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THE

BOOK OF HAGGAI.

ARGUMENT.

THE nine preceding minor prophets preached before the captivity; but the last three some time after it. Haggai was the first that was sent to the Jews, after their return to their own land. It is thought that he was born in Chaldea, and that he came from thence into Judea with Zerubbabel. He began his public work of prophesying and preaching in the sixth month of the second year of Darius Hystaspes, about seventeen years after the return of the captives. He, together with Zechariah, who, about two months after, was raised up to second him, mightily excited and encouraged the Jews to resume and proceed with the work of rebuilding the temple, which they had intermitted for fifteen or sixteen years. He remonstrated how improper it was for them to let the temple lie in ruins, while their own houses were finished and elegantly adorned; and that their neglect of God's house and honour had provoked him to blast their outward enjoyments. To stir them up to use greater diligence in this work, he assured them from God, that, after terrible convulsions of the nations, the Messiah should appear in the flesh, should teach in the courts of this latter temple, and thereby render it more glorious than the first. It appears that all Haggai's proph ecies, that are recorded, were delivered in the second year of Darius, and within the space of four months. Zechariah, however, prophesied longer, for we have prophecies delivered by him which were dated two years after. The Jews ascribed to these two prophets the honour of being members of the great synagogue, as they call it, which was formed after the return from captivity. But it is more certain, and doubtless it was much more to their honour, that they both prophesied of Christ. Haggai spoke of him, as has just been observed, as the glory of the latter house; and Zechariah, as the man, the Branch, that should build the spiritual temple of the Lord, should bear the glory, should sit and rule upon his throne, and be a priest upon his throne. In and by these two prophets, and Malachi, who succeeded them, the light of the morning-star shone more bright than in and by the foregoing minor prophets, as they lived nearer the time of the rising of the Sun of righteousness, and saw more clearly than their predecessors had done his day approaching. The LXX. make Haggai and Zechariah to be the penmen of Psalms cxxviii., cxlvi., and the two following.

CHAPTER I.

In this chapter, after an account of the date and direction of this prophecy, we have, (1,) A sharp reproof of the Jews from the Lord, for their delay in building the temple, which had provoked God to punish them with a famine; and an exhortation earnestly to resume and finish that work, 1–11. (2,) An account of their ready obedience, and of the Lord's further animating and encouraging them to their work, 12–15.

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A. M. 3484. IN "the second year of Darius the || first day of the month, came the word A. M. 3454. king, in the sixth month, in the of the LORD by Haggai the prophet

a Ezek. iv. 24; v. 1; Zech. i. 1.

NOTES ON CHAPTER I. Verse 1. In the second year of Darius-Namely, the son of Hystaspes, king of Persia. Blair places the second year of his reign five hundred and twenty years before Christ. In the sixth month, in the first day of the month--Therefore, about two months before Zechariah received a similar commission, for

1 Heb. by the hand of Haggai.

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the word of God came to him in the eighth month of the same year: see Zech. i. 1. These two prophets were sent to the Jews chiefly, it seems, to exhort them to go on with the rebuilding the temple. And the historical book of Ezra records, chap. V. that the rebuilding of the temple was resumed and carried on again through the exhortations and en

The prophet reproves the Jews

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A. M. 3484. unto bZerubbabel the son of Sheal- || but there is none warm; and he A. M. 3484. tiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high-priest, saying,

d

2 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD's house should be built.

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3 Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,

that earneth wages, earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.

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Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider

your ways.

8 Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.

9k Ye looked for much, and lo, it came to

4 Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your little; and when ye brought it home, I did ceiled houses, and this house lie waste? 5 blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts.

5 Now, therefore, thus saith the LORD of Because of my house that is waste, and ye run hosts; Consider your ways.

h

g

every man unto his own house.

10 Therefore, m the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her

6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you,|| fruit.

b1 Chron. iii. 17, 19; Ezra iii. 2; Matt. i. 12; Luke iii. 27. 2 Or, captain.· - Ezra iii. 2; v. 2.d 1 Chronicles vi. 15. e Ezra v. 1.- -f 2 Sam. vii. 2; Psalm cxxxii. 3.-- 3 Heb. Set your heart on your ways.- - Lam. iii. 40; Verse 7.

couragements of these prophets. Unto Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel-And grandson of Jeconiah, who was carried captive to Babylon: see the margin. It is likely that Zerubbabel was regarded with as much respect by the Jews as if he had been their king, being of the royal family of David; but they did not give him the title of king, or invest him with the splendour of royal dignity, for fear of giving offence to the Persian kings, under whose protection they lived, and upon whom they were in a great measure dependant. And to Joshua the son of JosedechSon of Seraiah, who was high-priest when Jerusalem was taken, and who was slain at Riblah : see 1 Chron. vi. 14; 2 Kings xxv. 18-21. Haggai seems to have addressed Zerubbabel and Joshua probably in the hearing of the people: see verse 12.

