Haggai 1 commentary

Observe the sin of the Jews, after their return from captivity in Babylon. Those employed for God may be driven from their work by a storm, yet they must go back to it. They did not say that they would not build a temple, but, Not yet. Thus men do not say they will never repent and reform, and be religious, but, Not yet. And so the great business we were sent into the world to do, is not done. There is a proneness in us to think wrongly of discouragements in our duty, as if they were a discharge from our duty, when they are only for the trial of our courage and faith. They neglected the building of God's house, that they might have more time and money for worldly affairs. That the punishment might answer to the sin, the poverty they thought to prevent by not building the temple, God brought upon them for not building it. Many good works have been intended, but not done, because men supposed the proper time was not come. Thus believers let slip opportunities of usefulness, and sinners delay the concerns of their souls, till too late. If we labour only for the meat that perishes, as the Jews here, we are in danger of losing our labour; but we are sure it shall not be in vain in the Lord, if we labour for the meat which lasts to eternal life. If we would have the comfort and continuance of temporal enjoyments, we must have God as our Friend. See also Lu 12:33. When God crosses our temporal affairs, and we meet with trouble and disappointment, we shall find the cause is, that the work we have to do for God and our own souls is left undone, and we seek our own things more than the things of Christ. How many, who plead that they cannot afford to give to pious or charitable designs, often lavish ten times as much in needless expenses on their houses and themselves! But those are strangers to their own interests, who are full of care to adorn and enrich their own houses, while God's temple in their hearts lies waste. It is the great concern of every one, to apply to the necessary duty of self-examination and communion with our own hearts concerning our spiritual state. Sin is what we must answer for; duty is what we must do. But many are quick-sighted to pry into other people's ways, who are careless of their own. If any duty has been neglected, that is no reason why it should still be so. Whatever God will take pleasure in when done, we ought to take pleasure in doing. Let those who have put off their return to God, return with all their heart, while there is time.

The people returned to God in the way of duty. In attending to God's ministers, we must have respect to him that sent them. The word of the Lord has success, when by his grace he stirs up our spirits to comply with it. It is in the day of Divine power we are made willing. When God has work to be done, he will either find or make men fit to do it. Every one helped, as his ability was; and this they did with a regard to the Lord as their God. Those who have lost time, need to redeem time; and the longer we have loitered in folly, the more haste we should make. God met them in a way of mercy. Those who work for him, have him with them; and if he be for us, who can be against us? This should stir us up to be diligent.

The Prophet mentions here the year, the month, and the day in which he began to rouse up the people from their sloth and idleness, by the command of God; for every one studied his own domestic interest, and had no concern for building the Temple.

This happened, he says, in the second year of Darius the king. Interpreters differ as to this time; for they do not agree as to the day or year in which the Babylonian captivity began. Some date the beginning of the seventy years at the ruin which happened under Jeconiah, before the erasing of the city, and the destruction of the Temple. It is, however, probable, that a considerable time had passed before Haggai began his office as a Prophet; for Babylon was taken twenty years, or little more, before the death of king Cyrus; his son Cambyses, who reigned eight years, succeeded him. The third king was Darius, the son of Hystaspes, whom the Jews will have to be the son of Ahasuerus by Esther; but no credit is due to their fancies; for they hazard any bold notion in matters unknown, and assert anything that may come to their brains or to their mouths; and thus they deal in fables, and for the most part without any semblance of truth. It may be sufficient for us to understand, that this Darius was the son of Hystaspes, who succeeded Cambyses, (for I omit the seven months of the Magi; for as they crept in by deceit, so shortly after they were destroyed;) and it is probable that Cambyses, who was the first-born son of Cyrus, had no male heir. Hence it was that his brother being slain by the consent of the nobles, the kingdom came to Darius. He, then, as we may learn from histories, was the third king of the Persians. Daniel says, in the fifth chapter Daniel 5:1, that the city of Babylon had been taken by Cyrus, but that Darius the Mede reigned there.

But between writers there is some disagreement on this point; though all say that Cyrus was king, yet Xenophon says, that Cyaxares was ever the first, so that Cyrus sustained only the character, as it were, of a regent. But Xenophon, as all who have any judgement, and are versed in history, well know, did not write a history, but fabled most boldly according to his own fancy; for he invents the tale that Cyrus was brought up by his maternal grandfather, Astyages. But it is evident enough that Astyages had been conquered in war by Cyrus. According to the opinions of Plato and Cicero, the Cyropaedia of Xenophon was a moral romance; and these venerable philosophers suppose, that the historian did not so much write what Cyrus had been, as what every true, good, and virtuous monarch ought to be.” — Lempriere’s Class. Dict. He says also that Cyrus married a wife a considerable time after the taking of Babylon, and that she was presented to him by his uncle Cyaxares, but that he dared not to marry her until he returned to Persia, and his father Cambyses approved of the marriage. Here Xenophon fables, and gives range to his own invention, for it was not his purpose to write a history. He is a very fine writer, it is true; but the unlearned are much mistaken who think that he has collected all the histories of the world. Xenophon is a highly approved philosopher, but not an approved historian; for it was his designed object fictitiously to relate as real facts what seemed to him most suitable. He fables that Cyrus died in his bed, and dictated a long will, and spoke as a philosopher in his retirement; but Cyrus, we know, died in the Scythian war, and was slain by the queen, Tomyris, who revenged the death of her son; and this is well known even by children. Xenophon, however, as he wished to paint the image of a perfect prince, says that Cyrus died in his bed. We cannot then collect from the Cyropaeda, which Xenophon has written, anything that is true. But if we compare the historians together, we shall find the following things asserted almost unanimously: — That Cambyses was the son of Cyrus; that when he suspected his younger brother he gave orders to put him to death; that both died without any male issue; and that on discovering the fraud of the Magi, The account of the Magi is briefly this: — Cyrus had two sons, Cambyses and Smerdis. When Cambyses ascended the throne, suspecting the fidelity of his brother, he caused him to be secretly put to death. This was known to some of the Magi. On the death of Cambyses, one of them, named Smerdis, who resembled the deceased prince, was by the Magi declared king, under the pretense of being the brother of Cambyses. The imposition was detected, and seven of the nobles of Persia dethroned him after six months’ reign, and on themselves, Darius Hystaspes, was made king, in the year before Christ 521. — Ed. the son of Hystaspes became the third king of the Persian. Daniel calls Darius, who reigned in Babylon, the Mede; but he is Cyaxares. This I readily admit; for he reigned by sufferance, as Cyrus willingly declined the honor. And Cyrus, though a grandson of Astyages, by his daughter Mandane, was yet born of a father not ennobled; for Astyages, having dreamt that all Asia would be covered by what proceeded from his daughter, was easily induced to marry her to a stranger. When, therefore, he gave her to Cambyses, his design was to drive her to a far country, so that no one born of her should come to so great an empire: this was the advice of the Magi. Cyrus then acquired a name and reputation, no doubt, only by his own efforts; nor did he venture at first to take the name of a king, but suffered his uncle, and at the same time his father-in-law, to reign with him; and yet he was his colleague only for two years; for Cyasares lived no longer than the taking of Babylon.

I come then now to our Prophet: he says, In the second year of Darius it was commanded to me by the Lord to reprove the sloth of the people. We may readily conclude that more than twenty years had elapsed since the people began to return to their own country. Adam Clark says, that is was in the sixteenth year after their return from Babylon. — Ed. Some say thirty or forty years, and others go beyond that number; but this is not probable. Some say that the Jews returned to their country in the fifty-eighth year of their captivity; but this is not true, and may be easily disproved by the words of Daniel as well as by the history of Ezra. Daniel says in the ninth chapter Daniel 9:1 that he was reminded by God of the return of the people when the time prescribed by Jeremiah was drawing nigh. And as this happened not in the first year of Darius, the son of Hystaspes, but about the end of the reign of Belshasar before Babylon was taken, it follows that the time of the exile was then fulfilled. We have also this at the beginning of the history, ‘When seventy years were accomplished, God roused the spirit of Cyrus the king.’ We hence see that Cyrus had not allowed the free return of the people but at the time predicted by Jeremiah, and according to what Isaiah had previously taught, that Cyrus, before he was born, had been chosen for this work: and then God began openly to show how truly he had spoken before the people were driven into exile. But if we grant that the people returned in the fifty-eighth year, the truth of prophecy will not appear. They therefore speak very thoughtlessly who say that the Jews returned to their country before the seventieth year; for thus they subvert, as I hare said, every notion of God’s favor.

Since then seventy years had elapsed when Babylon was taken, and Cyrus by a public edict permitted the Jews to return to their country, God at that time stretched forth his hand in behalf of the miserable exiles; but troubles did afterwards arise to them from their neighbors. Some under the guise of friendship wished to join them, in order to obliterate the name of Israel; and that they might make a sort of amalgamation of many nations. Then others openly carried on war with them; and when Cyrus was with his army in Scythia, his prefects became hostile to the Jews, and thus a delay was effected. Then followed Cambyses, a most cruel enemy to the Church of God. Hence the building of the Temple could not be proceeded with until the time of this Darius, the son of Hystaspes. But as Darius, the son of Hystaspes, favored the Jews, or at least was pacified towards them, he restrained the neighboring nations from causing any more delay as to the building of the Temple. He ordered his prefects to protect the people of Israel, so that they might live quietly in their country and finish the Temple, which had only been begun. And we may hence conclude that the Temple was built in forty-six years, according to what is said in the second chapter of John The reference in John 2:19,20, seems to have been made not to the time in which it was built then, but to the time in which it was built or rebuilt by Herod the Great. For this temple was finished in the sixth year of Darius (see Ezra 6:15,) and about twenty-one years after the temple was finished in 515. It was about four years in building under Darius. — Ed. (John 2:1); for the foundations were laid immediately on the return of the people, but the work was either neglected or hindered by enemies.

But as liberty to build the Temple was given to the Jews, we may gather from what our Prophet says, that they were guilty of ingratitude towards God; for private benefit was by every one almost exclusively regarded, and there was hardly any concern for the worship of God. Hence the Prophet now reproves this indifference, allied as it was with ungodliness: for what could be more base than to enjoy the country and the inheritance which God had formerly promised to Abraham, and yet to make no account of God, nor of that special favor which he wished to confer — that of dwelling among them? An habitation on mount Sion had been chosen, we know, by God, that thence might come forth the Redeemer of the world. As then this business was neglected, and each one built his own house, justly does the Prophet here reprove them with vehemence in the name and by the command of God. Thus much as to the time. And he says in the second year of Darius, for a year had now elapsed since liberty to build the Temple had been allowed them; but the Jews were negligent, because they were too much devoted to their own private advantages.

And he says, that the word was given by his hand to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and to Joshua, the son of Josedech. We shall hereafter see that this communication had a regard without distinction to the whole community; and, if a probable conjecture be entertained, neither Zerubbabel nor Joshua were at fault, because the Temple ass neglected; nay, we may with certainty conclude from what Zechariah says, that Zerubbabel was a wise prince, and that Joshua faithfully discharged his office as a priest. Since then both spent their labor for God, how was it that the Prophet addressed them? and since the whole blame belonged to the people, why did he not speak to them? why did he not assemble the whole multitude? The Lord, no doubt, intended to connect Zerubbabel and Joshua with his servant as associates, that they three might go forth to the people, and deliver with one mouth what God had committed to his servant Haggai. This then is the reason why the Prophet says, that he was sent to Zerubbabel and Joshua.

Let us at the same time learn, that princes and those to whom God has committed the care of governing his Church, never so faithfully perform their office, nor discharge their duties so courageously and strenuously, but that they stand in need of being roused, and, as it were, stimulated by many goads. I have already said, that in other places Zerubbabel and Joshua are commended; yet the Lord reproved them and severely expostulated with them, because they neglected the building of the Temple. This was done, that they might confirm by their authority what the Prophet was about to say: but he also intimates, that they were not wholly free from blame, while the people were thus negligent in pursuing the work of building the Temple.

Zerubbabel is called the son of Shealtiel: some think that son is put here for grandson, and that his father’s name was passed over. But this seems not probable. They quote from the Chronicles a passage in which his father’s name is said to be Pedaiah: but we know that it was often the case among that people, that a person had two names. I therefore regard Zerubbabel to have been the son of Shealtiel. He is said to have been the governor [פחה]; it is a word currect in several languages, Chaldee, Persic, etc. Parkhurst derives it from [פה], to extend. Theod. Aq. and Syn. render it ἡγούμενον, governor. He is called Sheshbazzar in Ezra 5:14; and Cyrus is said to have made him [פחה], governor or deputy. It is the name of a person endued with authority by a sovereign. Zerubbabel, [זרבבל], has been derived from [זר], a stranger, and [בבנ], Babylon, a stranger or sojourner at Babylon. It deserves to be noticed, that the civil governor is put here before the chief priest; and we find from Ezra that it was to the civil governor that Cyrus delivered the holy vessels of the temple. See Ezra 5:14. — Ed. of Judah; for it was necessary that some governing power should continue in that tribe, though the royal authority was taken away, and all sovereignty and supreme power extinguished. It was yet God’s purpose that some vestiges of power should remain, according to what had been predicted by the patriarch Jacob,

‘Taken away shall not be the scepter from Judah, nor a leader from his thigh, until he shall come;’ etc. (Genesis 49:10.)

The royal scepter was indeed taken away, and the crown was removed, according to what Ezekiel had said, ‘Take away the crown, subvert, subvert, subvert it,’ (Ezekiel 21:26, 27;) for the interruption of the government had been sufficiently long. Yet the Lord in the meantime preserved some remnants, that the Jews might know that that promise was not wholly forgotten. This then is the reason why the son of Shealtiel is said to be the governor of Judah. It now follows —

Haggai 1:2-4

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.

2. Sic dicit Iehova exercituum, dicendo, Populus isti dicunt (hoc est, dicit,) Non venit tempus domui Iehovae ad aedificandum.

3. Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying,

3. Et datus fui sermo Iehovae in manu Chaggai Prophetae, dicendo,

4. Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste?

4. An tempus vobis, ut habitatis vos in domibus vestris tabulatis, et domus haec deserta?

They who think that seventy years had not passed until the reign of Darius, may from this passage be easily disproved: for if the seventy years were not accomplished, an excuse would have been ready at hand, — that they had deferred the work of building the Temple; but it was certain, that the time had then elapsed, and that it was owing to their indifference that the Temple was not erected, for all the materials were appropriated to private uses. While then they were thus taking care of themselves and consulting their own interest, the building of the Temple was neglected. That the Temple was not built till the reign of Darius, this happened, as we have said, from another cause, because the prefects of king Cyrus gave much annoyance to the Jews, and Cambyses was most hostile to them. But when liberty was restored to them, and Darius had so kindly permitted them to build the Temple, they had no excuse for delay.

It is however probable that they had then many disputes as to the time; for it may have been, that they seizing on any pretext to cover their sloth, made this objection, — that many difficulties had occurred, because they had been too precipitate, and that they had thus been punished for their haste, because they had rashly undertaken the building of the Temple: and we may also suppose that they took another view of the time as having not yet come, for easily might this objection occur to them, — “It is indeed true that the worship of God is deservedly to be preferred to all other things; but the Lord grants us this indulgence, so that we are allowed to build our own houses; and in the meantime we attend to the sacrifices. Have not our fathers lived many ages without a Temple? God was then satisfied with a sanctuary: there is now an altar erected, and there sacrifices are offered. The Lord then will forgive us if we defer the building of the Temple to a suitable time. But in the meantime every one may build his own house, so that afterwards the Temple may at leisure be built more sumptuously.” However this may have been, we find that true which I have often stated, — that the Jews were so taken up with their own domestic concerns, with their own ease, and with their own pleasures, that they made very little account of God’s worship. This is the reason why the Prophet was so greatly displeased with them.

He declares what they said, This people say, The time is not yet come to build the house of Jehovah The words literally are, —

This people say, Not come is the time, The time for the house of Jehovah to be built.

— Ed. He repeats here what the Jews were wont to allege in order to disguise their sloth, after having delayed a long time, and when they could not, except through consummate effrontery, adduce anything in their own defense. We however see, that they hesitated not to promise pardon to themselves. Thus also do men indulge themselves in their sins, as though they could make an agreement with God and pacify him with some frivolous things. We see that this was the case then. But we may also see here, as in a mirror, how great is the ingratitude of men. The kindness of God had been especially worthy of being remembered, the glory of which ought to have been borne in mind to the end of time: they had been restored from exile in a manner beyond what they had ever expected. What ought they to have done, but to have devoted themselves entirely to the service of their deliverer? But they built, no, not even a tent for God, and sacrificed in the open air; and thus they wilfully trifled with God. But at the same time they dwelt at ease in houses elegantly fitted up.

And how is the case at this day? We see that through a remarkable miracle of God the gospel has shone forth in our time, and we have emerged, as it were, from the abodes below. Who does now rear up, of his own free-will, an altar to God? On the contrary, all regard what is advantageous only to themselves; and while they are occupied with their own concerns, the worship of God is cast aside; there is no care, no zeal, no concern for it; nay, what is worse, many make gain of the gospel, as though it were a lucrative business. No wonder then, if the people have so basely disregarded their deliverance, and have almost obliterated the memory of it. No less shameful is the example witnessed at this day among us.

But we may hence also see how kindly God has provided for his Church; for his purpose was that this reproof should continue extant, that he might at this day stimulate us, and excite our fear as well as our shame. For we also thus grow frigid in promoting the worship of God, whenever we are led to seek only our own advantages. We may also add, that as God’s temple is spiritual, our fault is the more atrocious when we become thus slothful; since God does not bid us to collect either wood, or stones, or cement, but to build a celestial temple, in which he may be truly worshipped. When therefore we become thus indifferent, as that people were thus severely reproved, doubtless our sloth is much more detestable. We now see that the Prophet not only spoke to men of his age, but was also destined, through God’s wonderful purpose, to be a preacher to us, so that his doctrine sounds at this day in our ears, and reproves our torpor and ungrateful indifference: for the building of the spiritual temple is deferred, whenever we become devoted to ourselves, and regard only what is advantageous to us individually. We shall go on with what follows tomorrow.

Prayer

Grant, Almighty God, that as we must carry on a warfare in this world, and as it is thy will to try us with many contests, — O grant, that we may never faint, however extreme may be the trials which we shall have to endure: and as thou hast favored us with so great an honor as to make us the framers and builders of thy spiritual temple, may every one of us present and consecrate himself wholly to thee: and, inasmuch as each of us has received some peculiar gift, may we strive to employ it in building this temple, so that thou mayest be worshipped among us perpetually; and especially, may each of us offer himself wholly as a spiritual sacrifice to thee, until we shall at length be renewed in thine image, and be received into a full participation of that glory, which has been attained for us by the blood of thy only-begotten Son. Amen.

Lecture One Hundred and Twenty-ninth

When the Prophet asks, whether the time had come for the Jews to dwell in splendid and well furnished houses, and whether the time had not come to build the Temple, he intimates, that they were trifling in a very gross manner with God; for there was exactly the same reason for building the Temple as for building the city. How came they to be restored to their country, but that God performed what he had testified by the mouth of Jeremiah? Hence their return depended on the redemption promised to them: it was therefore easy for them to conclude, that the time for building the Temple had already come; for the one could not, and ought not to have been separated from the other, as it has been stated. He therefore upbraids them with ingratitude, for they sought to enjoy the kindness of God, and at the same time disregarded the memorial of it.

And very emphatical are the words, when he says, Is it time for you to dwell in houses? There is a double pronoun, [העת לכם אתם], "Is it time for you, even you,” or, “you yourselves?” The Welsh often use two pronouns in this way, for the sake of emphasis. The rendering is very flat, as in our version, and adopted by Henderson, “Is it time for you, O ye?” etc. Houbigant, who always amends, proposes [אתה], to come, “Is the time come for you?” etc. This is suitable, but without authority. Dathius suggests the place, but it is no more than a conjecture. There is no doubt an emphasis is intended by the repetition. — Ed. For there is implied a comparison between God, whose Temple they set no value on, and themselves, who sought not only commodious, but sumptuous dwellings. Hence the Prophet inquires, whether it was consistent that mortal men, who differ not from worms, should possess magnificent houses, and that God should be without his Temple. And to the same purpose is what he adds, when he says, that their houses were boarded; for ספונים, saphunim, means in Hebrew what we express by Cambrisees It is rendered “wainscoted” by Henderson; “κοιλοσταθμοις — ceiled,” by the Sept.; “ωροφωμενοις — roofed,” by Aquila. It was the custom in the east, says Parkhurst, to cover or line the roof with boards or wainscot. — Ed. Since then they were not satisfied with what was commodious, without splendor and luxury being added, it was extremely shameful for them to rob God at the same time of his Temple, where he was to be worshipped. It now follows —

Haggai 1:5, 6

5. Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.

5. Et nunc sic dicit Iehova exercituum, Adjicite cor vestrum ad vias vestras;

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, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.

6. Seminastis multum, et intulistis parum; comedere, et non ad satietatem; bibere, et non ad ebrietatem; vestire, et non ad calorem cuique; et qui colligit mercedem, colligit mercedem in sacculum perforatum.

Here the Prophet deals with the refractory people according to what their character required; for as to those who are teachable and obedient, a word is enough for them; but they who are perversely addicted to their sins must be more sharply urged, as the Prophet does here; for he brings before the Jews the punishments by which they had been already visited. It is commonly said, that experience is the teacher of fools; and the Prophet has this in view in these words, apply your hearts to your ways; Literally it is, “Set your heart on your ways.” An idiomatic phrase, but very expressive. They were to fix their attention on their conduct, not merely to take a glance, but seriously and steadily to reflect on their ways. that is, “If the authority of God or a regard for him is of no importance among you, at least consider how God deals with you. How comes it that ye are famished, that both heaven and earth deny food to you? Besides, though ye consume much food, it yet does not satisfy you. In a word, how is it that all things fade away and vanish in your hands? How is this? Ye cannot otherwise account for it, but that God is displeased with you. If then ye will not of your own accord obey God’s word, let these judgements at least induce you to repent.” It was to apply the heart to their ways, when they acknowledged that they were thus famished, not by chance, but that the curse of God urged them, or was suspended over their heads. He therefore bids them to receive instruction from the events themselves, or from what they were experiencing; and by these words the Prophet more sharply teaches them; as though he had said, that they profited nothing by instruction and warning, and that it remained as the last thing, that they were to be drawn by force while the Lord was chastising them.

He says that they had sown much, and that small was the produce. They who render the clause in the future tense, wrest the meaning of the Prophet: for why did he say, apply your heart to your ways, if he only denounced a future punishment? But, as I have already stated, he intimates, that they very thoughtlessly champed the bridle, for they perceived not that all their evils were inflicted by God’s hand, nor did they regard his judgement as righteous. Hence he says, that they had sowed much, and that the harvest had been small; and then, that they ate and were not satisfied; that they drank and had not their thirst quenched; that they clothed themselves and were not warmed. How much soever they applied those things which seemed necessary for the support of life, they yet availed them nothing. And God, we know, does punish men in these two ways either by withdrawing his blessings, by rendering the earth and and the heavens dry; or by making the abundant produce unsatisfying and even useless. It often happens that men gather what is sufficient for support, and yet they are always hungry. It is a kind of curse, which appears very evident when God takes away their nourishing power from bread and wine, so that they supply no support to man. When therefore fruit, and whatever the earth produces for the necessities of man, give no support, God proves, as it were by an outstretched arm, that he is an avenger. But the other curse is more frequent; that is, when God smites the earth with drought, so that it produces nothing. But our Prophet refers to both these kinds of evils. Behold, he says, Ye have sown much and ye gather little; and then he says, Though ye are supplied with the produce of wine and corn, yet with eating and drinking ye cannot satisfy yourselves; nay, your very clothes do not make you warm. They might have had a sure hope of the greatest abundance, had they not broken off the stream of God’s favor by their sins. Were they not then extremely blind this experience must have awakened them, according to what is said in the first chapter of Joel 1:1

He says at the end of the verse, He who gains wages, gains then for a perforated bag. By these words he reminds them, that the vengeance of God could not only be seen in the sterility of the earth, and in the very hunger of men, who by eating were not satisfied; but also in their work, for they wearied themselves much without any profit, as even the money cast into the bag disappeared. Hence he says, even your work is in vain. It was indeed a most manifest proof of God’s wrath, when their money, though laid up, yet vanished away. There seems to be an irregularity in the construction of the whole verse. Literally it is as follows —

Ye have sown much, but the coming in is little; There is eating, but not to satisfaction; They drink, but not to fullness; There is clothing, but there is no warmth in it; And earn does the earner for a perforated bag.

