Exposition of the Whole Bible

HIS chapter contains the firft fermon of the prophet Haggai, to the people of the Fews, directed to Zerubbabel the governor, and ‘Fofoua the high-prieft. The date of which is fixed, ¥. 1. It begins with a charge againft that people; faying the time to build the houfe of the Lord was not come, ¥..2. which is refuted by the prophet; arguing, that if the time to ciel their dwelling-houfes was come, then much more the time to build the Lord’s houfe, ¥. 3.4. They are urged to confider how unfuccefsful they had been in their civil employments and labours, which was Owing to their neglect of building the temple; wherefore if they confulted their own good, and the glory of God, the beft way was to fet about it in all hafte, and with diligence, ¥. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. yea, even the famine, which they had been afflicted with for fome time, and which affected both man and beaft, fprung from the fame caufe, ¥. 10, 11. This difcourfe had fuch an effeét upon the gover- own land. erom fays, this was in the 27th year of Tarquinius Superbus, the laft of the Roman kings. Haggai was the furft of the three prophets that prophefied after their return; and all his prophecies were within the fpace of four months; and have their dates feverally put to them. Of the authority of this prophecy of Haggai, there is no room to queftion; not only becaufe of the internal evidence of it, but from the teftimony of Ezra, ch. iv. 24. and v. 1, 2. and vi. 14. and from a quotation out of ch, ii. 7, 8. by the author of the Epiftle to the Hebrews, ch. xii. 26. The general defign of this book is to reprove the Yews for their negligence in building’ the temple, after they had liberty granted them by Cyrus to do it, and to encourage them in this work; which he does by the promife of the Meffiah, who fhould come into it, and give it a greater, glory than the firft temple had. The name of this prophet is wrongly prefixed, with others, to feveral of the pfalms, efpecially thofe called the Hallelujab-pfalms, in the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic verfions, as Pf. cxii, CXxxviii, cxlvi, cxlvii, cxlviii. Where he died, is not certain; very probably in Feru/alem; where, according to Pfeudo-Epiphanins and Ifidore *, he was buried, by the monuments of the priefts; but according to the Cippi Hebraici», he was buried in a large cave, in the declivity of the mount of Olives.

horted to; upon which the prophet, by a fpeciat - meflage from the Lord, promifes his prefence with themjy..12, 1a54j.85.

¥. 1. In the fecond year of Darius the king, &c.}

‘That is, of Perfia; he is fpoken of as if he was the only king in the world; and indeed he was the then greateft king. in it; and therefore is emphatically called she king. This was not Darius the Mede, as Genebrard; who was cotemporary with Cyrus, and partner in the kingdom; nor Darius Nothus, as Scaliger, and thofe that follow him; fince the fecond year of this Darins was, according to Cocceius, who follows this opinion, 138 years after the firft edict of Cyrus; and fo Zerudbabel and Fofhua mutt exercife their office, the one of governor, the other of high-prieft, fuch a term of years, and more, which is not credible; and fome of the Zews in captivity muft have lived upwards of 200 years; even thofe who faw the tem- nor, high-prieft, and people, that they immediately ple in its firft glory, before the captivity, and now »— rofe up, and went about the work they were ex- beheld it in Haggai’s time, in a very different condition, by the nobles of Perfia, upon his horfe’s neighing firft, as Herodotus * relates: the fecond year of his reign was about 17 or 18 years after the proclamation of Cyrus; during whofe reign, he being much engaged in affairs abroad, and the reign of his fucceflor Camby/es, the enemies of the Jews, encouraged by the latter, greatly obftruéted the building of the temple, and difcouraged them from going on with it; but when this king came to the throne, things took another turn, being favoured by him; for Fo/fepbus' relates, that when a private perfon, he vowed if ever he became king, whatever of the holy veffels were in Babylon, he would fend to the temple at Feru/alem; and upon * folicitations made to him, the fews were encouraged to go on with the building of it: iw the Jixth month; the month £lul, anfwering to part of Auguft, and part of September; which was the fixth, reckoning from the month Nifan: in the Sirft day of the month; which was the feaft of the new moon: came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet; or, by the hand of Haggai™; by his means; he was the inftrument, by whom the Lord delivered his word; the word was not the prophet’s, but the Lord’s; and this is obferved to give weight arid authority to it: u#to Zerubbabel the fon of Shealtiel;, the fame who is. called Salathiel, Matt. i. 12. Luke iii: 27. according to Kimchi and Ben Melech, he was the grandfon of Salathiel; tho’ rather Sa/athiel feems to be his uncle, he being the fon of Pedaiah his brother, 1 Chron. iii. 17, 18, 19. however, he was his heir and fucceffor in the government; and fo called his fon; fee the note on Maét..i, 12: governor of Fudab, not king; for the country was under the dominion of the king of Perfa, and Zerubbabel was a deputy-governor under him; fo the apocryphal £Lzra calls him governor of Fudea, 3 E/d. vi. 27. and according to Fo/epbus *, he was made governor of the captive Jews, when in Babylon, being in great favour with the king of Babylon; and with two more, were his body-guards; and he was continued governor by the Perfans, when the Fews returned to their land: and to Fofhua the fon of