Verses 2-4. This people say, The time is not come, &c.--They had no just cause for saying this; but their own private concerns and conveniences (as appears from what follows) employed all their thoughts, and they preferred them to the rebuilding of the temple. Then--When the people were thus sluggish, made excuses, and delayed the work; came the word of the Lord to Haggai-To reprove them for their neglect, and excite them to their duty. Is it time for you, &c.-You think it full time to build your own houses: you judge it seasonable enough to lay out much cost on adorning them; what pretence then can you make, that it is not seasonable to build my house? Ought not that first to be set about, and the ornamenting of your own houses to be left till afterward? The reproof here given seems to allude to the different spirit with which David was actuated, Psa. cxxxii., who vowed that he would not come into the tabernacle of his house, fc., until he found out a place for the Lord. It certainly argues a contempt of God, when men give the preference to themselves before him, or think no cost or grandeur is too much for themselves, but the

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meanest accommodation good enough for the service of God. It is true an humble and devout mind is the only temple which God delights to dwell in; and he dwells not in, nor regards, temples made with hands; but yet, for the public solemnization of his worship, and as an outward testimony of men's respect toward him, it is proper that places should be erected for, and appropriated to his worship; which places ought not to be neglected, but made as decent and becoming the design of their erection as the circumstances of things will admit of.

Verses 5, 6. Therefore consider your ways-Reflect seriously upon this affair, whether it is consistent with the reason of things, or whether you have even promoted your own happiness by it as you thought to do. Ye have sown much, and bring in little-Namely, into your barns. Ye eat, but ye have not enough-To satisfy your hunger; ye drink, but ye are not filled-Ye have not wine enough for your support. Ye clothe you, but there is none warm-Ye have not been able to get sufficient clothing to keep yourselves warm. And he that earneth wages, &c.—And whatever you gain by your labour, it is very quickly required for your necessary expenses, every thing being at a very dear rate. This has been the case with you, and this has arisen from your neglect of rebuilding God's temple; for as you have neglected him, so hath he withdrawn his blessing from you; the consequence of which has been, that nothing has prospered with you.

Verses 8-11. Go up to the mountain-Go to any of the forests upon the mountains: see Neh. ii. 8; and cut down timber to carry on the building; or go to the mountain of Moriah, which I have chosen to build my temple upon it; and I will take pleasure in it-I will accept your offerings, and hear your prayers. And I will be glorified-Will show my majesty, and account myself glorified by you also. Ye looked for much and lo, it came to little-It did

The people encouraged to proceed

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A. M. 3484. 11 And I called for a drought upon || 13 Then spake Haggai the LORD'S A. M. 3484. the land, and upon the mountains, messenger in the LORD's message and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith and upon the oil, and upon that which the the LORD. ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon 14 And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands. 12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, || Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Joand Joshua the son of Josedech, the high- sedech, the high-priest, and the spirit of all priest, with all the remnant of the people, the remnant of the people; and they came obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God. their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.

1 Kings xvii. 1; 2 Kings viii. 1.

Chap. ii. 17.- Ezra v. 2. Matt. xxviii. 20; Rom. viii. 31.

When

not answer the expectation you had formed.
ye brought it home, I did blow upon it-I blasted it;
or, blowed it away: when you brought your gains
home, I caused them to be soon scattered again, or
expended. The dearth with which God punished
them for their neglect of rebuilding the temple,
made all the necessaries of life so dear, that what-
ever gains they got were quickly expended. Why?
saith the Lord, &c.-For what reason have ye been
visited with this calamity? Because of my house
that is waste--All this evil is come upon you for
your ungodly neglect of my house, leaving it waste.
And ye run every man to his own house-You with
eagerness carry on your own particular buildings,
and mind only your own private affairs, and you
take no manner of care about those things which
concern my worship. Therefore the heaven over
you is stayed from dew-I have punished you with
great drought, wherein the dew itself has ceased to
fall: see 1 Kings xvii. 1. And the earth is stayed

15 In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king. r2 Chron. xxxvi. 22; Ezra i. 1.

v. 2, 8.

S

Chapter ii. 21.- Ezra

from her fruit-From bringing forth those fruits which otherwise it would have produced. And I called for a drought-I caused a dearth of every thing in the land, or a general barrenness to take place. And upon the mountains-Upon the hills, where your cattle and flocks used to feed, and to find sufficient nourishment; upon the new wine, and upon the oil-Upon your vineyards and olive-yards; and upon men, and upon cattle-I made both men and cattle unfruitful. Or the meaning is, their very constitutions were changed, and many diseases afflicted them.