This change in the mode of construction takes away the monotony which would have otherwise appeared. The word [הבא], [אכול], and [לבוש], are not infinitives, as some suppose, but participles used as nouns; which is often the case in Hebrew, as well as in Welsh, and often to in English, such as teaching, drinking, clothing, etc. — Ed.

We now see what the Prophet means: As his doctrine appeared frigid to the Jews and his warnings were despised, he treats them according to the perverseness of their disposition. Hence he shows, that though they disregarded God and his Prophets, they were yet sufficiently taught by his judgements, and that still they remained indifferent. He therefore goads them, as though they were asses, that they might at length acknowledge that God was justly displeased with them, and that his wrath was conspicuous in the sterility of the land, as well as in everything connected with their life; for whether they did eat or abstained from food, they were hungry; and when they diligently labored and gathered wages, their wages vanished, as though they had cast them into a perforated bag. It follows —

Haggai 1:7, 8

7. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.

7. Sic dicit Iehova exercituum, Ponite cor vestrum super vias vestras;

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.

8. Ascendite in montem et afferte lignum, et aedificate domum (vel, hance domum;) et propitius ero in ea (vel, mihi placebit in ea;) et glorificabor, dicit Iehova.

The Prophet now adds, that since the Jews were thus taught by their evils, nothing else remained for them but to prepare themselves without delay for the work of building the Temple; for they were not to defer the time, inasmuch as they were made to know, that God had come forth with an armed hand to vindicate his own right: for the sterility of which he had spoken, and also the famine and other signs of a curse, were like a drawn sword in the hand of God; by which it was evident, that he intended to punish the negligence of the people. As God then had been robbed of his right, he not only exhorted the people by his Prophets, but also executed his vengeance on this contempt.

This is the reason why the Prophet now says, Apply your heart, and then adds, Go up to the mountain, bring wood, etc. And this passage strikingly sets forth why God punished their sins, in order that they might not only perceive that they had sinned, but that they might also seek to amend that which displeased God. We may also, in the second place, learn from what is said, how we are to proceed rightly in the course of true repentance. The beginning is, that our sins should become displeasing to us; but if any of us proceed no farther, it will be only an evanescent feeling: it is therefore necessary to advance to the second step; an amendment for the better ought to follow. The Prophet expresses both here: He says first, Lay your heart on your ways; that is, “Consider whence comes this famine to you, and then how it is that by laboring much ye gain nothing, except that God is angry with you.” Now this was what wisdom required. But he again repeats the same thing, Lay your heart on your ways, that is, “Not only that sin may be hated by you, but also that this sloth, which has hitherto offended God and provoked his wrath, may be changed into strenuous activity.” Hence he says, Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and let the house be built

If any one is at a loss to know why the Prophet insists so much on building the Temple, the ready answer is this that it was God’s design to exercise in this way his ancient people in the duties of religion. Though then the Temple itself was of no great importance before God, yet the end was to be regarded; for the people were preserved by the visible Temple in the hope of the future Christ; and then it behaved them always to bear in mind the heavenly pattern, that they might worship God spiritually under the external symbols. It was not then without reason that God was offended with their neglect of the temple; for it hence clearly appeared, that there was no care nor zeal for religion among the Jews. It often was the case that they were more sedulous than necessary in external worship, and God scorned their assiduity, when not connected with a right inward feeling; but the gross contempt of God in disregarding even the external building, is what is reprehended here by the Prophet.

He afterwards adds, And I will be propitious in it, or, I will take pleasure in it. Some read, It will please me; and they depart not from the real meaning of the verb: for רצה, retse — is to be acceptable. But more correct, in my view, is the opinion of those who think that the Prophet alludes to the promise of God; for he had said, that he would on this condition dwell among the Jews, that he might hear their prayers, and be propitious to them. As, then, the Jews came to the Temple to expiate their sins, that they might return to God’s favor, it is not without reason that God here declares that he would be propitious in that house.

‘If any one sin,’ said Solomon, ‘and entering this house, shall humbly pray, do thou also hear from thy heavenly habitation.’ (1 Kings 8:30.)

We further know that the covering of the ark was called the propitiatory, because God there received the suppliant into favor. This meaning, then, seems the most suitable — that the Prophet says, that if the Temple was built, God would be there propitious. But it was a proof of extreme impiety to think that they could prosper while God was adverse to them: for whence could they hope for happiness, except from the only fountain of all blessings, that is, when God favored them and was propitious to them? And how could his favor be sought, except they came to his sanctuary, and thence raise up their minds by faith to heaven? When, therefore, there was no care for the Temple, it was easy to conclude that God himself was neglected, and regarded almost with scorn. We then see how emphatically this was added, I will be propitious there, that is, in the Temple; as though he had said, “Your infirmity ought to have reminded you that you have need of this help, even of worshipping me in the sanctuary. But as I gave you, as it were, a visible mirror of my presence among you, when I ordered a Temple to be built for me on mount Sion, when ye despise the Temple, is it not the same as though I was rejected by you?”

He then adds, And I shall be glorified, saith Jehovah. He seems to express the reason why he should be propitious; for he would then see that his glory was regarded by the Jews. At the same time, this reason may be taken by itself, and this is what I prefer. The whole verse may be thus rendered —

Ascend the mountains, for ye have brought wood; And build the house, that I may delight in it, That I may be glorified, saith Jehovah.

The [ו], vau, here in two instance may have the meaning of ut, that; but before [הבאתם], a verb in the perfect tense, it must be rendered “for,” or, “as;” and the clause seems to be a parenthesis. The [ו], vau, is not conversive when preceded by a verb in the imperative mood, as it appears from the end of the verse. The mount was not Libanus, as many have supposed, but Sion, where wood had been previously brought, but was not used. See Ezra 3:7. As to the verb [רצה], followed by [ב], it means to approve, to be pleased with, or to take pleasure or delight in, a thing. See 2 Chronicles 29:3; Psalm 147:10; Micah 6:7. Probably the best rendering of the two last lines is the following —

And build the house, and I shall delight in it And render it glorious, saith Jehovah.

To take the last verb in a causative sense is more consistent with the tenor of the passage. This is the meaning given by the Targum, and is adopted by Dathius. — Ed. The Prophet then employs two goads to awaken the Jews: When the Temple was built, God would bless them; for they would have him pacified, and whenever they found him displeased, they might come as suppliants to seek pardon; this was one reason why it behaved them strenuously to undertake the building of the Temple. The second reason was, that God would be glorified. Now, what could have been more inconsistent than to disregard God their deliverer, and so late a deliverer too? But how God was glorified by the Temple I have already briefly explained; not that it added anything to God; but such ordinances of religion were then necessary, as the Jews were as yet like children. It now follows —

Haggai 1:9

9. Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the Lord of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.

9. Respexistis ad multum, et ecce parum; et intulistis ad domum, et sufflavi in illud: cur hoc? dicit Iehova exercituum: Propter domum meam quae est deserta, et vos curritis (vel, addicti estis quisque domi suae) quisque in domum suam.

Here the Prophet relates again, that the Jews were deprived of support, and that they in a manner pined away in their distress, because they robbed God of the worship due to him. He first repeats the fact, Ye have looked for much, but behold little The first word in this verse, [פנה], is evidently a participle noun; similar instances we find in verse 6. The verse, literally rendered, is as follows —

Looking for much, and behold little! And you brought it home, and I blew upon it; On what account this, saith Jehovah of hosts? On account of my house, because it is waste, And ye are running, each to his own house.

The first line is put in an absolute form, as is sometimes the case in Hebrew; “There has been,” or some such words being understood. Both the Targum and the Septuagint read [היה] instead of [הנה], which would be more suitable to the word which follows, which has [ל] before it. The line would then be —

There has been looking for much, but it came to little.

The “blowing” seems to be a metaphor taken from scorching wind, blowing on vegetation, and causing it to wither. The last line may be thus rendered —

And ye are delighted, each with his own house.

— Ed. It may happen that one is contented with a very slender portion, because much is not expected. They who are satisfied with their own penury are not anxious though their portion of food is but scanty, though they are constrained to feed on acorns. Those who are become hardened in enduring evils, do not seek much; but they who desire much, are more touched and vexed by their penury. This is the reason why the Prophet says, Ye have looked for much, and, behold, there was but little; that is, “Ye are not like the peasants, who satisfy themselves with any sort of food, and are not troubled on account of their straitened circumstances; but your desire has led you to seek abundance. Hence ye seek and greedily lay hold on things on every side; but, behold, it comes to little.”

In the second place he adds, Ye have brought it home. He farther mentions another kind of evil — that when they gathered wine, and corn, and money, all these things immediately vanished. Ye have brought it home, and I have blown upon it. By saying that they brought it home, he intimates that what they had acquired was laid up, that it might be preserved safely; for they who had filled their storehouses, and wine-cellars, and bags, thought that they had no more to do with God. Hence it was that profane men securely indulged themselves; they thought that they were beyond the reach of danger, when their houses were well filled. God, on the contrary, shows that their houses became empty, when filled with treasures and provisions. But he speaks still more distinctly — that he had blown upon them, that is, that he had dissipated them by his breath: for the Prophet did not deem it enough historically to narrate what the Jews had experienced; but his purpose also was to point out the cause, as it were, by the finger. He therefore teaches us, that what they laid in store in their houses did not without a cause vanish away; but that this happened through the blowing of God, even because he cursed their blessing, according to what we shall hereafter see in the Prophet Malachi.

He then adds, Why is this? saith Jehovah of hosts. God here asks, not because he had any doubts on the subject, but that he might by this sort of goading rouse the Jews from their lethargy, — “Think of the cause, and know that my hand is not guided by a blind impulse when it strikes you. You ought, then, to consider the reason why all things thus decay and perish.” Here again is sharply reproved the stupidity of the people, because they attended not to the cause of their evils; for they ought to have known this of themselves.

But God gives the answer, because he saw that they remained stupefied — On account of my house, he says, because it is waste This is the literal rendering — “On account of my house, because it is waste.” [אשר] is not “which” here, for it is followed by [הוא], “it;” but a conjunction, “because.” The word quod, in Latin, admits of two similar meanings. — Ed. God here assigns the cause; he shows that though no one of them considered why they were so famished, the judgement of his curse was yet sufficiently manifest, on account of the Temple remaining a waste. And you, he says, run, every one to his own house. Some read, You take delight, every one in his own house; for it is the verb רצה, retse, which we have lately noticed; and it means either to take pleasure in a thing, or to run. Every one, then, runs to his house, or, Every one delights in his house. But it is more suitable to the context to give this rendering, Every one runs to his house. For the Prophet here reminds the Jews that they were slow and slothful in the work of building the Temple, because they hastened to their private houses. He then reproves here their ardor in being intent on building their own houses, so that they had no leisure to build the Temple. This is the hastening which the Prophet blames and condemns in the Jews.

We may hence learn again, that they had long delayed to build the sanctuary after the time had arrived: for, as we have mentioned yesterday, they who think the Jews returned in the fifty-eighth year, and that they had not then undergone the punishment denounced by Jeremiah, are very deluded; for they thus obscure the favor of God; nay, they wholly subvert the truth of the promises, as though they had returned contrary to God’s will, through the permission of Cyrus, when yet Isaiah says, that Cyrus would be the instrument of their promised redemption. (Isaiah 45:5.) Surely, then, Cyrus must have been dead before the time was fulfilled! and in that case God could not have been the redeemer of his people. Therefore Eusebius, and those who agree with him, did thus most absurdly confound the order of time. It now follows —

Haggai 1:10, 11

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

10. Propterea prohibiti super vos sunt coeli a rore, et terra a proventu suo prohibita est.

11. And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.

11. Et vocavi siccitatem super terram, et super montes, et super triticum, et super mustum (aut, vinium,) et super omne quod profert terra, et super hominem, et super animal, et super omnem laborem manuum.

He confirms what the last verse contains — that God had made it evident that he was displeased with the people because their zeal for religion had become cold, and, especially, because they were all strangely devoted to their own interest and manifested no concern for building the Temple. Hence, he says, therefore the heavens are shut up and withhold the dew; that is, they distil no dew on the earth; and he adds, that the earth was closed that it produced no fruit; it yielded no increase, and disappointed its cultivators. As to the particle על-כן, ol-can, we must bear in mind what I have stated, that God did not regard the external and visible Temple, but rather the end for which it was designed; for it was his will then that he should be worshipped under the ceremonies of the law. When, therefore, the Jews offered mutilated, lame, or diseased sacrifices, they manifested impiety and contempt of God. It is yet true, that it was the same thing as to God; but he had not commanded sacrifices to be offered to him for his own sake, but that by such services they might foster true religion. When, therefore, he says now, that he punished their neglect of the Temple, we ought ever to regard that as a pattern of heavenly things, so that we may understand that the coldness and indifference of the Jews were reproved; because it hence evidently appeared that they had no care for the worship of God.

With respect to the withholding of dew and of produce, we know that the Prophets took from the law what served to teach the people, and accommodated it to their own purposes. The curses of the law are general. (Deuteronomy 11:17.) It is therefore the same thing as though the Prophet had said, that what God had threatened by Moses was really fulfilled. It ought not to have been to them a new thing, that whenever heaven denied its dew and rain it was a sign of God’s wrath. But as, at this day, during, wars, or famine, or pestilence, men do not regard this general truth, it is necessary to make the application: and godly teachers ought wisely to attend to this point, that is, to remind men, according to what the state of things and circumstances may require, that God proves by facts what he has testified in his word. This is what is done by our Prophet now, withheld have the heavens the dew and the earth its produce Calvin seems to have overlooked [עליכם], “on your account.” The verse is —

Therefore, on your account, withheld have the heavens from dew, And the earth has withheld its produce.

The verb [כלא], to restrain, to keep back, to withhold, is used here twice, and in the first line in an intransitive sense, and in the second in a transitive sense, as it is often the case in other languages, when the same verb is both neuter and active.

The 11th verse is passed by without any particular remarks. The word [חרב] is rendered “Siccitas — drought,” as Jerome does, and also our version, as well as Newcome and Henderson; but Grotius and also Marckius very justly observe, that it means here “waste,” or “desolation,” it being the same word as is applied to God’s house in verse 9. They left his house a waste; by a just retribution he had brought or called for a waste on the land, etc. The contrast is so evident that it cannot be denied. The ideal meanings of the word is to be waste or desolate: it is then applied to various things which produce desolation, the sword, drought, pestilence, etc.; but it is used here in its primary sense, and the contrast is very striking: “My house has been left waste; I have caused a waste to come upon every thing else.” The verse may be thus rendered —

And I have called for a waste On the land and on the mountains, And on the corn and on the wine and on the oil, And on whatever the ground produces, And on man and on the cattle, And on all the labor of the hands.

— Ed.

In a word, God intimates, that the heavens leave no care to provide for us, and to distil dew so that the earth may bring forth fruit, and that the earth also, though called the mother of men, does not of itself open its bowels, but that the heavens as well as the earth bear a sure testimony to his paternal love, and also to the care which he exercises over us. God then shows, both by the heavens and the earth, that he provides for us; for when the heavens and the earth administer and supply us with the blessings of God, they thus declare his love towards us. So also, when the heaven is, as it were, iron, and when the earth with closed bowels refuses us food, we ought to know that they are commissioned to execute on us the vengeance of God. For they are not only the instruments of his bounty, but, when it is necessary, God employs them for the purpose of punishing us. This is briefly the meaning.

Prayer

Grant, Almighty God, that since thou kindly and graciously invites us to thyself, we may not wait until thou stimulates us with goads, but cast aside our sloth and run quickly to thee. And when our torpor so possesses us as to render punishment necessary, permit us not to harden ourselves; but being at length effectually warned, and we return to the right way, and strive so to render all we do approved by thee, that we may find a door opened to thy grace and favor: and being made partakers of those blessed, by which thou affordest a taste of that goodness which we shall enjoy in heaven, may we ever aspire thither, and be satisfied with the abundant blessings which we daily and even continually receive from thine hand, in such a manner as not to be detained by this world; but may we, with minds raised up to heaven, ever tend upwards, and labor for that perfect happiness which is there laid up fur us by Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lecture One hundred and Thirtieth

Haggai 1:12

12. Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the Lord.

12. Et audivit Zerubbabel, filius Sealtiel, et Jehoasua, filius Jehosadak, sacerdos magnus, et omnes reliquiae populi vocem Iehovae Dei sui, et ad verba Chaggai Prophetae; quemadmodum miserat ipsum Iehova Deus eorum; et timuerunt populus a conspectu Iehovae.

The Prophet here declares that his message had not been without fruit, for shortly after the whole people prepared themselves for the work. And he names both Zerubbabel and Joshua; for it behaved them to lead the way, and, as it were, to extend a hand to others. For, had there been no leaders, no one of the common people would have pointed out the way to the rest. We know what usually happens when a word is addressed indiscriminately to all the people: they wait for one another. But when Joshua and Zerubbabel attended to the commands of the Prophet, the others followed them: for they were dominant, not only in power, but also in authority, so that they induced the people willingly to do their duty. One was the governor of the people, the other was the high priest; but the honesty and faithfulness of both were well known, so that the people spontaneously followed their example.

And this passage teaches us that though God invites all to his service, yet as any one excels in honor or in other respects, so the more promptly he ought to undertake what is proposed by the authority of God. Our Prophet, no doubt, meant to point out this due order of things, by saying, that he was heard first by Zerubbabel and Joshua, and then by the whole people.

But as all had not returned from exile, but a small portion, compared with that great number, which, we know, had not availed themselves of the kindness allowed them — this is the reason why the Prophet does not simply name the people, but the remnant of the people, שארית העם, sharit eom. As also the gift of prophecy had been for a long time more rare, and few appeared among the people who had any decided evidence of their call, such as Samuel, Isaiah, David, and others possessed, the Prophet, for this reason, does here more carefully commend and honor his own office: he says that the people attended to the voice of Jehovah — How? By attending, he says, to the words of Haggai the Prophet, inasmuch as Jehovah their God had sent him. He might have said more shortly that his labor had not been without fruit; but he used this circuitous mode of speaking, that he might confirm his own call; and he did this designedly, because the people had for a long time been without the opportunity of hearing God’s Prophets, for there were none among them.

But Haggai says nothing here but what belongs in common to all teachers in the Church: for we know that men are not sent by divine authority to speak that God himself may be silent. As then the ministers of the word derogate nothing from the authority of God, it follows that none except the only true God ought to be heard. It is not then a peculiar expression, which is to be restricted to one man, when God is said to have spoken by the mouth of Haggai; for he thus declared that he was God’s true and authorised Prophet. We may therefore gather from these words, that the Church is not to be ruled by the outward preaching of the word, as though God had substituted men in his own place, and thus divested himself of his own office, but that he only speaks by their mouth. And this is the import of these words, The people attended to the voice of Jehovah their God, and to the words of Haggai the Prophet. For the word of God is not distinguished from the words of the Prophet, as though the Prophet had added anything of his own. Haggai then ascribed these words to himself, not that he devised anything himself, so as to corrupt the pure doctrine which had been delivered to him by God, but that he only distinguished between God, the author of the doctrine, and his minister, as when it is said,

"The sword of God and of Gideon,” (Judges 7:20,)

and also,

“The people believed God and Moses his servant.” (Exodus 14:31.)

nothing is ascribed to Moses or to Gideon apart from God; but God himself is placed in the highest honor, and then Moses and Gideon are joined to him. In the same sense do the Apostles write, when they say, that “it had pleased the Holy spirit” and themselves. (Acts 15:22.)

And hence it is evident how foolish and ridiculous are the Papists, who hence conclude that it is lawful for men to add their own inventions to the word of God. For the Apostles, they say, not only alleged the authority of the Holy Spirit, but also say, that it seemed good to themselves. God then does not so claim, they say, all things for himself, as not to leave some things to the decision of his Church, as though indeed the Apostles meant something different from what our Prophet means here; that is, that they truly and faithfully delivered what their had received from the spirit of God.

It is therefore a mode of speaking which ought to be carefully marked, when we hear, that the voice of God and the words of Haggai were reverently attended to by the people. — Why? Inasmuch, he says, as God had sent him; as though he had said, that God was heard when he spoke by the mouth of man. And this is also worthy of being noticed, because many fanatics boast, that they allow regard to the word of the Lord, but are unwilling to give credit to men, as that would be even preposterous; and they pretend, that in this way what belongs to the only true God is transferred to creatures. But the Holy Spirit most easily reconciles these two things — that the voice of God is heard when the people embrace what they hear from the mouth of a Prophet. Why so? because it pleases God thus to try the obedience of our faith, while he commits to man this office. For if the Lord was pleased to speak himself, then justly might men be neglected: but as he has chosen this mode, whosoever reject God’s Prophets, clearly show that they despise God himself. There is no need of inquiring here, why it is that we ought to obey the word preached or the external voice of men, rather than revelations; it is enough for us to know that this is the will of God. When therefore he sends Prophets to us, we ought unquestionably to receive what they bring.

And Haggai says also expressly, that he was sent by the God of Israel; as though he had said, that the people had testified their true piety when they acknowledged God’s Prophet in his legitimate vocation. For he who clamorously objects, and says that he knows not whether it pleases God or not to send forth men to announce his word, shows himself to be wholly alienated from God: for it ought to be sufficiently evident to us that this is one of our first principles.

He afterwards adds, that the people feared before Jehovah This clause may be thus rendered, —

And fear him did the people on account of Jehovah.

This comports better with the previous clause, that Jehovah had sent him. The [ו] affixed to “fear” is a pronoun, otherwise the verb is plural; and “people” seldom, if ever, has a verb in the plural number. To fear sometimes means to respect, to reverence: the people honored him as God’s servant, by obeying his message. — Ed. Haggai confirms here the same truth — that the people received not what they heard from the mouth of mortal man, otherwise than if the majesty of God had openly appeared. For there was no ocular view of God given; but the message of the Prophet obtained as much power as though God had descended from heaven, and had given manifest tokens of his presence. We may then conclude from these words, that the glory of God so shines in his word, that we ought to be so much affected by it, whenever he speaks by his servants, as though he were nigh to us, face to face, as the Scripture says in another place. It now follows —

Haggai 1:13, 14

13. Then spake Haggai the Lord’s messenger in the LORD’S message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the Lord

13. Et dicit Chaggai, legatus Iehovae in legatione Iehovae, dicendo (vel, dicens) populo, Ego vobiscum sum, dicit Iehova.

14. And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the Lord of hosts, their God,

14. Et excitavit Iehova spiritum Zerubbabel, filli Sealtiel, ducis Jehudah, et spiritum Jehosuae, filii Jehozadak, sacerdotis magni, et spiritum omnium reliquiarum (hoc est, totius residuae multitudinis) populi; et venerunt et fecerunt opus in templo (in domo, ad verbum) Iehovae exercituum Dei sui.

The Prophet tells us here, that he had again roused the leaders as well as the common people; for except God frequently repeats his exhortations, our alacrity relaxes. Though then they had all attended to God’s command, it was yet necessary that they should be strengthened by a new promise: for men can be encouraged, and their indifference can be corrected, by no other means, to such a degree, as when God offers and promises his help. This, then, was the way in which they were now encouraged, I am with you. And experience sufficiently shows, that we never really and from the heart obey, except when we rely on his promises and hope for a happy success. For were God only to call us to our work, and were our hope doubtful, all our zeal would doubtless die away. We cannot then devote our services to God, except he supports and encourages us by promises. We also see, that it is not enough that God should speak once, and that we should once receive his word, but there is need that he should rouse us again and again; for the greatest ardor grows cold when no goads are applied.

And the Prophet makes known again his vocation, for he says, that he spake in the message of Jehovah, for he was his messenger. The word מלאך, malak, means a messenger; and as angels are called מלאכים, melakim, some foolish men have thought that Haggai was one of the celestial angels, clothed with the form of man: but this is a most frivolous conjecture; for priests, we know, are honored with this title in the second chapter of Malachi, Malachi 2:1, and God in many other places calls his Prophets messengers or ambassadors. There is, therefore, no doubt but that Haggai meant simply to testify, that he brought forward nothing presumptuously, but was a faithful dispenser of the word; for he knew that he was sent by God; and that he might attain attention, he was able justly to testify that his message came from heaven.

