Chitwot,ay: A at-G
it anfwer to the word here ufed, which is expref. five. of his office and dignity. The Vulgate Latin verfion, Luther and Caffalio, omit the particle 33, rendered xow, which is very emphatical. The prophet is ordered to go and fay what he is bid, directly, immediately,.at*once, without any delay-; the very day. before mentioned, yea at that very inftant or moment, the people being now at work, under the eye cf their governor; ‘In order to remove an offence, which might difcourage them in their work, taken from the meannefs of the building, in comparifon of the former temple: and to Fofoua the fon of Fofedech the high-prieft, and to the refidue of the people, thefe, befides the two former, even the whole body of the people, the remnant that were come out of the captivity of Babylon: faying, to the above perfons, as. follows: ¥. 3. Who is left among you that faw this houfe in her firft glory? &c.} Not taken away by death, yet alive, and. dwelling among them; and who lived before the deftruction of the firft temple built by Sa/emon, and has feen it in all its magnificence;_its' grand and noble ftructure; its ftately pillars; its carved work and decorations of gold. ‘This fhows that it was not in the times of Darius Nothus, but of Darius Hyftafpis, that Haggai prophefied:: thofe who go the former way, make thefe men to have liyed near two hundred years at leatt, which was greatly beyond the common time of man’s life in that age; or confider thefe words as a mere fuppofition, that if there were, or had been fuch perfons then living, this building, in comparifon of the former, muft have appeared mean and contemptible unto them: but the words manifeftly imply that there were perfons among them then living, who had feen Solomon’s temple in all its glory; and who are particularly and perfonally addrefied in the following claufes,; and of whom there might be feveral at this time, going the latter way; for the feventy years captivity are to be reckoned from the fourth year of Feboiakim, in which the captivity began, and which was the firft year of Nebuchadnezzar, Fer. XXV. 1, 11, 12. but it. was not until the nineteenth year of his reign, that the temple was burnt by him, Zer. li. 12, 13. and the time of Haggai’s prophefying being about feventeen or eighteen years after the proclamation of Cyrus, when the feventy years captivity ended; this fhows that it was fcarcely feventy years from the time the temple was deftroyed; and therefore it may be reafonably fuppofed there were feveral ancient perfons living that could remember to have feen it; and it is certain, that: there were a great number of ‘fuch living that returned from Babylon, who wept when they iaw the foundation of the fecond temple laid, which was but fifteen years before this, Ezra iii, 12: fome of whom, in all probability, were. now alive, yea it is certain there were, to whom the following queftions were put: and how do ye fee it now? is not this that is building very different from that? does it promife any thing like it? what ideas have you of it? can you conceive in your minds that it will ever rife up to fuch grandeur and. ftatelinefs as the former? what is your judgment, and what your fentiments concerning it? can you think of it with equal delight and pleafure as of the former? is it ot in your eyes in comparifon of it as nothing? don’t you think, that it is not to be mentioned, or once named, in comparifon of the former temple? or that a man had as good fay nothing at all, as to attempt a comparifon of them? or that this building and nothing are alike? and that the one is a non-entity, as well as the other, comparatively {fpeaking, when fet in competition with the firit temple? and are not you of opinion, that the people had as good do nothing, and that in effeé& they are doing nothing, and all their labour loft, who are working in this houfe? no anfwer is returned, nor any waited for: but it is as if the Lord had faid, I who am the omnifcient God, the difcerner of the thoughts of men, know that thefe are your fentiments, and thefe the reafonings of your minds; and but now left difcovering thefe thoughts of theirs, and fpeaking out their. minds freely as they might, which would tend to difcourage the governors and the people in carrying on the work they had engaged in; the Lord by the prophet fays to them, as follows: ¥. 4. Yet now be firong, O Zerubbabel, faith the Lord, &c.] Take heart, be of good courage, don’t be difmayed at thefe things; tho’ the building may be contemptible in the eyes of fome, neverthelefs go on with it manfully and vigoroufly; let none defpife the day of fmall things; for from thefe low beginnings great things will arife, and glorious things will follow, as hereafter predicted; fee Zech. iv. g, 10. attend this work diligently, defift not from it, continue to prefide over it, and encourage thé people in it; let not thine heart faint, or thine hands be flack; act the part of a man, of a good man, and of a governor: and be firong,.O Fofhua, fon of Fofedech the high-pricf; don’t be difheartened at what the ancients think and fay concerning this temple, in which thou art to officiate as an high-prieft, and as a type of him who fhall come into this houfe, and fo give it a glory the former never had; continue to give the neceffary inftructions to the builders, that every thing may be done in proper order, and to anfwer their end and ufe in the fervice of the priefthood; faint not, nor be difcouraged, but aét according to thy character, and fhew thyfelf worthy of the office with which thou art invefted; confider in whofe name thou atteft, whofe prieft thou art, and in whofe fervice thou art employed: and be trong, all ye people of the land, faith the Lord, \et not your hearts fink, or fpirits fail, at hearing what the more ancient among you fay of the difference etween this and the former building, which your eyes never faw; don’t defift from your work on this account, but go on with it; confider what God has done for you, in bringing you out of captivity, and into your own land, and to the enjoyment of your civil privileges; confider the obligations you lie under to build an houfe for God; that this is'not only a piece of gratitude, and fhows a fenfe of mercies received; but that it is for the glory of God, for your fpiritual profit and advantage, and for the ufe and good of future pofterity; quit yourfelves therefore like men, and be ftrong; tee Fah. i. 6, 7, 9. 