TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Haggai 2:10–19. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
This sermon was preached two months after that in the former part of the chapter. The priests and Levites preached constantly, but the prophets preached occasionally; both were good and needful. We have need to be taught our duty in season and out of season. The people were now going on vigorously with the building of the temple, and in hopes shortly to have it ready for their use and to be employed in the services of it; and now God sends them a message by his prophet, which would be of use to them.
I.By way of conviction and caution.
They were now engaged in a very good work, but they were concerned to see to it, not only that it was good for the matter of it, but that it was done in a right manner, for otherwise it would not be accepted of God. God sees there are many among them that spoil this good work, by going about it with unsanctified hearts and hands, and are likely to gain no advantage to themselves by it; these are here convicted, and all are warned thereby to purify the hands they employ in this work, for to the pure only all things are pure, and from the pure only that comes which is pure. This matter is here illustrated by the established rules of the ceremonial law, in putting a difference between the clean and the unclean, about which many of the appointments of the law were conversant. Hereby it appears that a spiritual use is to be made of the ceremonial law, and that it was intended, not only as a divine ritual to the Jews, but for instruction in righteousness to all, even to us upon whom the ends of the world have come, to discover to us both sin and Christ, both our disease and our remedy. Now observe here,
1.What the rule of the law was. The prophet is ordered to enquire of the priests concerning it (Hag 2:11); for their lips should keep this knowledge, and the people should enquire the law at their mouth, Mal 2:7. Haggai himself, though a prophet, must ask the priests concerning the law. His business, as an extraordinary messenger, was to expound the providences of God, and to give directions concerning particular duties, as he had done, Hag 1:8, Hag 1:9. But he would not take the priests' work out of the hands of those who were the ordinary ministers, and whose business it was to expound the ordinances of God, to teach the people the meaning of them, and to give the general rules for the observance of them. In a case of that nature, Haggai must himself consult them. Note, God has given to his ministers diversities of gifts, and calls them out to do diversities of services, so that they have need one of another, should make use one of another, and be helpful one to another. The prophet, though divinely inspired, cannot say to the priest, I have no need of thee, nor can the priest say so to the prophet. Perhaps Haggai was therefore ordered to consult the priests, that out of their own mouths he might judge both them and the people committed to their charge, and convict them of worse than ceremonial pollution. See Lev 10:10, Lev 10:11. Now the rules of the law, in the cases propounded, are,
(1.)That he that has holy flesh in his clothes cannot by the touch of his clothes communicate holiness (Hag 2:12): If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, though the garment is thereby so far made a devoted thing as that it is not to be put to common use till it has first been washed in the holy place (Lev 6:27), yet it shall by no means transmit a holiness to either meat or drink, so as to make it ever the better to those that use it.
(2.)That he that is ceremonially unclean by the touch of a dead body does by his touch communicate that uncleanness. The law is express (Num 19:22), Whatsoever the unclean person touches shall be unclean; yet this Haggai will have from the priests' own mouth, for concerning those things that we find very plain in our Bibles yet it is good to have the advice of our ministers. The sum of these two rules is that pollution is more easily communicated than sanctification; that is (says Grotius), There are many ways of vice, but only one of virtue, and that a difficult one. Bonum oritur ex integris; malum ex quolibet defectu - Good implies perfection; evil commences with the slightest defect. Let not men think that living among good people will recommend them to God if they are not good themselves, but let them fear that touching the unclean thing will defile them, and therefore let them keep at a distance from it.