Hence he says, that he spake as a messenger of Jehovah in the message of Jehovah; that is, he spoke according to his calling, and not as a private individual, but as one who derived his authority from heaven, and could call to order the whole people; for he was to give way neither to the chief priest nor to Zerubbabel the ruler of the people, inasmuch as he was superior to them on this account, because he had a message which had been committed to him by God. The verse literally is —

Then said Haggai, the messenger of Jehovah in the message of Jehovah to the people, saying, I am with you, saith Jehovah.

The word for “messages” is in the plural number, preceded by the preposition [ב]. Why commentators have generally rendered it in the singular number, does not appear. Haggai is expressly said to be God’s messenger in, or with regard to, the messages or communications he made to the people. To connect the word, as some do, with “said,” hardly gives a meaning, except the clause be rendered, as it is done by Newcome, “by the message of Jehovah,” that is, by his command; but then a plural word is made singular. — Ed. We now then understand the design of the Prophet.

And we hence learn that there is no dignity which exempts us from obedience common to all, when God’s word is addressed to us. Doubtless Joshua the high priest was superior to all the rest in matters of religion, and he was the chief angel or messenger of the God of hosts; and yet he refused not to submit himself to God’s Prophet, for he understood that he was in a special manner appointed by God to this office. Zerubbabel, the governor of the people, followed also his example. Let us, then, know that God’s word is proclaimed under this condition, that no eminence, either in honor or in dignity, exempts us, as it were, by a sort of privilege, from the obligation of receiving it.

The Prophet at length adds, that the people hastened quickly to the work, because God had given encouragement to them all. He had lately spoken of the fruit of his doctrine; but he now declares that his voice had not so penetrated into the hearts of all, as though it had been of itself efficacious, but that it had been connected with the hidden influence of the Spirit.

And this passage is remarkable; for the Prophet includes both these things — that God allows not his word to be useless or unfruitful — and yet that this proceeds not from the diligence of men, but from the hidden power of the Spirit. The Prophet, then, did not fail in his efforts; for his labor was not in vain, but brought forth fruit. At the same time, that that saying might remain true,

‘He who plants and he who waters is nothing,’ (1 Corinthians 3:7,)

he says, that the Israelites were ready for the work, because the Lord roused them; Jehovah, he says, stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the spirit of Joshua, and of the whole people. It is not right to restrict the influence of the Spirit to one thing only, as some do, who imagine that the Israelites were confirmed in their good resolution, as they say, having before spontaneously obeyed the word of God. These separate, without reason, what ought to be read in the Prophet as connected together. For God roused the spirit of Zerubbabel and of the whole people; and hence it was that they received the message of the Prophet, and were attentive to his words. Foolishly, then, do they imagine that the Israelites were led by their own free-will to obey the word of God, and then that some aid of the Holy Spirit followed, to make them firmly to persevere in their course. But the Prophet declared, in the first place, that his message was respectfully received by the people; and now he explains how it was, even because God had touched the hearts of the whole people. It is sometimes the case, that a doctrine is illegitimately drawn from a passage, and then that it is unfairly opposed. The building of the Temple had nothing to do with the first movement of the spiritual life: and therefore to draw an argument from the willingness of the people to undertake that work in favor of free-will in the great business of salvation, is by no means legitimate. It would have been, then, better to deny the application, than to turn the passage from its regular course. But we shall not do violence to the passage, if we render the [ו] at the beginning of this verse, “Thus,” and refer “the stiring up” to the threatening and the promise previously announced. The object seems not to have been to set forth the direct influence of the Spirit on the minds of the people, but to show the effect produced on them by the message conveyed to them from the Lord by the Prophet. God stirs up the minds of men both by his word and by his Spirit, both outwardly and inwardly. The former may more properly be meant here. — Ed.

And we ought to notice the expression, when it is said that the spirit of Zerubbabel and of all the people was stirred up. For much sloth, we know, prevailed, especially among the multitude. But as to Zerubbabel and Joshua, they were, as we have said, already willing, but delayed until the coldness under which they labored was reproved. But the Prophet here simply means, that they became thus obedient through the hidden impulse of God, and also that they were made firm in their purpose. God does not form new souls in us, when he draws us to his service; but changes what is wrong in us: for we should never be attentive to his word, were he not to open our ears; and there would be no inclination to obey, were he not to turn our hearts; in a word, both will and effort would immediately fail in us, were he not to add his gift of perseverance. Let us, then, know that Haggai’s labors produced fruits, because the Lord effectually touched the hearts of the people; for we indeed know that it is his special gift, that the elect are made disciples, according to that declaration,

‘No one comes to me, except my Father draw him.’ (John 6:24.)

It is therefore said that they came and did the work in the house of Jehovah

We may also hence learn, that no one is fit to offer sacrifices to God, or to do any other service, but he who has been moulded by the hidden operation of the Spirit. Willingly, indeed, we offer ourselves and our all to God, and build his temple; but whence is this voluntary action, except that the Lord subdues us, and thus renders us teachable and obedient? It is afterwards added —

Haggai 1:15

15. In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

15. In die vicesimo quarto mensis sexti, anno secundo Darii regis.

The Prophet mentions even the time when they commenced the building of the temple. Three-and-twenty days interposed between the first message and the beginning of the work. It hence appears how ignorant he was who divided the chapters, having begun the second chapter at this verse, where the Prophet shows, as it were by his finger, how much was the distance between the day in which he began to exhort the people, and the success of which he speaks. He then simply tells us here when the Temple began to be built — that is, in the second year of Darius the king, and in the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month. He had previously said that a message was given to him in the second year of Darius the king, and in the sixth month, and on the first day. Then from that day to the twenty-fourth the people delayed; not that they disregarded the command of the Prophet, but because it was not so easy a thing to persuade them all, that they might unanimously undertake the work. Though then the promptitude of the people is commended, we must yet observe that there was some mixture of weakness; for the effect of the doctrine did not appear till the twenty-fourth day. The reasons assigned here for a different division is by no means satisfactory. The fact is that this verse necessarily belongs to the last of the previous chapter, as it specifies the time when the people began the work as there mentioned; and what follows this verse is another message, and at another time. The usual division is no doubt the best. It afterwards follows —

CHAPTER 2

Haggai 2:1-5

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

1. In septimo et vicesimo uno mensis (hoc est, septimo mense, vicesima prima die mensis) fuit sermo Iehovae in manu Chaggai Prophetae, dicendo.

2. Speak 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,

2. Dic nunc ad Zerubbabel, filium Sealtiel, ducem Jehudah, et ad Jehosuah, filium Jehosadak, sacerdotem magnum, et ad reliquias populi, dicendo.

3. Who 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?

3. Quis in vobis superstes (vel, residuus, ad verbum) qui viderit domum hanc in gloria sua priore, et quam vos videtis hanc nunc, annon prae illa sicut nihilum in oculis vestris?

4. Yet 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:

4. Et nunc (vel, nunc tamen) fortis sis Zerubbabel, dicit Iehova, et fortis sis Jehosuah, fili Jehosadak, sacerdos magne, et fortis sis omnis populus terrae, dicit Iehova, et operamini, quia ego vobiscum, dicit Iehovah exercituum,

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

5. Secundum verbum quod pepigi vobiscum dum egressi estis ex Egypto; et spiritus meus stabit (vel, perseverabit) in medio vestri, ne timeatis.

INTRODUCTION

The name Haggai means "my feast"; given, according to Cocceius, in anticipation of the joyous return from exile. He probably was one of the Jewish exiles (of the tribes Judah, Benjamin, and Levi) who returned under Zerubbabel, the civil head of the people, and Joshua, the high priest, 536 B.C., when Cyrus (actuated by the striking prophecies as to himself, Is 44:28; 45:1) granted them their liberty, and furnished them with the necessaries for restoring the temple (2Ch 36:23; Ezr 1:1; 2:2). The work of rebuilding went on under Cyrus and his successor Cambyses (called Ahasuerus in Ezr 4:6) in spite of opposition from the Samaritans, who, when their offers of help were declined, began to try to hinder it. These at last obtained an interdict from the usurper Smerdis the Magian (called Artaxerxes in Ezr 4:7-23), whose suspicions were easy to rouse. The Jews thereupon became so indifferent to the work that when Darius came to the throne (521 B.C.), virtually setting aside the prohibitions of the usurper, instead of recommencing their labors, they pretended that as the prophecy of the seventy years applied to the temple as well as to the captivity in Babylon (Hag 1:2), they were only in the sixty-eighth year of it [Henderson]; so that, the proper time not having yet arrived, they might devote themselves to building splendid mansions for themselves. Haggai and Zechariah were commissioned by Jehovah (Hag 1:1) in the second year of Darius (Hystaspes), 520 B.C., sixteen years after the return under Zerubbabel, to rouse them from their selfishness to resume the work which for fourteen years had been suspended. Haggai preceded Zechariah in the work by two months.

The dates of his four distinct prophecies are accurately given: (1) The first (Hag 1:1-15), on the first day of the sixth month of the second year of Darius, 520 B.C., reproved the people for their apathy in allowing the temple to lie in ruins and reminded them of their ill success in everything because of their not honoring God as to His house. The result was that twenty-four days afterwards they commenced building under Zerubbabel (Hag 1:12-15). (2) The second, on the twenty-first day of the seventh month (Hag 2:1-9), predicts that the glory of the new temple would be greater than that of Solomon's, so that the people need not be discouraged by the inferiority in outward splendor of the new, as compared with the old temple, which had so moved to tears the elders who had remembered the old (Ezr 3:12, 13). Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel had implied the same prediction, whence some had doubted whether they ought to proceed with a building so inferior to the former one; but Haggai shows wherein the superior glory was to consist, namely, in the presence of Him who is the "desire of all nations" (Hag 2:7). (3) The third, on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (Hag 2:10-19), refers to a period when building materials had been collected, and the workmen had begun to put them together, from which time forth God promises His blessing; it begins with removing their past error as to the efficacy of mere outward observances to cleanse from the taint of disobedience as to the temple building. (4) The fourth (Hag 2:20-23), on the same day as the preceding, was addressed to Zerubbabel, as the representative of the theocratic people, and as having asked as to the national revolutions spoken of in the second prophecy (Hag 2:7).

The prophecies are all so brief as to suggest the supposition that they are only a summary of the original discourses. The space occupied is but three months from the first to the last.

The Jews' adversaries, on the resumption of the work under Zerubbabel, Haggai, and Zechariah, tried to set Darius against it; but that monarch confirmed Cyrus' decree and ordered all help to be given to the building of the temple (Ezr 5:3, &c.; Ezr 6:1, &c.). So the temple was completed in the sixth year of Darius' reign 516-515 B.C. (Ezr 6:14).

The style of Haggai is consonant with his messages: pathetic in exhortation, vehement in reproofs, elevated in contemplating the glorious future. The repetition of the same phrases (for example, "saith the Lord," or "the Lord of hosts," Hag 1:2, 5, 7; and thrice in one verse, Hag 2:4; so "the spirit," thrice in one verse, Hag 1:14) gives a simple earnestness to his style, calculated to awaken the solemn attention of the people, and to awaken them from their apathy, to which also the interrogatory form, often adopted, especially tends. Chaldaisms occur (Hag 2:3; 2:6; 2:16), as might have been expected in a writer who was so long in Chaldea. Parts are purely prose history; the rest is somewhat rhythmical, and observant of poetic parallelism.

Haggai is referred to in Ezr 5:1; 6:14; and in the New Testament (He 12:26; compare Hag 2:6, 7, 22).

CHAPTER 1

Hag 1:1-15. 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.

1. 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 Cæsar 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. Ezr 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 Zec 1:7; 7:1, 3; 8:19). Two months later ("the eighth month," Zec 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 Ac 7:35; Ga 3:19).

Zerubbabel--called also Shesh-bazzar in Ezr 1:8; 5:14, 16, where the same work is attributed to Shesh-bazzar that in Ezr 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 1Ch 3:17, 19 makes Pedaiah his father. Probably he was adopted by his uncle Salathiel, or Shealtiel, at the death of his father (compare Mt 1:12; Lu 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 (Ezr 2:2); so the son of Nun in Ne 8:17.

Josedech--or Jehozadak (1Ch 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., 2Ki 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. (Jr 29:10); dating from 606 B.C., Jehoiakim's captivity (2Ch 36:6). The seventy years to the completion of the temple (Jr 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 Ezr 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 (Hag 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 1Sa 25:24; Zec 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 (2Sa 7:2)!

5. Consider your ways--literally, "Set your heart" on your ways. The plural implies, Consider both what ye have done (actively, La 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 (Pr 13:7; 11:24; Mt 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 (Zec 8:10; compare Is 55:2; Jr 2:13). Contrast, spiritually, the "bags that wax not old, the treasure in heaven that faileth not" (Lu 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 Ne 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 Hag 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 (1Ki 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," Psa 119:32; Pr 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 Jr 2:12, 13).

11. I called--what the "heaven" and "earth," the second causes, were said to do (Hag 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 (2Ki 8:1; Psa 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" (Hag 1:4, 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 (De 28:33; Psa 78:46).

12. remnant of the people--all those who have returned from the exile (Zec 8:6).

as ... God sent him--according to all that Jehovah had enjoined him to speak. But as it is not till Hag 1:14 after Haggai's second message (Hag 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 Hag 1:14.

13. the Lord's messenger--so the priests (Mal 2:7) are called (compare Ga 4:14; 2Pe 1:21).

in the Lord's message--by the Lord's authority and commission: on the Lord's embassage.

I am with you--(Mt 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 (Ro 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 Hag 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 (Hag 2:18) [Grotius].

15. four and twentieth day--twenty-three days after the first message of Haggai (Hag 1:1).

In the sixth month - Called Elul by the Hebrews. It was the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year, and the last of the civil year, and answered to a part of our September.

Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel - Who was son of Jeconiah, king of Judah, and of the family of David, and exercised the post of a governor among the people, but not over them, for both he and they were under the Persian government; but they were permitted to have Zerubbabel for their own governor, and Joshua for their high priest; and these regulated all matters relative to their peculiar political and ecclesiastical government. But it appears from Ezra, Ezr 5:3, that Tatnai, the governor on this side the river, had them under his cognizance. None of their own governors was absolute. The Persians permitted them to live under their own laws and civil regulations; but they always considered them as a colony, over which they had a continual superintendence.

Joshua the son of Josedech - And son of Seraiah, who was high priest in the time of Zedekiah, and was carried into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, 1Chr 6:15. But Seraiah was slain at Riblah, by order of Nebuchadnezzar, 2Kgs 25:18-21.

The time is not come - They thought that the seventy years spoken of by Jeremiah were not yet completed, and it would be useless to attempt to rebuild until that period had arrived. But Abp. Usher has shown that from the commencement of the last siege of Jerusalem unto this time, precisely sixty-nine years had been completed.

Is it time for you - If the time be not come to rebuild the temple, it cannot be come for you to build yourselves comfortable houses: but ye are rebuilding your houses; why then do ye not rebuild the house of the Lord? The foundation of the temple had been laid fourteen years before, and some considerable progress made in the building; and it had been lying waste in that unfinished state to the present time.

Consider your ways - Is it fit that you should be building yourselves elegant houses, and neglect a place for the worship of that God who has restored you from captivity?

Ye have sown much - God will not bless you in any labor of your hands, unless you rebuild his temple and restore his worship. This verse contains a series of proverbs, no less than five in the compass of a few lines.

Go up to the mountain, and bring wood - Go to Lebanon, and get timber. In the second year of the return from the captivity, they had procured cedar trees from Lebanon, and brought them to Joppa, and had hired masons and carpenters from the Tyrians and Sidonians; but that labor had been nearly lost by the long suspension of the building. Ezr 3:7.

Ye looked for much - Ye made great pretensions at first; but they are come to nothing. Ye did a little in the beginning; but so scantily and unwillingly that I could not but reject it.

Ye run every man unto his own house - To rebuild and adorn it; and God's house is neglected!

Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew - It appears from the following verse that God had sent a drought upon the land, which threatened them with scarcity and famine.

Then Zerubbabel - The threatening of Haggai had its proper effect. - The civil governor, the high priest, and the whole of the people, united together to do the work. When the authority of God is acknowledged, his words will be carefully obeyed.

Then spake Haggai - He was the Lord's messenger, and he came with the Lord's message, and consequently he came with authority. He is called מלאך יהוה malach Yehovah, the angel of Jehovah, just as the pastors of the seven Asiatic churches are called Angels of the Churches, Rev 1:2.

I am with you, saith the Lord - Here was high encouragement. What may not a man do when God is his helper?

And the Lord stirred up the spirit - It is not only necessary that the judgment should be enlightened, but the soul must be invigorated by the Spirit of God, before any good work can be effectually done.

In the four and twentieth day - Haggai received his commission on the first day of this month and by the twenty-fourth day he had so completely succeeded that he had the satisfaction to see the whole people engaged heartily in the Lord's work; they left their own houses to build that of the Lord. Here was a faithful reprover, and he found obedient ears; and the Lord's work was done, for the people had a mind to work.

Son - Adoptive son to Shealtiel, being of the royal line, but by nature, son of Pedaiah. Governor - Appointed to this by the Persian king, over the remnant returned out of Babylon. Joshua - A type of the great deliverer; one Joshua leads them into Canaan, another restores the temple.

Ceiled - Arched and richly adorned.

Have not enough - But what you eat doth not nourish or satisfy you. Are not filled - Your water quenches not your thirst, your wine does not revive your spirit. None warm - You have no comfort therein. With holes - Loses all his labour.

Take pleasure - I will accept your offerings, and hear your prayers. Glorified - Shew my majesty and account myself glorified by you also.

Came to little - But it answered not the expectation. I did blow - I blasted it. Ye run - You with eagerness carry on your own particular buildings.

Is stayed - God hath forbidden them, to drop down dew.

Upon men - The very blood, and constitutions of men were changed, and many diseases afflicted them.

In the Lord's message - ln the words of his master. The people - The whole assembly.

The Lord of hosts - By which name he delights to be known among the returned captives; and it was a name best suited to their present state, compassed on all hands with enemies.

1 IN the second year of Darius the king , in the sixth month , in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel , governour of Judah , and to Joshua the son of Josedech the high priest , saying,

Of this name there were seven, Darius Midus, Hystaspis, Longimanus, Nothus, O[illegible: 1 letter]bus, A[illegible: 1 letter]sames, Codomaunus, one before Cyrus, viz. that Darius which is distinguisht from the otherby (Medus) the M[illegible: 1 letter]de, the next Darius was son of Hysta[illegible: 1 letter]pis, and third King of Persia (if we leave out Smerdis the cheat, who on Cambyses death counterfeited the true Smerdis, slain by Cambyses his order, got into the Throne, but was discovered and slain at seven months end,) of whom the Text speaketh; unless you can think Ioshua High Priest through 144 years, and some considerable number of Jews to have lived 196 years, and the returned captives to have wanted a Temple for 112 years at least, which incredible things attend them who will have this Darius to be Nothus.

As being the greatest of that time, and by way of eminency above others.

Elul answering to part of our August, an[illegible: 1 letter] September.

The command or direction what they should do, and reproof for what they had omitted to do.

We read nothing of his Parentage or Countrey in the Scripture, he doted that thought him an Angel.

Inspired, sent, approved and assisted of God in his office.

Whose name speaks either his birth in Babylon or his interest and power there as some [illegible: 3 letters]cture, probably his birth in Babylon might be ground of trust [illegible: 3 letters]m with the Government of Iudah, to which he had right.

Adoptive son to Shealtiel, being of the Royal Line, probably he was the chief branch thereof, (Uncle to him) but by Nature, or by generation, son of Pedajah, or else there were two Zerubbabel's sons of two brothers, Pedajah and Shealtiel.

Or, captain.

Appointed to this by the Persian King, under whose power the Jews were now fallen, and at whose pleasure Governours were placed or displaced

over the remnant returned out of Babylon, and once at last setled in the Land of Iudah.

A Type of the great deliverer, one Ioshua leads them into Canaan, another restores the Temple.

Whose name did portend good to this people, and bespoke Gods righteousness, his Father Serajah was High Priest and slain by Nebuchadnezzar.

By lineal descent according to the Law, chief of power in Church matters, as Zerubbabel was chief in civil things, to these the Prophet is sent to stir them up to the building of the Temple.

Marginal references: Ezra 4.24. and 5.1. Zech. 1.1.; Heb by the [illegible: 1 word] of Haggai.; 1 Chron. 3. 171 19.

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

By way of reproof, and to awaken the drowsie Jews; he who knew their heart tells them what they both thought and spoke.

Whom mercy preserved in, redeemed out of Babylon, and brought into their Land on purpose to build the Temple. This people whom Cyrus by Proclamation sent to do this, who seemed to long for a Temple when they were in Babylon.

Discourse thus among themselves, and discourage all that were forward.

The proper season of rebuilding the house of God seems to be not come, for since the prohibition by Cambyses in the days of Cyrus, and through all the time of Cambyses and in the first year, and part of the second of Darius, we have no Commission to do it, but are required not to do any thing in this affair without farther order, Ezra 4.21.

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

When the people were thus sluggish, made excuses and delayed doing their duty, then at that time.

Chap. 1.1. let. a.

Vid. chap. 1. ver. 1. let. d.

4 Is it time for you , O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses , and this house lie waste .

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 can you make that 'tis not seasonable to build my house?

Jews who were by a King (that knew not your God) sent to build my house, you unthankful and forgetful ones.

To settle your selves securely and for continuance with stateliness.

Arched and with Cedar Wainscote, curiously carved and covered, and as richly adorned, as if you were full of treasures.

It seems to intimate some of them had more then one house, a City, and a Countrey house, and whilst Gods house lay waste; they thus lavish out their wealth on private wordly conveniences, but grudge the charge on Gods House. Can you thus live without a Temple, an Altar, a Sacrifice, and yet cannot live without stately Houses? Do you owe so much to your selves and so little to your God? So much to your bodies, so little to your souls?

In its rubbish, or in bare, naked foundations without any superstructure.

Marginal references: 2 Sam. 7.2. Psal. 132.3. &c.

5 Now therefore , thus saith the LORD of hosts , Consider your ways .

Or And now, or but now Heb. it is time for you to consider, to set your heart to that I propose.

The great God speaks hearken therefore.

Ponder well the course you have taken and the success of it, what you have designed how you have succeeded, what care, and what disappointment, what labour and how fruitless your labour hath been? Consider how you have carried it toward God, and how God hath carried it towards you.

Marginal references: Heb. s[illegible: 1 letter]t your heart on your ways.

6 Ye have sown much , and bring in little o? ye eat but ye have not enough : ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink : ye clothe you, but there is none warm : and he that earneth wages, earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes .

The Prophet doth help them or directs them what in particular they ought to consider, and so debateth it with them, your labour, care and charge hath been great in ploughing and sowing▪ that you are sensible of. But what Harvest have you had? O your Barns have been far from full, you have reaped and brought in little, this is evident to all.

You seed on the fruit of your labour and product of the Earth.

But what you eat doth not nourish you, it doth not suffice; you are hungry and meagre still.

The like emptiness and unprofitableness in your drink, your water quencheth not your thirst, your wine does not refresh your heart, or revive your spirit, or you dare not eat or drink sufficiently for fear you should not have enough, least your store should fail you.

Your wool and flax is not what 'twas used to be, sufficient to defend you from the cold, 'twill not warm you.

Who labours or trades to [illegible: 1 word] lay up, loseth all his labour, it runs from him as money [illegible: 1 word] a purse or pocket that hath no bottom, that cannot hold it. [illegible: 1 word] fruitless labour you will soon discern, if you consider your ways, and what think you may be the cause of this?

Marginal references: Deu. 28.38. Hos. 4.10. Mich. 6.14, 15.; Heb. pierced through.

7 ¶ Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Consider your ways . Vid. ver. 4.

Debate it with your selves, both as to what is already past, and what will be for time to come, it hath not been a chance, or an evil which none can tell whence it proceeds, 'tis from your neglect of God, his Temple and Worship.

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.

Delay no longer, speed ye up.

Moriah, or Sion, better, Lebanon where best, and greatest store of Cedars were to be h[illegible: 1 letter]d, whence came the goodly Cedars which built Solomons Temple, 1 Kings 5, 14, 15. and where they had (before the building was forbidden) furnished themselves, Ezra 3.7.

Provide all sort of Timber for this future Edifice.

Go on with the work, the foundation whereof hath been laid some years, but the superstructure omitted.

Of God the Holy Temple.