1 Cor. xvi. 13: and work; that is, continue working, for they were at work; but there was danger of their leaving off working, being difcouraged at what the ancient people faid; and therefore they are exhorted to go on in their work, and go thro’ it, and finifh it; for fo the word here ufed fignifies, and do*,; that is, the work thoroughly and effectually; or, as others render it, and perfeé? ‘ the work betty and.; eave leave it not unfinifhed. Aen Ezra, Jarchi, Kimchi, and Ben Melech connect this word with the beginning of the following verfe, thus, and do thé word, or thing which I covenanted with you, 8c. that is, obférve the law, and do the comniandnent then given; but very wrongly: nor is it only to be confidered as directed to the people, but to the prince and prieft alfo; for they had all work to do in the houfe of the Lord, as all ranks and degrees of men now have in the church of Chrift; of which that houfe was typical: the prince or civil magiftrate; not to prefcribe laws and rules to be obferved in it, which only belongs to Chrift, who is the fole head, king, and lawgiver; but to attend the fervice of it, to protect and defend it, to promote the intereft of it, and diftribute chearfully to the maintenance of its minifters, and to the neceffities of the poor faints. Priefts or minifters of the word are to work; they are to labour in the word and doétrine; in preaching the gofpel; adminiftring ordinances; governing the church; comforting faints; reproving vice, and refuting error: deacons are to do their work, in taking care of the poor, and minding the fecular affairs of the church; and all private chriftians are to work, to labour in prayer for the good of it; to hear the word, attend on all ordinances, and hold faft the profeffion of their faith; all which is to be done in the ftrength and grace of Chrift, without dependence on it, or feeking juftification and falvation by it; encouraged, as the Fews are here, with the promife of the divine prefence: (for I am with you, faith the Lord of hofts),; to help in every fervice, and to protect from all enemies; and this makes the work and fervice of the Lord’s houfe pleafant and delightful, and fecures from all doubts and fears, faintings and mifgivings of heart. This is to be underftood of God the Father, the Lord of armies above and below; and if he is for, and with his people, they haye nothing to fear from thofe that are againft them; or to be difcouraged in his fervice. ‘The Zargum wrongly interprets this of the word of the Lord, fince he is meant in the next verte.
¥. 5. According to the word that I covenanted with you, when ye came out of Egypt, &c.] Or rather, with the word, in, or with whom I covenanted ®, &c. as fome render it; that is, Chritt, the effential Word, who was promifed to the people of Trae at that time, Deut. xviii. 15. and in whom all the promifes are, and the covenant of grace itfelf; and which covenant was indeed made with him from eternity, but was made manifeft, or more clearly manifeft, to the Fewi/b anceftors, when they came out of Egypt: now it is here promifed, for the encouragement of the Yews to go on in the work of the Lord, in building the temple, that this divine Word fhould be with them alfo, to counfel, affift, ftrengthen, and protect them; even he who went before their fathers in the wildernefs in a pillar of cloud by day, and of fire by night; the angel of God’s prefence that redeemed, faved, and carried them all the days of old; the Word that was in the beginning with God, and was God; and by whom all things were created at firft; and who would, as fince he has, meus ftat in medio vettri, Pagninus, Cocceius; ftans, Montanus; Spiritus quoque meus ftabit in medio veftrim, Woe 5
| of Chrift; yet this was but a little while with Ge become flefh, and dwell among them, and appear in this very temple they were now building; and who will be with all his churches, minifters and people, unto the end of the world: jo my Spirit remaineth among you; or rather, and, or alfa my Spirit flandeth, continueth iz the midft of you™; not only Febouah the Father, and his divine Logos or Word, were with them; but his Spirit alfo, his - holy Spirit, the third perfon in the Trinity, of which thefe words are a proof; the fame Spirit which was in Mo/es and others in his. time, for the building of the tabernacle is now promifed unto, and fhould continue with, the builders of this temple; as a fpirit. of wifdom and counfel to direct them, and as a {pirit of might and power to ftrengthen and affift them: and fo he is, and will be in the churches of Chrift, and in the midft of his people, to affift the minifters of the word in preaching, the people in hearing, praying and praifing; to carry on his own work in them; to ~ be the comforter of them, and the feal, earneft, and pledge of their future glory; nor does he, nor ever will he, depart from them; fee J/ lix. 21. John xiv. 16: fear ye not; facceeding in the work, and finifhing it; nor be difmayed at what the ancient people had faid; nor be afraid of enemies, who did all they could to hinder and difcourage them from going on with their work; and indeed there is no reafon to fear, let the fervice be what it will, the Lord employs his people in; if he, Father, Son, and Spirit, are with them; fee J xli. 10.