2.How it is here applied (v. 14): So is this people, and so is this nation, before me. He does not call them his people and his nation (they are unworthy to be owned by him), but this people, and this nation. They have been thus before God; they thought their offering sacrifices on the altar would sanctify them, and excuse their neglect to build the temple, and remove the curse which by that neglect they had brought upon their common enjoyments: "No," says God, "your holy flesh and your altar will be so far from sanctifying your meat and drink, your wine and oil, to you, that your contempt of God's temple will bring a pollution, not only on your common enjoyments, but even on your sacrifices too; so that while you continued in that neglect all was unclean to you, nay, and so is this people still; and so they will be; on these terms they will still stand with me, and on no other - that if they be profane, and sensual, and morally impure, if they have wicked hearts, and live wicked lives, though they work ever so hard at the temple while it is building, and though they offer ever so many and costly sacrifices there when it is built, yet that shall not serve to sanctify their meat and drink to them, and to give them a comfortable use of them; nay, the impurity of their hearts and lives shall make even that work of their hands, and all their offerings, unclean, and an abomination to God." And the case is the same with us. Those whose devotions are plausible, but whose conversation is wicked, will find their devotions unable to sanctify their enjoyments, but their wickedness prevailing to pollute them. Note, When we are employed in any good work we should be jealous over ourselves, lest we render it unclean by our corruptions and mismanagements.
II.By way of comfort and encouragement.
If their hearts be right with God, and their eye single in his service, they shall have the benefit of their devotion. God will take away the judgment of famine wherewith they have been corrected for their remissness, and will restore them great plenty. This they are called to consider, and to observe whether God would not be to the utmost as good as his word, and by his providence remarkably countenance and recompense their reformation in this matter. To make this the more signal, let them set down the day when they began to work at the building of the temple, to raise the structure upon the foundations that had been laid some time before. On the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month they began to prepare materials (Hag 1:15), and now on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month they began to lay a stone upon a stone in the temple of the Lord; let them take notice of this day, and observe,
1.How they had gone behind-hand in their estates before this day. Let them remember the time when there was a sensible waste and decay in all they had, Hag 2:16. A man went to his garner, expecting to find a heap of twenty measures of corn, so much he used to have from such a piece of ground, or so much used to be left at that time of the year, or so much he took it for granted there was when he fetched the last from it, but he found it unaccountably diminished, and, when he came to measure it, there were but ten measures; it had run in and dried away in the keeping, or vermin had eaten it, or it was stolen. In like manner he went to the wine-press, expecting to draw fifty vessels of wine, for so much he used to have from such a quantity of grapes, but they did not yield as usual, for he could get but twenty. This agrees with what we had, Hag 1:9, You looked for much, and it came to little. Note, It is our folly that we are apt to raise our expectation from the creature, and to think tomorrow must needs be as this day and much more abundant, but we are commonly disappointed, and the more we expect the more grievous the disappointment is. In the stores and treasures of the new covenant we need not fear being disappointed when we come by faith to draw from them. But this was not all. God did visibly contend with them in the weather (Hag 2:17): I smote you with blastings, winds and frosts, which made every green thing to wither, and with mildew, which choked the corn when it was knitting, and with hail, which battered it down and broke it when it had grown to some maturity; thus they were disappointed in all the labour of their hands, while they neglected to lay their hand to the work of God and to labour in that. Note, While we take no care of God's interest we cannot expect he should take care of ours. And, when he thus walks contrary to us, he expects that we should return to him and to our duty. But this people either saw not the hand of God in it (imputing it to chance) or saw not their own sin as the provoking cause of it, and therefore turned not to him. They were a long time incorrigible and unhumbled under these rebukes, so that God's hand was stretched out still, for the people turned not to him that smote them, Isa 9:12, Isa 9:13. They might easily observe that as long as they continued in neglect of the temple work all their affairs went backward. But,
