Haggai 2:12

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

If one {H376} bear {H5375} holy {H6944} flesh {H1320} in the skirt {H3671} of his garment {H899}, and with his skirt {H3671} do touch {H5060} bread {H3899}, or pottage {H5138}, or wine {H3196}, or oil {H8081}, or any meat {H3978}, shall it be holy {H6942}? And the priests {H3548} answered {H6030} and said {H559}, No.

if someone carries meat that has been set aside as holy in a fold of his cloak; and then he lets his cloak touch bread, stew, wine, olive oil or any other food; does that food become holy too?'" The cohanim answered, "No."

If a man carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and it touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other food, does that item become holy?’” “No,” replied the priests.

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

Commentary

Haggai 2:12 (KJV) presents a crucial question posed by God through the prophet Haggai to the priests, illustrating a fundamental principle about the nature of holiness and defilement under the Old Covenant law.

Context

This verse is part of a series of questions God directs Haggai to ask the priests, who were the authoritative interpreters of the Mosaic Law. The setting is post-exilic Judah, where the people had returned from Babylonian captivity and were in the process of rebuilding the Temple. Despite God's call to rebuild, the people had been sluggish and focused on their own homes, leading to a period of spiritual and material barrenness (Haggai 1:6). In this passage, God is teaching them about the spiritual state that affects their work and their offerings.

Key Themes

  • The Nature of Holiness: The primary lesson is that holiness is not easily transferable by mere physical contact. Just because a garment touches "holy flesh" (meat from a consecrated sacrifice) does not mean anything else it subsequently touches becomes holy. Holiness is specific, set apart by God, and not contagious in the same way uncleanness is.
  • The Pervasiveness of Defilement: This question sets the stage for the contrasting principle in the very next verse (Haggai 2:13), where defilement (uncleanness from touching a dead body) *does* spread easily. This highlights that it is far easier to become defiled than to become holy.
  • God's Standards for Purity: The priests' immediate and correct answer, "No," confirms the established Levitical law. God emphasizes that ritual acts and proximity to sacred things do not automatically confer holiness; rather, the state of the worshiper and their offerings is paramount. This points to the need for true spiritual purity, not just external ritual adherence.

Linguistic Insights

The "holy flesh" refers to parts of the animal sacrifices that were consecrated to God and could only be eaten by the priests in a holy place (e.g., Leviticus 6:29). The "skirt of his garment" refers to the hem or fold of a priestly robe. The question highlights a critical distinction in Old Testament law: while certain items could become unclean through contact with defilement (as seen in Numbers 19:22), holiness did not spread in the same manner. This principle underscored the unique, divine source of true holiness.

Practical Application

Haggai 2:12 carries profound spiritual implications for believers today:

  • Holiness is from God: We cannot make ourselves or anything else truly holy through our own efforts or by simply associating with sacred objects or rituals. True holiness, or sanctification, is a work of God's Spirit in our lives, setting us apart for His purposes (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
  • The Power of Sin: This verse subtly teaches that sin and spiritual defilement are highly contagious and easily spread. A little leaven leavens the whole lump (Galatians 5:9). It underscores the need for vigilance against sin and impurity in our lives.
  • True Cleansing: While external rituals or contact with holy things cannot make us holy, the New Testament teaches that the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin, making us truly pure before God. Our spiritual state is not made clean by what we touch, but by God's grace and the sacrifice of Jesus.

The message to the post-exilic Jews, and to us, is that outward religious activity or proximity to sacred things is insufficient if the heart and actions are not aligned with God's will. God desires genuine holiness, which He alone can impart.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Matthew 23:19

    [Ye] fools and blind: for whether [is] greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

  • Leviticus 6:27

    Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy: and when there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any garment, thou shalt wash that whereon it was sprinkled in the holy place.

  • Leviticus 7:6

    Every male among the priests shall eat thereof: it shall be eaten in the holy place: it [is] most holy.

  • Exodus 29:37

    Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.

  • Ezekiel 44:19

    And when they go forth into the utter court, [even] into the utter court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments.

  • Leviticus 6:29

    All the males among the priests shall eat thereof: it [is] most holy.
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