¥.6. For thus faith the Lord of bofis, &c.| For the further encouragement of the builders of the tempie, they are told from the Lord of hofts, that ina little time, when fuch circumftances fhould meet as are here pointed at, the Meffiah fhould come, and appear in this houfe, and give it a greater glory than ever So/omon’s temple had; for that this paffage is to be underftood of the Meffiah and his times, is clear from the apoftle’s application of it, Hed. xii. 25, 26. and even the ancient
Jews themfelves. underftood it of the Meffiah, particularly R. Aguiba', who lived in the times of Bar Cozbi the talie Meffiah; tho’-the more modern ones, perceiving how they are embaraffed with it, to fupport their hypothefis, fhift it off from him: yet once, it isa little while; or, once more, as the apoftle in the above place quotes it; which fuggefts, that the Lord had before done fomething of the kind, that follows, fhaking the heavens, &c, as at the giving of the law on mount Sinai;
and would do the fame again, and more abundantly in the times of the gofpel, or of the Mef- ~ fiah. archi interprets this of one trouble by the
Grectan monarchy after the Perfian, which would.
not laft' long: his note is, ‘* yet once, &c. atter “¢ that this kingdom of Perjia that rules over you ‘* is ended, yet one fhall rife up to rule over you, “¢ to diftrefs you, the kingdom of Greece; but its * government fhall be but a little time;” and not very foreign from this fenfe does bifhop Chandler * render the words, after one kingdom (the — | foake all the heavens, &c. and tho’ it was five hun- — dred years from this prophecy to the i with whom a thoufand years are as one day; and indeed with men it was but a fhort time, when compared with the firft promife of his coming. at the beginning of the world; or with the fhaking of the earth at the giving of the’ law, quickly after I/rael came out of Egypt: and I will foake the heavens, and the earth, and the fea, and the dry land which. either intends the changes and revolutions. made in the feveral kingdoms and. nations of the world, between this prophecy and the coming of Chrift, and which foon began to, take place; for the Pexfan monarchy now flourifhing, was quickly fhook and fubdued by the Grecians, and in a little time the Grecian monarchy was deftroyed by the Romans; and what changes they made in the feveral nations of the world is well known: or elfe this defigns the wonderful things that were done in the heayens, earth, and fea, at the birth of Chrift, during his life, and at his death: at his birth a new ftar appeared in the heavens, which brought the wife men from the eaft to vifit him; the angels. of heaven defcended, and fung glory to God in the higheft; Hered and all the inhabitants of Feru/alem were fhaken, moved, and troubled at the tidings of his birth; yea peo-.
ple in all parts of Yudea were in motion to be taxed in their refpective cities at this time: ftormy winds. were raifed, which agitated the waters of the fea in his life-time; and on which he walked, and which. he rebuked; and this fhewed him to be the mighty God: at his death the heavens were darkened, the earth quaked, and rocks were rent afunder: if any. particular earthquake about this time fhould be thought to be intended, the moft terrible one was that which happened A. D. 17, when Caelius Rufus and Pomponius Flaccus were confuls, which deftroyed twelve cities of Afa!; and thefe being near the fea, caufed’a motion there alfo. The apoftle applies thefe words to the change made in the worfhip of God by the coming of Chrift, when the carnal ordinances of the law were removed, and evangelical ordinances inftituted, which fhall remain until his fecond coming, Heb, xii. 26.
¥. 7. And I will foake all nations, &c.] By changing their governors, and forms of government; which was done by the Romans, when fubdued by them; and by bringing in wars among them, which produced thofe changes; and by inteftine wars among the Romgns themfelves, in the feveral nations that belonged to them, which were notorious a little before the coming of Chrift: or elfe this was to be done, and was done, by the preaching of the gofpel, both in Yudea, and in the Gentile world, when all the inhabitants thereof were fhaken by it, in one fenfe or another; fome had their hearts and confciences fhaken by the Spirit and grace of God thro’ it, and were brought to embrace it, and profefs it; yea, were brought to Chrift, to yield obedience to him, his truths, ' and ordinances; and others were moved with envy, wrath, and indignation at it, and rofe up to op-:
' pofe it, and ftop the progrefs of it: and the defre of all nations foall come, not the defireable things of all nations, or them with them, as their gold and filver; and which is the fenfe of Farchi, Kimchi, and Aben Ezra; but this is contrary to the fyntax of the words, to the context, ¥. 8, 9. and to faé&ts; and, if true, would not have given this temple a greater glory than Solomon’s: nor the elect