2.Let them now observe, and they should find that from this day forward God would bless them (Hag 2:18, Hag 2:19): "Consider now whether when you begin to change you way towards God you do not find God changing his way towards you; from this day, when you fall to work about the temple, consider it, I say, and you shall find a remarkable turn given for the better to all your affairs. Is the seed yet in the barn? Yes it is, and not yet thrown into the ground. The fruit-trees do not as yet bud, the vine, and the fig-tree, and the olive-tree, have not as yet brought forth, so that nothing appears to promise a good harvest or vintage next year. Nature does not promise it; but now that you begin to apply in good earnest to your duty, the God of nature promises it; he has said, From this day I will bless you. It is the best day's work you ever did in your lives, for hence you may date the return of your prosperity." He does not say what they shall be, but, in general, I will bless you; and those that know what are the fruits flowing from God's blessing know they can desire no more to make them happy. "I will bless you, and then you shall soon recover all your losses, shall thrive as fast as before you went backward; for the blessing of the Lord, that maketh rich, and those whom he blesses are blessed indeed." Note, When we begin to make conscience of our duty to God we may expect his blessing; and this tree of life is so known by its fruits that one may discern almost to a day a remarkable turn of Providence in favour of those that return in a way of duty; so that they and others may say that from this day they are blessed. See Mal 3:10. And whoso is wise will observe these things, and understand by them the lovingkindness of the Lord.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
(Verse 17 onwards) Now set your hearts from this day and above, before the stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the Lord. When you approached a heap of twenty measures, and it became ten, and you entered the winepress to press out fifty jars, and it became twenty. I struck you with blight and mildew and hail in all the work of your hands, yet you did not return to me, says the Lord. LXX: And now set your hearts from this day, and upward, before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord, when you were sent to the storehouse of barley twenty sata, and they became ten sata of barley. And I struck you with barrenness, and with mildew, and with hail, in all the works of your hands: and you returned not to me, saith the Lord. Although all the offerings that you presented to me on the altar were contaminated (since you did not build the temple, every gift is defiled); I now urge you, O people, to reflect on the past and consider what has been done, that is, everything from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of the second year of Darius. Embrace in your mind everything that has happened and why, and how much you have endured, so that when fortunate things happen to you in the future, you will know the reason why. Therefore, before you started building the temple and laying stone upon stone, when you approached the heap and thought you had twenty bushels, could you not have collected barely half? Or according to the Septuagint: When you poured twenty bushels of barley into a vessel called a cysele, and you thought that even though you were pouring barley, the food for the animals, you would still be secure with those twenty bushels, could you not later, having returned to the vessel, find barely ten bushels? When you approached the winepress, you saw grapes, and your eyes promised you fifty amphorae: I do not mean half, but you could hardly squeeze out twenty amphorae. And I did this by striking you with burning wind, and the corruption of the air, and the dying crops, and the empty husks of grain, and the clusters of vines, so that I might provoke you to come to my notice by the weight of evils: and still there was no one who would return to me. The Hebrew [prophet] includes in these words the entire content of this passage - from the statement: And now lay your hearts from this day and higher up, until the place where it is said: a vineyard and fig and pomegranate tree, and olive wood has not blossomed, from this day I will bless, thus he explains (or Alb.: he explains): Certainly now the foundations of the temple are laid; therefore, from this day on which you have laid the foundations (since in the past I punished you with sterility, and hunger, and hail, and drought, and there was no one among you who would turn to me through these plagues), lay your hearts in the future and henceforth, and see that all things flow to you in a prosperous course. But this will happen because you have begun to build my temple: not having confidence in the sole altar, you despise the building of my house. In short, we can say that it is in vain for some to offer gifts to God and think that God can be appeased by alms and offerings when they themselves have not built a temple for the Holy Spirit within themselves. For then alms and gifts offered on the altar are beneficial when someone has built the temple of God within themselves and after the building of the temple, they present gifts on the altar. Furthermore, according to the moral interpretation, it is also said to us who now believe in Jesus Christ, if, however, we believe and demonstrate the truth by the work of faith, that we should return in mind to that time when we were Gentiles, serving daily in vices, and we had not built a temple for God within us. But just as an architect and most skillful mason joins one stone to another, and fastens the lower to the upper with lime and gypsum: so too the architect (whom the apostle himself claims to be: 'As a wise architect, I have laid the foundation' - 1 Corinthians 3:10), and whom the Lord threatens to destroy the temple of Jerusalem) knows how to join works to works, and gradually build the temple of God. But the foundation of this temple is laid by