Haggai 2:17

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

I smote {H5221} you with blasting {H7711} and with mildew {H3420} and with hail {H1259} in all the labours {H4639} of your hands {H3027}; yet ye turned not to me, saith {H5002} the LORD {H3068}.

I struck you with blasting winds, mildew and hail on everything your hands produced; but you still wouldn't return to me,' says ADONAI.

I struck you—all the work of your hands—with blight, mildew, and hail, but you did not turn to Me, declares the LORD.

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

Commentary

Haggai 2:17 (KJV) delivers a powerful message about the consequences of Israel's spiritual apathy and disobedience, specifically their failure to prioritize the rebuilding of the Lord's temple after returning from Babylonian exile.

Historical and Cultural Context

The prophet Haggai ministered to the Jewish exiles who had returned to Jerusalem around 520 BC. While they had laid the foundation of the second temple (see Ezra 3:8), their enthusiasm for rebuilding waned, and they shifted their focus to constructing and decorating their own homes. Chapters 1 and 2 of Haggai reveal God's displeasure with this misplaced priority. Verse 17 looks back, reminding them of the divine discipline they had already experienced, which was intended to draw them back to Him.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Divine Discipline: The Lord explicitly states, "I smote you," indicating that the agricultural disasters were not random but were direct acts of divine judgment. This highlights God's active involvement in the lives of His people, using circumstances to prompt a spiritual response.
  • Consequences of Neglect: The "blasting," "mildew," and "hail" directly impacted their crops and livelihoods ("all the labours of your hands"). This was a direct result of their neglect of the temple and their focus on personal gain, as articulated in Haggai 1:9, where God says they "run every man unto his own house" while His house lies waste.
  • Stubbornness and Apathy: The phrase "yet ye turned not to me" is the poignant heart of the verse. Despite experiencing clear signs of God's displeasure through hardship, the people remained indifferent and unrepentant. This reveals a deep spiritual stubbornness that God sought to overcome.

Linguistic Insights

The terms "blasting" (Hebrew: shiddaphon) and "mildew" (Hebrew: yeraqon) refer to specific agricultural blights or diseases that destroy crops. These were common curses for disobedience outlined in the Mosaic Law (e.g., Deuteronomy 28:22). The addition of "hail" further emphasizes the destructive power of God's judgment upon their agricultural efforts.

Practical Application

Haggai 2:17 serves as a timeless reminder that God uses circumstances, even difficult ones, to call His people to Himself. When we experience challenges or lack of fruitfulness in our endeavors, it is an opportunity to examine our priorities and ensure that God is truly first. The verse challenges believers today to consider whether their "labours" are truly aligned with God's will and if they are responsive to His promptings, rather than displaying the spiritual apathy seen in Haggai's day. It underscores the importance of a heart that is quick to turn to the Lord in repentance and obedience.

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Cross-References

  • Deuteronomy 28:22 (6 votes)

    The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.

  • Haggai 1:11 (5 votes)

    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.

  • Amos 4:8 (4 votes)

    So two [or] three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

  • Amos 4:11 (4 votes)

    I have overthrown [some] of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

  • 1 Kings 8:37 (4 votes)

    If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, [or] if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness [there be];

  • Haggai 1:9 (4 votes)

    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.

  • Jeremiah 5:3 (3 votes)

    O LORD, [are] not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, [but] they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.