Fofedech the high-priet, who is called Fehua, and his father Fozadak, Ezra iii. 2. his father was carried captive by Nebuchadnezzar, 1 Chron. vi. 15. now, to thefe two principal perfons in the commonwealth of Judea, was the word of the Lord fent by the prophet; the one having the chief

‘power in civil things, and the other in things ecclefiaftical; and both had an influence upon the people; but very probably were dilatory in the work of building the temple; and therefore have a meffage fent to them, to ftir them up to this fervice: faying, as follows:

y¥. 2. Thus fpeaketh the Lord of bofis, &c.] Of armies above and below; whom all ought to reverence, honour, and obey;. who was able to fupport his people in building his houfe, and protect them from their enemies, which fhould have been an encouragement to them; and to punifh them for their neglect of it, which might have deterred them from it. This preface is made, to fhew that what follow were not the words of the prophet,

It feems therefore moré pro- } bable, according to Fofepbhus', and others, that this was Darius Hyftafpis, who was chofen king but of the Lord; and therefore to be the more regarded, and the truth of them not to be doubted of: faying, this people fay 5 repeating the words of the people of the Fews to Zerubbabel and Fofbua, that they might obferve them, and the wickednefs and ingratitude in them. This people, lately brought out of the captivity of Babylon, and loaded with various bleffings and benefits; and not a few of them, but the generality of them, the body of them, expreffed themfelves after this manner, when prefled to build the temple: the time is not come, the time that the Lord’s houfe fhould be built, faggetting; that the feventy years of Yerufalem, and the temple lying in ruins, reckoning from the deftruction of them in the 19th year of Nebuchadnezzar, were not yet fulfilled; or rather intimating, that it was not the time in providence, fince they had been forbid and hindered in former reigns from going on with the work; or fince it had been a time of famine and diftrefs with them; it was not a time fit and convenient to carry on fuch a fervice; and tho’ they did not lay afide all thoughts of it, yet they judged it right and proper to defer it to a more convenient time, when they were better fettled, and in a better capacity to engage in it.

¥. 3. Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, &c.| This is a fecond prophecy, diftinct from the former; that was delivered to the two governors, fetting forth the fentiments and language of the people concerning the building of the temple, which was left with them to confider how juft it was; but this is fent to the peaple themfelves, expoftulating with them about the folly and ingratitude of it: faying, as follows:

y. 4. Is it time for you, O ye; to dwell in your cieled houfes? &c.] They could not only find time, leifure and conveniency to build houtes to dwell in; but’ to wainfcot them, and ciel them with boards of cedar, as the Targum; as bad as the times were complained of; and could fit in them, indulging themfelves in luxury, eafe and floth; and. why then was it not a fit and convenient time, as well to build the houfe of the Lord in? and this houfe lie wafte? or, and foall this houfe lie wafte? or, when this houfe lies wafte °? not indeed in its rubbifh and ruins, as it was demolifhed by the Chaldeans, and left; but with a bare foundation, laid fome years ago, and ever fince neglected; the fuperftructure not carried on, and much lefs built up to be fit for fervice; and therefore might be faid with propriety to lie wafte and defolate, being unfinifhed, unfit for ufe, and no regard had unto it. David was of another mind, 2 Sam. vii. 2. and truly religious perfons will be more concerned for the houfe of God than for their own houfes.