Jesus, on whom everyone sees what he builds: one builds with gold, silver, precious stones; another with wood, hay, straw. And three good things are opposed by three contrary evils. These are the stones from which the Lord promises to rebuild Jerusalem: Behold, I will set your carbuncle stone, and your foundations sapphire, and I will set your battlements with jasper. I won't think according to Jewish fables and foolish imaginings that God will build Jerusalem with gold and precious stones, but with living stones. Stones that now roll on the ground, being in accordance with the nature of stones, either fiery like a carbuncle, or completely heavenly and brought to the throne of God, like a sapphire, or shining with innocence and the simplicity of good works, like a crystal. Therefore, it is said to us that we should consider what we have achieved before we built the temple of God within us. When you approached, he said, a heap of twenty bushels became ten: or according to the Septuagint: When you put twenty bushels of barley into the sieve, they became ten bushels of barley. For whatever virtues and good works we seemed to have before Christ, it was not wheat, but barley: and that barley, it did not give us a hundredfold fruits as we read about Isaac, but we could hardly find even half of our labor's worth from it, and it was said to us: Have you suffered so much in vain? But even when we entered the winepress and calculated fifty wine amphorae (a number which, when completed after seven weeks, includes the unity of divinity), and thought we had wine, which gladdens the heart of man, the sacred number thirty would be taken away from us (in which the Lord is baptized, and Ezekiel sees the vision at the beginning of his prophecy, and according to the Hebrew, priests approached the service of God), and twenty were left. Esau, who loves numbers, knowing that Jacob takes pleasure in this number, sends certain animals as a gift, twenty and twenty. Also, notice that Jacob himself, though holy (but at that time he was not with his father Isaac, that is, with laughter; nor with his mother Rebecca, that is, with patience; but he had neighboring Assyrians, and he lived in Mesopotamia, surrounded by rivers), served Laban for a cruel and greedy twenty-year period (Gen. XXXII). And it does not move anyone if we say that some, before the faith of Christ and the destruction of His temple, can receive the reward of their labor in part, since among unbelievers there is no fruit of good works. For he does not deposit twenty and find twenty, but when he has deposited twenty, he finds ten, that is, the reward for half of his labor. The Jews, and the Gentiles, and the philosophers of this age, and the others who boast of wisdom, in the present time of their conversation and labor, enjoy the fruit and glory of all their hope, and the reward of the future age is taken away. But this is done so that they do not completely despair and dismiss repentance; but that sometimes, when converted, they may set stone upon stone and build the temple of God. But if they remain in unbelief, they will lose the very thing that they seemed to have. For it follows: I struck you with a burning wind, and with mildew, and with hail, all the works of your hands. Whatever is struck by mildew and hail and a burning wind is reduced to dust and ashes, and nothing is found in it that pertains to usefulness and sustenance. All these things the Lord has done because no one has been found among them who would return to him. But if they return and build the temple of the Lord, from the day they start building, they will have what the prophecy foretold.
I was inflicting various forms of correction on you—sterility, wind, blight, hail—but in your insensitivity you were unaware of the correction. Be mindful of this, then, and take note of the great prosperity you will enjoy after the commencement of the rebuilding, such being the abundance of necessities I shall provide you, with the result that in the future even the actual measures will have no use on the threshing floor. I shall also supply you with soft fruits as a blessing and provide the crop of the fruit trees.
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Summary
Haggai 2:18 serves as a pivotal call to reflection for the post-exilic community in Jerusalem, urging them to deeply consider a specific date—the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month—which marked the recommencement of the temple's foundation work. This divine directive signifies a crucial turning point, moving from a period of neglect and divine discipline to one of renewed obedience and the promise of future blessing and prosperity from the Lord, directly linked to their commitment to rebuilding His house.
Context
Literary Context
Haggai 2:18 falls within the second major oracle of the prophet Haggai, delivered on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (Kislev) in the second year of Darius's reign (520 BC). This oracle follows Haggai's initial challenge to the people to prioritize God's house (Haggai 1), and his second message encouraging them despite the temple's humble appearance compared to Solomon's (Haggai 2:1-9). Verses 10-19 form a distinct section where Haggai addresses the people's ritual impurity and the resulting lack of blessing, contrasting it with the promise of blessing from this day forward due to their renewed obedience in rebuilding the temple. This verse specifically marks the temporal pivot point for that promise, setting the stage for the assurances of future prosperity in Haggai 2:19.
