Haggai 1:1-8
Chapter 1
1
In the second year of the reign of Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, a word of the Lord was directed to the prophet Haggai, for the benefit of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest.
2
First Oracle
“So says the Lord of hosts: This people claim that the time to rebuild the house of the Lord has not yet come.
3
Well, now, hear what I have to say through the prophet Haggai:
4
Is this the time for you to live in your well-built houses while this house is a heap of ruins?
5
Now, thus says the Lord of hosts: Think about your ways:
6
You have sown much but harvested little; you eat and drink, but are not satisfied; you clothe yourselves, but still feel cold; and the laborer puts the money he earned in a tattered purse.
7
Now think about what you must do:
8
Go to the mountain and look for wood to rebuild the house. This will make me happy, and I will feel deeply honored, says the Lord.
Commentaries
Title of the Book.
The year is 520 B.C. The sixth month is traditionally the time for the dedication of the temple, as mentioned in 1 Kings 8. However, in this context, the celebration takes on an ironic tone, since the temple was in ruins.
First Oracle.
In the first part of this oracle (1-11), the prophet addresses the political and religious leaders of the people who had returned to Judah, led by Zerubbabel, a descendant of David, and the high priest Joshua. With a forceful call, he exhorts them to prioritize the temple’s reconstruction, emphasizing that this is the main focus of his message, for God’s complete intervention in history is connected to the display of His glory in Jerusalem.
The text indicates that people were indifferent to rebuilding the temple, forgetting that it is the Lord who grants rain and fertility. Therefore, as in the time of Elijah (cf. 1 Kings 17:1), the Lord warns that he will bring a severe drought (11). Without his presence in the temple, efforts to restore life in the promised land would be futile.
In the second part, the leaders and the people finally answer the Lord’s call and start rebuilding the temple (12-15a).