Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet ,.... This is a second prophecy, distinct from the former; that was delivered to the two governors, setting forth the sentiments and language of the people concerning the building of the temple, which was left with them to consider how just it was; but this is sent to the people themselves, expostulating with them about the folly and ingratitude of it: saying ; as follows: read more
§ 1. The people are reproved for their indifference with regard to the erection of the temple, and admonished that their present distress is a chastisement for this neglect. read more
Part I. THE FIRST ADDRESS : EXHORTATION TO BUILD THE TEMPLE AND ITS RESULT . read more
The mistakes of the temple builders: a warning. I. THEY FAILED TO DISCERN THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES . They imagined the time had not come for them to build the Lord's house, whereas it had fully arrived. 1 . What led them to suppose or say so, though not stated, may easily be inferred. 2 . The indications that the time had fully come were so plain that they should hardly have been misread. II. THEY WERE TOO EASILY DAUNTED BY OPPOSITION . 1 ... read more
Then came the word of the Lord, etc. The formula of Haggai 1:1 is repeated to give more effect to the Lord's answer to the lame excuses for inaction. This emphasis by repetition is common throughout the book. read more
Duty adjourned. "Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your celled houses, and this house lie waste. The seventy years of the Babylonian captivity had passed away. The Babylonian empire had fallen; and Cyrus, the founder of the Persian empire, gave the Jews permission to return to their land, slid commanded them to rebuild the temple of Jehovah in Jerusalem. Hence fifty thousand captives, with their menservants and maidservants,... read more
The stirring appeal. It must not be supposed that, for purposes of revelation, there was any suspension of the powers of the men who were honored of God in being the medium of communicating a knowledge of his will; rather there was the retention of their own individual peculiarities and natural gifts, the Divine Spirit operating through these, and turning them to the most profitable account. One beauty of the Bible lies in the fact that, whilst upon the writings of each of its contributors... read more
And the word of the Lord came - o “Before, he prophesied nothing, but only recited the saying of the people; now he refutes it in his prophecy, and repeats, again and again, that he says this not of himself, but from the mind and mouth of God.” It is characteristic of Haggai to inculcate thus frequently, that his words are not his own, but the words of God. Yet “the prophets, both in their threats and prophecies, repeat again and again, “Thus saith the Lord,” teaching us, how we should prize... read more
Haggai 1:2-4. 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... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Haggai 1:1-11
It was the complaint of the Jews in Babylon that they saw not their signs, and there was no more prophet (Ps. 74:9), which was a just judgment upon them for mocking and misusing the prophets. We read of no prophets they had in their return, as they had in their coming out of Egypt, Hos. 12:13. God stirred them up immediately by his Spirit to exert themselves in that escape (Ezra 1:5); for, though God makes use of prophets, he needs them not, he can do his work without them. But the lamp of... read more