This a very gracious promise revived, an assurance that God will dwell in it, and afford his presence there, I will meet you there, and there I will blesse you, there I will accept your offerings, hear your Prayers, forgive your sins, and satisfie you with the fatness of my house, much the same promise with that, 1 Kings 8.29. and 9.3.

Shew my majestly and account my self glorified by you also.

9 Ye looked for much, and lo , it came to little , and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it: Why? saith the LORD of hosts, Because of mine house that is waste , and ye run every man to his own house .

O Iewes, you toiled, and were at great cost, as verse 6.

Expected, hoped, promised your selves a great increase, a plentiful Harvest.

But you saw, discerned, and were sensible that it answered not expectation.

All dwindled into a very little, you were losers by all, went backward still.

Had your little been as the righteous man's little, you might have lived on it, and rejoiced in it, but it had not such a Blessing upon it; it was blasted, and so was weak, and empty, and heartless, it profited little.

All this curse on your Estate and Labour was for your ungodly neglect of my house, leaving it waste.

Did with eagerness carry on your own particular Buildings, spared not care or cost for them, you stir not a foot about my house, you run with greatest earnestness about your own,

Domestick affairs and concerns, in which not one or two, or some few, but every one is culpable, scarce any free from this fault.

Marginal references: Or, [illegible: 1 word] away.

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

For your great intolerable neglect of God, his House and Worship.

Heb. Heavens.

Shut up, sealed, prohibited; God, whose they are, hath forbidden them, they drop not one Pearl of Dew, and the Earth must be barren, when dry without the fructifying influences of Heaven.

Marginal references: Ier. [illegible: 1 span] De[illegible: 2 letters] [illegible: 1 span]

11 And I called for a drought upon the land , and upon the mountains , and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oyl, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men , and upon cattel , and upon all the labour of the hands .

Your God whom you negl[illegible: 1 letter]cted.

Commanded or willed, which is call powerful enough to bring together any of his armed Souldiers, to punish rebellious and contumacious sinners.

Either the whole Land, or in distinction to Mountains, the lower grounds and Valleys.

Which in Canaan were fruitful in Pasturage, and rich in Vines and Olives, and Corn, all which for want of Rain, dryed up, and withered, languished and came to nothing, so the condition of these people was very desolate, a just punishment for a Temple desolate by their negligence.

The very Blood, Humours and Constitutions of Men were strangely changed hereby, and many diseases afflicted them.

Murrain, leanness and death among the brute beasts.

Whatever mans Industry planted, as Trees and Plants, were under this Curse, and languisht, dyed and were burnt up.

This verse is a particular Narrative of what was more generally expressed in the former Verse, and all things mentioned herein are very plain.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 paragraph]; [illegible: 1 paragraph]

12 ¶ Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel , and Joshua the son of Josedech the high priest with all the remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the LORD their God , and the words of Haggai the prophet as the LORD their God had sent him and the people did fear before the LORD .

So soon as they heard this convincing and awakening Sermon.

Who is called Salathiel, 1 Chron. 3.17. Mat. 1.12.

Vid. chap. 1. verse 1. let. k. l.

The Twenty fourth from Aaron, as some reckon, Alsled. Chron. but the first after the Captivity.

Either none were deaf to the Lords reproof and counsel, or else none durst appear so, when the chief Rulers in State and Church were so forward in obeying the Prophet.

The common people, the meaner sort.

Acknowledged that 'twas the Sovereign Lord who spake▪ who ought to be obeyed, because he is the Lord.

And therefore they ought to do his will, that they might receive the Blessings, which he, as their God, had promised to them, a[illegible: 1 letter] God made this an Argument to Obedience, so do these now, we are thy people, thou ar[illegible: 1 letter] our God.

This interprets the former, the voice of the Lord was the words of H[illegible: 1 letter]ggai, he added nothing of his own to them.

According to all for which the Lord had sent and Commissioned him, or particularly in all that concerned the speedy building of the Temple.

This speaks the right Religious frame of heart in this people at this time.

13 Then spake Haggai the LORDS messenger in the LORDS message unto the people , saying, I am with you , saith the LORD .

When the people shewed their Obedience, and the willingness of their minds, then God encourageth them by his Prophet.

Legate or Envoy, the H[illegible: 1 letter]b. word signifieth also an Angel; but this is not sufficient to prove their opinion, who dream that Haggai was not a Man, but an Angel in the form of a man, the word here used (arising from a word that signifieth to send, and Paraphrased by a word that primarily signifieth to send as Messengers are sent) doth speak an Angel from his Office, and work as he ministreth before the Lord, and runneth swiftly on his Errand, it speaketh not the Nature of Essence of Angels, as they are Spirits. The French Version (which I use, Printed at Rochel, 1616) reads it, like ours, Ambassadour. So Haggai was Gods Messenger or Ambassadour to his people; no Angel.

As becometh an Ambassadour in the words of his Master, so Haggai delivered the Lords Message.

Not excluding the Governours, but the people are only mentioned, for that the Prophet spake to the whole Assembly, or because the Lord would encourage them most, who most needed encouragement.

A great promise, and which contains all they can need or desire, it ensureth Gods presence alwayes with them, and his assistance alwayes to them, and his Blessing alwayes upon them. He will be alwayes for, as well as alwayes with them, and then Tatnai, Shethar Bosnai, Sanballat, and all other Conspiratours with them, shall not prevail to hinder the work; such a promise as this, Vid. Exod. 3.12. and 4.11, 12, 13. Mat. 28.20. Rom. 8.31. 2 Cor. 12.9.

This solemn attestation addeth weight to the promise.

14 And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel , governour of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people, and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts their God .

This is the first notable effect of Gods presence with them, a sensible performance of his promise. God inclined their minds, fixt their resolutions, and inspired them with courage for this work, whereas the stoutest of them before, had no mind to set on this work, now the weakest are forward to it, and bold in it.

The heart, mind or inclination.

See verse 12. let. b.

See verse 1. let. h.

See ver. 1. let. l. and ver. 12. let. m.

See verse 12. let. e. f.

Immediately without delay, and unanimously without any visible dissent.

Every one set their hands to it in such manner as was fit for them, Governours did oversee, direct and encourage the workmen. Artificers framed and prepared, and the people all laboured.

Which was now to be built upon the old Foundations, laid some seventeen years before, when Cyrus gave the Iewes leave to return and build their City and Temple.

By which name he delights to be known among the returned Captives; and it was a name best suited to their present state compassed on all hands with enemies, and in perpetual danger by them.

Vid. verse 12. l[illegible: 1 letter]t. h.

15 In the four and twentieth day of the sixth moneth, in the second year of Darius the king.

It appeareth then that Zerubbabel and Ioshua with the people, did resolve on the matter quickly; for in three weeks, and three dayes, they are at the work, as is evident chap. 1. verse 1. on the first day Haggai preacht, on the twenty fourth day of the Moneth the people are at work, verse 15.

Vid. verse 1. let. a. Now this Darius was not Darius Nothus, but Darius Hystas[illegible: 1 letter]is, as will appear by considering well the following Scheme of years, from the Captivity to the particular years of each of these two Darius's. Suppose we therefore the computation of these years, according to either of these Schemes, it will appear that there is no likelihood this Darius in the Text should be Darius Nothus. Captivity either 3350 Temple burnt 3360 Cyrus's Decree 3420 Darius's Decree Noth. 3529. Helv. Captivity either 3398 Temple burnt 3416 Cyrus's Decree 3468 Darius's Decree Hyst. 3485. Vsh. This latter account begins the Captivity at the fourth year of I[illegible: 1 letter]hoiakim, the former begins it at the first of I[illegible: 1 letter]conia[illegible: 1 letter]s Reign as Ez[illegible: 1 letter]kiel also doth, chap. 1.2. and 40.1. Hence that difference which is in the account of the years between the beginning of the Captivity, and the burning of the Temple; the former account makes it eleven years, the latter makes it eighteen, for it begins seven years sooner. In what follows, we shall find both agreeing well enough to clear the unlikelihood of Darius Nothus being the King intended here. Both Accounts make the Captivity to end in the seventieth year according to the Scripture. But now the former account makes it one hundred and nine years between Cyr[illegible: 1 letter]s his Decree, and Darius his Decree; all which time the Temple by this account lay desolate, without a Prophet to stir them up to their Duty of building the Temple. Now is this probable? can it be reasonably suppos'd that the Temple should so long lie waste after they were sent out of Babylon purposely to build it? Or that they should be so long in that condition without a Prophet? But now the latter account reckons seventeen years between Cyrus and Darius his Decree for Building the Temple, a space of time easily conceived likely to pass while the Iewes did not build; nay were forbidden by Cambyses (in Scripture called Artaxerxes) Vice-Roy to his Father Cyrus (engaged in forreign Wars) all the time Cyrus lived after he gave out the Decree, which some make more, some less, but who make the likeliest guess for ought I know, make it five years; whether Cyrus taken up with these Wars, did know of this Prohibition, or thought not good to take it off till he return'd Conquerour, I know not; but he died and left this Bar on the work, which continued all Cambyses his Reign, and unto the second year of his Succes[illegible: 1 letter]or Darius Hy[illegible: 2 letters]a[illegible: 1 letter]pis. Now if this were seventeen, the most, some say but fifteen, others but twelve years, it is very probable, whereas One Hundred and Nine years is utterly improbable. Besides this, let us view what age those many or few were of, by these different accounts, who lived to see the Temple re-edified. If in Dari[illegible: 1 letter]s Nothus's time they could be no less than 185 allowing them to be sixteen at the burning of the Temple thus, sixteen when the Temple was burnt, thence sixty to Cyrus's Decree, and thence 109 to Darius Nothus his Decree. But by the latter account their Age amounts but to ninety five years, which appears thus; sixteen at the time the Temple was burnt, thence sixty to Cyrus his Decree, thence seventeen to Darius Hystasp[illegible: 1 letter]s his Decree; in all ninety five, which though a great Age, yet not improbable. at that time, though the other (185) be improbable. Besides how few through 169 years can distinctly remember what they saw and took notice of at sixteen, or could make that judgment of the disproportion between the two Temples? chap. 2 4. Or can it be supposed that Zechariah, chap. 1.12. would have accounted but seventy years desolation, when he might have more than doubled the years, and have reckon'd 169 years? would not the argument thus have been more moving?

Haggai

Introduction

Person of the Prophet. - We have no further information concerning Haggai (Chaggai, i.e., the festal one, formed from châg, with the adjective termination ai: cf. Ewald, 164, c, and 273, e; lxx Ἀγγαῖος, Vulg. Aggaeus) than that obtained from the headings to his prophetic addresses (Hag 1:1; Hag 2:1, Hag 2:10, Hag 2:20), and confirmed by Ezr 5:1, - namely, that he commenced his prophesying in the second year of Darius Hystaspes, and by means of his prophecies caused the work of building the temple, which had been suspended in consequence of the machinations of the Cuthaeans (Samaritans), to be resumed, and in common with the prophet Zechariah, who commenced his labours two months later, ensured the continuance of that work. The extra-biblical accounts of the circumstances of his life have no evidence at all to support them. This is the case, for example, with the statement of Ps. Dorotheus and Ps. Epiphanius, that Haggai came from Babylon to Jerusalem when quite a young men, and that he survived the rebuilding of the temple, and was buried in honour near the burial-place of the priests, to say nothing of the strange opinion which was tolerably general in the times of Jerome and Cyril of Alexandria, and which arose from a misinterpretation of the word מלאך in Hag 1:13, viz., that Haggai was an angel who appeared in human shape. And Ewald’s conjecture, that Haggai had seen the temple of Solomon, cannot be inferred from Hag 2:3. In that case he would have been about eighty years old when he commenced his labours as a prophet. 2. The Book of Haggai contains four words of God uttered by the prophet in the second year of the reign of Darius Hystaspes, which had for their object the furtherance of the building of the temple, and in all probability simply reproduce the leading thought of His oral addresses. In the first prophecy, delivered on the new moon’s day of the sixth month of the year named (Hag 1:1-15), the condemns the indifference of the people concerning the building of the temple, and represents the failure of the crops and the curse under which the people were suffering as a divine punishment for the neglect of that work. In consequence of this admonition the building was resumed. The three following prophecies in ch. 2 encourage the people to continue the work they have begun. The second, which was delivered only twenty-four days after the first (Hag 2:1-9), consoles those who are desponding on account of the poverty of the new building, by promising that the Lord will keep the covenant promise made to His people when they came out of Egypt, and by shaking the whole world and all the heathen, will give the new temple even greater glory than that of Solomon had. The last two words of God were delivered to the people on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of the same year. They predict in the first place the cessation of the previous curse, and the return of the blessings of nature promised to the church which had remained faithful to the covenant (Hag 2:10-19); and in the second place, the preservation of the throne of Israel, represented in the person and attitude of Zerubbabel, among the tempests which will burst upon the kingdoms of this world, and destroy their might and durability (Hag 2:20-23).

In order to understand clearly the meaning of these prophecies and promises in relation to the development of the Old Testament kingdom of God, we must look at the historical circumstances under which Haggai was called by God to labour as a prophet. Haggai was the first prophet who rose up after the exile in the midst of the congregation of Judah that had returned from Babylon, to proclaim to it the will and saving purposes of its God. Between him and Zephaniah there lay the seventy years’ exile, and the labours of the great prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. What all the earlier prophets had foretold, and Jeremiah especially, in a comprehensive and most impressive manner - namely, that the Lord would thrust out Judah also among the heathen, on account of its obstinate idolatry and resistance to the commandments of God, and would cause it to be enslaved by them - had been fulfilled. As the ten tribes had been carried away by the Assyrians long before, so had the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem been also carried into exile by the Chaldaeans through Nebuchadnezzar. The Lord had now banished all His people from before His face, and sent them away among the heathen, but He had not cast them off entirely and for ever. He had indeed suspended His covenant with Israel, but He had not entirely abolished it. Even to the people pining in exile He had not only renewed the ancient promises through the prophet Ezekiel, after the dissolution of the kingdom of Judah and the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, viz., that He would restore the nation to favour again, when it should come to the knowledge of its grievous sins, and turn to Him with penitence, and that He would redeem it from exile, lead it back to its own land, and exalt it to great glory; but He had also caused the might and duration of the kingdoms of the world to be proclaimed through Daniel, and their eventual overthrow through the kingdom of God from heaven. The seventy years, during which the land of Judah was to lie waste and the nation to serve Babel (Jer 25:11), had now passed away. The Babylonian empire had fallen, and Koresh (Cyrus), the founder of the Persian empire, had given the Jews permission to return to their own land in the first year of his sole dominion, and had commanded that the temple of Jehovah in Jerusalem should be rebuilt. In consequence of this, a considerable number of the captives of Judah and Benjamin, viz., 42,360 freemen, with 7337 men-servants and maid-servants, led by Zerubbabel prince of Judah, a descendant of David, who was appointed governor in Judah, and by the high priest Joshua, had returned to their homes (Ezr 1:1-11 and 2). Having arrived there, they had restored Jehovah’s altar of burnt-offering in the seventh month of the year, and re-established the sacrificial worship prescribed in the law. They had also so far made preparations for the rebuilding of the temple, that even in the second month of the second year after their return they were able solemnly to lay the foundation for the new temple (Ezr 3:1-13).

They had hardly commenced building, however, when the Samaritans came with a request that they might take part in the building of the temple, because they also sought the God of the Jews. Now, when the chiefs of Judah refused to grant them this request, as being a mixed people, composed of the heathen colonists who had been transplanted into the kingdom of the ten tribes and a few Israelites who were left behind in the land, whilst their worship of God was greatly distorted by heathenism (see at 2 Kings 17:24-41), they endeavoured to disturb the work already begun, and to prevent its continuation and completion. They made the hands of the people of Judah idle, as we read in Ezr 4:4-5, frightening them while building, and hiring counsellors against them to frustrate their design, the whole of the still remaining time of Cyrus, and even till the reign of king Darius of Persia, so that the work at the house of God at Jerusalem ceased and was suspended till the second year of the reign of this king (Ezr 4:24). But even if these machinations of the adversaries of Judah furnished the outward occasion for the interruption and suspension of the work they had begun, we must not seek for the sole and sufficient reason for the breaking off of the work in these alone. Nothing is recorded of any revocation of the edict issued by Cyrus during his reign; and even if the letter to Artachsata given in Ezr 4:7. referred, as is generally assumed, to the building of the temple, and the reply of this king, which prohibited the continuation of the building, was issued by Pseudo-Smerdis, this only took place under the second successor of Cyrus, twelve years after the laying of the foundation-stone of the temple. What the enemies of Judah had previously undertaken and accomplished consisted simply in the fact that they made the hands of the Jewish people idle, frightening them while building, and frustrating their enterprise by hiring counsellors.So much is evident from the account in the book of Ezra, concerning the machinations of the Samaritans to frustrate the building. The more precise determination of what they did - namely, whether they obtained a command from the king to suspend the building - depends upon the explanation given to the section in Ezra (Ezra 4:6-23), into which we need not enter more minutely till we come to our exposition of the book itself, inasmuch as it is not important to decide this question in order to understand our prophet.

The latter they would hardly have succeeded in, if the Jews themselves had taken real pleasure in the continuation of the work, and had had firm confidence in the assistance of God. These were wanting. Even at the ceremony of laying the foundation-stone, many of the old priests, Levites and heads of tribes, who had seen the first temple, spoiled the people’s pleasure by loud weeping. This weeping can hardly be explained merely from the recollection of the trials and sufferings of the last fifty years, which came involuntarily into their mind at that moment of solemn rejoicing, but was no doubt occasioned chiefly by the sight of the miserable circumstances under which the congregation took this work in hand, and in which they could not help saying to themselves, that the execution of the work would not correspond to the hopes which might have been cherished from the restoration of the house of God. But such thoughts as these would of necessity greatly detract from their pleasure in building, and as soon as outward difficulties were also placed in their way, would supply food to the doubt whether the time for carrying on this work had really come. Thus the zeal for building the house of God so cooled down, that they gave it up altogether, and simply began to provide for their own necessities, and to establish themselves comfortably in the land of their fathers, so far as the circumstances permitted (Hag 1:4). This becomes perfectly intelligible, if we add that, judging from the natural character of sinful men, there were no doubt a considerable number of men among those who had returned, who had been actuated to return less by living faith in the Lord and His word, than by earthly hopes of prosperity and comfort in the land of their fathers. As soon as they found themselves disappointed in their expectations, they became idle and indifferent with regard to the house of the Lord. And the addresses of our prophet show clearly enough, that one principal reason for the suspension of the work is to be sought for in the lukewarmness and indifference of the people.

The contents and object of these addresses, viz., the circumstance that they are chiefly occupied with the command to build the temple, and attach great promises to the performance of this work, can only be explained in part, however, from the fact that the fidelity of the nation towards its God showed itself in zeal for the house of God. The deeper and truer explanation is to be found in the significance which the temple possessed in relation to the kingdom of God in its Old Testament form. The covenant of grace, made by the God of heaven and earth with the nation of Israel which He had chosen for His own peculiar possession, required, as a visible pledge of the real fellowship into which Jehovah had entered with Israel, a place where this fellowship could be sustained. For this reason, directly after the conclusion of the covenant at Sinai, God commanded the tabernacle to be erected, for a sanctuary in which, as covenant God, He would dwell among His people in a visible symbol; and, as the sign of the fulfilment of this divine promise, at the dedication of the tabernacle, and also of the temple of Solomon which took its place, the glory of Jehovah in the form of a cloud filled the sanctuary that had been built for His name. Hence the continuance of the ancient covenant, or of the kingdom of God in Israel, was bound up with the temple. When this was destroyed the covenant was broken, and the continuance of the kingdom of God suspended. If, therefore, the covenant which had been dissolved during the exile was to be renewed, if the kingdom of God was to be re-established in its Old Testament form, the rebuilding of the temple was the first and most important prerequisite for this; and the people were bound to pursue the work of building it with all possible zeal, that they might thereby practically attest their desire and readiness to resume the covenant fellowship which had been interrupted for a time. After the people had thus fulfilled the duty that devolved upon them, they might expect from the faithfulness of the Lord, their covenant God, that He would also restore the former gracious connection in all its completeness, and fulfil all His covenant promises. It is in this that the significance of Haggai's prophecies consists, so far as they have regard to the furthering of the work of building the temple. And this object was attained. The building of the temple was resumed in consequence of his admonition, and at the end of four years and a half - namely, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius - the work was finished (Ezr 6:14-15). But at its dedication the new temple was not filled with the cloud of the glory of Jehovah; yea, the most essential feature in the covenant made at Sinai was wanting, viz., the ark with the testimony, i.e., the tables of the law, which no man could restore, inasmuch as the ten words of the covenant had been written upon the tables by God Himself. The old covenant was not to be restored in its Sinaitic form; but according to the promise made through Jeremiah (Jer 31:31.), the Lord would make a new covenant with the house of Israel and Judah; He would put His law into their heart, and write it in their minds. The people, however, were not sufficiently prepared for this. Therefore those who had returned from Babylon were still to continue under the rule of the heathen powers of the world, until the time had arrived for the conclusion of the new covenant, when the Lord would come to His temple, and the angel of the covenant would fill it with the glory of the heathen. Thus the period of Zerubbabel’s temple was a time of waiting for Judah, and a period of preparation for the coming of the promised Saviour. To give the people a pledge during that period of the certainty of the fulfilment of the covenant grace of God, was the object of Haggai’s two promises of salvation.

So far as the form is concerned, the prophecies of Haggai have not the poetical swing of the earlier prophetical diction. They were written in the simplest rhetorical style, and never rise very far above the level of good prose, although vivacity is given to the delivery by the frequent use of interrogatives (cf. Hag 1:4, Hag 1:9; Hag 2:3, Hag 2:12-13, Hag 2:19), and it by no means infrequently opens into full oratorical rhythm (cf. Hag 1:6, Hag 1:9-11; Hag 2:6-8, Hag 2:22). One characteristic of Haggai’s mode of description is the peculiar habit to which Naegelsbach has called attention - namely, of uttering the main thought with concise and nervous brevity, after a long and verbose introduction (cf. Hag 1:2, Hag 1:12, Hag 2:5, Hag 2:19); so that it might be said that he is accustomed “to conceal a small and most intensive kernel under a broad and thick shell.” His language is tolerably free from Chaldaeisms.

For the exegetical literature, see my Lehrbuch der Einleitung, p. 308; to which add Aug. Koehler’s die WeissagunGenesis Haggai’s erklärt, ErlanGenesis 1860.

