1V druhém roce vlády krále Dareia, v šestém měsíci, prvního dne toho měsíce, stalo se Hospodinovo slovo prostřednictvím proroka Agea k judskému místodržiteli Zerubábelovi, synu Šealtíelovu, a k veleknězi Jóšuovi, synu Jósadakovu: 2Toto praví Hospodin zástupů: Tento lid říká: Nepřišel ještě čas, čas, aby byl postaven Hospodinův dům. 3I stalo se Hospodinovo slovo prostřednictvím proroka Agea: 4Pro vás je již čas, abyste bydleli ve svých obložených domech, zatímco tento dům je zcela zpustošený? 5Nyní toto praví Hospodin zástupů: Přemýšlejte o svých cestách! 6Zaseli jste mnoho, sklízíte málo; jíte, ale nejste nasyceni, pijete, ale opít se nemůžete, oblékáte se, ale nezahřejete se, a ten, kdo se nechává najmout za mzdu, dává ji do děravého váčku. 7Toto praví Hospodin zástupů: Přemýšlejte o svých cestách! 8Vystupte do hor, přivezte dřevo a stavte dům; oblíbím si ho a budu oslaven, praví Hospodin. 9Vyhlíželi jste mnoho, a hle, je málo, a když jste to přinesli domů, odfoukl jsem to. Proč? je výrok Hospodina zástupů. Protože můj dům je zcela zpustošený, a vy si běháte každý za svým domem. 10Proto nebesa nad vámi zadržela rosu a země zadržela svou úrodu. 11Přivolal jsem sucho na zemi a na hory, na obilí a mladé víno, na olej a na všechno, co země přináší, na lidi i zvířata, na všechen výtěžek rukou. 12Zerubábel, syn Šealtíelův, a velekněz Jóšua, syn Jósadakův, i celý ostatek lidu uposlechli Hospodina, svého Boha, a slova proroka Agea, protože ho poslal Hospodin, jejich Bůh; a lid se bál Hospodina. 13A Hospodinův posel Ageus řekl lidu jako Hospodinovo poselství: Já jsem s vámi, je Hospodinův výrok. 14A Hospodin vzbudil ducha judského místodržitele Zerubábela, syna Šealtíelova, a ducha velekněze Jóšuy, syna Jósadakova, i ducha celého ostatku lidu. Přišli a konali práci v domě Hospodina zástupů, svého Boha, 15dvacátého čtvrtého dne, šestého měsíce, ve druhém roce vlády krále Dareia.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 HAGGAI CALLS THE PEOPLE TO CONSIDER THEIR WAYS IN NEGLECTING TO BUILD GOD'S HOUSE: THE EVIL OF THIS NEGLECT TO THEMSELVES: THE HONOR TO GOD OF ATTENDING TO IT: THE PEOPLE'S PENITENT OBEDIENCE UNDER ZERUBBABEL FOLLOWED BY GOD'S GRACIOUS ASSURANCE. (
Αγγ. 1:1-
Αγγ. 1:15)
second year of Darius--Hystaspes, the king of Medo-Persia, the second of the world empires, Babylon having been overthrown by the Persian Cyrus. The Jews having no king of their own, dated by the reign of the world kings to whom they were subject. Darius was a common name of the Persian kings, as Pharaoh of those of Egypt, and Cćsar of those of Rome. The name in the cuneiform inscriptions at Persepolis is written Daryawus, from the root Darh, "to preserve," the Conservator [LASSEN]. HERODOTUS [6.98] explains it Coercer. Often opposite attributes are assigned to the same god; in which light the Persians viewed their king.
Εσδ. 4:24 harmonizes with Haggai in making this year the date of the resumption of the building.
sixth month--of the Hebrew year, not of Darius' reign (compare
Ζαχ. 1:7;
Ζαχ. 7:1,
Ζαχ. 7:3;
Ζαχ. 8:19). Two months later ("the eighth month,"
Ζαχ. 1:1) Zechariah began to prophesy, seconding Haggai.
the Lord--Hebrew, JEHOVAH: God's covenant title, implying His unchangeableness, the guarantee of His faithfulness in keeping His promises to His people.
by Haggai--Hebrew, "in the hand of Haggai"; God being the real speaker, His prophet but the instrument (compare
Πράξ. 7:35;
Γαλ. 3:19).