Historical & Cultural Context
The historical backdrop is the post-exilic period, approximately 16 years after the initial return of the Jewish exiles from Babylonian captivity in 538 BC. While the altar was rebuilt and the temple foundation laid soon after their return (as recorded in Ezra 3:10), work ceased due to Samaritan opposition and the people's apathy, as they prioritized their own homes over God's house (Haggai 1:4). By 520 BC, God raised up Haggai and Zechariah to stir the people to action. The "four and twentieth day of the ninth month" (Kislev, roughly November/December) is significant because it was the day the people, under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua, finally resumed the work on the temple's foundation, signaling a renewed commitment to God's command after years of neglect. This date became a marker of their repentance and obedience.
Key Themes
This verse contributes significantly to several key themes in Haggai and the broader prophetic literature. It underscores the theme of Divine Sovereignty and Initiative, as God is the one calling the people to "consider" and initiating the shift in their fortunes. It highlights the crucial link between Obedience and Blessing, demonstrating that the cessation of divine discipline and the commencement of prosperity are directly tied to the people's willingness to prioritize God's will and work. The verse also emphasizes God's Faithfulness to His Covenant Promises, as He responds to their renewed commitment with assurances of future provision. Finally, it reinforces the theme of Hope and Restoration for the returned exiles, who had faced years of hardship and discouragement, by pointing to a new beginning marked by God's favor. The shift from a state of defilement and lack (as discussed in Haggai 2:10-17) to one of impending blessing is a central message.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
The KJV translates the repeated Hebrew phrase sîmû lēḇ as "consider." Sûwm means "to put" or "to set," and lêbâb refers to "the heart (as the most interior organ)." Thus, the phrase literally means "set your heart" or "put your mind/attention." This is not a casual suggestion but a forceful imperative, demanding deep, intentional reflection and serious consideration of the significance of this specific day and its implications for their future. It implies a change of mindset and a deliberate act of remembrance.
This word, appearing multiple times, emphasizes the precise temporal marker of God's command. While yôwm can refer to a general period, here it denotes a specific literal day—the twenty-fourth of the ninth month. This precision highlights the exact turning point in God's dealings with His people. It signifies that God's blessings are tied not just to a general attitude of obedience, but to the specific actions taken on a particular day, marking a new season.
This primitive root means "to set," "to found," or "to establish." In this context, it refers to the literal laying of the temple's foundational stones. The act of laying the foundation, though seemingly small, was monumental in its spiritual significance. It represented the tangible act of obedience and the beginning of the fulfillment of God's command to rebuild His house, serving as the physical anchor for the spiritual blessings promised to follow.
Verse Breakdown
"Consider now from this day and upward,"
This opening imperative, repeated at the end of the verse, underscores the divine command for deep reflection. "From this day and upward" (Hebrew: min hayom hazeh vama'alah) signifies a forward-looking perspective, indicating that the consequences and blessings God is about to declare will begin from this precise point in time and continue into the future. It marks a new era.
"from the four and twentieth day of the ninth [month,"
This clause provides the exact date, grounding the divine instruction in a specific historical event. The "four and twentieth day of the ninth month" (Kislev) is the day the people recommenced the work on the temple's foundation, following Haggai's earlier exhortations. This precision highlights the direct connection between their obedience on this specific day and the subsequent divine response.
"even from the day that the foundation of the LORD'S temple was laid,"
This phrase clarifies why the specific date is significant: it was the day the foundational work of the temple resumed. This act of laying the foundation, after years of neglect, symbolized the people's renewed commitment to God and His priorities. It was a tangible expression of their repentance and a turning point in their spiritual and national life.
"consider [it]."
The repetition of the imperative "consider" (or "set your heart") serves as a powerful rhetorical device, reinforcing the urgency and importance of the message. It is a call to internalize the significance of this day and its implications, not merely to acknowledge it superficially. This repetition emphasizes the gravity of the moment and the profound shift in God's relationship with them.