¥. 5. Now therefore thus faith the Lord of hofts, &c.] The Lord God omnifcient and omnipotent, that faw all their actions, and could punifh fot them; fince they were fo careful of their own houfes, and adorning them, and fo carelefs of his houfe; he would have them now fit down, and ferioufly think of thefe things, and of what he fhould further obferve unto them: confider yout ways; their finful ways, and repent of them, and forfake them, particularly their ingratitude before obferved; and their civil ways, their common ways

& domus ifta deferta maneoit? Drufius; quum domus hac vafta eft? Junius & Tremellius, Pifcator; dum domus hac deio- of life; their labour, work and bufinefs, théey,were continually employed. in; and, obfetve. the event of them;. what fuccefs they had, what thefe iffued in; whether there were not fome vifible. tokens of the divine. difpleafure on them, which rendered all their attempts to fupport and enrich themfelves and families vain, and of no effect: and they would do well to.confider, to what all this was to be imputed; whether it was not chiefly owing to_ this, their neglect of the houfe of God; and this he:

would have confidered, not in a flight, curfory way;.but with great earneftnefs, diligence, and application of mind: pat, or Jet your hearts upon your ways? 5 fo it may be literally rendered.

y. 6..Ye have fown much, aud bring in little, 8cc.] Contrary to, what is ufually done; the feed that is fown is but little, in comparifon-of what prings up, is reaped, and gathered into the barn; which commonly affords feed again to the fower, and bread to the eater; but here much land.was tilled, and @ great deal of feed was fown in it; but a thin crop was produced, little was gathered into the barn;, a bleffing being withheld from the earth, and from their labours, becaufe of their fins; which they would do well to think of,.and the caufe of it: ye cat, but ye have not enough,; what the earth did yield, and which they gathered in, they made foed of, and ate of it; yet it was not fufficient.to fatisfy their hunger 5, or it was not bleffed.for their nourifhment; or they had a canine. appetite in judgment given them, fo that they were never fatished.:.or,.it was not for fulnefs4, they were not filled with it to fatisfaction, but full craved more; and.yet it may be, durft not eat.more, if they had it, left they fhould want, the next day: ye drink, but ye are not. filled with drink; er, not to inebriation.’; it was not fufficient to quench their thirft, much lefs toe make.them.merry and chearful: the vines produced fuch a fmall quantity of grapes, and thofe.fo little wine, that they had not.enough to drink, at leaft could not drink freely, but:fparingly, left it fhould be all fpent, before; another vintage came:. ye clothe you, but there is none warm; or, but it is not for heat to him’, to any one;) fo rigorous the feafon, fo extreme the cold, that. his cloaths will not keep him warm, even tho’ the climate was naturally andjufually hot: aud he: that earneth wages, earneth wagesto put.inte.a bag with holes; or, pierced thro’ '; if a mah is hined as a labourer, and gets much wages,. and, brings it.

home, and. lays it up; or.if he trades and.merchandiles, and has great gains by it, and thinks to amafs, great riches; yet,;,what thro’ loffes,, and the dearnels of provifions, and the many ways he has for the {pending of his.money, it is as if he put it into a bag. full of holes, and it ran thro’ as faft as put into it; fignifying hereby, that.all; his pains and labour were in.vain. Ae ott ae v7. Thus faith the Lord of bofts, confider\ your ways.} What they, -have- been; what, has, been the confequence of them; and to, what the.above things are to be afcribed,.. This, exhortation is repeated, to imprefs it the-more..upon their! minds; and to denote the importance of it, -and the -neccfity of fuch a conduct; fee, the note on.y 5..