Zerubbabel--called also Shesh-bazzar in
Εσδ. 1:8;
Εσδ. 5:14,
Εσδ. 5:16, where the same work is attributed to Shesh-bazzar that in
Εσδ. 3:8 is attributed to Zerubbabel. Shesh-bazzar is probably his Chaldean name; as Belteshazzar was that of Daniel. Zerubbabel, his Hebrew name, means "one born in Babylon."
son of Shealtiel--or Salathiel. But
1Χρ. 3:17,
1Χρ. 3:19 makes Pedaiah his father. Probably he was adopted by his uncle Salathiel, or Shealtiel, at the death of his father (compare
Ματθ. 1:12;
Λουκ. 3:27).
governor of Judah--to which office Cyrus had appointed him. The Hebrew Pechah is akin to the original of the modern Turkish Pasha; one ruling a region of the Persian empire of less extent than that under a satrap.
Joshua--called Jeshua (
Εσδ. 2:2); so the son of Nun in
Νεεμ. 8:17.
Josedech--or Jehozadak (
1Χρ. 6:15), one of those carried captive by Nebuchadnezzar. Haggai addresses the civil and the religious representatives of the people, so as to have them as his associates in giving God's commands; thus priest, prophet, and ruler jointly testify in God's name.
2 the Lord of hosts--Jehovah, Lord of the powers of heaven and earth, and therefore requiring implicit obedience.
This people--"This" sluggish and selfish "people." He does not say, My people, since they had neglected the service of God.
The time--the proper time for building the temple. Two out of the seventy predicted years of captivity (dating from the destruction of the temple, 558 B.C.,
2Βασ. 25:9) were yet unexpired; this they make their plea for delay [HENDERSON]. The seventy years of captivity were completed long ago in the first year of Cyrus, 536 B.C. (
Ιερ. 29:10); dating from 606 B.C., Jehoiakim's captivity (
2Χρ. 36:6). The seventy years to the completion of the temple (
Ιερ. 25:12) were completed this very year, the second of Darius [VATABLUS]. Ingenious in excuses, they pretended that the interruption in the work caused by their enemies proved it was not yet the proper time; whereas their real motive was selfish dislike of the trouble, expense, and danger from enemies. "God," say they, "hath interposed many difficulties to punish our rash haste" [CALVIN]. Smerdis' interdict was no longer in force, now that Darius the rightful king was on the throne; therefore they had no real excuse for not beginning at once to build. AUBERLEN denies that by "Artaxerxes" in Ezra 4:7-22 is meant Smerdis. Whether Smerdis or Artaxerxes Longimanus be meant, the interdict referred only to the rebuilding of the city, which the Persian kings feared might, if rebuilt, cause them trouble to subdue; not to the rebuilding of the temple. But the Jews were easily turned aside from the work. Spiritually, like the Jews, men do not say they will never be religious, but, It is not time yet. So the great work of life is left undone.
4 Is it time--It is not time (
Αγγ. 1:2), ye say, to build Jehovah's house; yet how is it that ye make it a fit time not only to build, but to "dwell" at ease in your own houses?
you, O ye--rather, for "you, you"; the repetition marking the shameful contrast between their concern for themselves, and their unconcern for God [MAURER]. Compare a similar repetition in
1Σαμ. 25:24;
Ζαχ. 7:5.
ceiled--rather, "wainscoted," or "paneled," referring to the walls as well as the ceilings; furnished not only with comfort but luxury, in sad contrast to God's house not merely unadorned, but the very walls not raised above the foundations. How different David's feelings (
2Σαμ. 7:2)!
5 Consider your ways--literally, "Set your heart" on your ways. The plural implies, Consider both what ye have done (actively,
Θρ. 3:40) and what ye have suffered (passively) [JEROME]. Ponder earnestly whether ye have gained by seeking self at the sacrifice of God.
6 Nothing has prospered with you while you neglected your duty to God. The punishment corresponds to the sin. They thought to escape poverty by not building, but keeping their money to themselves; God brought it on them for not building (
Παρ. 13:7;
Παρ. 11:24;
Ματθ. 6:33). Instead of cheating God, they had been only cheating themselves.
ye clothe . . . but . . . none warm--through insufficiency of clothing; as ye are unable through poverty from failure of your crops to purchase sufficient clothing. The verbs are infinitive, implying a continued state: "Ye have sown, and been bringing in but little; ye have been eating, but not to being satisfied; ye have been drinking, but not to being filled; ye have been putting on clothes, but not to being warmed" [MOORE]. Careful consideration of God's dealings with us will indicate God's will regarding us. The events of life are the hieroglyphics in which God records His feelings towards us, the key to which is found in the Bible [MOORE].
wages . . . put . . . into a bag with holes--proverbial for labor and money spent profitlessly (
Ζαχ. 8:10; compare
Ησ. 55:2;
Ιερ. 2:13). Contrast, spiritually, the "bags that wax not old, the treasure in heaven that faileth not" (
Λουκ. 12:33). Through the high cost of necessaries, those who wrought for a day's wages parted with them at once, as if they had put them into a bag with holes.