Hag 1:1

In Hag 1:1 this address is introduced by a statement of the time at which it had been delivered, and the persons to whom it was addressed. The word of Jehovah was uttered through the prophet in the second year of king Darius, on the first day of the sixth month. דּריושׁ answers to the name Dâryavush or Dârayavush of the arrow-headed inscriptions; it is derived from the Zendic dar, Sanskrit dhri, contracted into dhar, and is correctly explained by Herodotus (vi. 98) as signifying ἑρξείης = coërcitor. It is written in Greek Δαρεῖος (Darius). The king referred to is the king of Persia (Ezr 4:5, Ezr 4:24), the first of that name, i.e., Darius Hystaspes, who reigned from 521 to 486 b.c. That this is the king meant, and not Darius Nothus, is evident from the fact that Zerubbabel the Jewish prince, and Joshua the high priest, who had led back the exiles from Babylon to Judaea in the reign of Cyrus, in the year 536 (Ezr 1:8; Ezr 2:2), might very well be still at the head of the returned people in the second year of the reign of Darius Hystaspes, i.e., in the year 520, but could not have been still living in the reign of Darius Nothus, who did not ascend the throne till 113 years after the close of the captivity. Moreover, in Hag 2:3, Haggai presupposes that many of his contemporaries had seen the temple of Solomon. Now, as that temple had been destroyed in the year 588 or 587, there might very well be old men still living under Darius Hystaspes, in the year 520, who had seen that temple in their early days; but that could not be the case under Darius Nothus, who ascended the Persian throne in the year 423. The prophet addresses his word to the temporal and spiritual heads of the nation, to the governor Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua. זרבּבל is written in many codd. זרוּבבל, and is either formed from זרוּי בבל, in Babyloniam dispersus, or as the child, if born before the dispersion in Babylonia, would not have received this name proleptically, probably more correctly from זרוּע בּבל, in Babylonia satus s. genitus, in which case the ע was assimilated to the ב when the two words were joined into one, and ב received a dagesh. Zerubbabel (lxx Ζοροβάβελ) was the son of Shealtiël. שׁאלתּיאל is written in the same way in Hag 2:23; 1Ch 3:17; Ezr 3:2, and Neh 12:1; whereas in Neh 12:12 and Neh 12:14, and Hag 2:2, it is contracted into שׁלתּיאל. She'altı̄'ēl, i.e., the prayer of God, or one asked of God in prayer, was, according to 1Ch 3:17, if we take 'assı̄r as an appellative, a son of Jeconiah (Jehoiachin), or, if we take 'assı̄r as a proper name, a son of Assir the son of Jeconiah, and therefore a grandson of Jehoiachin. But, according to 1Ch 3:19, Zerubbabel was a son of Pedaiah, a brother of Shealtiel. And lastly, according to the genealogy in Luk 3:27, Shealtiel was not a son of either Assir or Jeconiah, but of Neri, a descendant of David through his son Nathan. These three divergent accounts, according to which Zerubbabel was (1) a son of Shealtiël, (2) a son of Pedaiah, the brother of Shealtiël, and a grandson of Assir or Jeconiah, (3) a son of Shealtiël and grandson of Neri, may be brought into harmony by means of the following combinations, if we bear in mind the prophecy of Jeremiah (Jer 32:30), that Jeconiah would be childless, and not be blessed with having one of his seed sitting upon the throne of David and ruling over Judah. Since this prophecy of Jeremiah was fulfilled, according to the genealogical table given by Luke, inasmuch as Shealtiël’s father there is not Assir or Jeconiah, a descendant of David in the line of Solomon, but Neri, a descendant of David’s son Nathan, it follows that neither of the sons of Jeconiah mentioned in 1Ch 3:17-18 (Zedekiah and Assir) had a son, but that the latter had only a daughter, who married a man of the family of her father’s tribe, according to the law of the heiresses, Num 27:8; Num 36:8-9 - namely Neri, who belonged to the tribe of Judah and family of David. From this marriage sprang Shealtiël, Malkiram, Pedaiah, and others. The eldest of these took possession of the property of his maternal grandfather, and was regarded in law as his (legitimate) son. Hence he is described in 1Ch 3:17 as the son of Assir the son of Jeconiah, whereas in Luke he is described, according to his lineal descent, as the son of Neri. But Shealtiël also appears to have died without posterity, and simply to have left a widow, which necessitated a Levirate marriage on the part of one of the brothers (Deu 25:5-10; Mat 22:24-28). Shealtiël’s second brother Pedaiah appears to have performed his duty, and to have begotten Zerubbabel and Shimei by this sister-in-law (1Ch 3:19), the former of whom, Zerubbabel, was entered in the family register of the deceased uncle Shealtiël, passing as his (lawful) son and heir, and continuing his family. Koehler holds essentially the same views (see his comm. on Hag 2:23).

Zerubbabel was pechâh, a Persian governor. The real meaning of this foreign word is still a disputed point.Prof. Spiegel (in Koehler on Mal 1:8) objects to the combination attempted by Benfey, and transferred to the more modern lexicons, viz., with the Sanscrit paksha, a companion or friend (see at 1Ki 10:15), on the ground that this word (1) signifies wing in the Vedas, and only received the meaning side, party, appendix, at a later period, and (2) does not occur in the Eranian languages, from which it must necessarily have been derived. Hence Spiegel proposes to connect it with pâvan (from the root pâ, to defend or preserve: compare F. Justi, Hdb. der Zendsprache, p. 187), which occurs in Sanskrit and Old Persian (cf. Khsatrapâvan = Satrap) at the end of composite words, and in the Avesta as an independent word, in the contracted form pavan. “It is quite possible that the dialectic form pagvan (cf. the plural pachăvōth in Neh 2:7, Neh 2:9) may have developed itself from this, like dregvat from drevat, and hvôgva from hvôva.” Hence pechâh would signify a keeper of the government, or of the kingdom (Khsatra).

In addition to his Hebrew name, Zerubbabel also bore the Chaldaean name Sheshbazzar, as an officer of the Persian king, as we may see by comparing Ezr 1:8, Ezr 1:11; Ezr 5:14, Ezr 5:16, with Ezr 2:2; Ezr 3:2, Ezr 3:8, and Ezr 5:2. For the prince of Judah, Sheshbazzar, to whom Koresh directed the temple vessels brought from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar to be delivered, and who brought them back from Babylon to Jerusalem (Ezr 1:8, Ezr 1:11; Ezr 5:14), and who laid the foundation for the house of God, according to Ezr 5:16, is called Zerubbabel in Ezr 2:2, as the leader of the procession, who not only laid the foundation for the temple, along with Joshua the high priest, according to Ezr 3:2, Ezr 3:8, but also resumed the building of the temple, which had been suspended, in connection with the same Joshua during the reign of Darius. The high priest Joshua (Yehōshuă‛, in Ezr 3:2, Ezr 3:8; Ezr 4:3, contracted into Yēshūă‛) was a son of Jozadak, who had been carried away by the Chaldaeans to Babylon (Ezr 1:11), and a grandson of the high priest Seraiah, whom Nebuchadnezzar had caused to be executed at Riblah in the year 588, after the conquest of Jerusalem (2Ki 25:18-21; Jer 52:24-27). The time given, “in the sixth month,” refers to the ordinary reckoning of the Jewish year (compare Zec 1:7 and Zec 7:1, and Neh 1:1 with Neh 2:1, where the name of the month is given as well as the number). The first day, therefore, was the new moon’s day, which was kept as a feast-day not only by a special festal sacrifice (Num 28:11.), but also by the holding of a religious meeting at the sanctuary (compare Isa 1:13 and the remarks on 2Ki 4:23). On this day Haggai might expect some susceptibility on the part of the people for his admonition, inasmuch as on such a day they must have been painfully and doubly conscious that the temple of Jehovah was still lying in ruins (Hengstenberg, Koehler).

Hag 1:2

The prophet begins by charging the people with their unconcern about building the house of God. Hag 1:2. “Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: This people saith, It is not time to come, the time for the house of Jehovah to be built.” העם הזּה, iste populus, not my people, or Jehovah’s people, but hazzeh (this) in a contemptuous sense. Of the two clauses, (a) “It is not time to come,” and (b) “The time of the house of Jehovah,” the latter gives the more precise definition of the former, the בּא (to come) being explained as meaning the time to build the house of Jehovah. The meaning is simply this: the time has not yet arrived to come and build the house of Jehovah; for לא in this connection signifies “not yet,” as in Gen 2:5; Job 22:16. A distinction is drawn between coming to the house of Jehovah and building the house, as in Hag 1:14. There is no ground, therefore, for altering the text, as Hitzig proposes, inasmuch as the defective mode of writing the infinitive בּא is by no means rare (compare, for example, Exo 2:18; Lev 14:48; Num 32:9; 1Ki 13:28; Isa 20:1); and there is no foundation whatever for the absurd rendering of the words of the text, “It is not the time of the having arrived of the time of the house,” etc. (Hitzig).

Hag 1:3-4

The word of Jehovah is opposed in Hag 1:4 to this speech of the people; and in order to give greater prominence to the antithesis, the introductory formula, “The word of Jehovah came by Haggai the prophet thus,” is repeated in Hag 1:3. In order to appeal to the conscience of the people, God meets them with the question in Hag 1:4 : “Is it time for you yourselves to live in your houses wainscoted, whilst this house lies waste?” The ה before עת is not the article, but ה interr. אתּם is added to strengthen the pronoun (cf. Ges. §121, 3). Sephūnı̄m without the article is connected with the noun, in the form of an apposition: in your houses, they being wainscoted, i.e., with the inside walls covered or inlaid with costly wood-work. Such were the houses of the rich and of the more distinguished men (cf. Jer 22:14; 1Ki 7:7). Living in such houses was therefore a sing of luxury and comfort. והבּית וגו is a circumstantial clause, which we should express by “whilst this house,” etc. With this question the prophet cuts off all excuse, on the ground that the circumstances of the times, and the oppression under which they suffered, did not permit of the rebuilding of the temple. If they themselves lived comfortably in wainscoted houses, their civil and political condition could not be so oppressive, that they could find in that a sufficient excuse for neglecting to build the temple. Even if the building of the temple had been prohibited by an edict of Pseudo-Smerdes, as many commentators infer from Ezra 4:8-24, the reign of this usurper only lasted a few months; and with his overthrow, and the ascent of the throne by Darius Hystaspes, a change had taken place in the principles of government, which might have induced the heads of Judah, if the building of the house of God had rested upon their hearts as it did upon the heart of king David (2Sa 7:2; Psa 132:2-5), to take steps under the new king to secure the revocation of this edict, and the renewal of the command issued by Cyrus.

Hag 1:5-6

After rebutting the untenable grounds of excuse, Haggai calls attention in vv. 5, 6 to the curse with which God has punished, and is still punishing, the neglect of His house. Hag 1:5. “And now, thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Set your heart upon your ways. Hag 1:6. Ye have sowed much, and brought in little: ye eat, and not for satisfaction; drink, and not to be filled with drink: ye clothe yourselves, and it does not serve for warming; and the labourer for wages works for wages into a purse pierced with holes.” שׂימוּ לבבכם, a favourite formula with Haggai (cf. v. 7 and Hag 2:15, Hag 2:18). To set the heart upon one’s ways, i.e., to consider one’s conduct, and lay it to heart. The ways are the conduct, with its results. J. H. Michaelis has given it correctly, “To your designs and actions, and their consequences.” In their ways, hitherto, they have reaped no blessing: they have sowed much, but brought only a little into their barns. הבא, inf. abs., to bring in what has been reaped, or bring it home. What is here stated must not be restricted to the last two harvests which they had had under the reign of Darius, as Koehler supposes, but applies, according to Hag 2:15-17, to the harvests of many years, which had turned out very badly. The inf. abs., which is used in the place of the finite verb and determined by it, is continued in the clauses which follow, אכול, etc. The meaning of these clauses is, not that the small harvest was not sufficient to feed and clothe the people thoroughly, so that they had to “cut their coat according to their cloth,” as Maurer and Hitzig suppose, but that even in their use of the little that had been reaped, the blessing of God was wanting, as is not only evident from the words themselves, but placed beyond the possibility of doubt by Hag 1:9.Calvin and Osiander see a double curse in Hag 1:6. The former says, “We know that God punishes men in both ways, both by withdrawing His blessing, so that the earth is parched, and the heaven gives no rain, and also, even when there is a good supply of the fruits of the earth, by preventing their satisfying, so that there is no real enjoyment of them. It often happens that men collect what would be quite a sufficient quantity for food, but for all that, are still always hungry. This kind of curse is seen the more plainly when God deprives the bread and wine of their true virtue, so that eating and drinking fail to support the strength.”

What they ate and drank did not suffice to satisfy them; the clothes which they procured yielded no warmth; and the ages which the day-labourer earned vanished just as rapidly as if it had been placed in a bag full of holes (cf. Lev 26:26; Hos 4:10; Mic 6:14). לו after לחם refers to the individual who clothes himself, and is to be explained from the phrase חם לי, “I am warm” (1Ki 1:1-2, etc.).

Hag 1:7-8

After this allusion to the visitation of God, the prophet repeats the summons in Hag 1:7, Hag 1:8, to lay to heart their previous conduct, and choose the way that is well-pleasing to God. Hag 1:7. “Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Direct your heart upon your ways. Hag 1:8. Go up to the mountains and fetch wood and build the house, and I will take pleasure therein and glorify myself, saith Jehovah.” Hâhâr (the mountain) is not any particular mountain, say the temple mountain (Grotius, Maurer, Ros.), or Lebanon (Cocceius, Ewald, etc.); but the article is used generically, and hâhâr is simply the mountain regarded as the locality in which wood chiefly grows (cf. Neh 8:15). Fetching wood for building is an individualizing expression for providing building materials; so that there is no ground for the inference drawn by Hitzig and many of the Rabbins, that the walls of the temple had been left standing when it was destroyed, so that all that had to be done was to renew the wood-work, - an inference at variance not only with the reference made to the laying of the foundation of the temple in Hag 2:18 and Ezr 3:10, but also to the express statement in the account sent by the provincial governor to king Darius in Ezr 5:8, viz., that the house of the great God was built with square stones, and that timber was laid in the walls. וארצה־בּו, so will I take pleasure in it (the house); whereas so long as it lay in ruins, God was displeased with it. ואכּבד, and I will glorify myself, sc. upon the people, by causing my blessing to flow to it again. The keri ואכּבדה is an unnecessary emendation, inasmuch as, although the voluntative might be used (cf. Ewald, §350, a), it is not required, and has not been employed, both because it is wanting in ארצה, for the simple reason that the verbs לה do not easily admit of this form (Ewald, §228, a), and also because it is not used in other instances, where the same circumstances do not prevail (e.g., Zec 1:3).The later Talmudists, indeed, have taken the omission of the ה, which stands for 5 when used as a numeral, as an indication that there were five things wanting in the second temple: (1) the ark of the covenant, with the atoning lid and the cherubim; (2) the sacred fire; (3) the shechinah; (4) the Holy Spirit; (5) the Urim and Thummim (compare the Babylonian tract Joma 21 b, and Sal. ben Melech, Miclal Jophi on Hag 1:8).

Ewald and Hitzig adopt this rendering, “that I may feel myself honoured,” whilst Maurer and Rückert translate it as a passive, “that I may be honoured.” But both of these views are much less in harmony with the context, since what is there spoken of is the fact that God will then turn His good pleasure to the people once more, and along with that His blessing. How thoroughly this thought predominates, is evident from the more elaborate description, which follows in Hag 1:9-11, of the visitation from God, viz., the failure of crops and drought.

Hag 1:9-11 “Ye looked out for much, and behold (it came) to little; and ye brought it home, and I blew into it. Why? is the saying of Jehovah of hosts. Because of my house, that it lies waste, whereas ye run every man for his house. Hag 1:10. Therefore the heaven has withheld its dew on your account, that no dew fell, and the earth has withheld her produce. Hag 1:11. And I called drought upon the earth, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon everything that the ground produces, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.” The meaning of Hag 1:9 is evident from the context. The inf. abs. pânōh stands in an address full of emotion in the place of the perfect, and, as the following clause shows, for the second person plural. Ye have turned yourselves, fixed your eye upon much, i.e., upon a rich harvest, והנּה־למעט, and behold the desired much turned to little. Ye brought into the house, ye fetched home what was reaped, and I blew into it, i.e., I caused it to fly away, like chaff before the wind, so that there was soon none of it left. Here is a double curse, therefore, as in Hag 1:6 : instead of much, but little was reaped, and the little that was brought home melted away without doing any good. To this exposition of the curse the prophet appends the question יען מה, why, sc. has this taken place? that he may impress the cause with the greater emphasis upon their hardened minds. For the same reason he inserts once more, between the question and the answer, the words “is the saying of Jehovah of hosts,” that the answer may not be mistaken for a subjective view, but laid to heart as a declaration of the God who rules the world. The choice of the form מה for מה was probably occasioned by the guttural ע in the יען, which is closely connected with it, just as the analogous use of על־מה instead of על־מה in Isa 1:5; Psa 10:13, and Jer 16:10, where it is not followed by a word commencing with ע as in Deu 29:23; 1Ki 9:8; Jer 22:8. The former have not been taken into account at all by Ewald in his elaborate Lehrbuch (cf. §182, b). In the answer given by God, “because of my house” (ya‛an bēthı̄) is placed first for the sake of emphasis, and the more precise explanation follows. אשׁר הוּא, “because it,” not “that which.” ואתּם וגו is a circumstantial clause. לביתו ... רצים, not “every one runs to his house,” but “runs for his house,” ל denoting the object of the running, as in Isa 59:7 and Pro 1:16. “When the house of Jehovah was in question, they did not move from the spot; but if it concerned their own house, they ran” (Koehler). In Hag 1:10 and Hag 1:11, the curse with which God punished the neglect of His house is still further depicted, with an evident play upon the punishment with which transgressors are threatened in the law (Lev 26:19-20; Deu 11:17 and Deu 28:23-24). עליכם is not a dat. incomm. (Hitzig), which is never expressed by על; but על is used either in a causal sense, “on your account” (Chald.), or in a local sense, “over you,” after the analogy of Deu 28:23, שׁמיך אשׁר על ראשׁך, in the sense of “the heaven over you will withold” (Ros., Koehl.). It is impossible to decide with certainty between these two. The objection to the first, that “on your account” would be superfluous after על־כּן, has no more force than that raised by Hitzig against the second, viz., that super would be מעל. There is no tautology in the first explanation, but the עליכם, written emphatically at the commencement, gives greater intensity to the threat: “on account of you,” you who only care for your own houses, the heaven witholds the dew. And with the other explanation, מעל would only be required in case עליכם were regarded as the object, upon which the dew ought to fall down from above. כּלא, not “to shut itself up,” but in a transitive sense, with the derivative meaning to withhold or keep back; and mittâl, not partitively “of the dew,” equivalent to “a portion of it,” but min in a privative sense, “away from,” i.e., so that no dew falls; for it is inadmissible to take mittâl as the object, “to hold back along with the dew,” after the analogy of Num 24:11 (Hitzig), inasmuch as the accusative of the person is wanting, and in the parallel clause כּלא is construed with the accus. rei. ואקרא in Hag 1:11 is still dependent upon על־כּן. The word chōrebh, in the sense of drought, applies strictly speaking only to the land and the fruits of the ground, but it is also transferred to men and beasts, inasmuch as drought, when it comes upon all vegetation, affects men and beasts as well; and in this clause it may be taken in the general sense of devastation. The word is carefully chosen, to express the idea of the lex talionis. Because the Jews left the house of God chârēbh, they were punished with chōrebh. The last words are comprehensive: “all the labour of the hands” had reference to the cultivation of the soil and the preparation of the necessities of life.

Hag 1:12

The result of this reproof. - Hag 1:12. “Zerubbabel, and Joshua, and the whole of the remnant of the people, hearkened to the voice of Jehovah their God, and according to the words of Haggai the prophet, as Jehovah their God had sent him; and the people feared before Jehovah.” “All the remnant of the people” does not mean the rest of the nation besides Zerubbabel and Joshua, in support of which Koehler refers to Jer 39:3 and 1Ch 12:38, either here or in Hag 1:14 and Hag 2:2, inasmuch as Zerubbabel as the governor and prince of Judah, and Joshua as the high priest, are not embraced under the idea of the “people” (‛âm), as in the case in the passages quoted, where those who are described as the she'ērı̄th, or remnant, are members or portions of the whole in question. The “remnant of the people,” as in Zec 8:6, is that portion of the nation which had returned from exile as a small gleaning of the nation, which had once been much larger. שׁמע בּקול, to hearken to the voice, i.e., to lay to heart, so as to obey what was heard. בּקול יי is still more minutely defined by ועל־דּברי וגו: “and (indeed) according to the words of Haggai, in accordance with the fact that Jehovah had sent him.” This last clause refers to דּברי, which he had to speak according to the command of God (Hitzig); cf. Mic 3:4. The first fruit of the hearing was, that the people feared before Jehovah; the second is mentioned in Hag 1:14, namely, that they resumed the neglected building of the temple. Their fearing before Jehovah presupposes that they saw their sin against God, and discerned in the drought a judgment from God.

Hag 1:13-15

This penitential state of mind on the part of the people and their rulers was met by the Lord with the promise of His assistance, in order to elevate this disposition into determination and deed. Hag 1:13. “Then spake Haggai, the messenger of Jehovah, in the message of Jehovah to the people, thus: I am with you, is the saying of Jehovah. Hag 1:14. And Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, and the spirit of Joshua, and the spirit of all the remnant of the nation; and they came and did work at the house of Jehovah of hosts, their God.” The prophet is called מלאך in Hag 1:13, i.e., messenger (not “angel,” as many in the time of the fathers misunderstood the word as meaning), as being sent by Jehovah to the people, to make known to them His will (compare Mal 2:7, where the same epithet is applied to the priest). As the messenger of Jehovah, he speaks by command of Jehovah, and not in his own name or by his own impulse. אני אתּכם, I am with you, will help you, and will remove all the obstacles that stand in the way of your building (cf. Hag 2:4). This promise Jehovah fulfilled, first of all by giving to Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the people, a willingness to carry out the work. העיר רוּח, to awaken the spirit of any man, i.e., to make him willing and glad to carry out His resolutions (compare 1Ch 5:26; 2Ch 21:16; Ezr 1:1, Ezr 1:5). Thus filled with joyfulness, courage, and strength, they began the work on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of king Darius (Hag 1:15), that is to say, twenty-three days after Haggai had first addressed his challenge to them. The interval had been spent in deliberation and counsel, and in preparations for carrying out the work. In several editions and some few mss in Kennicott, in Tischendorf’s edition of the lxx, in the Itala and in the Vulgate, Hag 1:15 is joined to the next chapter. But this is proved to be incorrect by the fact that the chronological statements in Hag 1:15 and Hag 2:1 are irreconcilable with one another. Hag 1:15 is really so closely connected with Hag 1:14, that it is rather to be regarded as the last clause of that verse.

Haggai

The captivity in Babylon gave a very remarkable turn to the affairs of the Jewish church both in history and prophecy. It is made a signal epocha in our Saviour's genealogy, Matt. i. 17. Nine of the twelve minor prophets, whose oracles we have been hitherto consulting, lived and preached before that captivity, and most of them had an eye to it in their prophecies, foretelling it as the just punishment of Jerusalem's wickedness. But the last three (in whom the Spirit of prophecy took its period, until it revived in Christ's forerunner) lived and preached after the return out of captivity, not immediately upon it, but some time after. Haggai and Zechariah appeared much about the same time, eighteen years after the return, when the building of the temple was both retarded by its enemies and neglected by its friends. Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them (so we read Ezra v. 1), to reprove them for their remissness, and to encourage them to revive that good work when it had stood still for some time, and to go on with it vigorously, notwithstanding the opposition they met with in it. Haggai began two months before Zechariah, who was raised up to second him, that out of the mouth of two witnesses the word might be established. But Zechariah continued longer at the work; for all Haggai's prophecies that are recorded were delivered within four months, in the second year of Darius, between the beginning of the sixth month and the end of the ninth. But we have Zechariah's prophecies dated above two years after, Zech. vii. 1. Some have the honour to lead, others to last, in the work of God. The Jews ascribe to these two prophets the honour of being members of the great synagogue (as they call it), which was formed after the return out of captivity; we think it more certain, and it was their honour, and a much greater honour, that they prophesied of Christ. Haggai spoke of him as the glory of the latter house, and Zechariah as the man, the branch. In them the light of that morning star shone more brightly than in the foregoing prophecies, as they lived nearer the time of the rising of the Sun of righteousness, and now began to see his day approaching. The LXX. makes Haggai and Zechariah to be the penmen of Ps. cxlvi., cxlvii., and cxlviii.

In this chapter, after the preamble of the prophecy, we have, I. A reproof of the people of the Jews for their dilatoriness and slothfulness in building the temple, which had provoked God to contend with them by the judgment of famine and scarcity, with an exhortation to them to resume that good work and to prosecute it in good earnest, ver. 1-11. II. The good success of this sermon, appearing in the people's return and close application to that work, wherein the prophet, in God's name, animated and encouraged them, assuring them that God was with them, ver. 12-15.

The Jews Reproved; God's Controversy with the Jews; The Prophet's Good Advice. (b. c.  520.)

1 In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, 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. 3 Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? 5 Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. 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, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. 7 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 . 9 Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the Lord of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house. 10 Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit. 11 And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.