Verses 12, 13. Then Zerubbabel, &c., obeyed the voice of the Lord-Compare Ezra v. 1, 2; where see the notes. Then spake Haggai the Lord's messenger-Or prophet; in the Lord's message— That is, who spake what follows, not in his own name, but in the name of God, saying, I am with you, saith the Lord-To afford you all the help you need, and to give success to your undertaking.

CHAPTER II.

Haggai assures the builders, (1,) That the glory of this house should exceed the glory of the former, 1–9. (2,) That God would bless them and give them success, 10-19. (3,) That he would peculiarly bless Zerubbabel, 20–23.

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2 Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of house in her first glory? and how do ye see

'Heb. by the hand of.

NOTES ON CHAPTER II.

Verses 1-3. In the seventh month, &c.-For the further encouragement of the people to proceed in rebuilding the temple, Haggai was sent again to them, about a month after he had been sent the first time, to assure them from God, that the glory of

a Ezra iii. 12.

this latter temple, how little appearance soever there might be of it now, should be greater than that of the former. This message, or prophecy, of Haggai, was communicated a little before Zechariah was sent to them for the like purpose. Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory?—About

it

The people encouraged to proceed

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A. M. 3484. now? is it not in your eyes in com- || Spirit remaineth among you; fear A. M. 3484. parison of it as nothing?

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ye not.

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sixty-six years had elapsed from the destruction of ceeded, as the conquest of Darius Codomanus, and the former temple, (before Christ 587,) to the time the various fortunes of Alexander's successors; but when this prophecy was delivered; (see notes on only one great and final religious revolution;" Ezra vi. 15, and Blair's tables ;) nevertheless, it appears namely, a revolution, not introductory to, but conby this question of the prophet, that some of the sequent upon the coming of the Messiah; the change Jews there present had seen the former temple when of the Mosaic economy for that of the gospel. A young, before they were carried to Babylon, and little while-Though it was five hundred years could remember what a magnificent building it was. from the time of the uttering of this prophecy to Is it not in your eyes as nothing-That is, in com- the coming of the Messiah, which was the event here parison of the former. The words are an elegant intended, yet it might be called a short time, when Hebraism. We learn from Ezra iii. 12, (where see compared with that which had elapsed from the the note,) that when the foundation of the second creation to the giving of the law, or from the giving temple was laid, in the second year of Cyrus, many of the law to the return of the Jews from Babylon, of the ancient men, that had seen the first house, and the erection of this second temple. And I will wept to see how much this second was likely to fall shake the heavens and the earth, &c.-These and short of the glory of it. Undoubtedly the slender similar figurative expressions are often used in the substance of the Jews at this time, and the haste prophetical Scriptures, to signify great commotions they were in to rebuild the temple, that they might and changes in the world, whether political or relihave a place for public worship, made them lay the gious. The political ones here intended began in foundation of it at first of much smaller dimensions the overthrow of the Persian monarchy by Alexthan those of the former temple, and also to build it ander, within two centuries after this prediction, with less strength and magnificence. which event was followed by commotions, destrucVerses 4, 5. Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel-tive wars and changes among his successors, till the Do thou and all the rest of you exert yourselves, and proceed in rebuilding the temple with spirit and plea sure; for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts -And will enable you to bring the work to a happy issue. According to the word that I covenanted with you-I will fulfil to you what I promised to your ancestors, namely, that I would be their God, and that it should be well with them, if they obeyed my voice; that I would keep them from evil, and moreover, bless and prosper them; (see the margin;) and so will I act toward you upon the same conditions, namely, your obeying my voice. So my Spirit remaineth--Rather, So my Spirit shall remain among you, namely, as a source of strength and courage, of wisdom and understanding, of zeal and fervency, to carry you through this work. Fear ye not--Let no discouraging fears or apprehensions have place in your minds, or weaken your hands.

Verses 6, 7. Yet once-Or, once more, ετɩ añas, as the LXX. render it, whom St. Paul follows, Heb. xii. 26. The phrase implies such an alteration, or change of things, as should be permanent, and should not give place to any other, as the apostle there expounds it. The expression, says Bishop Newcome, "has a clear sense, if understood of the evangelical age: for many political revolutions suc

Macedonian empire, which had overturned the Persian, with the several kingdoms into which it was divided, was itself subdued by the Roman. The expressions, the sea and the dry land, are added as a particular explication of what is meant by the general term earth, and signify only what is expressed without a figure in the next clause. I will shake all nations—All nations were more or less involved in, and shaken by, the wars that overthrew the Persian kingdom, and still more in and by those that overturned the empire of the Greeks. Grotius explains this prophecy as being, in part, at least, accomplished by the extraordinary phenomena in the heavens, and on the earth, at the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ, and mission of the Holy Sprit.

