The time when Haggai prophesied, 1. He reproves the people for neglecting the building of the house, 2-6. He incites them to the building, 7-11. He encourages them to set about the work, and on their doing so, promises that God will be with them, 12-15.
1 In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, 2 "Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying, 'This people says, "The time has not come, the time that the LORD'S house should be built."'" 3 Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 "Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your ceiled houses and this house lie waste?" 5 Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: "Consider your ways. 6 You have sown much and bring in little. You eat, but you do not have enough. You drink, but you are not filled with drink. You clothe yourselves, but there is no one warm. And he who earns wages, earns wages to put it into a bag with holes."
7 Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the mountain, bring wood, and build the house. Then I will take pleasure in it and I will be glorified," says the LORD. 9 "You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew upon it. Why?" says the LORD of hosts. "Because of my house that lies waste, and each of you runs to his own house. 10 Therefore, for your sake the heavens withhold the dew and the earth withholds her fruit. 11 And I called for a drought upon the land, upon the mountains, upon the grain, upon the new wine, upon the oil, upon that which the ground brings forth, upon men, upon cattle, and upon all the labor of the hands."
12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people feared before the LORD. 13 Then Haggai the LORD'S messenger spoke the LORD'S message to the people, saying, "'I am with you,' says the LORD." 14 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, and they came and performed work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, 15 On the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.
Matthew Henry Commentary - Haggai, Chapter 1[➚]
This chapter contains the first sermon of the Prophet Haggai to the people of the Jews, directed to Zerubbabel the governor, and Joshua the high priest; the date of which is fixed (verse 1). It begins with a charge against that people; saying the time to build the house of the Lord has not come (verse 2), which is refuted by the prophet; arguing, that, if the time to panel their dwelling houses has come, then much more the time to build the Lord's house (verses 3-4). They are urged to consider how unsuccessful they had been in their civil employments and labors, which was owing to their neglect of building the temple; therefore, if they consulted their own good, and the glory of God, the best way was to set about it in all haste, and with diligence (verses 5-9), and even the famine, which they had been afflicted with for some time, and which affected both man and beast, sprung from the same cause (verses 10-11). This discourse had such an effect upon the governor, high priest, and people, that they immediately rose up, and went about the work they were exhorted to; upon which the prophet, by a special message from the Lord, promises his presence with them (verses 12-15).
[v.1] - "Haggai" - In Hebrew, חגי, Chaggay (khag-gah'-ee). "His name comes from a word which signifies to keep a feast; and, according to Jerome, signifies festival or merry; according to Hillerus, the feasts of the Lord; and, according to Cocceius, my feasts" (John Gill).
[v.8] - "Then I will take pleasure in it" - This can also be read as, "Then I will be propitious in it."
[v.11] - "drought" - Or, "desolation."
[v.15] - "the sixth month" - That is, the same month as noted in verse 1 when, "the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet."