Chapter 1

1 Haggai reproveth the people for neglecting the building of the house. 7 He inciteth them to the building. 12 He promiseth God’s assistance to them being forward.

1. Darius. The 2d year of Darius Hystaspes was 520/519 b.c. by either type of calendar year—beginning in the spring or in the fall (see Vol. III, pp. 98, 99).

Sixth month. That is, Elul, the Hebrew month beginning in August or September (see Vol. II, p. 116).

First day. The day of the feast of the new moon (see on Num. 28:11, 14), an appropriate time to urge the building of the Temple (for the dating, see on v. 15).

Zerubbabel. See Ezra 3:8. He was also known as Sheshbazzar (see on Ezra 1:8).

Governor. Heb. pachah, “a subordinate governor,” one who was under a satrap. Though Zerubbabel, a member of the house of David, had the political headship of Judah, he possessed it only as the deputy of an alien ruler.

Joshua. His father was taken captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar (see on 1 Chron. 6:15). The prophet Zechariah, a contemporary of Haggai, frequently mentions Joshua (Zech. 3; 6:11). The parentage of Zerubbabel and Joshua is probably given by way of setting forth their right to positions of authority, as descendants of David and Aaron respectively.

2. Lord of hosts. See on Jer. 7:3.

Time that. The people advanced this false argument for their failure to accomplish the rebuilding of the Temple. They apparently misinterpreted the 70-year prophecy of Jeremiah, saying that the period of captivity had not been fully accomplished. Evidently they claimed to be waiting for the completion of 70 years from the destruction of the Temple in 587/586 b.c. (see Vol. III, pp. 99, 100), a period which would end in 518/517, a time somewhat later than that of these messages (520/519 b.c.; see on v. 1). The difficulties they encountered, which hindered their rebuilding of the Temple, they declared to be in the nature of a reproof of God for their premature haste. But the very fact that Darius had set aside the prohibition of Smerdis the usurper for the building of the Temple (see p. 1074) should have given the Jews every incentive to resume work on the house of the Lord (see EGW, Supplementary Material on Haggai 1:2).

3. Word of the Lord. See on Zeph. 1:1.

The prophet. Both Haggai and his contemporary Zechariah refer to themselves as prophets (Zech. 1:1; see on Hab. 1:1).

4. Is it time? God rebukes the Jews for allowing their comfortable living in well-appointed houses to blind them to the need of rebuilding the Temple. How often men are alert to their own material needs and blind to their spiritual needs and to the needs of God’s work on earth. So long as men postpone the building of the Lord’s spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5), so long will its completion be delayed.

Cieled. From the Heb. saphan, “to cover in,” or “to panel [with wood]” (see Jer. 22:13–15).

5. Lord of hosts. See on Jer. 7:3.

Consider. The Lord ever appeals to serious thought and reason on the part of man (see on Isa. 1:18).

6. Sown much. The labors of the people during the preceding drought yielded scant returns because God withheld His blessing (see Haggai 2:15–17; cf. Deut. 28:38–47; Prov. 11:24).

Bag with holes. A striking figure of the lack of prosperity which Judah suffered because the people were not zealous in the Lord’s service. Such is the inevitable result of a materialistic philosophy of life. For comment on the relative value of spiritual and material things and the importance of making first things first see on Matt. 6:24–34; 19:21, 22.

7. Consider. A second divine appeal (see v. 5) to arouse the people from their sinfully indifferent attitude (see on Isa. 1:18).

8. Mountain. Perhaps this refers to the hill country near Jerusalem, possibly to the “king’s forest” (see on Neh. 2:8), where timber could be quickly procured.

9. Looked for much. Evidently the returning exiles had high hopes of peace and prosperity upon their return to Judah, and were ill prepared for the hardships that faced them.

Why? Pointedly the people are told that the failure of their crops is not due to natural causes only, but to the God who controls the forces of nature, to Him whose “house” they had neglected.

Run. An idiom indicating the eagerness and haste with which the Jews were building spacious and comfortable homes for themselves.

10. Stayed. The drought was so severe that even the dew was withheld.

11. I called for. The prophet desires to make clear that this drought was not merely from natural causes, but was brought by God to show the people the error of their ways.

Corn. That is, “grain,” or “cereals,” of all kinds.

12. Remnant. Only a comparatively small number of exiles returned to Judah (see on Ezra 2:64).

Obeyed. Haggai’s appeal was effective (vs. 12–15), and the work of restoration was diligently undertaken.

13. Messenger. Heb. malХak, often a human messenger;malХak is also the usual word for “angel” in the OT. Haggai speaks of himself, as does no other prophet, as “the Lord’s messenger” (see on Mal. 1:1).

I am with you. Their repentance is accepted, and God pledges His protection (see Ps. 23:4; 91:15; Isa. 43:2). As soon as the people decided to obey the Lord, the messages of reproof were replaced by words of encouragement. The assurance of the presence of God with the people gave them promise of all other blessings, for these are certain to accompany God’s presence.

14. Governor of Judah. See on v. 1.

Remnant. See on v. 12.

Did work. Literally, “worked work,” or “made work”. The people were stirred to action, and gave heed to the messages of the Lord. The inspiration brought by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah was a mighty incentive to the leaders of Judah to begin work, and they responded to the call by beginning to build, “the prophets of God helping them” (Ezra 5:1, 2).

The Lord of hosts. See on Jer. 7:3.

15. Four and twentieth day. The preceding message of Haggai had been given on the “first day of the month” (v. 1). Considering the time necessary for planning and gathering materials, the response of the people of Jerusalem and Judah was prompt indeed.

Sixth month. See on v. 1. The second year of Darius was 520/519 b.c., by either fall or spring reckoning (see Vol. III, p. 99). But if Haggai reckoned it by the Jewish civil calendar year, beginning with the 7th month, in the autumn (see Vol. II, pp. 109, 110, 116), “the sixth month” would come in 519; whereas in a spring-beginning calendar year the 6th month would be in 520. If Haggai’s statement that reconstruction began in the “second” year of Darius is equated with Ezra’s statement that work on the Temple was halted until the “second” year of Darius (ch. 4:24), and if Ezra was employing a fall-to-fall reckoning for the year (see Vol. II, pp. 109–121; Vol. III, pp. 101–107; see also S. H. Horn and L. H. Wood, The Chronology of Ezra 7, rev. ed., 1970), then it must be concluded that Haggai employed a fall reckoning.

However, the use of a fall-beginning year would mean that the text presents the messages of Haggai out of chronological order, an arrangement which, although not at all impossible, and not unknown elsewhere in the Bible (cf. Additional Note on Ezra 4), is believed by most commentators to be contrary to the force of the contents of the prophet’s messages. For this reason it is almost universally held that Haggai employed a spring reckoning; and in that case the 24th day of the 6th month in the 2d year of Darius would be approximately Sept. 21, 520 b.c. (see Vol. III, p. 99).

Ellen G. White comments

1–15CS 261; PP 527–529; 6T 458

2     PK 573; 5T 269

4     5T 269

4–6PK 574; PP 527

5–10Ed 143

7, 8 PK 575

9–11PK 574; PP 527

12–14PK 575