Haggai 1:3

1:3 So the Lord spoke through the prophet Haggai as follows: ¹ 

Haggai 1:13

1:13 Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, spoke the Lord’s word to the people: ²  “I am with you!” says the Lord.

Haggai 2:1

The Glory to Come

2:1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, ³  the Lord spoke again through the prophet Haggai: ⁴ 

Haggai 2:11

2:11 “The Lord who rules over all says, ‘Ask the priests about the law. ⁵ 

Haggai 2:20-21

Zerubbabel the Chosen One

2:20 Then the Lord spoke again to Haggai ⁶  on the twenty-fourth day of the month: ⁷  2:21 Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah: ‘I am ready ⁸  to shake the sky ⁹  and the earth.

Haggai 1:2

The Indifference of the People

1:2 The Lord who rules over all ¹⁰  says this: “These people have said, ‘The time for rebuilding the Lord’s temple has not yet come.’” ¹¹ 

Haggai 2:2

2:2 “Ask the following questions to ¹²  Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, ¹³  and the remnant of the people:

Haggai 2:10

The Promised Blessing

2:10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of Darius’ second year, ¹⁴  the Lord spoke again to the prophet Haggai: ¹⁵ 

Haggai 1:1

Introduction

1:1 On the first day of the sixth month ¹⁶  of King Darius’ ¹⁷  second year, the Lord spoke this message through the prophet Haggai ¹⁸  to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak: ¹⁹ 

[1:3]  ¹ tn Heb “and the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying.” Cf. the similar expression in v. 1 and the note there.

[1:13]  ² tn Heb “Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, said by the message of the Lord to the people.” The Hebrew is highly repetitive; in keeping with contemporary English style this has been simplified in the translation.

[2:1]  ³ tn Heb “In the seventh [month], on the twenty-first day of the month.”

[2:1]  ⁴ 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.

[2:11]  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.”

[2:20]  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.

[2:20]  ⁶ sn Again, the twenty-fourth day of the month was Kislev 24 or December 18, 520 b.c. See v. 10.

[2:21]  ⁶ 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.

[2:21]  ⁷ tn See the note on the word “sky” in 2:6. Most English translations render the Hebrew term as “heavens” here.

[1:2]  ⁷ 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.

[1:2]  ⁸ 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.

[2:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “say to”; NAB “Tell this to.”

[2:2]  ⁹ 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.

[2:10]  ⁹ sn The twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of Darius’ second year was Kislev 24 or December 18, 520 b.c.

[2:10]  ¹⁰ 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.

[1:1]  ¹⁰ sn The first day of the sixth month was Elul 1 according to the Jewish calendar; August 29, 520 b.c. according to the modern (Julian) calendar.

[1:1]  ¹¹ sn King Darius is the Persian king Darius Hystaspes who ruled from 522-486 b.c.

[1:1]  ¹² tn Heb “the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet” (בְּיַד־חַגַּי, bÿyad-khaggay). This suggests that the prophet is only an instrument of the Lord; the Lord is to be viewed as the true author (see 1:3; 2:1; Mal 1:1).

[1:1]  ¹³ tn The typical translation “Joshua (the) son of Jehozadak, the high priest” (cf. ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV) can be understood to mean that Jehozadak was high priest. However, Zech 3:1, 8 clearly indicates that Joshua was high priest (see also Ezra 5:1-2; cf. NAB). The same potential misunderstanding occurs in Hag 1:12, 14 and 2:2, where the same solution has been employed in the translation.