Haggai — Chapter 1

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1In the second year of the reign of Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, stating

2that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.’”

3Then the word of the LORD came through Haggai the prophet, saying:

4“Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?”

5Now this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Consider carefully your ways.

6You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough. You drink but never have your fill. You put on clothes but never get warm. You earn wages to put into a bag pierced through.”

7This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Consider carefully your ways.

8Go up into the hills, bring down lumber, and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified, says the LORD.

9You expected much, but behold, it amounted to little. And what you brought home, I blew away. Why? declares the LORD of Hosts. Because My house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house.

10Therefore, on account of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth has withheld its crops.

11I have summoned a drought on the fields and on the mountains, on the grain, new wine, and oil, and on whatever the ground yields, on man and beast, and on all the labor of your hands.”

12Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, as well as all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the words of the prophet Haggai, because the LORD their God had sent him. So the people feared the LORD.

13Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, delivered the message of the LORD to the people: “I am with you,” declares the LORD.

14So the LORD stirred the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, as well as the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and began the work on the house of the LORD of Hosts, their God,

15on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius.

1In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,

2Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’S house should be built.

3Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,

4Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?

5Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.

6Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.

7Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.

8Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.

9Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.

10Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.

11And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.

12Then 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 did fear before the LORD.

13Then spake Haggai the LORD’S messenger in the LORD’S message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD.

14And 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 did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,

15In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

1In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,

2Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, saying, This people say, It is not the time [for us] to come, the time for Jehovah`s house to be built.

3Then came the word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet, saying,

4Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your ceiled houses, while this house lieth waste?

5Now therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Consider your ways.

6Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages [to put it] into a bag with holes.

7Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Consider your ways.

8Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith Jehovah.

9Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith Jehovah of hosts. Because of my house that lieth waste, while ye run every man to his own house.

10Therefore for your sake the heavens withhold the dew, and the earth withholdeth its fruit.

11And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the grain, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labor of the hands.

12Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of Jehovah their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as Jehovah their God had sent him; and the people did fear before Jehovah.

13Then spake Haggai Jehovah`s messenger in Jehovah`s message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith Jehovah.

14And Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work on the house of Jehovah of hosts, their God,

15in the four and twentieth day of the month, in the sixth [month], in the second year of Darius the king.

1On the first day of the sixth month of King Darius’ second year, the Lord’s message came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak:

2This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has said: “These people have said, ‘The time for rebuilding the Lord’s temple has not yet come.’”

3The Lord’s message came through the prophet Haggai as follows:

4“Is it right for you to live in richly paneled houses while my temple is in ruins?

5Here then, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has said: ‘Think carefully about what you are doing.

6You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but are never filled. You drink, but are still thirsty. You put on clothes, but are not warm. Those who earn wages end up with holes in their money bags.’”

7Moreover, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has said: “Pay close attention to these things also.

8Go up to the hill country and bring back timber to build the temple. Then I will be pleased and honored,” says the Lord.

9“You expected a large harvest, but instead there was little. And when you would bring it home, I would blow it right away. Why?” asks the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Because my temple remains in ruins, thanks to each of you favoring his own house!

10This is why the sky has held back its dew and the earth its produce.

11Moreover, I have called for a drought that will affect the fields, the hill country, the grain, new wine, fresh olive oil, and everything that grows from the ground; it also will harm people, animals, and everything they produce.”

12Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, along with the whole remnant of the people, obeyed the Lord their God. They responded favorably to the message of the prophet Haggai, who spoke just as the Lord their God had instructed him, and the people began to respect the Lord.

13Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, spoke the Lord’s announcement to the people: “I am with you,” decrees the Lord.

14So the Lord energized and encouraged Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the whole remnant of the people. They came and worked on the temple of their God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

15This took place on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month of King Darius’ second year.

1In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, Yahweh’s word came by Haggai, the prophet, to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,

2“This is what Yahweh of Armies says: These people say, ‘The time hasn’t yet come, the time for Yahweh’s house to be built.’”

3Then Yahweh’s word came by Haggai, the prophet, saying,

4“Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies waste?

5Now therefore this is what Yahweh of Armies says: Consider your ways.

6You have sown much, and bring in little. You eat, but you don’t have enough. You drink, but you aren’t filled with drink. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm, and he who earns wages earns wages to put them into a bag with holes in it.”

7This is what Yahweh of Armies says: “Consider your ways.

8Go up to the mountain, bring wood, and build the house. I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified,” says Yahweh.

9“You looked for much, and, behold, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says Yahweh of Armies, “Because of my house that lies waste, while each of you is busy with his own house.

10Therefore for your sake the heavens withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit.

11I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on that which the ground produces, on men, on livestock, and on all the labor of the hands.”

12Then Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed Yahweh, their God’s voice, and the words of Haggai, the prophet, as Yahweh, their God, had sent him; and the people feared Yahweh.

13Then Haggai, Yahweh’s messenger, spoke Yahweh’s message to the people, saying, “I am with you,” says Yahweh.

14Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of Yahweh of Armies, their God,

15in the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

In the second year of King Darius, the word of the LORD comes through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the governor and Joshua the high priest, rebuking the people for saying the time has not yet come to rebuild the temple while they live in paneled houses of their own (vv. 1-4). Haggai points out that their hard work has produced little because they have prioritized their own houses over God's house — their hardship is a direct consequence of neglecting the temple (vv. 5-11). Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the whole remnant of the people obey the LORD's voice and the words of Haggai, and the people fear the LORD (v. 12). The LORD promises "I am with you," and stirs up the leaders and people to begin rebuilding the temple about three weeks later (vv. 13-15).

