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The Prophets · Old Testament

Haggai 2

Haggai 2: the latter glory, the priests' ruling on uncleanness, and Zerubbabel as a signet

General context

On the twenty-first day of the seventh month the word comes by Haggai to Zerubbabel, Joshua and the residue of the people, asking who is left who saw this house in its first glory and whether it now seems as nothing. They are told to be strong and work, for the Lord is with them as he covenanted when they came out of Egypt, and his spirit remains. In a little while he will shake heavens, earth, sea, dry land and all nations; the desire of all nations will come and he will fill this house with glory. The silver and gold are his. The glory of this latter house will be greater than the former, and in this place he will give peace. On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month the Lord tells Haggai to ask the priests about the law: holy flesh in a garment's skirt does not make bread, pottage, wine or oil holy, the priests say, but one unclean by a dead body makes what he touches unclean. Haggai applies it: so is this people and their offerings, unclean. They are told to consider the time before stone was laid on stone, when heaps and presses yielded half, and the Lord smote them with blasting, mildew and hail, yet they did not turn. From the day the foundation was laid, though the trees have not borne, the Lord will bless them. Again on the twenty-fourth day the word comes for Zerubbabel: the Lord will shake heaven and earth, overthrow the throne of kingdoms, destroy the heathen's strength and bring down chariots and riders; in that day he will take Zerubbabel his servant and make him as a signet, because he has chosen him.

Cited passages: Haggai 2:1, Haggai 2:2, Haggai 2:3, Haggai 2:4, Haggai 2:5, Haggai 2:6, Haggai 2:7, Haggai 2:8, Haggai 2:9, Haggai 2:10, Haggai 2:11, Haggai 2:12, Haggai 2:13, Haggai 2:14, Haggai 2:15, Haggai 2:16, Haggai 2:17, Haggai 2:18, Haggai 2:19, Haggai 2:20, Haggai 2:21, Haggai 2:22, Haggai 2:23

Haggai 2 (KJV)

1In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the Lord by the prophet Haggai, saying,

2Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying,

3Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?

4Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts:

5According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.

6For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;

7And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.

8The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts.

9The 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.

10In 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,

11Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,

12If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.

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

14Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.

15And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord:

16Since those days were, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the pressfat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty.

17I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the Lord.

18Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid, consider it.

19Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you.

20And again the word of the Lord came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying,

21Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth;

22And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.

23In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the Lord, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts.

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Historical context

Three dated words are printed as verse text: "In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month" (verse 1), "In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius" (verse 10), and "in the four and twentieth day of the month" again at verse 20, so the last two messages fall on the same day. Verse 18 identifies that day as "the day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid." The house's "first glory" is referred to by a question, "Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory?", and the chapter does not describe the former house or its destruction. "The desire of all nations" in verse 7 is not explained. The priests' ruling in verses 12 and 13 is given as question and answer, and Haggai draws the application in verse 14; the text does not say which priests answered. The agricultural losses in verse 16 are numbered, twenty measures yielding ten and fifty vessels yielding twenty. The final word is to Zerubbabel alone, called "my servant" and "the son of Shealtiel," and the signet image is not interpreted beyond "for I have chosen thee." The overthrow of kingdoms is announced without naming any. Ezra 6:14 records that the builders finished the house, which Haggai's book does not narrate.

Cited passages: Haggai 2:1, Haggai 2:10, Haggai 2:20, Haggai 2:18, Haggai 2:3, Haggai 2:7, Haggai 2:12, Haggai 2:13, Haggai 2:14, Haggai 2:16, Haggai 2:23, Haggai 2:22, Ezra 6:14

Literary context

The chapter is three messages, each opened by a date. The first answers discouragement with repetition: "be strong" three times in one verse, to Zerubbabel, Joshua and all the people, then "work," then "fear ye not." The shaking of verse 6 is repeated in verse 21, so the promise of glory for the house and the promise to Zerubbabel share one image. The second message is a case put to the priests, and its structure is two questions with opposite answers: holiness does not spread by touch, uncleanness does. The application, "So is this people," turns a legal ruling into a verdict. Then the word "consider" returns from chapter 1, twice, at verses 15 and 18, marking the day on which loss turns to blessing. The final verse ends the book on a chosen man made "as a signet," a small object of ownership set against the overthrow of thrones and chariots in the verse before.

Cited passages: Haggai 2:1, Haggai 2:10, Haggai 2:20, Haggai 2:4, Haggai 2:5, Haggai 2:6, Haggai 2:21, Haggai 2:12, Haggai 2:13, Haggai 2:14, Haggai 2:15, Haggai 2:18, Haggai 2:19, Haggai 2:22, Haggai 2:23

Key moments

  1. Who saw the first glory? (Haggai 2:3). The people are asked whether the house now seems as nothing compared with its former glory.
  2. Be strong and work (Haggai 2:4). Zerubbabel, Joshua and the people are told three times to be strong, for the Lord is with them.
  3. I will shake all nations (Haggai 2:7). The Lord will shake the nations and fill this house with glory.
  4. The latter glory greater (Haggai 2:9). The glory of the latter house will exceed the former, and peace will be given in this place.
  5. Ask the priests (Haggai 2:12). The priests rule that holy flesh in a skirt does not make food holy.
  6. From this day I will bless (Haggai 2:19). On the day the foundation is laid, the Lord promises blessing before the harvest shows.
  7. Zerubbabel as a signet (Haggai 2:23). The Lord will make his chosen servant Zerubbabel as a signet.

For reflection

The priests rule that holiness is not passed by touch but uncleanness is, and Haggai says the people's offerings are therefore unclean. What does it mean for a community rebuilding a temple to be told that the work of their hands cannot make them clean?

People in this chapter

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