Ghd Kh: Chee age ¥. 8. Go-up to the mountain, 8c.] «Ory that mountain *, pointing either to Lebanon, to cut down cedars, and bring. them fromy thence for the. building of the temple;.or mount Aloriahy on which the temple was to«be built;°and «thither carry the wood they fetched from Lebanon, or were brought from thence by the Tyrians: and. bring wood; or, that ye may bring wood trom Lebanon 5 or any: other mountain,.on which wood grew, to mount Moriah: and build the boufe, the temple, whofe foundation was already daid, but the fuper= ftructure was negleéted:: now.the Lord would have them go.onwith it immediately, out of hand, with the utmott diligence, alacrity and vigour sand not defift till the whole building was con:pleted: and I will take pleafure in it; asa type of Chrift; for whofe fake he was fo defirous of having.it built; into which he was to come, and there/appear as the promifed Saviour. It fignifies moreover, that the Lord would not, only take pleafure inthe tem=, — ple. built, but-in their work in building it; which would be acceptable ‘to him,. being according to his. mind.and will; -and that. he ‘would’ take»pleas. fure in, and accept of them, being worfhippers therein, - when they worfhipped him»in fpirit;, and in truth ino it; and in their fervices, dacrifices, prayers and: praifes, being ‘rightly offereds and that he would forgive their fins, and be propitious to them for his Son’s fake, the antitype of thetemple: and I will be glorified, faith the Lord, by his people there, and: by the worfhip and: fervice they fhould ‘perform: or; J. will shew my/felfaglorious »; that is, thew his glory, -caufing: his:She+ kinah. to.dwelli here in‘ glory, as the Targum is, The Yews obferve, - that the letter: Aois wanting in, the word here «fed,: which numerically signifies jive;, hence they gather that ‘five things'werewanting in the fecond temple;:the ark, ‘the rim and Thummim, the fire from’ heaven, the Shekinal or the divine majefty, and the Holy Ghoft. 20> ¥.9.. 2. looked for much, and loit came to little, &c.]. They looked for a large harvetty and very promifing.it was forva- while; -butin the end it came to little; it was a very fmall: crop, very little was reaped and gathered in:.ordm ‘ooking, ye looked to sncrea/e *; your fubttances had-raifed expectations.of making: themfelves andefamilies by their agriculture, and by their plantations ‘of vines and olives,."and by their trade. and.merchandife 5 and.it dwindled away; and=came to tittle’or!nothing; their riches, inftead of being inereafed, were diminifhed: and when ye: brought. it home; -Dedid blow upon it; when they brought into*their barns or houfes: the produce’ of their landy labotr and merchandife, which was but little; thesLiord blew a blaft upon that little, and brought rottennefs and — worms *into it,’ as Yarchi; fo: that it was not a blefling to. them, but.a curfe. So the Targum interprets it, ‘* behold I fent a curfe upon it or, I) blew it away”;.as any. light thing, ftraw or ftubble;: or thiftle-down, are blown away with a — wind;; fo. eafily cany the Lord, and. fometimes’ he does,:{trip men of that little fubftance they have 5 riches by his orders: make themfelves wings,and about the houfe of God, and the affairs of it.

¥.10. Therefore the heaven over you is flayed from dew, &c.] Or, therefore over, or upon you *; where fhould be a ftop; that is, becaufe of your neglect of the houfe of God; therefore upon you, and upon you only, and not upon other nations, the heaven is reftrained from letting down the dew: ‘or, therefore I am againft you’; for the above reafon, and which the following things fhew; and fad it is to have God to be an enemy, and againft

.a people! or, for your fake; fo the Syriac verfion; to which fenfe is the Targum, ‘* therefore for your «¢ fins;” and fo Farchi: the heaven 1s flayed from dew: none defcends from it; the Lord who has the ordering of it, will not fuffer it: to have the dew fall upon the earth in the night-feafon, is a great blefiing; it makes the earth fruitful, revives the corn, plants and herbs, and caufes them to flourifh and increafe; and to have it reftrained is a judgment: and the earth is flayed from ber fruit, from bringing forth its increafe, which is the confequence of the dew being withheld.

y. 11.‘ And I called for a drought upon the land, &c.] Upon the whole land of udea; as he withheld the dew and rain from falling on it to moiften it, refrefh it, and make it fruitful; fo he ordered a vehement heat to dry and parch it; and directed the rays of the fun to ftrike with great force upon it, and caufe the fruits of it to wither; and which is done by a word of his; when he calls, every creature obeys. There is an elegant paronoma/ia, which fhews the juftnefs of fuch a proceeding, that it was according to the law of retaliation; they fuffered the houfe of God to lie S9M waffe, and therefore he calls for 39 a wafting drought to come upon their land: and upon the mountains, where herbage grew, and herds of cattel, and flocks of fheep were fed; but now the grafs, thro’ the drought was withered away, and fo no pafturage for them, and in courfe muft perifh: and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil; that is, upon the corn-fields, and upon the vines, and olive-trees; fo that they produced but very little corn, wine, and oil, and that not very good, and which was not fatisfying and refrefhing; at leaft there were not enough for their fupport and comfort: now thefe three things were the principal neceffaries of life in the country of Fudea, and therefore a fcarcity of them was very diftref- ff AA NG ka A. blows them away like chaff before the wind: why, faith the Lord of hofis? what was the, caufe and reafon of this? which queftion is put, not on his own account, who full well knew ic; but for their fakes, to whom he fpeaks, that they. might be made fenfible of it; and in order to that, to introduce what follows, which is an anfwer to the queftion: becaufe of mine heufe, that is wafte; which they fuffered to lie waite, and did not concern themfelves about the rebuilding of it: this the Lord refented, and for this reafon blafted all their Jabours: and ye run every man unto bis own boufe; were very eager, earneft, and diligent-in building, beautifying, and adorning their own houfes; taking care of their own domeftic.affairs; fparing no coft nor pains to promote their own fecular intereft; running in all hafte to do any thing, and every thing. to increafe their worldly fubftance; but’ fat ftill, were idle and flothful, carelefs and negligent fing: and upon that which the ground bringeth fortb; whatever elfe not mentioned the earth produced, as figs, pomegranates, and other fruit: and upon men, and upon cattel; who not only fuffered in this drought, by the above-faid things it came upon; but by difeafes it produced upon them, as the peftilence and fever among men, and murrain upon the cattel: and upon all the labour of the hands; of men; whatfoever fields and gardens, trees and plants of every kind, that were fet and cultivated by them. Of this drought, and the famine that came upon it, we no where elfe read; but there is no doubt to be made of it. ee