It was the complaint of the Jews in Babylon that they saw not their signs, and there was no more prophet (Ps. lxxiv. 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. xii. 13. God stirred them up immediately by his Spirit to exert themselves in that escape (Ezra i. 5); for, though God makes use of prophets, he needs them not, he can do his work without them. But the lamp of Old-Testament prophecy shall yet make some bright and glorious efforts before it expire; and Haggai is the first that appears under the character of a special messenger from heaven, when the word of the Lord had been long precious (as when prophecy began, 1 Sam. iii. 1) and there had been no open vision. In the reign of Darius Hystaspes, the third of the Persian kings, in the second year of his reign, this prophet was sent; and the word of the Lord came to him, and came by him to the leading men among the Jews, who are here named, v. 1. The chief governor, 1. In the state; that was Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, of the house of David, who was commander-in-chief of the Jews, in their return out of captivity. 2. In the church; and that was Joshua the son of Josedech, who was now high priest. They were great men and good men, and yet were to be stirred up to their duty when they grew remiss. What the people also were faulty in they must be told of, that they might use their power and interest for the mending of it. The prophets, who were extraordinary messengers, did not go about to set aside the ordinary institutions of magistracy and ministry, but endeavoured to render both more effectual for the ends to which they were appointed, for both ought to be supported. Now observe,

I. What the sin of the Jews was at this time, v. 2. As soon as they came up out of captivity they set up an altar for sacrifice, and within a year after laid the foundations of a temple, Ezra iii. 10. They then seemed very forward in it, and it was likely enough that the work would be done suddenly; but, being served with a prohibition some time after from the Persian court, and charged not to go on with it, they not only yielded to the force, when they were actually under it, which might be excused, but afterwards, when the violence of the opposition had abated, they continued very indifferent to it, had no spirit nor courage to set about it again, but seemed glad that they had a pretence to let it stand still. Though those who are employed for God may be driven off from their work by a storm, yet they must return to it as soon as the storm is over. These Jews did not do so, but continued loitering until they were afresh reminded of their duty. And that which they suggested one to another was, The time has not come, the time that the Lord's house should be built; that is, 1. "Our time has not come for the doing of it, because we have not yet recovered, after our captivity; our losses are not repaired, nor have we yet got before-hand in the world. It is too great an undertaking for new beginners in the world, as we are; let us first get our own houses up, before we talk of building churches, and in the mean time let a bare altar serve us, as it did our father Abraham." They did not say that they would not build a temple at all, but, "Not yet; it is all in good time." Note, Many a good work is put by by being put off, as Felix put off the prosecution of his convictions to a more convenient season. They do not say that they will never repent, and reform, and be religious, but, "Not yet." And so the great business we were sent into the world to do is not done, under pretence that it is all in good time to go about it. 2. "God's time has not come for the doing of it; for (say they) the restraint laid upon us by authority in a legal way is not broken off, and therefore we ought not to proceed, though there be a present connivance of authority." Note, There is an aptness in us to misinterpret providential discouragements in our duty, as if they amounted to a discharge from our duty, when they are only intended for the trial and exercise of our courage and faith. It is bad to neglect our duty, but it is worse to vouch Providence for the patronising of our neglects.

II. What the judgments of God were by which they were punished for this neglect, v. 6, 9-11. They neglected the building of God's house, and put that off, that they might have time and money for their secular affairs. They desired to be excused from such an expensive piece of work under this pretence, that they must provide for their families; their children must have meat and portions too, and, until they have got before-hand in the world, they cannot think of rebuilding the temple. Now, that the punishment might answer to the sin, God by his providence kept them still behind-hand, and that poverty which they thought to prevent by not building the temple God brought upon them for not building it. They were sensible of the smart of the judgment, and every one complained of the unseasonable weather, the great losses they sustained in their corn and cattle, and the decay of trade; but they were not sensible of the cause of the judgment, and the ground of God's controversy with them. They did not, or would not, see and own that it was for their putting off the building of the temple that they lay under these manifest tokens of God's displeasure; and therefore God here gives them notice that this is that for which he contended with them. Note, We need the help of God's prophets and ministers to expound to us, not only the judgments of God's mouth, but the judgments of his hands, that we may understand his mind and meaning in his rod as well as in his word, to discover to us not only wherein we have offended God, but wherein God shows himself offended at us. Let us observe,

1. How God contended with them. He did not send them into captivity again, nor bring a foreign enemy upon them, as they deserved, but took the correcting of them into his own hands; for his mercies are great. (1.) He that gives seed to the sower denied his blessing upon the seed sown, and then it never prospered; they had nothing, or next to nothing, from it. They sowed much (v. 6), kept a great deal of ground in tillage, which, they might expect, would turn to a better advantage than usual, because their land had long lain fallow and had enjoyed its sabbaths. Having sown much, they looked for much from it, enough to spend and enough to spare too; but they were disappointed: They bring in little, very little (v. 6); when they have made the utmost of it, it comes to little (v. 9); it did not yield as they expected. Isa. v. 10, The seed of a homer shall yield an ephah, a bushel's sowing shall yield a peck. Note, Our expectations from the creature are often most frustrated when they are most raised; and then, when we look for much, it comes to little, that our expectation may be from God only, in whom it will be outdone. We are here told how they came to be disappointed (v. 10): The heaven over you is stayed from dew; he that has the key of the clouds in his hands shut them up, and withheld the rain when the ground called for it, the former or the latter rain, and then of course the earth is stayed from her fruit; for, if the heaven be as brass, the earth is as iron. The corn perhaps came up very well, and promised a very plentiful crop, but, for want of the dews at earing-time, it never filled, but was parched with the heat of the sun and withered away. The restored captives, who had long been kept bare in Babylon, thought they should never want when they had got their own land in possession again and had that at command. But what the better are they for it, unless they had the clouds at command too? God will make us sensible of our necessary and constant dependence upon him, throughout all the links in the chain of second causes, from first to last; so that we can at no time say, "Now we have no further occasion for God and his providence." See Hos. ii. 21. But God not only withheld the cooling rains, but he appointed the scorching heats (v. 11): I called for a drought upon the land, ordered the weather to be extremely hot, and then the fruits of the earth were burnt up. See how every creature is that to us which God makes it to be, either comfortable or afflictive, serving us or incommoding us. Nothing among the inferior creatures is so necessary and beneficial to the world as the heat of the sun; it is that which puts life into the plants and renews the face of the earth at spring. And yet, if that go into an extreme, it undoes all again. Our Creator is our best friend; but, if we make him our enemy, we make the best friends we have among the creatures our enemies too. This drought God called for, and it came at the call; as the winds and the waves, so the rays of the sun, obey him. It was universal, and the ill effects of it were general; it was a drought upon the mountains, which, lying high, were first affected with it. The mountains were their pasture-grounds, and used to be covered over with flocks, but now there was no grass for them. It was upon the corn, the new wine, and the oil; all failed through the extremity of the hot weather, even all that the ground brought forth; it all withered. Nay, it had a bad influence upon men; the hot weather enfeebled some, and made them weary and faint, and spent their spirits; it inflamed others, and put them into fevers. It should seem, it brought diseases upon cattle too. In short, it spoiled all the labour of their hands, which they hoped to eat of and maintain their families by. Note, Meat for the belly is meat that perishes, and, if we labour for that only, we are in danger of losing our labour; but we are sure our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord if we labour for the meat which endures to eternal life. For the hand of the diligent, in the business of religion, will infallibly make rich, whereas, in the business of this life, the most solicitous and the most industrious often lose the labour of their hands. The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. (2.) He that gives bread to the eater denied his blessing upon the bread they ate, and then that did not nourish them. The cause of the withering and failing of the corn in the field was visible—it was for want of rain; but, besides that, there was a secret blast and curse attending that which they brought home. [1.] When they had it in the barn they were not sure of it: I did blow upon it, saith the Lord of hosts (v. 9), and that withered it, as buds are sometimes blasted in the spring by a nipping frost, which we see the effects of, but know not the way of. I did blow it away; so the margin reads it. When men have heaped wealth together God can scatter it with the breath of his mouth as easily as we can blow away a feather. Note, We can never be sure of any thing in this world; it is exposed, not only when it is in the field, but when it is housed; for there moth and rust corrupt, Matt. vi. 19. And, if we would have the comfort and continuance of our temporal enjoyments, we must make God our friend; for, if he bless them to us, they are blessings indeed, but if he blow upon them we can expect no good from them: they make themselves wings and fly away. [2.] When they had it upon the board it was not that to them that they expected: "You eat, but you have not enough, either because the meat is washy, and not satisfying, or because the stomach is greedy, and not satisfied. You eat, but you have no good digestion, and so are not nourished by it, nor does it answer the end, or you have not enough because you are not content, nor think it enough. You drink, but are not cooled and refreshed by it; you are not filled with drink; you are stinted, and have not enough to quench your thirst. The new wine is cut off from your mouth (Joel i. 5), nay, and you drink your water too by measure and with astonishment; you have no comfort of it, because you have no plenty of it, but are still in fear of falling short." [3.] That which they had upon their backs did them no good there: "You clothe yourselves, but there is none warm; your clothes soon wear out, and wax old, and grow thin, because God blows upon them," contrary to what Israel's did in the wilderness when God blessed them. It is God that makes our garments warm upon us, when he quiets the earth, Job xxxvii. 17. [4.] That which they had in their bags, which was not laid out, but laid up, they were not sure of: "He that earns wages by hard labour, and has it paid him in ready current money, puts it into a bag with holes; it drops through, and wastes away insensibly. Every thing is so scarce and dear that they spend their money as fast as they get it." Those that lay up their treasure on earth put it into a bag with holes; they lose it as they go along, and those that come after them pick it up. But, if we lay up our treasure in heaven, we provide for ourselves bags that wax not old, Luke xii. 33.

2. Observe wherefore God thus contended with them, and stopped the current of the favours promised them at their return (Joel ii. 24); they provoked him to do it: It is because of my house that is waste. This is the quarrel God has with them. The foundation of the temple is laid, but the building does not go on. "Every man runs to his own house, to finish that, and to make that convenient and fine, and no care is taken about the Lord's house; and therefore it is that God crosses you thus in all your affairs, to testify his displeasure against you for that neglect, and to bring you to a sense of your sin and folly." Note, As those who seek first the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof shall not only find them, but are most likely to have other things added to them, so those who neglect and postpone those things will not only lose them, but will justly have other things taken away from them. And if God cross us in our temporal affairs, and we meet with trouble and disappointment, we shall find this is the cause of it, the work we have to do for God and our own souls is left undone, and we seek our own things more than the things of Jesus Christ, Phil. ii. 21.

III. The reproof which the prophet gives them for their neglect of the temple-work (v. 4): "Is it time for you, O you! to dwell in your ceiled houses, to have them beautified and adorned, and your families settled in them?" They were not content with walls and roofs for necessity, but they must have for gaiety and fancy. "It is high time," says one, "that my house were wainscoted." "It is high time," says another, "that mine were painted." And God's house, all this time, lies waste, and nothing is done at it. "What!" says the prophet, "is it time that you should have your humour pleased, and not time you should have your God pleased?" How much was their disposition the reverse of David's, who could not be easy in his house of cedar while the ark of God was in curtains (2 Sam. vii. 2), and of Solomon's, who built the temple of God before he built a palace for himself. Note, Those are very much strangers to their own interest who prefer the conveniences and ornaments of the temporal life before the absolute necessities of the spiritual life, who are full of care to enrich their own houses, while God's temple in their hearts lies waste, and nothing is done for it or in it.

IV. The good counsel which the prophet gives to those who thus despised God, and whom God was therefore justly displeased with. 1. He would have them reflect: Now therefore consider your ways, v. 5 and again v. 7. "Be sensible of the hand of God gone out against you, and enquire into the reason; think what you have done that has provoked God thus to break in upon your comforts; and think what you will do to testify your repentance, that God may return in mercy to you." Note, It is the great concern of every one of us to consider our ways, to set our hearts to our ways (so the word is), to think on our ways (Ps. cxix. 59), to search and try them (Lam. iii. 40), to ponder the path of our feet (Prov. iv. 26), to apply our minds with all seriousness to the great and necessary duty of self-examination, and communing with our own hearts concerning our spiritual state, our sins that are past, and our duty for the future; for sin is what we must answer for, duty is what we must do; about these therefore we must be inquisitive, rather than about events, which we must leave to God. Many are quick-sighted to pry into other people's ways who are very careless of their own; whereas our concern is to prove every one his own work, Gal. vi. 4. 2. He would have them reform (v. 8): "Go up to the mountain, to Lebanon, and bring wood, and other materials that are wanting, and build the house with all speed; put it off no longer, but set to it in good earnest." Note, Our considering our ways must issue in the amending of whatever we find amiss in them. If any duty has been long neglected, that is not a reason why it should still be so, but why now at length it should be revived; better late than never. For their encouragement to apply in good earnest to this work, he assures them, (1.) That they should be accepted of him in it: Build the house, and I will take pleasure in it; and that was encouragement enough for them to apply to it with alacrity and resolution, and to go through with it, whatever it cost them. Note, Whatever God will take pleasure in, when it is done, we ought to take pleasure in the doing of, and to reckon that inducement enough to set about it, and go on with it in good earnest; for what greater satisfaction can we have in our own bosoms than in contributing any thing towards that which God will take pleasure in? It ought to be the top of our ambition to be accepted of the Lord, 2 Cor. v. 9. Though they had foolishly neglected the house of God, yet, if at length they will resume the care of it, God will not remember against them their former neglects, but will take pleasure in the work of their hands. Those who have long deferred their return to God, if at length they return with all their heart, must not despair of his favour. (2.) That he would be honoured by them in it: I will be glorified, saith the Lord. He will be served and worshipped in the temple when it is built, and sanctified in those that come nigh to him. It is worth while to bestow all possible care, and pains, and cost, upon that by which God may be glorified.

The People's Obedience. (b. c. 520.)

12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the Lord . 13 Then spake Haggai the Lord 's messenger in the Lord 's message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the Lord . 14 And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, 15 In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

As an ear-ring of gold (says Solomon), and an ornament of fine gold, so amiable, so acceptable, in the sight of God and man, is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear, Prov. xxv. 12. The prophet here was a wise but faithful reprover, in God's name, and he met with an obedient ear. The foregoing sermon met with the desired success among the people, and their obedience met with due encouragement from God. Observe,

I. How the people returned to God in a way of duty. All those to whom that sermon was preached received the word in the love of it, and were wrought upon by it. Zerubbabel, the chief governor, did not think himself above the check and command of God's word. He was a man that had been eminently useful in his day, and serviceable to the interest of the church, yet did not plead his former merits in answer to this reproof for his present remissness, but submitted to it. Joshua's business, as high priest, was to teach, and yet he was willing himself to be taught, and willingly received admonition and instruction. The remnant of the people (and the whole body of them was but a remnant, a very few of the many thousands of Israel) also were very pliable; they all obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and bowed their neck to the yoke of his commands, and it is here recorded to their honour that they did so, v. 12. Their father said, Sons, go work to-day in my vineyard, in my temple; and they not only said, We go, sir, but they went immediately. 1. They looked upon the prophet to be the Lord's messenger, and the word he delivered to be the Lord's message to them; and there-fore received it not as the word of man, but as the word of Almighty God; they obeyed his words, as the Lord their God had sent him, v. 12. Note, In attending to God's ministers we must have an eye to him that sent them, and receive them for his sake, while they act according to their commission. 2. They did fear before the Lord. Prophecy was a new thing with them; they had had no special messenger from heaven for a great while, and therefore now that they had one, and but one, they paid an extraordinary regard to him; whereas their fathers, who had many prophets, mocked and misused them. It is sometimes so; when good preaching is most scarce it does most good, whereas the manna that is rained in plenty is loathed as light bread. And, because they so readily received this prophet, God, within a month or two after, raised them up another, Zech. i. 1. They feared before the Lord; they had a great regard to the divine authority and a great dread of the divine wrath, and were of those that trembled at God's word. The judgments of God which they had been under, though very severe, had not prevailed to make them fear before the Lord, until the word of God was sent to expound his providences, and then they feared. Note, A holy fear of God will have a great influence upon our obedience to him. Serve the Lord with fear; if we fear him not, we shall not serve him. 3. The Lord stirred up their spirits, v. 14. (1.) He excited them to their duty, and put it into their hearts to go about it. Note, Then the word of God has its success when God by his grace stirs up our spirits to comply with it; and without that grace we should remain stupid and utterly averse to every thing that is good. It is in the day of a divine power that we are made willing. (2.) He encouraged them in their duty, and with those encouragements enlarged their hearts, Ps. cxix. 32. When they heard the word they feared; but, lest they should sink under the weight of that fear, God stirred them up, and made them cheerful and bold to encounter the difficulties they might meet with. Note, When God has work to do, he will either find or make men fit to do it, and stir them up to it. 4. They applied to their work with all possible vigour: They came and did work in the house of the Lord of hosts their God. Every one, according as his capacity or ability was, lent a hand, some way or other, to further that good work; and this they did with an eye to God as the Lord of hosts, and as their God, the God of Israel. The consideration of God's sovereign dominion in the world by his providence, and his covenant-relation to his people by his grace, should stir up our spirits to act for him, and for the advancement of the interest of his kingdom among men, to the utmost of our power. 5. They did this speedily; it was but on the first day of the sixth month that Haggai preached them this sermon, and by the twenty-fourth of the same month, little more than three weeks after, they were all busy working in the house of the Lord their God, v. 15. To show that they were ashamed of their delays hitherto, now that they were convinced and called they were resolved to delay no longer, but to strike while the iron was hot, and to set about the work while they were under convictions. Note, Those that have lost time have need to redeem time; and the longer we have loitered in that which is good the more haste we should make when we are convinced of our folly.

II. How God met them in a way of mercy. The same prophet that brought them the reproof brought them a very comforting encouraging word (v. 13): Then spoke Haggai, the Lord's messenger, in the Lord's message, in his name, and as from him, saying, I am with you, saith the Lord. That is all he has to say, and that is enough; as that word of Christ to his disciples is (Matt. xxviii. 20), "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. I am with you, that is, I will forgive your neglects hitherto, and they shall not be remembered against you; I will remove the judgments you have been under for those neglects, and will appear for you, as I have in them appeared against you. I am with you to protect you against your enemies that bear ill-will to your work, and to prosper you, and to give you success in it—with you to strengthen your hands, and bless the work of them, without which blessing those labour in vain that build." Note, Those that work for God have God with them; and, if he be for us, who can be against us? If he be with us, what difficulty can stand before us?

CHAP. I.

Verſe 1. IN the ſecond yeer of Darius the King] Not of Darius the Mede, G[illegible: 1 letter]a[illegible: 1 letter]b. Chronol. as Genebrard doteth, for he was predeceſſour to Cyrus Dan. 5.31. And Haggai prophecied after Cyrus and Cambyſes, Ezra 4.5. and 5.1. Neither of Darius Nothus, as Scaliger in his book De Emend: temporum (the doctrine whereof is almoſt wholy fictitions, ſaith One, and founded upon the confines of Nothing:) but of Darius, ſon of Hyſtaſpes, who ſucceeded Cambyſes in the kingdome of Perſia; being choſen king by the Peeres,Herdot. in Thali[illegible: 1 letter]. upon the neighing of his horſe firſt, as Herodotus teſtifieth. Whether this Darius were the husband of Queen Eſther, as ſome affirm, or her ſon, as Others, (and was therefore ſo favourable to the Jews) I undertake not to determine: Onely take notice, that by Heathen Hiſtorians it is ſaid,Herod. that the wife of this Darius was called Atoſſa, which ſounds in part ſomwhat like Hadaſſah, that is Eſther, chap. 2.7. Hadaſſah was her own Hebrew name: and, after ſhe was made Queen, ſhe was called Eſther. He is called Darius the King, as if he were the Onely King on earth. His ſucceſſour Darius in his proud Embaſſy to Alexander, called himſelf the King of Kings, and Couſin of the gods: and for Alexander, he called him his ſervant: But Alexander ſoon after became his Lord. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Plato lib. 3. de l gib. Prov. 21.1. For the Kingdome of Perſia was loſt by that Darius, as it had been reſtored by this to its former ſplendour, after the havock made by Cambyſes; who among other vile acts of his (as Wickedneſſe proceedeth from the wicked, according to the preverb of the Ancients 1 Sam. 24.13.) forbad the building of the Temple Ezra 4.12. But He who ſets up Princes at his pleaſure, and turns their hearts whither ſoever he will (as the plow-man doth the water-courſe with his paddle, or the gardiner with his hand) turned here the heart of this great King to his people the Jews: ſo that he made a new decree for the advancement of the building, Ezra 5.8. God alſo ſeaſonably ſtirred up Haggai, and Zachariah to quicken the people, (who were ſoon after their return from Babylon, grown cold again and careleſs) and ſo bleſſed their Miniſtery, that the Houſe, that is, the Sanctuary, and the Holy of Holies, was finiſhed in four years ſpace, or thereabouts, Ezra 6.14. The outward Court, and ſo the whole Temple, in three years after that,Antiq. l. 11. c. 4 as Joſephus witneſſeth.

In the ſixth moneth] In the 3444. year of the world,Func. Chronel. as Funccius computeth it, in the Calends of September, (confer chap. 2.19.) when the Jewes were ingathering their harveſt, and fruits, and found a dearth toward. This the Prophet makes uſe of, preſſing it upon the people, as a juſt hand of God upon them, for ſlighting and ſlacking the rebuilding of his houſe. It is good for Gods Miniſters to ſet in with him, to ſtrike while the iron is hot, to cry, Hear ye the rod, Mic. 6.9 and who hath appointed it: for as iron is very ſoft, and malleable, whiles in the fire, and as molten metals ar fit for the mould; ſo when men are under the croſſe, they are more eaſily wrought upon; they will hearken to inſtruction, that before laught at it, as the wild aſſe doth at the horſe and his rider, Job 39.18. The wild aſſe, that is uſed to the wilderneſſe, though ſhe kick up her heels, and ſnuffe up the wind at her pleaſure, ſo that they that ſeek her will not weary themſelves, yet there is a time when ſhe may be taken; in her moneth they ſhall find her, Jer. 2.24.

In the firſt day of the moneth] Heb. In one day. One for firſt is ordinary in both Teſtaments, Gen. 1.5. Num. 29.1. Dan. 9.1. Mat. 28.1. Joh. 20.1. 1 Cor. 16.2. The time of this Prophecy (as of others, Iſa. 1.1. Jer. 1.2, 3, &c.) is preciſely noted, to teach us what account we ſhould make of Gods Oracles, and inſpirations; and how God will one day eckon with us for the helps we have had, and the time we have enjoyed them. He ſets down all: how much more ſhould we, and live up to our means & mercies, propagating our thankfulnſſe into our practiſe? Jeremy prophecied forty years, but with ill ſucceſſe: it was his unhappineſſe to be Phyſician to a dying State.Tunc etiam, doctâ plus valet arte malum. The Holy Ghoſt ſets a ſpeciall mark upon theſe fourty years of his prophecying, Ezek. 4.6. by bidding the Prophet lye fourty dayes upon his right ſide, and bear the iniquity of the houſe of Judah fourty dayes, a day for a year.

came the word of the Lord] i. e. he began to prophecy,Prophetarum ora ſunt Dei os Chryſoſt. as Ezra 5.1. being ſent and ſet awork by God, whoſe alone it is, to make meet Miniſters of either Teſtament, 2 Cor. 3.5. to ſend, gift, and bleſſe them, Jer. 23.21.

by Haggai the Prophet] Heb. by the hand of Haggai, that is, by his means, and Miniſtery. See the Note on Mal. 1.1. Haggai ſignifieth merry, and pleaſant, Feſtivus & laetus. as at a ſolemn feaſt: which name of his excellently ſuiteth both with the time of his prophecy, viz. after the return from captivity, ſee Pſal. 126.1, 2. and alſo with the matter whereof he treats, and whereto he drives, Chriſt, the Deſire of all nations. Wilt thou be merry at any time? ſaith Seneca, think on Caeſar: canſt thou be ſad, and he be in health? How much more cauſe have wee to be to be merry in the Lord Chriſt? Let us keep the feaſt with all ſolemnity: let us keep holy-day, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. ſith Chriſt our Paſſeover is ſacrificed for us, 1 Cor. 5.7, 8. Let this ſwallow up all our diſcontents, and crown the calender of our lives with continuall feſtivals: Let the ranſomed of the Lord return and come to Zion with ſongs and everlaſting joy upon their heads, &c. Eſay 35.10. The Septuagint aſcribe certain of the Pſalmes to Haggai, and Zachary, in the titles they prefix: though ſome think that the Hallelujah-Pſalmes (as they are called) becauſe they begin and end with Hallelujah, or, Praiſe ye Lord, were ſung by the Jews, returning out of Babylon; thoſe two Prophets beginning the tune, or giving the verſe (as they call it.) And hereunto the Prophet Jeremy might have an eye, chap. 31.12. Therefore they ſhall come and ſing in the height of Zion, and ſhall flow together, to the goodneſſe of the Lord, &c.

unto Zerubbabel the ſonne of Shealtiel] Philo ſaith, he was alſo called Barachias, He is called Shesbazzar, Ezra 1.8. others Phadaias, out of 1 Chron. 3.17. His name Zerubbabel ſignifieth, either Born in Babel, or, Far from confuſion. A Prince (of all men) ſhould obſerve order, keep the peace. By the Lawes of England, a Noble-man cannot be bound to the peace; becauſe it is ſuppoſed that the peace is alwayes bound to him, and that of his own accord, he will be carefull to keep others in good order. But what a regnum Cyclopicum was at Rome in Nero's dayes, Quando poterat quiſque eâ, quam cuperet potiri, Dio in vit. Neron. negare licebat nemini? Tum ſervus cum Domina, praeſente Domino ſuo, & gladiator cum virgine nobili inſpectante patre rem habuit, &c.? Bleſſed be God for better times.

Governour of Judah] Or, Duke, Captain, Provinciall, Preſident. The manyheaded Multitude hath need of a Guide, who may be [non-Latin text not transcribed], peaceable and prudent,Lib. 1. de leg. (ſaith Plato) to keep and care for the well-fare of his ſubjects. Such an one was Zerubbabel, Aug. epiſt. 179 Nobilis genere, nobilior ſanctitate, Noble by birth, but more noble by his piety: drained from the dregs, and ſifted from the brannes of the baſer ſort of people.In loc M. Pemble. In the ſeventeenth year of his age, he led back part of the people from Babylon to Jeruſalem; where he continued Governour for the ſpace of fifty eight years, ſaith Grynaeus. Thoſe that make Darius in the Text, to be Darius Nothus, muſt needs allow him a much longer life and government: which God, ſay they, granteth to ſome, becauſe hee hath ſomething to bee done by them. The Revolution of States may here alſo be remarked. This people was firſt governed by Judges, or Captains: then by Kings, and now by Captains again. So the Principality of Edom, as it began with Dukes, and roſe to Kings, ſo it returned to Dukes again, after the death of Hadad, in Moſes his time, 1 Chron. 1.51. Gen, 36.43. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Adeo nihil eſt in vita firmum aut ſtabile. So uncertain are all things.

and to Joſhuah the ſonne of Joſedech] A brand pluckt out of the fire, Zech. 3.2. and therefore the fitter for ſuch a preferment,Bernard. ut in alto poſitus non altum ſapiat. David came not to the kingdom, till his ſoul was even as a weaned childe, Pſal. 131.2. Queen Elizabeth ſwam to her crown, thorow a ſea of ſorrows. Matthias King of Hungary, was taken from the priſon to the throne. But, to the buſineſſe: Joſhuah the High-prieſt was a type of Chriſt, in regard,Turk. hiſi. 1. Of his name, which ſignifieth a Saviour. 2. Of his Office of High-prieſthood. 3. Of his partner-agency with Zerubbabel, in reducing the people home to their own countrey. The Lord Chriſt,Acts 3.15. Heb. 4. & 7. is both our Prince of life, and our mercifull and faithfull Highprieſt, ever living to make requeſt for us.

the high-prieſt, ſaying,] Zerubbabel and Jeboſhuah were the Chieftains of the people: and though not themſelves in fault, or at leaſt nothing ſo much, (for they were both very religious) yet they were not ſo forward and forth-putting as they ſhould have been in ſo excellent a work. Howſoever, if the task be not done, the Task-maſters are beaten, Exod. 5.14. It is the miſery of thoſe, that are truſted with authority, that their inferiours faults are beaten upon their backs. If the people gather Manna on the Lords ſabbath, Moſes and Aaron ſhall hear, How long refuſe ye to keep my commandements? Calvin in loc. Exod. 16.28. It is Mr. Calvins opinion, that Haggai therefore addreſſed himſelf to theſe two principall perſons: to the end that they might joyne their forces with him, in reprehending and exciting the people to the Lords work. When the word and the ſword go together, there is great likelihood of much good to be done. Upon the ſword of Charles the Great was written, Ʋtriuſque tabulae cuſtos. And Queen Elizabeth riding progreſſe once is Suffolk,M. Leighs treat. of Divin. ep. Ded. ſaid, that now ſhe ſaw the reaſon, why that County was ſo well governed, for ſhe obſerved that all the Juſtices coming to meet her, had every one his Miniſter next to his body.

Verſe 2. Thus ſpeaketh the Lord of Hoſts, ſaying,] This title is oft uſed in theſe three laſt prophecies (eighteen ſeverall times in that eighth of Zachary) becauſe, being to build, they had many enemies; therefore had need of all encouragement. And Hierom in his Prologue [illegible: 1 letter]oteth it as an act of great courage in Haggai and Zachary, that againſt the Edict of King Artaxerxes (or Cambyſes) and the oppoſitions of Sanballat, and other potent Adverſaries, they ſhould ſtir up the people to build the Temple: and as an act of heroicall faith in the Prince, prieſt, and people, to ſet upon the work, and finiſh it, Not by might, nor by power, but by the ſpirit the Lord of Hoſts, Zach. 4.6. See more of this title in the Note on Mal. 3.17. Doct. 1.

this people ſay] Words then have their weight: neither are mens tongues their own: but there is a Lord over them (Pſal. 12.4.) that will call them to a ſtrict account of all their waſte words, Mat. 12.36, and hard ſpeeches, Jude 15. and then they ſhall experiment that by their words (which they happly held but winde) they ſhall be juſtified, and by their words condemned, Mat. 12.37. How good is it therefore to carry a pair of ballance betwixt the lips? Neſcit poenitenda loqui qui proferenda priùs ſuo tradidit examini, ſaith Caſſiodore; He that weighs his words before he utters them, ſhall prevent an after-reckoning for them.

the time is not come, the time, &c] He repeateth their frivolous and frigid excuſes, in their own very words; that he may the better confute them, Ʋſus eſt [non-Latin text not transcribed] ut rei indignitatem amplificaret. and the ſooner bring them to a ſight of their ſinne. Sinne and ſhifting came into the world together, Gen. 3.12. And this is ſtill the vile poiſon of our hearts, that they will needs be naught, and yet never yeeld, but that there is reaſon to bee made, and great ſenſe in ſinning. Theſe Jewes (likely) had both Scripture and Reaſon to plead for their backwardneſſe (as there is no wooll ſo courſe, but will take ſome colour: and the ſluggard is wiſer in his own eyes, Prov. 26.16. then ſeven men that can render a reaſon:) For Scripture: To every thing there is an appointed time, a ſet ſeaſon, ſuch as we can neither alter nor order, Eccleſ. 3.1, and verſe 3. There is a time to break down, and a time to build up. And that this time to rebuild the Temple was not yet come, ſome might pretend, that the ſeventy years foretold,Hieronym. R. David. were not yet fully expired: others (with more ſhew of reaſon) that they had been too haſty in laying the foundation long ſince, as appears by their ill ſucceſſe, and many adverſaries: that, God who had dwelt ſo long in a Tabernacle, and was now worſhipped at his new-created Altar, would bear with them, if they firſt built their own houſes, and then be more free to build his Houſe, which they intended to do hereafter, with great care and coſt. This is ſtill the guiſe of graceleſſe procraſtinatours, to future and fool away their own ſalvation. Hereafter, ſay they, may bee time enough, and what need ſuch haſt to build the ſpirituall Temple? In ſpace comes grace, God is more mercifull then ſo: and at what time ſoever a ſinner repents from the bottom of his heart, &c.Mat. 23.17. Fools and blind men (as our Saviour calls the Phariſees) that thus ſtand trifling, and baffling with God, and their ſouls, being ſemper victuri, as Seneca ſaith, alwayes about to do that, which if not well done, they are utterly undone for ever: for upon this little point of time hangs the crown of eternity. The gales of grace are uncertain, the day of grace, (which is very clear and bright) is uſually a ſhort one. Non licet in bello bis peccare, ſaid Lamachus to a ſouldier of his brought before him, and pleading he would doe ſo no more: So God will not ſuffer men twice to neglect the day of grace, which, if once paſt, will never dawn again. Let none therefore when preſt to the preſent Now of meeting God by repentance, anſwer as Antipater King of Macedony did, when one, preſented him a book treating of happineſſe [non-Latin text not transcribed] I am not at leiſure: Or as Archias the Theban, when forewarned of a conſpiracy againſt him, caſt the letters by, with In craſtinum ſeria, and was ſlain ere the morrow came. Or as theſe Cunctators in the Text, that had oft in their mouth, The time is not come, the time &c. leſt the very next minute they be cut off by death from all further time of repentance, acceptation and grace for ever. Men may purpoſe, promiſe, expect a time of healing and happineſſe, when they ſhall be deceived, and find a time of terrour and torment, Jer. 14.19. Some, when a dying, would have given a world for time: as I have heard (ſaith a Reverend man) one crying day and night call time again: but that could not be.Poſthac occaſi[illegible: 1 letter] calva. As in warre, ſo here, none are permitted to erre twice. Time muſt be taken by the forelock, as being bald behind.

Verſe 3. Then came the Word of the Lord &c.] Then after a ſhort ſilence, as it were,Ribera. profertur Domini quaſi cogitata reſponſio followes the Lords elaborate and deliberate anſwer, not without ſome touch of holy tartneſſe, at their ingratitude: for, of all things, God can leaſt endure to be ſlighted, where he hath better deſerved. He looks upon ſuch with anger, being grieved at the hardneſſe of their hearts, Mark 3.5. He complains of ſuch with a ſigh; Ah ſinfull nation, Iſa. 1.4. he is ready to rid his ſtomack of them, verſe 24. Ah, I will eaſe me &c.

Verſe 4. Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houſes, &c.] Not covered onely, but cieled with cedar, (as the Chaldee here hath it) arched and garniſhed, as the Greek, carved and trimmed, as Ambroſe rendreth it. Sure,Lib. 3. epiſt. 12. either your beds are very ſoft, or your hearts very hard, that you can, not onely come into the tabernacles of your houſes, but give ſleep to your eyes, Pſal. 132.4, 5. or ſlumber to your eyelids. Before ye have found a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. Good David, could not finde in his heart to dwell in an houſe of Cedar, when the Ark of God dwelt within curtains, 2 Sam. 7.2. Valiant Ʋriah, deemed it altogether unfit and unreaſonable, that when the Ark, and Iſrael, and Judah abode in tents, he ſhould goe to his houſe to eat, and drink, and to take his eaſe and pleaſure, 2 Sam. 11.11. Solomon firſt built an houſe for God, and then for himſelf. The Chriſtian Emperours, Conſtantine, Theodoſius, Honorius, &c. exceeded in building Churches,Turk. hiſt. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Herodet. which, from their ſtatelineſſe were ſtiled Baſilica, or places for a King. The very Turks at this day, though content to dwell in mean and homely houſes, yet their Moſchees or Meeting-houſes, are very ſumptuouſly built, and ſet forth. It is a principle in Nature, that the things of God are elder, and more to bee reſpected then the things of men. A profeſſor of the Turks law proclaims, before they attempt any thing, that nothing be done againſt religion. This is better then that which was written over the gate of the Senate-houſe in Rome (which yet is not to be diſliked, in its place and order) Ne quid detrimenti Reſp. capiat. Give unto Caeſar the things that are Caeſars: but with all and above all, Give unto God the things that are Gods: [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Mat. 22.21. The Greek article is twice repeated by our Saviour, when he ſpeaketh for God, more then when for Caeſar: to ſhew, that our ſpecial care ſhould be, to give God his due, to ſeek firſt the kingdome of God and his righteouſneſſe, and then all other things ſhall ſeek us. Cicero. Caetera aut aderunt, aut caetera non oberunt. But moſt people are ſo buſied about their own houſes, their cottaeges of clay, the body, that Gods houſe,2 Cor. 5.1. the ſoul lies waſt and neglected: the lean kine eat up the fat: the ſtrength of the ground is ſpent in nouriſhing weeds. Earthly mindedneſſe ſucketh the ſap of grace from the heart, as the Ivy doth from the Oake, and maketh it unfruitfull. Men are ſo taken up about the world, that they think not on Gods kingdome: as the Duke of Alva told the French king,Fren. Hiſt. who asked him whether he had obſerved the late great Eclipſe? No, ſaid he, I have ſo much to doe upon earth, that I have no leiſure to look toward heaven. But is not one thing neceſſary, and all other but by-buſineſſes? And have we not in our dayly prayer, five petitions for ſpirituals, and but one for temporals? Are we not taught to make it our firſt requeſt, that Gods name may be hallowed, though our turnes ſhould not be ſerved? Is not Eſau ſtigmatized for ſelling his birth-right, for a meſſe of broth? And is not Shemei chronicled for a foole,Heb. 12.16. who, by ſeeking after his ſervants, loſt his life? Pope Sixtus for a mad man, that ſold his ſoul to the devil, to enjoy the Popedome for ſeven years? what ſhall it profit a man to win the world and loſe his own ſoul? to win Venice, and then be hanged at the gates thereof, as the Italian proverb hath it? Surely ſuch a mans loſſe will be 1.Mat. 16. Incomparable, 2. Irreparable: for what ſhall a man give in exchange of his ſoul? It was no evill counſel, that was given to John the third, King of Portugal, to meditate every day a quarter of an hour on that divine ſentence. It would be time well ſpent to ponder as oft and as long together on this Text, Is it time for you, O ye, that are ſo ſharp ſet upon the world, ſo wholly taken up about your private profits, your pleaſures and preferments, to ſit in your ceiled houſes, as Ahab once did in his ivory Palace, or Nebuchadnezzar in his houſe of the kingdome (as he vain-gloriouſly calleth it, Dan. 4.30.) and Gods houſe lie waſte, and his ſervice neglected, to whom we owe our ſelves, 1 Cor. 6.19. our lives Mat. 16.25. our parents, children, friends, means Mat. 19.29. our gifts and abilities, 1 Cor. 4.7. our honours and offices, Pſal. 2.10, 11, 12. all that we are, and have? How juſtly may God curſe our bleſſings, Job 16.15.16.18, 21. 1 Cor. 12.21. (as he threateneth theſe ſelfe-ſeeking, God-neglecting Jews both here, and Mal. 2.2.) ſcatter brimſtone upon our houſes, drp up our roots beneath, and above, cut off our branches, drive us from light into darkneſſe, and chaſe us out of the world with his terrours. Col. 3.2. Phil. 2.21. Surely ſuch are the (ceiled) dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God, that inverteth the order appointed of him, by coveting, not the beſt guiſts, but an evil covetouſneſſe, Hab. 2.9. by ſetting his affections, not on things above, but on things on the earth, by ſeeking their own things, every man, and not the things of Jeſus Chriſt.

Verſe 5. Now therefore thus ſaith the Lord of hoſts] Haggai was but a yong man, ſaith Epiphanius: Now therefore, leſt any one that heard him, ſhould deſpiſe his youth, and ſlight his doctrine, he ſhews his authority, he comes to them cum priviligio, he delivers not the conceptions of his own brain, but the Word and mind of God. For as Chryſoſtom ſaith of St. Paul, ſo may we ſay of all the reſt of the pen men of the Holy Scripture, Cor Pauli eſt cor Chriſti, their heart is Chriſts own heart: and their words are to be received, reverenced and ruminated, not as the words of mortal men, but (as they are indeed) the words of the everliving God, 1 Theſ. 2.13.Greg. in Reg 3 Excellently ſpake he who called the Scripture Cor & animam Dei, the heart and ſoul of God. It is, every whit of it, divinely inſpired, or breathed by God, ſaith the Apoſtle, and is profitable both for reproof, and for inſtruction in righteouſneſſe. 2 Tim. 3.16. See an inſtance hereof in this Text, together with the Prophets rhetorical artifice in firſt chiding, and now directing them to reprove, and not withal to inſtruct, is to ſnuffe the lamp, but not powre in oyle, that may feed it.

conſider your wayes] Heb. ſet your hearts upon them, diligently recogitate, and recognize your evil doings; and ſo ſhall ye ſoon find out the cauſe of your calamity, Judge your ſelves, ſo ſhall ye not be judged of the Lord, accept of the puntſhment of your iniquity: ſo iniquity ſhall not be your ruine: your ruth, but not your rums. Capite conſilium ex rebus ipſis, velexperiment is Learn at leaſt by the things ye have ſuffered: Let experience the miſtriſſe of fooles, reduce you to a right mind. Lay to heart your manifold miſeries, thoſe [non-Latin text not transcribed] as one calleth them, Free Schoolmaſters, curſt enough and crabbed, but ſuch as whereby God openeth mens ears to diſcipline, and eyes to obſervation of his works, and their own wayes;Job. 36.8, 9, 10. according to that of Ezechiel, chap. 40.4. Son of man behold with thine eye, and hear with thine ears, and ſet thy heart upon all that I ſhall ſhew thee &c. the ſenſes muſt be exerciſed that the heart may be affected with the word, and works of God; according to that mine cye affecteth my heart, Lam. 3.51. and Solomon gat much of his wiſedom by obſervation, as appeareth by his Eccleſiaſtes which ſome have not unfitly called Solomons Soliloquy. It is but little that can be learn'd in this life, without due and deep Conſideration: which is nothing elſe but an act of the Practical underſtanding, whereby it reflects and ſtaies upon its own intentions: and, comparing them with the rule, it proceeds to lay a command upon the will and Affections to put them in execution. Thus David conſidered his wayes, and finding all out of order, he turned his feet to Gods teſtimonies, Pſal. 119.59. And, to ſtill Gods enemies, Pſal. 4.4. he bids them commune with their own hearts and be ſtill, or make a pauſe, viz. till they have brought their conſideration to ſome good upſhot and concluſion. For when conſideration hath ſoundly enlightened a mans mind, informed his judgement according to that light (that candle held to his mind) and determined is will according to that judgement, it muſt needs bring forth ſound reſolutions, purpoſes and practiſes; as it did in the Ninivites, Ephraim, Ier. 31.19. Ioſiah, 2 Chron. 34.27. the Prodigal, Luke 15. the Church in Hoſea, chap. 2.6.7. She conſidered ſhe was croſſed and hedg'd in with afflictions, and reſolveth to return to her firſt husband. The contrary inconſiderateneſſe is complained of as a publique miſchief. Ier. 6.8. and 8.6. and 12.11. They have laid it waſte: and being waſte it mourneth unto me: The whole land lieth waſle, becauſe no man layeth it to heart, that is, conſidereth deeply of the cauſe of its deſolation. Without this, though a man had all poſlible knowledge lockt up in his brain and breaſt, it would be but as rain in the middle region, where it doth no good; as the horn in the Unicorns head, where it helps no diſeaſe; or as fire in a flintſtone inſenſible and unprofitable, till beaten out by ſound conſideration: This makes knowledge to become expreimental, as Pſal. 116.6. and Rom. 8.1, 2, this is to follow on to know the Lord. Hoſ. 6.3. as without this, mens knowledge is but a flaſh, and may end in ignorance and profaneneſſe: becauſe never formed and ſeated in their hearts, never diſgeſted by due meditation and application to their own conſciences.

Verſe 6. Ye have ſown much and bring in little] This was viſible to them: and they are called upon to conſider it. The Philoſopher affimes that man is therefore the wiſeſt of creatures, becauſe he alone can compute and conſider. And yet how little doth man reſpect this priviledge, without which he were to be ſorted with beaſts, or mad men? God harkened and heard, but no man ſpake adviſedly, no man repented of his wickedneſſe ſaying, what have I done? Jer. 8.6. no man humbled himſelf under the mighty hand of God, though god thruſt him down, as it were, with a thump upon the back. Moſt mens minds are as ill ſet as their eyes are; neither of them look inwards. Lord, ſaith the Prophet, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not ſee, but they ſhall ſee &c. Eſay 26.11. So, when Gods rods call for reformation, they will not heare it and who hath appointed it, but they ſhall heare Iob 33.15. Conſcience, their domeſticall Chaplaine, ſhall ring this peale in their cares, Conſider your wayes: Ye have ſowed much but brought in little &c. Omnia fuiſtis & nihil profuit, you have tried all wayes to live, and 'twill not be, laboured all night, and taken nuthing, laboured in the very fire, and wearied your ſelves for very vanity Hab. 2.13. as thoſe that ſeek after the Philoſophers ſtone, the moſt they can look for is their labour for their paines. Either vanity or violence hath exhauſted you, as Zach. 8.10. and Gods vengeance is viſible enough in thoſe ſecret iſſues and draines of expence at which your eſtates run out, becauſe he puts not his holy finger on the hole in the bottome of the bag. For it is his bleſſing alone that maketh rich Prov. 10 23. and except he build the houſe, they labour in vaine that build it Pſal. 127.1. There is a curſe upon unlawfull practiſes, though men be never ſo induſtrious, as in Iehojachim. Ier. 22. And all their policies without dependance upon him for direction and ſucceſſe, are but Arena ſine calce ſand without lime; they will not hold together, when we have moſt need of them, but fall alunder, like untempered morter. Hence the Pſalmiſt aſſureth us, that Promotion comes neither from the Eaſt, Pſal. 75.6. nor from the Weſt, nor yet from the South where the warme ſunſhine is, but from the Lord: he putteth down one, and ſetteth up another. So Hannah, The Lord, ſaith ſhe, maketh po[illegible: 1 letter]r, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up 1 Sam. 2.7. And albeit no man knowes either love or hatred by all that is before them, becauſe all things come alike to all Eccleſ. 9.1, 2. (God maketh a ſcatter as it were, of theſe outward commodities: good men gather them, bad men ſcramble for them) yet if he blow upon a mans eſtate, and by loſſes and croſſes ſo beat him down with his own bare hand (as here in the text) that either he hath not to eat, or dare not cat his fill, for feare of wanting another day, or if he do cat, yet the ſtaff of bread being broken, and for want of Gods concurrence, he eats and is not ſatisfied &c. he hath but priſoners pittance, which will neither keep him alive, nor yet ſuffor him to dye, he is to be very ſenſible of it, to conſider his wayes, and looking upon his penury (as a peece of the curſe for neglect of Gods ſervice Levit. 26.14. &c.) to deprecate that laſt and worſt of miſeries, the judgement of pining away in their iniquities Verſe 39. This is worſe then any ſcarcity, then any bulimy or doggiſh appetite, a diſeaſe common in times of famine. The righteous cateth to the ſatisfying of his ſoule: but the belly of the wicked ſhall want Prov. 14.25. As his belly prepareth deceit Iob 15.35. ſo it ſuffers deceit; mpoſturam faciunt & patiuntur, as the Emperour ſaid of them, that ſold glaſſe for pearles. Fumos vendidi[illegible: 1 letter], fumo pereat, as Another. Ye looked for much and loe it came to little, as it followeth verſe 9. and why? but becauſe they thought every little too much for God, and all well ſaved that was kept from him, Mal. 3.9, 10, 11. See the Notes there. The Popiſh Commentators upon this text call upon the people, (if ever they meane to thrive) to keep holydayes; to heare Maſſes &c. yea ſome Prieſts in Gerſons time publiquely preached to the people,Non crit caecus, nec ſubito morietur, nec carebit ſufficienti ſuſtentatione. that whoſoever would hear a Maſſe, he ſhould not fall blind on that day, nor be taken away by ſuddain death, nor want ſufficient ſuſtenance &c. This was more then they had good warrant to promiſe; and yet they are beleeved. Shall not we learn to live by faith, to truſt in the Lord and doe good? ſo ſhalt thou dwelt in the land, and verily thou ſhalt be fed, Pſal. 37.3. The wicked in the fulneſſe of their ſufficiency are in ſtraits. Jeb. 20.22. Contrarily, the godly, in the fulneſſe of their ſtraits are in a ſufficiency: and this is the gain of godlineſſe. 1 Tim. 6.6. Piety is never without a well-contenting ſufficiency, it hath treaſure that ſaileth not, bags that wax not old, Luke 12.33. And ſhall have hereafter riches without ruſt, wealth without want, ſtore without ſore, beauty without blemiſh, mirth without mixture &c.