Authorship & Background

Author: Haggai the prophet. Prophesied in 520 BC (precisely dated). Key theme: rebuilding the Temple — the returned exiles have neglected God's house while building their own. "Is it time for you... to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste?" (1:4). "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former" (2:9).
Classification: Prophetic Oracle — A Call to Rebuild the Temple
Key Themes: Misplaced priorities, divine discipline through economic hardship, obedience and divine presence, the stirring of the Spirit, "Consider your ways"
Historical Context: The year is 520 BC — the second year of Darius I of Persia. Approximately 50,000 Jews had returned from Babylonian exile under Zerubbabel (538 BC) with the express purpose of rebuilding the Temple. They laid the foundation in 536 BC (Ezra 3:10-11) but abandoned the work due to opposition from surrounding peoples (Ezra 4:4-5, 24). For sixteen years the Temple lay unfinished while the people built their own paneled houses. Haggai's message arrives on the first day of the sixth month (approximately August/September 520 BC) — precisely dated as few prophetic messages are. The specificity of dating (1:1, 1:15, 2:1, 2:10, 2:20) makes Haggai the most precisely dated book in the Old Testament. His ministry lasted only about four months, yet his impact was immediate and dramatic. The economic hardship described in vv.6-11 was not random misfortune but divine discipline. God withheld blessing because His people had their priorities inverted — caring for their own comfort while God's house lay in ruins. The message is simple and direct: put God first, and blessing will follow.
The Date and the Two Leaders (v.1): Haggai is dated to the day: the second year of Darius, sixth month, first day, which is late August of 520 BC. That precision matters because the whole book turns on a moment. The word comes through the prophet to Zerubbabel the governor and Joshua the high priest, civil and religious authority addressed together, since the work in question needed both.
“The Time Is Not Come”: Misplaced Priorities (vv.2-4): The people are quoted before they are answered: the time has not come to build the LORD's house. Sixteen years had passed since the foundation was laid and opposition had stopped the work, so the excuse had history behind it. God's reply is a question about their own houses, which are not merely built but “ceiled” — panelled, finished to a standard. The charge is not idleness. They had been building steadily, just not this.
Consider Your Ways: Much Sown, Little Reaped (vv.5-6): “Consider your ways” recurs through the book and is closer to “set your heart on your paths”. What follows is a list of efforts that do not add up: much sown and little reaped, eating without being filled, wages put into a bag with holes. Anyone who has worked hard through a poor season recognises the description. Haggai's claim is that the futility is not economic accident but message.
Go Up to the Mountain and Build (vv.7-8): The remedy is specific and physical: go to the hills, bring timber, build the house. No sacrifice or ceremony is prescribed first. The stated purpose is that God will take pleasure in it and be glorified, which puts the point of the building outside the builders. Note what is not promised — prosperity is not offered as the reason to obey.
Why the Heavens Withheld (vv.9-11): The diagnosis is made explicit: you looked for much and it came to little, and “I did blow upon it”. The drought is attributed directly to God and its reach is itemised, over the ground, the grain, the new wine, the oil, and the labour of human hands. The logic is covenantal rather than punitive in a general sense: the terms of Deuteronomy had named exactly this consequence, so the hearers would have recognized the pattern.
The People Obeyed, and the Spirit Was Stirred (vv.12-15): The response is immediate and, among the prophets, unusual — no argument, no delay, no partial compliance. The people obeyed and “did fear before the LORD”. God's answer to their obedience is one clause, “I am with you”, which is the whole of the encouragement offered. Verse 14 credits the stirring of their spirit to God, so the obedience just recorded is also attributed to Him, and work resumes twenty-three days after the first word came.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Haggai 1-2:9 | Build My House | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

A Summary of the Book of Haggai | GotQuestions.org
Got Questions Ministries

Haggai: The Bible Explained
Spoken Gospel

Book of Haggai Summary: A Complete Animated Overview
BibleProject

Spiritual Sounding Excuses - Haggai 1:2
David Guzik

Unsatisfied - Haggai 1:5-6
David Guzik

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Haggai -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • The Perpetual Excuse (v.2) — The people never deny that the temple should be rebuilt, only that now isn't the right time. Is there something you know God wants from you that you keep agreeing with in principle but delaying in practice?
  • Consider Your Ways (v.5) — God calls the people to honestly examine why their hard work never seems to pay off. When your effort feels futile, do you stop to consider whether your priorities are actually aligned with God's, or just push harder at the same thing?
  • Obedience Without Perfect Conditions (v.8) — God's instruction is simple and immediate: go get wood and build, with no promise of ideal circumstances first. Are you waiting for perfect timing or resources before obeying something God has already made clear?
  • The Assurance That Follows Obedience (v.13) — The moment the people move from excuses to action, God responds with the simple promise, "I am with you." Have you noticed how God's presence often becomes more evident after obedience, not before it?
  • God Stirs What He Commands (v.14) — The people's obedience is described as the Lord stirring their spirits to act, not merely their own willpower. Where do you need to ask God to stir your spirit toward something you've known you should do?