This part of sacred Scripture is in some Hebrew copies called “Sepher Haggai”, the Book, of Haggai; in the Vulgate Latin version, the Prophecy of Haggai; and, in the Syriac and Arabic versions, the Prophecy of the Prophet Haggai.

In the second year of Darius the King That is, of Persia; he is spoken of as if he was the only king in the world; and indeed he was the then greatest king in it; and therefore is emphatically called “the king”.

Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts Of armies above and below; whom all ought to reverence, honour, and obey; who was able to support his people in building his house, and protect them from their enemies, which should have been an encouragement to them; and to punish them for their neglect of it, which…

Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet This is a second prophecy, distinct from the former; that was delivered to the two governors, setting forth the sentiments and language of the people concerning the building of the temple, which was left with them to consider how just it was; but…

Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your panelled houses, &c.] They could not only find time, leisure, and convenience to build houses to dwell in; but to wainscot them, and line them with boards of cedar, as the Targum; as bad as the times were complained of; and could sit in them, indulging…

Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts The Lord God omniscient and omnipotent, that saw all their actions, and could punish for them; since they were so careful of their own houses, and adorning them, and so careless of his house; he would have them now sit down, and seriously think of these…

Ye have sown much, and bring in little Contrary to what is usually done; the seed that is sown is but little, in, comparison of what springs up, is reaped, and gathered into the barn; which commonly affords seed again to the sower, and bread to the eater; but here much land was tilled, and a great…

Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider your ways. ] What they have been; what has been the consequence of them; and to what the above things are to be ascribed.

Go up to the mountain Or, “that mountain” [[19]]; pointing either to Lebanon, to cut down cedars, and bring them from thence for the building of the temple; or Mount Moriah, on which the temple was to be built; and thither carry the wood they fetched from Lebanon, or were brought from thence by the…

Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little They looked for a large harvest, and very promising it was for a while; but in the end it came to little; it was a very small crop, very little was reaped and gathered in: or, “in looking”, ye looked “to increase” [[22]]; your substance; had raised…

Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew Or, “therefore over”, or “upon you” [[0]]; where should be a stop; that is, because, of your neglect of the house of God; therefore upon you, and upon you only, and not upon other nations, the heaven is restrained from letting down the dew: or,…

And I called for a drought upon the land Upon the whole land of Judea; as he withheld the dew and rain from falling on it to moisten it, refresh it, and make it fruitful; so he ordered a vehement heat to dry and parch it; and directed the rays of the sun to strike with great force upon it, and…

Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech the high priest Here follows an account of the success of Haggai’s prophecy; with what power and efficacy the word of the Lord by him was attended; how it at once reached and affected the hearts of princes and people, and brought…

Then spoke Haggai the Lord’s messenger Which some render “angel”; hence sprung that notion, imbibed by some, that he was not a man, but an angel; whereas this only respects his office, being sent of God as an ambassador in his name with a message to his people: he now observing what effect his…

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 He roused them up from that sleep and sloth in which they were before, both the governors and…

In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month Or, “in the four and twentieth of the month, in the sixth”; in that sixth month before mentioned, . On this day they came and worked; not the sixth from Tisri, for the Jews had two ways of beginning their years, which would have answered to part of…