Verſe 7. Conſider your wayes] See ver. 5. Do it early, and earneſtly. Excutite vos, iterumque excutite, as Tremellius rendreth that in Zeph. 2.1. Search you, ſearch you, O Nation not worthy to be beloved. So Lam. 3.40. Let us ſearch and try our wayes. Not ſearch only but try, and as it were ſift them to the brann So 2 Cor. 13.5. Examine your ſelves whether ye be in the faith: prove your own ſelves, as it were with redoubled diligence, in a moſt needfull but much neglected duty, of dealing with your own hearts. But if ye will not, ſee that flaming place Ezech. 16.43. If men will not judge themſelves, God will: as though ſchollers will not ſcan their verſes, their maſters will. Men are as loth to review their actions, and read the blurr'd writings of their own hearts, as School-boyes are to parſe their leſſons and falſe Latines they have made. But as he who will not caſt up his bookes, his bookes will caſt up him at length: ſo thoſe that will not conſider their wayes, and take themſelves to task, ſhall find that ſparing a little paines at firſt will double it in the end: and that the beſt that can come of this forlorne negligence, is the bitter pangs of repentance. Oh therefore that, with Solomons wiſe man, we had our eyes in our heads, and not in the corners of the earth!Eccleſ. 2.14. 1 King. 6.4. And that our eyes were, like the windowes in Solomons Temple, broad inward, that we might ſee our ſins to confeſſion, ſo ſhould we never ſee them to our confuſion. The Iſraelites confeſſed their murmuring and ſtubbornneſſe, when God ſent evill Angels amongſt them, that is, ſome meſſengers of his wrath and diſpleaſure. The Prophet Haggai here would have their poſterity conſider and better conſider, ſith the hand of God was ſo heavy upon them, and that he came againſt them as in were with a drawn ſword, how they might diſarme his juſt indignation by a ſpeedy reformation. To which purpoſe he addeth

Verſe 8. Go up to the mountaine, and bring wood &.c] Set upon the work, and be ſerious: build the Temple with like zeale as Baruc repaired the wall Neh. 3.20. acendit ſcipſum, he burſt out into an heat, being angry with his own and others ſloth: and ſo finiſht his task in a ſhort time. It muſt be an earneſt, upright, and conſtant endeavour of reformation, that muſt follow upon our ſenſe of ſin, and feare of wrath: or elſe all will be but mo[illegible: 1 letter]us aliquis evanidus (as Calvin on the text hath it) a very ſlaſh: It will be but as prints made on water; aſſoon as finger is off, all is out. It was certainly therefore an excellent ſaying of Luther (though condemned for hereticall by Pope Leo the tenth) Optima & aptiſſima poenitentia eſt nova vita. Amendment of life is the beſt repentance: neither is there any wiſer way to break off our ſins, then to practiſe the contrary duties. He that repents with a contradiction (ſaith Tertullian) God will pardon him with a contradiction. Thou repenteſt and yet continueſt in thy ſin. God will pardon thee, and yet ſend thee to hell. Thoſe that will have God to take pleaſure in them, as in his Temple, to love them and come unto them, and make his abode with them Ioh. 14.23. to dwell in them, and walk in them (as they did in Solomons porch, and other walks and galleries about the Temple Zach. 3.7.) to be glorified in them (accounting himſelf to receive, as it were, a new being, by thoſe inward conceptions of his glory, and thoſe outward honours we do to his name) they muſt go up to the Mountaine, not of Lebanon (though that was a pleaſant and plentifull place Deut. 3.25.) but of Heaven, that Hill from whence comes their help, and bring wood, (growing wood Cant. 1.17. living ſtones 1 Pet. 2.5.) and build the houſe 1 Cor. 3.9. Eph. 2.22. laying faith for a foundation, love for a covering, having hope for a pinacle, humility for a pavement &c. waſhing it with teares, ſweeping it by repentance, beautifying it with holineſſe, perfuming it with prayers, hanging it with ſincerity &c. So ſhall Chriſt the King be held in the galleries Cant. 7.5. he ſhall covet their beauty Pſal. 45.12. and be held faſt bound to them in the bands of pure affection, and ſpirituall wedlock. He will take pleaſure in them, as he did in thoſe that prayed in or toward the Temple Deut. 12.11. 1 King. 8.29. as he did in Daniel that man of deſires chap. 9.23. in David Gods corculum or darling 1 Sam. 13.14. in his Hephſibah or ſweetheart the Church Eſay. 62.4. called elſewhere the beloved of his ſoule, or his beloved ſoule: And he will be glorified in them by their ſpirituall ſacrifices 1 Pet. 2.5. reaſonable ſervices Rom. 12.1. performed in ſpirit and in truth Ioh. 4.24. by ſome one of which God is more glorified then by all the actions of unreaſonable or unregenerate creatures.

Verſe 9. Ye looked for much, and loe it came to little] Spes in oculis, luctus in manibus, as Hierome here. The hope of unjuſt men periſheth Prov. 11.7. etiam ſpes valentiſſima his likelyeſt hope, as ſome render it: he thinks himſelf ſure, as Eſau did of the bleſſing, but he only thinks ſo: God cuts off the meate from his mouth Ioel 1.16. takes away his corn in the time thereof Hoſ. 2.9. confutes him in his confidences, which prove like the brookes of Tema. Iob. 6.17. and ſerve him, as Abſaloms mule did her maſter: his high hopes hop beadleſſe, as One phraſeeh it. It falleth out with him as with thoſe perverſe Iſraelites in the wilderneſſe made to tack about two and forty times, after that they thought themſelves ſure of the promiſed land.

I did blow upon it] i. e. I diſperſed it with caſe. By a like phraſe (for ſenſe) God is ſaid Eſa. 25.11. to ſpread forth his hands in the middeſt of his enemies, as he that ſwimmeth ſpreadeth forth his hands to ſwim: and to bring down their pride, together with the ſpoiles of their hands, with greateſt facility. The motion in ſwimming is eaſy, not ſtrong: for ſtrong violent ſtrokes in the water would rather ſink then ſupport. In like ſort God blaſted their treaſure, or blew their hoards hither and thither, he conſumed their ſubſtance and curſed their bleſſings, as Mal. 2.2. See the Note there.

why ſaith the Lord of hoſts? becauſe of mine houſe that is waſt &c.] Their ſin of preferring their own private intereſts and ſelf-reſpects before Gods work and ſervice is here repeated, and exaggerated, as the ground and cauſe of all their calamities: And all little enough to bring them to a ſound and ſerious ſight and hatred of their ſins. Such a deep kind of drowſineſſe hath ſurprized us, for moſt part, that whereas every judgement of God ſhould be a warning-peale to repent, we be like the ſmiths dog, who the harder the anvile is beaten on, lyeth by and ſlecpeth the ſounder: Or like the ſilly hen, which loſeth her chickens, one by one by the devouring kite, and yet as altogether inſenſible of her loſſe, continues to pick up what lieth before her. This is to ſwelter and pine away in iniquity, as if nothing could awaken men Lev. 26.39. and it is threatened laſt of all, as worſe then all their loſſes, captivities &c. A lethargy is no leſſe deadly then the moſt tormenting diſeaſe. Let miniſters therefore, by ſuch forcible and quick queſtions as this in the Text, and otherwiſe, arrouſe their hearers (as they once did here their deare friends in the ſweating ſickneſſe, who, if ſuffered to ſleep, dyed certainely) that they may awake, and recover themſelves out of the ſnare of the devill &c. It is well obſerved by One, that the devils particula[illegible: 1 letter] ſin is not once mentioned in Geneſis, becauſe he was not to be reſtored by repentance: But the ſin of Man is enlarged in all the circumſtances. And why this? but that he might be ſenſible, aſhamed, and penitent for his ſin. They ſay in philoſophy, that the foundation of naturall life is feeling; no feeling, no life. And that the more quick and nimble the ſenſe of feeling is in a man, the better is his conſtitution. Think the ſame of life ſpirituall, and of that hidden man of the heart, as St. Peter calles him.

and ye run every man unto his own houſe] Or, ye take pleaſure every man in his own houſe. q. d. Ye are all ſelf-ſeekers, private-ſpirited perſons, ye are all for your own intereſts: like the ſnaile that ſeldome ſtirrs abroad, and never, without his houſe upon his back: or like the Eagle, which when he flies higheſt, hath ſtill an eye downward to the prey, that he minds to ſeize. In parabola ovis capras ſuas querunt. Rom. 16. They ſerve not the Lord Jeſus Chriſt but their own bellyes: or if they ſerve Chriſt, it is for gaine, as Children will not ſay their prayers, unleſſe we promiſe them their breakfaſts. In ſerving him, they do but ſerve themſelves upon him; as thoſe carnall Capernaites did Ioh. 6. Well might the Apoſtle complaine as Philip. 2.21. And Another ſince, that it is his Pleaſures. his Profit, and his Preſerment, that is the naturall mans Trinity: and his carnall ſelf that is theſe in Unity. May he be but warm in his own ſeathers, he little regards the dangers of the houſe. He is totus in ſe, wholy drawn up into himſelf, and inſenſible of either the publike good, or common danger: though the water-pot and ſpeare be taken from the bolſter, yet he ſtirrs not. Farr enough from St. Pauls frame of ſpirit or ſpeech, Who is offended, and I burn not? farr enough from his care and cumber, anxiety and ſolicitude for the houſe of God, and proſperity of his people 2 Cor. 11.28. [non-Latin text not transcribed] Nothing like they are to Ambroſe, who was more troubled for the ſtate of the Church, then for his own dangers? Nothing like Melanethon, of whom it is ſaid, that the ruines of Gods houſe, and the miſeries of his people made him almoſt neglect the death of his moſt beloved children. True goodneſſe is publike-ſpirited though to private diſadvantage: as Nature will venture its own particular good for the generall, ſo will grace much more. Heavy things will aſcend to keep out vacuity, and preſerve the Univerſe. A ſtone will fall down to come to its own place, though it break it ſelf in twenty pieces. It is the ingenuity of ſaints, in all their deſires and deſignes to ſtudy Gods ends more then their own: to build Gods houſe with neglect of their own, as Solomon did: to drown all ſelf-reſpects in his glory, and the publike good, as Nehemiah did: of whom it might be more truely ſaid, then the Heathen Hiſtorian did of Cato, Di[illegible: 1 letter]. Lucan. that he did [non-Latin text not transcribed], over-love the Common-wealth, and that he did — toti genitum ſe credere mundo, beleeve himſelf born for the benefit of man-kind.

Verſe 10, 11. Therefore the heaven over you is ſtayed from rain, &c.] It's never well with man (whoſe life is ever in fuga, as the Philoſopher hath it, and muſt be maintained by meat, as the fire is by fuell) till God hear the heaven, and the heaven hear the earth, and the earth hear the corn, the wine, and the oyl, and theſe hear Jezreel, Hoſ. 2.21, 22. where we may ſee the genealogie of theſe good creatures reſolved into God. The earth (though a kind mother) cannot open her bowels, and yeeld ſeed to the ſower, and bread to the eater, if not watered from above. The heaven (though the ſtore-houſe of Gods good treaſure, which he openeth to our profit and nouriſhment, Deut. 28.12.) cannot drop down fatneſſe upon the earth, if God cloſe it up, and with-hold the ſeaſonable ſhowres. This the very Heathens acknowledged in their fictions of Jupiter and Juno: Strabo. and the Metapontines, having had a good harveſt, conſecrated [non-Latin text not transcribed], an harveſt cut in gold, to their God, in the Temple at Delphos. Now, when a rabble of Rebels ſhall conſpire againſt God, and fight againſt him with his own weapons, as Jehu did againſt Jeboram with his own men, what can He do leſſe then cut them ſhort? then make them know the worth of his benefits by the want of them? then call for a drought, (verſe 11.) and ſo for a dearth, (which inevitably followed in thoſe hot countreys) and conſequently for peſtilence and ſword, the uſuall concomitants?Pro cherebh legunt cherib. the Septuagint for drought here (by a miſtake of points) tranſlate a ſword. And in the Originall there is an elegancy paſt Engliſhing. Becauſe my houſe is chareb, that is, waſt, therefore I have called for a choreb, a drought, or for a chereb, a ſword, which ſhall in like ſort lay your land waſt, and make your houſes deſolate: according to that is threatened, Deut. 28. and Matth. 23.38. And in the very next chap. verſe 7. Chriſt telleth his Apoſtles that thoſe refractary Jewes, and others, that rejected Him the true Temple, in whom the Godhead dwelt bodily, that is Eſſentially (and not in clouds and ceremonies,Col. 2.9. as once between the Cherubims, which they uſed to call Shechinah) becauſe they loathed the heavenly Manna, therefore they ſhould be pined with famine. They that would have none of the Goſpel of peace, ſhould taſt deeply of the miſeries of warre. They that deſpiſed the onely medicine of their ſouls, ſhould be viſited with peſtilence. The black horſe is ever at the heels of the red; and the pale, of the black, Rev. 6.4. As there hath been a conjuncture of offences, ſo there will be of miſeries: A conflux of them abideth the neglecters of Gods Houſe, the contemners of his Goſpel. Ʋrſine tells us, that thoſe that fled out of England for Religion in Queen Maries dayes acknowledged that that great inundation of miſery came juſtly upon them, for their unprofitableneſſe under the means of grace, which they had enjoyed in King Edwards dayes. Zanchy likewiſe tells us, that when he firſt came to be Paſtour at Clavenna, there fell out a grievous peſtilence in that Town, ſo that in ſeven moneths ſpace, there died 1200. perſons. Their former Paſtour Mainardus, that man of God, as he calleth him, had often foretold ſuch a calamity,Zanch. Miſcel. ep. ad Lantgrav. for their profaneneſſe and Popery: But he could never be beleeved, till the plague had proved him a true Prophet; and then they remembred his words, and wiſht they had been warned by him. Let us alſo fear, Am. 5.12. Peccata oſſea i. e. fortia. leſt for our many and bony ſinnes (as the Prophets expreſſion is) but eſpecially, for our hatefull and horrible contempt of his ſervants and ſervices (never the like known) we pull upon our land Amos his famine, not of bread, but (which is a thouſand-fold worſe) of hearing the words of the Lord. A famine long ſince foretold and feared by our Martyrs and Confeſſours;Am. 8.11. and now, if ever (if God forefend not) in procinctu to fall upon us, as the moſt unworthy and unthankfull people that ever the Sun of heaven beheld, or the ſun of Chriſts Goſpel ſhone upon ſo fair, and ſo long together. The beſt way of prevention is previſion, and reformation: beginning at our own, as Gidcon did at his fathers houſhold, Judg. 6.27. And the beſt Almanack we can rely upon for ſeaſonable weather, and the lengthening of our tranquillity is our obedience to God, love to our neighbours, care of our ſelves, &c.

Verſe 12. Then Zerubbabel the ſonne of Shealtiel, &c.] So mighty in operation, ſo quick and powerfull is the good word of God in the mouthes of his faithfull Miniſters, when ſeconded and ſet on by his holy Spirit. See for this, Eſay 55.10, 11. Jer. 23.28, 29. Act. 19.20. 1 Cor. 14.24, 25. Heb. 4.12. See that ſcala coeli, ladder of heaven, as One calleth it, Rom. 10.14, 15. and conſider how mightily the word of God grew and prevailed in thoſe primitive times. It ſpread thorow the world like a Sun beam, ſaith Euſebius: it was carried about into all places as on Eagles, or rather as on Angels wings. Athanaſius of old, and Luther alate were ſtrangely upheld and proſpered againſt a world of Oppoſites to the truth they preached.Melch. Ad[illegible: 1 letter]m. in vit. Farel. Farellus gained five great cities with their territories to Chriſt. How admirably and effectually King Edward the ſixth was wrought upon by a ſermon of Biſhop Ridleys, touching works of charity; ſee his life written by Sir John Heywood, Pag. 169, 170, &c. It is the ſpirit that quickeneth the ſeed of the word, and maketh it prolificall, and generative. And as in the body there are veins to carry the blood, and arteries to carry the ſpirits that quicken the blood; ſo is it with the word and ſpirit in the ſoul. If Gods Spirit open not mans heart, the word cannot enter. If he illighten not both Organ and Object, Chriſt, though never ſo powerfully preacht, is both unkent, and unkiſt, as the Northern Proverb hath it: The word heard profited them not, becauſe not mixt with faith in them that heard it, Heb. 4.2. They heard it onely with the hearing of the ear, with that griſtle that grew on the outſide of the head: whereas they ſhould have drawn up the inward ear to the outward, that one and the ſame ſound might have pierced both. But this all that hear cannot do, becauſe all are not of God, Joh. 8.47. and ſo have not his ear-mark, ſpirituall ſenſes habitually exerciſed to diſcern good and evil, Heb. 5. ult. they have an heavy ear, which is a ſingular judgement, Eſay 6.10.

With all the remnant of the people] i.e. The generality of the returned captives, followed their leaders. A remnant they are called, becauſe but few in compariſon of thoſe many hedge-rogues Mr. Dyke calleth them, potters they are called, 1 Chro. 4.23. men of baſe and low ſpirits, that dwelt ſtill in Babylon among plants and hedges: being the baſe brood of thoſe degenerated Iſraelites, who when liberty was proclaimed for their return to Jeruſalem, choſe rather to get their living by making pots for the king of Babylon. Theſe are ancient, or rather obſolete things, as Junius rendreth it, worn out and forgotten: and indeed they deſerve to be utterly forgotten, and not written, or reckoned among the living in Jeruſalem, Eſay 4.3.

Obeyed the voyce of the Lord their God] with the obedience of faith: and this they did by the good example of their Rulers. Thus, when Criſpus the chief Ruler of the Synagogue beleeved, many of the Corinthians beleeved alſo, Acts 18.8. When the kings of Judah were good or evil, the people were ſo likewiſe. Great men are the looking-glaſſes of their countrey: according to which, moſt men dreſſe themſelves. Qualis Rex, talis grex. Why compelleſt thou the Gentiles, ſaid Paul to Peter, ſc. by thine example, to Judaize, Gal. 2.14.

and the words of Haggai the Prophet] whoſe mouth God was pleaſed to make uſe of. And this is added for a confirmation of the Prophets calling to the work; becauſe of long time before, there had been no Prophet among the people, nor any to tell how long, as the Church complaineth, Pſal. 74.9.

as the Lord their God had ſent him] Heb. according as the Lord their God had ſent him, after the ſame manner they heard, and obeyed the Prophet, as the Lord had ſent him: they did not wreſt his words to a wrong ſence: nor did they queſtion his Commiſſion; but receiving it as the word, not of man, but of God, they ſet forthwith upon the work, yeelding as prompt and preſent obedience, as if God with his own mouth had immediately ſpoken to them from heaven.

and the people did fear before the Lord] as if He himſelf had been viſibly preſent in his own perſon. So Saint Peters hearers, Acts 10.33. Now therefore, ſay they, we are all here preſent before God, to hear all things commanded thee of God. If young Samuel had known that it was the Lord that called him once and again, he would not have returned to his bed to ſleep. If men were well perſwaded that the God of heaven beſpeaks them by his faithfull Miniſters, they would not give way to wilfull wandrings, but hear as for life, and fear to do any thing unworthy of ſuch a preſence: they would work out their ſalvation with fear and trembling, yea work hard at it, as afraid to be taken with their task undone.Pſal. 103.[illegible: 1 letter]3 Eccleſ. 12. They that fear the Lord will keep his covenant, ſaith David. Fear God and keep his commandements, ſaith Solomon. And, in every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteouſneſſe, is accepted of him, ſaith Peter, Acts 10.35.

Verſe 13. Then ſpake Haggai the Lords meſſenger] Or, Angel. See the Note on Mal. 1.1. Then ſpeaks] Namely on the four and twentieth day of the moneth, as it is in the laſt verſe: untill which day they had been building, for three weeks together. But Governour Tatnai and his complices came upon them, and diſcouraged the people, and hindred the work, Ezra 5.3. It was but need full therefore, that Gods command ſhould be repeated, and a ſpeciall promiſe added, I am with you, ſaith the Lord. Where we may well take up that of Tully concerning Brutus his Laconicall Epiſtle, Quam multa, quàm paucis! how much in a little. I am with you, ſaith the Lord, you need not therefore fear, what man can do unto you. God is All-ſufficient to thoſe that are Altogether his. See 2 Chron. 15.2.Cint. 2.15 The Church is called Jehovah Shammah, that is, The Lord is there, Ezek. 48.35. God is in the middeſt of her, ſhee ſhall not be moved, Pſal. 46.5. Immota manet, may better be her Motto, then Venice's. She is ſurely invincible, Zach. 12.5, 6, 7. as having a mighty Champion, even the holy One of frael: and this makes her (though but a Virgin) to laugh to ſcorn her proudeſt enemies: yea, to ſhake her head at them, Eſay 37.22, 23 as rather to be pitied then envied. There were they in great fear, (ſaith David, of the Churches enemies) for why? God is in the generation of the righteous, Pſal. 14. Hence thoſe Philiſtims were ſo woe-begone, 1 Sam. 4.7. And the Egyptians no leſſe, Exod. 14.25. Let us flee, ſay they, from the face of Iſrael for the Lord fighteth for them. What ſhall wee then ſay to theſe things? ſaith Paul, (who had often heard when he was in the enemies hand, Fear not, I am with thee) If God be for us, who can be againſt us? who dare be ſo foolhardy? ſo ambitious of his own deſtruction? Hath ever any waxed fierce againſt God and proſpered? Job 9.4. Where is Pharaoh, Nero, Nebuchadnezzar, &c? Was it ſafe for theſe, or any any other to provoke the Lord to anger? were they ſtronger then he? Oh that men would (according to Solomons counſell) meddle with their match, and not contend with him that is mightier then they! Eſth. 7.8. Can God be with his people, and ſee them abuſed to his face? Will they force the Queen alſo before him in the houſe? Will they, Giant-like, fight againſt God? will they needs touch the apple of his eye, that tendereſt piece of the tendereſt part? Will they invade his portion, plunder him of his jewels, pull the ſignet from his right hand? Surely God is ſo with his people, that as he taketh notice of the leaſt courteſie done to them to reward it, (even to a cup of cold water) ſo of the leaſt affront, or offence to revenge it, be it but a frown, or a frump, Gen. 4.6. Num. 12.10. Better a milſtone were hang'd, &c. Better anger all the witches in the countrey, then one of Gods zealous witneſſes, Rev. 11.5. Death cannot hurt them, Pſal. 23.3. Hell could no more hold them (the pains of hell gat hold on David, but he was delivered, Pſal. 116.3.) then the Whale could hold Jonas: It muſt needs render them up again, becauſe God is with them. Now I had rather be in hell (ſaid Luther) with God, then in heaven without him, and it were far ſafer for mee.

Verſe 14. And the Lord ſtirred up the ſpirit of Zerubbabel, &c. Here's the Appendix of the foregoing ſermon, whereof we have heard but the brief Notes. That one word, I am with you, ſeconded and ſet on by Gods holy Spirit, ſet them all awork. How forcible are right words? Job 6.25 One ſeaſonable truth falling on a prepared heart, hath oft a ſtrong and ſweet operation, ſc. when God is pleaſed to work with it, and make it effectuall: this, man cannot do, no more then the huſband-man can make an harveſt. The weapons of our warfare are mighty, 2 Cor. 10.4 through God, to the pulling down of ſtrong-holds. Luther having heard Staupicius ſay, that that is kindly repentance which begins from the love of God, found from that time forward the practiſe of repentance far ſweeter to him then before. Galeacius Caracciolus, an Italian Marqueſſe, was converted by an apt ſimilitude uſed by Peter Martyr, reading on the firſt Epiſtle to the Corinthians. Dr. Taylour, Martyr, bleſſed God, that ever he became fellow-priſoner to that Angel of God, (as he called him) John Bradford. Senarclaeus (in his Epiſtle to Bucer, prefixed before the hiſtory of the death of Iohn Diarius, ſlain by his own brother, as Abel was, for religions ſake) I remember, ſaith He, when he and I were together at Newburg, the day before his ſlaughter, he gave me a great deal of grave and gracious counſell, Ego verò illius oratione ſic incendebar, ut cum eum diſſerentem audirem, Spiritus Sancti verba me audire exiſtimarem, i. e. I was ſo ſtirred up with his diſcourſe, as if I had heard the Holy Ghoſt himſelf ſpeaking unto me; ſo fervent was he, and full of life; for he firſt felt what he ſpake, and then ſpake what he felt. So ſhould all do, that deſire to ſpeak to purpoſe; and then pray to God, as for a door of utterance, ſo for a door of entrance to be opened unto them; ſuch as St. Paul had to the heart of Lydiae, and as Biſhop Ridley had to the heart of good King Edw. 6. whereof before.

and they came and did work. The Governours alſo, by overſeeing others, and ruling the buſineſſe by their diſcretion. Where Gods glory and the common good is concerned, all ſorts muſt ſet to their helping hand.

Verſe 15. In the four and twentieth day] See the Note on verſ. 13. The time is diligently noted, to teach us to take good note of the moments of time, wherein matters of moment have been, by Gods help, begun, continued, and perfected in the Church. This will be of ſingular uſe, both for the increaſe of faith, and of good affection in our hearts.