¥. 12. Then Zerubbabel the fon of Shealtiel, and Fofoua the fon of Fofedech the bigh-prieft, 8&c.] Here follows an account of the fuccefs of Haggai’s prophecy; with what power and efficacy the word of the Lord by him was attended; how it at once reached and affected the hearts of princes and people, and brought them to obedience to the will of God. The governor and high-prieft are mentioned firft, as being the principal perfons, and who very probably firft declared their fenfe of their former neglect, and. their readinefs to do as they were directed; which was fetting a good example to the people, and doubtlefs had fome influence upon them: with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, not the two leading men in church and ftate only; but all the people that came’ out of the Babylonifh captivity, who were but a remnant; a few that were left thro’ various calamities they had been expofed unto; thefe, one and all, fignified how willing and ready they were to do the work of the Lord enjoined them: or, they heard the voice of the Lord *;

by the prophet, very attentively and ferioufly; and received and regarded it, not as the word of men, but as the word of God; and determined to aé according to it: and the words of Haggai the prophet; or, and for the words of Haggai the prophet *;

becaufe of them, confidering them as coming from the Lord himfelf: (as the Lord their God bad fent him), regarding him as having a miffion and commiffion from the Lord to deliver them to them:

and the people did fear before the Lord, perceiving

that he was difpleafed with them for the neglect of his houfe; and that this drought upon them was a chaftifement and correction for this fin; and fearing left his wrath fhould continue, and they fhould be more feverely dealt with, on account of their tran{fereffions, y.13. Then fpake Haggai the Lord’s meffenger, &c.] Which fome render angel, hence {prung that notion, imbibed by fome, that he was not a man, but an angel; whereas this only refpects his office, being fent of God as an émbaffador, in his name, with a meffage to his people: he now obferving what effect his prophecy had upon the people; they being convinced of their fin, and terrified with the judgments of God upon them, and fearing that worfe ftill would attend them; in order to revive their fpirits, and comfort them, fpake the words unto them which follow: and this he did in the Lord's meffage unto the people; not of his own head, nor out of the pity of his own heart,., merély; but as a prophet of the Lord, having a freth meffage from him to carry a promife tb them* for their comfort and encouragement: /aying, J am’

am with you, faith the Lord; to pardon their fins; to accept their perfons; to remove his rod from them; to affift.them in the work of building the temple, they were now willing to engage in; to protect them from their enemies, and to ftrengthen them to go on with the work till they had finifhed it; a fhort promife, but a very full one: it was faying much in a little, and enough to remove all their fears, to fcatter all their doubts, and to bear them up, and thro’ all difcouragements.

¥. 14. And the Lord flirred up the fpirit of Zerubbabel the fon of Shealtiel, governor of ‘fudab, and the fpirit of Fofbua the fon of Fofedech the bighprieft; and the fpirit of all the remnant of the people, &c:] He roufed them up from that fleep and floth in which they were before, both the governors and common people; he wrought in them both to wiil and do; or a willing mind to do his work in building his houfe; he gave them a fpirit both of induftry and courage; he enabled them to fhake off that fluggith difpofition they were attended with, and that fear of men which poffeffed them; he infpired them with zeal and refolution to enter upon the work at once, and purfue it with clofe application; the Lord only could do this: and they came and did work in the houfe of the Lord of bofis their Ged, the governor and. high-prieft.