But certainly the other is the interpretation chiefly intended. And the Desire of all nations— Christ, most desirable to all nations, and who was desired by all that knew their own misery, and his sufficiency to save them; who was to be the light of the Gentiles, as well as the glory of his people Israel: such a guide and director as the wise men among the heathen longed for; and whose coming was the expectation of the Jewish nation, and the completion of all the promises made to their fathers. And I will fill this house with glory-A glory no.

The latter temple shall exceed

HAGGAI.

the former in glory. A. M. 3484. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold || garment, and with his skirt do touch A. M. 3484. is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.

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9 The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.

10 In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,

1

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13 Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priest answered and said, It shall be unclean.

14 Then answered Haggai, and said, "So is this people, and so is this nation before me,

11 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Ask now saith the LORD; and so is every work of their the priests concerning the law, saying, hands; and that which they offer there is un

12 If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his clean.

i John i. 14.- Psalm 1xxxv. 8, 9; Luke ii. 14; Ephesians 1 Lev. x. 10, 11; Deut. xxxiii. 10; Mal. ii. 7.—————— Num. xix. 11.

ii. 14.

consisting in the magnificence of its structure, its rich ornaments, or costly sacrifices, which would have been only a worldly glory; but a glory that was spiritual, heavenly, and divine.

Verses 8, 9. The silver is mine-Solomon's temple was more richly adorned with silver and gold than this, and I, that am the Lord of all the world, could easily command the riches of it, and bring them together for beautifying this my house, if I took delight in, or wanted any thing of this sort. A like expression as this is used, Psa. 1. 10, with regard to sacrifices. The glory of this latter house, &c.The glory of this second temple shall exceed that of the former, not in riches or costly ornaments, but in this, that there the Prince of peace shall make his appearance, and there the gospel of peace shall be preached and published. See Isa. ix. 6; Mic. v. 5; Eph. ii. 14. "Notwithstanding the former temple had the Urim and Thummim, the ark containing the two tables of the law, (written with the finger of God,) the pot of manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the cloud that overshadowed the mercy-seat, and was the symbol of the divine presence; yet the glory of this latter house shall be greater by the appearance, doctrines, and miracles of Christ. Some interpret this passage of the richer decorations in the latter temple; but it may well be doubted whether the second temple could exceed that of Solomon in the splendour and costliness of its ornaments. The presumption is, that the former temple was more magnificent and sumptuous in its furniture than the latter, though inferior to it in point of magnitude. Prideaux values the gold, with which the holy of holies alone was overlaid, at four million three hundred and twenty thousand pounds sterling. P. I. B. iii. Ann. 534.”—Newcome. What were the magnificence and beauty which adorned the former temple? What was even the Shechinah, the resplendent cloud of glory, which rested upon the mercyseat, compared with the emanations of the divine perfections from Immanuel: the almighty power and boundless goodness exerted in acts of beneficence which shone forth in Christ, when the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he

Titus i. 15.

healed them; and the infinite wisdom displayed in his divine discourses, when he taught daily in the temple, Luke xix. 47, and his doctrine dropped as the rain, and his speech distilled as the dew? And never, surely, was such peace given to men by any other as was imparted by and through him; peace between God and man, between Jews and Gentiles, and between man and man, wherever his religion is received in the truth and power of it: peace, spiritual, internal, and heavenly; peace of conscience, tranquillity of mind, serenity of heart; a peace which, as the apostle observes, passeth all understanding, all purely rational conception, or, which no one can comprehend, save he that receives it.

Verses 10-14. In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month-At which time, as appears from verses 16, 19, (the materials being collected,) they began to go on again with the building of the temple. Ask now concerning the law-What the law saith in this case. The question was put to the priests, whose office it was to put a difference between holy and unholy, between clean and unclean, Lev. x. 10: that is, to be thoroughly acquainted with all the ceremonial laws, and to instruct others concerning them. If one bear, or carry, holy flesh-Part of the sacrifice, legally sanctified, or made holy, by the altar on which the whole was sanctified; in the skirt -In the lap; of his garment-Or in any other cloth; and if this cloth touch any common thing, as bread, &c., shall that become legally holy? And the priests said, No-By the answer of the priests in this, compared with the following verse, we find, that legal holiness was not so easily communicated as legal impurity: for the holy flesh did not make any thing that was touched by it holy; but the touch of a person who was unclean rendered holy things unclean. Thus is vice much more easily contracted than virtue! Broad and easy is the way that leadeth to sin but narrow and difficult is that which leads to holiness! Then said Haggai-Now a second case is proposed; If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these-Namely, the things mentioned in the former verse, bread, pottage, wine, &c.; shall it be unclean?-Shall that which the unclean per

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