Literary Devices
The verse primarily employs Repetition and Emphasis. The imperative "Consider" (Hebrew: sîmû lēḇ, "set your heart") is repeated at the beginning and end of the verse, forming an Inclusio or Chiasm (A-B-A structure) that frames the central message and highlights its paramount importance. This repetition serves to underscore the divine command for the people to pay close attention and deeply internalize the significance of the specific date. The precise dating—"from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD'S temple was laid"—is a form of Precision and Specificity, anchoring the spiritual message in a concrete historical event and emphasizing the direct causal link between their renewed obedience and the promised blessings. This specificity also creates a sense of Urgency and Immediacy, as the blessings are to commence "from this day and upward."
Theological and Thematic Connections
Haggai 2:18 stands as a powerful testament to the principle that God responds to human obedience, even when that obedience begins from humble origins. It illustrates a divine turning point, where a period of spiritual barrenness and material lack, brought on by misplaced priorities and disobedience, is superseded by the promise of blessing and prosperity, contingent upon a renewed commitment to God's work. This verse reveals God's faithfulness to His covenant people, demonstrating that while He disciplines for sin, He is also quick to restore and bless when they turn back to Him and prioritize His kingdom. The act of laying the temple foundation, though a physical task, was deeply spiritual, signifying a re-alignment of their hearts with God's will, which then unlocked the flow of His favor.
Reflection and Application
Haggai 2:18 offers a profound invitation for contemporary believers to engage in a similar act of "considering." Just as the Israelites were called to reflect on a specific turning point of renewed obedience, we are encouraged to identify and acknowledge those moments in our own lives where we have made a decisive commitment to God's will, especially after periods of spiritual drift or misplaced priorities. This verse reminds us that God often ties His blessings and the flourishing of our lives to our willingness to prioritize His kingdom and His purposes above our own comforts and ambitions. It challenges us to examine whether our "foundations" are truly being laid for God's glory, even if the beginnings seem small or insignificant. The promise that blessings will flow "from this day and upward" should inspire perseverance and faith, assuring us that God honors our steps of obedience, no matter how modest, and that His favor will unfold over time as we remain steadfast in our commitment to Him.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of the specific date mentioned in Haggai 2:18?
The "four and twentieth day of the ninth month" (Kislev) is highly significant because it marks the precise day the Jewish exiles, after years of neglect and misplaced priorities, finally resumed the work of laying the foundation for the Lord's temple in Jerusalem. This date represents a turning point of renewed obedience and commitment to God's command, following the prophet Haggai's powerful exhortations. It is from this specific day forward that God promises to bless His people, shifting from a period of divine discipline and scarcity to one of favor and prosperity, as detailed in Haggai 2:19.
Why does the verse repeat the command "consider it"?
The repetition of "consider it" (Hebrew: sîmû lēḇ, meaning "set your heart" or "pay attention") is a powerful rhetorical device used by God through Haggai to emphasize the profound importance and gravity of the message. It is not a casual suggestion but an urgent divine imperative, urging the people to deeply reflect on the significance of this specific day. This repetition serves to underscore the direct causal link between their renewed obedience in rebuilding the temple and the subsequent outpouring of God's blessings, ensuring the message resonates deeply within their hearts and minds.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
While Haggai 2:18 directly addresses the physical rebuilding of the temple in post-exilic Jerusalem, its deeper theological currents find profound Christ-centered fulfillment. The temple, as the dwelling place of God among His people, foreshadows the ultimate presence of God in Christ. Jesus Himself declared, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," referring to the temple of His body. Christ is the true and ultimate temple, the very foundation upon which God's new covenant people are built. The "new beginning" promised "from this day and upward" in Haggai, tied to the laying of the temple's foundation, finds its ultimate reality in the new era inaugurated by Christ's finished work on the cross and His resurrection. Through Him, believers become living stones, built into a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5), with Christ as the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). The blessings promised to those who prioritize God's house in Haggai are now fully realized in Christ, who is the source of all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3) and the one through whom God's presence dwells among His people forever.