came to direct and overfee, encourage and animate tT Fi IS. chapter contains three fermons or prophecies, delivered by the prophet to the people of the Fews. The defign of the firft is to encourage them to go on with the building of the temple, tho’ it might feem to come greatly fhort of the former temple, as to its outward form and fplendor. The time of the prophecy, y¥. 1. an order to deliver it to the governor, high-prieft, and all the people, ¥. 2. A queftion is put concerning the difference between this temple and the former; between which it is fuggefted there was no comparifon; which is affented to by filence, ¥. 3. neverthelefs the prince, prieft, and people are exhorted to go on ftrenuoufly in the work of building; encouraged with a promife of the prefence of the Lord of hofts, and of his word, in whom he covenanted with them at their coming out of Egypt, and of the blefied Spirit, and. his continuance with them, ¥. 4, 5. and the more to remove their fears and faintings, it is declared that in a very fhort time.a moft wonderful thing fhould be done in the world, which would affect all the nations of the earth; for that illuftrious. perfon would come, whom all nations do, or fhould defire; and not only come into the world, but into that temple they were building; and give it a greater glory than the former; yea a greater glory than if all the gold and filver of the world were laid out upon it, or brought into it; which being all the Lord’s, could have been eafily done by him + but he would give in it fomething infinitély greater than that, even the prince of peace, with all the bleffings of it, ¥. 6, 7, 8, 9. then follows the fecond fermon or prophecy, the time of which is obferved, ¥. 10. and it is introduced with fome’ queftions concerning ceremonial uncleannefs, by an unclean perfon’s touching holy flefh with the {kirt of his garment; and other things, which is confirmed by the anfwer of the priefts, ¥. 11, 12, 13. the application of which is made to the the people, by their prefence and example; andthe people to do the feyeral parts ofAervice that belonged to them, according to their genius and employment. ae eer y. 15. In the four and twentieth day of the fixth month, &c.] Or, in the four and twentieth of the month, in the fixth; in that fixth month before-— mentioned, ¥. 1. On this day they came and’

worked; not the fixth from 7/ri, for the Fewsy had two ways of beginning their years, which would have anfwered to part of February; and therefore chofe by fome interpreters, as being a proper time to begin building; but no regard is had to the fitnefs of the feafon, but to the order of the Lord; but the fixth month from Néfaa, and anfwers to part of dugu/?; for fo the months are reckoned in the prophecy of Zechariah, who began to prophefy'the fame’year as Haggai did; fee Zech. i. 1, 7. and vii. 1. this was three and twenty days after the prophecy was delivered out; during which time they might be employed in cutting of ftones, and fawing and hewing of wood, as Farchi fuggetts, and preparing for work in the temple: ix the fecond year of Darius the king; fee the note on ¥.1. Here fome begin a new chapter, ' but wrongly; fince if thefe words do not belong to the preceding, there would be a contéadi¢tion in joining them with the beginning of the next.;

people of the Fews, who were alike unclean; they, their works, and their facrifices, ¥. 14. and thefe are directed to confider, that during the time they had negleéted to build the temple, they were at-’ tended with fcarcity of provifions; their fields and vineyards being blafted with mildew, or deftroyed by hail, and all their labours proved unfuccefsful, y. 15, 16, 77. but now, fince they had begun the: work of building, ’tis promifed they fhould be bleffed with every thing, tho’ they had nothing in_ ftore, and every thing was unpromifing to them;

which is defigned to encourage them to go on chearfully in their begun work, ¥. 18, 19. and the chapter is concluded with the laft difcourfe or prophecy, the date of which is given, ¥. 20. an inftruétion to deliver it to Zerubbabel, x. 21. fore-. telling the deftruction of the kingdoms of the hea~ then; and the fetting up of the kingdom of the

Meffiah, of whom Zerubbabel was a type, precious xy. 1. In the. feventh month, &c.| The month Ti/ri, which anfwers to part of September, and part of OGober: in the one and twentieth day of the month; being a month, wanting three days, from. the time the ‘ews came and worked in the houfe of the Lord, ch.i. 14,15. it was toward the clofe of the feaft of tabernacles; fee Lev. xxiii. 34: came the word of the Lord by the prophet Haggai, the word of prophecy, as the Zargum: this was from the Lord,;

not from the prophet himfelf; he was only the meflenger fent with it to deliver it: /aying, to him the prophet, giving him orders, as follow: ae

¥. 2. Speak now, to Zerubbabel the fon of Sheal- fcent and dignity, fee the note on ch. i. 1.

Septuagint verfion wrongly renders -it, of the tribe of Judah in which it is followed by the Arabic verfion; for tho’ he was of the tribe of Fudab, this does not fufficiently diftinguifh him 5 nor does 4