 will joyfully look on the tin tablet 27 in Zerubbabel’s hand. (These are the eyes of the Lord, which constantly range across the whole earth.)
1 tn Heb “stand up”; NAB “stand firm”; NASB “will arise.”
2 tn The words “the people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
3 tn Heb “by the majesty of the name of the
4 tn The words “in peace” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Perhaps וְיָשָׁבוּ (vÿyashavu, “and they will live”) should be emended to וְשָׁבוּ (vÿshavu, “and they will return”).
5 tn Heb “be great.”
6 tn Or “to the ends of.”
7 sn The epithet
8 tn Heb “the time has not come, the time for the house of the
9 tn Heb “and the word of the
10 sn Richly paneled houses. Paneling is otherwise known in the OT only in connection with the temple (1 Kgs 6:9) and the royal palace (2 Kgs 7:3, 7). It implies decoration and luxury (cf. NCV “fancy houses”; TEV “well-built houses”; NLT “luxurious houses”). The impropriety of the people living in such lavish accommodations while the temple lay unfinished is striking.
11 tn Heb “Is it time for you, [yes] you, to live in paneled houses, while this house is in ruins”; NASB “lies desolate”; NIV “remains a ruin.”
12 tn Heb “Set your heart upon your ways” (see 2:15, 18); traditionally “Consider your ways” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB).
13 tn Some translate “pockets” (so NLT) but the Hebrew word צְרוֹר (tsÿror) refers to a bag, pouch, or purse of money (BDB 865 s.v. צְרוֹר; HALOT 1054 s.v. צְרוֹר 1). Because coinage had been invented by the Persians and was thus in use in Haggai’s day, this likely is a money bag or purse rather than pouches or pockets in the clothing. Since in contemporary English “purse” (so NASB, NIV, NCV) could be understood as a handbag, the present translation uses “money bags.”
14 tn Heb “Set your heart upon your ways”; see v. 5.
15 tn Heb “and build the house” (so NIV, NRSV), with “house” referring specifically to the temple here.
16 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).
17 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”).
18 tn Heb “to them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
19 sn The epithet
20 tn The Hebrew verb שׁוּב (shuv) is common in covenant contexts. To turn from the
21 sn It is premature to understand the Spirit here as the Holy Spirit (the third Person of the Trinity), though the OT prepares the way for that NT revelation (cf. Gen 1:2; Exod 23:3; 31:3; Num 11:17-29; Judg 3:10; 6:34; 2 Kgs 2:9, 15, 16; Ezek 2:2; 3:12; 11:1, 5).
22 sn In context, the great mountain here must be viewed as a metaphor for the enormous task of rebuilding the temple and establishing the messianic kingdom (cf. TEV “Obstacles as great as mountains”).
23 tn The word “temple” has been supplied in the translation to clarify the referent (cf. NLT “final stone of the Temple”).
24 sn Grace is a fitting response to the idea that it was “not by strength and not by power” but by God’s gracious Spirit that the work could be done (cf. v. 6).
25 tn Heb “house” (so NAB, NRSV).
26 tn Heb “these seven.” Eyes are clearly intended in the ellipsis as v. 10b shows. As in 3:9 the idea is God’s omniscience. He who knows the end from the beginning rejoices at the completion of his purposes.
27 tn This term is traditionally translated “plumb line” (so NASB, NIV, NLT; cf. KJV, NRSV “plummet”), but it is more likely that the Hebrew בְּדִיל (bÿdil) is to be derived not from בָּדַל (badal), “to divide,” but from a root meaning “tin.” This finds support in the ancient Near Eastern custom of placing inscriptions on tin plates in dedicatory foundation deposits.