8 Go up to the mountain--Moriah [ROSENMULLER]; Lebanon [HENDERSON]. Rather, generally, the mountains around, now covered with wood, the growth of the long period of the captivity. So
Νεεμ. 8:15, "Go forth unto the mount," that is, the neighboring hills [MAURER].
wood--Haggai specifies this as being the first necessary; not to the exclusion of other materials. Stones also were doubtless needed. That the old walls were not standing, as the Hebrew interpreters quoted by JEROME state, or the new walls partly built, appears from
Αγγ. 2:18, where express mention is made of laying the foundations.
I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified--I will be propitious to suppliants in it (
1Βασ. 8:30), and shall receive the honor due to Me which has been withheld. In neglecting the temple, which is the mirror of My presence, ye dishonor Me [CALVIN]; in its being built, ye shall glorify Me.
9 Ye looked for much--literally "looked" so as to turn your eyes "to much." The Hebrew infinitive here expresses continued looking. Ye hoped to have your store made "much" by neglecting the temple. The greater was your greediness, the more bitter your disappointment in being poorer than ever.
when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it--even the little crop brought into your barns I dissipated. "I did blow upon," that is, I scattered and caused to perish with My mere breath, as scattered and blighted corn.
mine house . . . his own house--in emphatic antithesis.
ye run--expressing the keenness of everyone of them in pursuing their own selfish interests. Compare "run,"
Ψαλ. 119:32;
Παρ. 1:16, contrasted with their apathy about God's house.
10 heaven . . . is stayed from dew--literally "stays itself." Thus heaven or the sky is personified; implying that inanimate nature obeys Jehovah's will; and, shocked at His people's disobedience, withholds its goods from them (compare
Ιερ. 2:12-
Ιερ. 2:13).
11 I called--what the "heaven" and "earth," the second causes, were said to do (
Αγγ. 1:10), being the visible instruments, Jehovah, in this verse, the invisible first cause, declares to be His doing. He "calls for" famine, &c., as instruments of His wrath (
2Βασ. 8:1;
Ψαλ. 105:16). The contrast is striking between the prompt obedience of these material agencies, and the slothful disobedience of living men, His people.
drought--Hebrew, Choreb, like in sound to Chareeb, "waste" (
Αγγ. 1:4,
Αγγ. 1:9), said of God's house; implying the correspondence between the sin and its punishment. Ye have let My house be waste, and I will send on all that is yours a wasting drought. This would affect not merely the "corn," &c., but also "men" and "cattle," who must perish in the absence of the "corn," &c., lost by the drought.
labour of the hands--all the fruits of lands, gardens, and vineyards, obtained by labor of the hands (
Δευτ. 28:33;
Ψαλ. 78:46).
12 remnant of the people--all those who have returned from the exile (
Ζαχ. 8:6).
as . . . God sent him--according to all that Jehovah had enjoined him to speak. But as it is not till
Αγγ. 1:14 after Haggai's second message (
Αγγ. 1:13) that the people actually obeyed, MAURER translates here, "hearkened to the voice of the Lord," and instead of "as," "because the Lord had sent him." However, English Version rightly represents their purpose of obedience as obedience in God's eyes already, though not carried into effect till
Αγγ. 1:14.
13 the Lord's messenger--so the priests (
Μαλ. 2:7) are called (compare
Γαλ. 4:14;
2Πέτ. 1:21).
in the Lord's message--by the Lord's authority and commission: on the Lord's embassage.
I am with you-- (
Ματθ. 28:20). On the people showing the mere disposition to obey, even before they actually set to work, God passes at once from the reproving tone to that of tenderness. He hastens as it were to forget their former unfaithfulness, and to assure them, when obedient, that He both is and will be with them: Hebrew, "I with you!" God's presence is the best of blessings, for it includes all others. This is the sure guarantee of their success no matter how many their foes might be (
Ρωμ. 8:31). Nothing more inspirits men and rouses them from torpor, than, when relying on the promises of divine aid, they have a sure hope of a successful issue [CALVIN].
14 Lord stirred up the spirit of, &c.--God gave them alacrity and perseverance in the good work, though slothful in themselves. Every good impulse and revival of religion is the direct work of God by His Spirit.
came and did work--collected the wood and stones and other materials (compare
Αγγ. 1:8) for the work. Not actually built or "laid the (secondary) foundations" of the temple, for this was not done till three months after, namely, the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (
Αγγ. 2:18) [GROTIUS].
15 four and twentieth day--twenty-three days after the first message of Haggai (
Αγγ. 1:1).