'Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your ceiled houses, while this house lies waste? Consider your ways.' You have sown much, and brought in little; and Hashem stirs up the spirit of Zerubbabel, of Joshua the high priest, and of all the remnant — and they come and work in the house.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of Hashem by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying:
verse value 6554
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 111 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֖ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "one" (אֶחָ֖ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "son·of·Shealtiel" (בֶּן־שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵל֙, 9 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Haggai. Unique to this verse in Haggai (hapax): "in·the·month" (בַּחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙), "sixth" (הַשִּׁשִּׁ֔י), "one" (אֶחָ֖ד). The root חדש appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 34x in Haggai); "saying" (root אמר, 26x in Haggai). First appearance of the root שנה ("in·year·of") in Haggai. First appearance of the root שנים ("two") in Haggai. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·month', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 13 words.
Rashi
"In the second year of Darius": This is Darius, king of Persia, who reigned after Ahasuerus. And we find in the Midrash, Vayikra Rabbah, that he was the son of Esther. In the days of Cyrus the first, Zerubbabel and Joshua the priest went up from Babylonia to Jerusalem with the permission of Cyrus, as it is stated (Ezra 1:3): "Whoever is among all His people... [may his God be with him, and let him go up]." And the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin arose and sent their letters to Cyrus, to have him command that the work on the Temple, which they had begun, be halted. (And he commanded, and they halted it.) From that day the work ceased, as is stated explicitly (in Ezra 4:24): "Then the work on the house of God which is in Jerusalem ceased..." And it remained halted for three years — the years that Cyrus reigned — and fourteen years of Ahasuerus, and the first year of Darius his son. And in the second year, this prophecy was spoken to Haggai, to spur them on to return and resume building the work, and not to fear, for the nations would not halt them again, since the Holy One, blessed be He, would grant them success.
Ibn Ezra
"In the year" – this is Darius the Persian, as our ancients, may their memory be blessed, said, that he was the son of Queen Esther. Rabbi Moses said: "In the month" means the beginning of the month in every place. If so, why did it write "on the first day of the month"? And he was Zerubbabel, son of Rephaiah, brother of Shealtiel, from the sons of Jehoiachin. And because his uncle Shealtiel raised him, they called him by his [uncle's] name, [as] his son, just as [it is written], "and he became a son to her," and likewise, "And these are the sons of Michal, daughter of Saul," for she had no child, but she raised them. And Jehozadak, father of Joshua, was the High Priest in the First Temple when it was burned down, for so it is written. Therefore his son inherited his position when Israel went out from the Babylonian exile. Therefore Ezra, his uncle, did not serve as High Priest in the days of Joshua, nor in the days of his son and grandson, as it is written in the Book of Ezra.
Radak
"In the second year of Darius the king." This is Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, and it was said that he was the son of Esther. He commanded to build the Temple, after the enemies of Judah had halted the construction from the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus — for when they went up from the exile, they did not complete the seventy years of the desolation of Jerusalem reckoned from [the time they went up], but rather from the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. This is what He said: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you" (Jeremiah 29:10). And they did not remain in exile for seventy years, but only for fifty-two years, for in the nineteenth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar they went into exile. And that visitation which Cyrus performed was not complete, for Cyrus did not reign for more than three years, and those were fragmented years. At the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus, they wrote a complaint, and the construction ceased until the second year of Darius, king of Persia. And then the seventy years of the desolation of Jerusalem were completed, for those nineteen years that were lacking were then completed to Cyrus, and fourteen to Ahasuerus, and two to Darius, making seventy years. And when the seventy years of the desolation of Jerusalem were completed, the time for building the Temple arrived. Then the prophecy came to Haggai, who was in Jerusalem, to stir up Zerubbabel to build the Temple, for they were being lazy because of the enemies who were stopping their work these years. And the Holy Spirit did not stir them up until now, because the time had not yet been completed, for the seventy years of the desolation of Jerusalem had not yet been fulfilled until now. And so it is said in Ezra: "And the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them" (Ezra 5:1).
“Concerning Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel.” [A note] on the aleph of “unto” (אֶל) being vocalized [pronounced as a sounded letter, not silent]. Now, Zerubbabel was not [literally] the son of Shealtiel, but rather the son of Pedaiah, and Pedaiah was the son of Shealtiel, as it is stated in Chronicles. And a son’s son is considered like a son. And [the text] mentions Shealtiel perhaps because he was more distinguished than Pedaiah. Similarly, it says “Zechariah, son of Iddo,” yet he was the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo.
“Pachat Yehudah.” It is accented on the final syllable, and it is the construct form of the word *pachah*, meaning “governor” or “ruler,” for the rulers of the Second Temple period were not called “kings,” since they were for the most part under the dominion of the nations of the world; and the House of Hasmonean and Herod, who did rule, were not from the tribe of Judah.
“And to Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the High Priest.” Jehozadak is the one who went into exile with the exiles, as it is stated in Chronicles: “And Jehozadak went into exile when the Lord exiled Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.” He was the brother of Ezra, and both of them were sons of Seraiah. Joshua, his son, went up with Zerubbabel, whereas Ezra did not go up until the seventy years of the desolation of Jerusalem were completed, after the Temple had been rebuilt.
"To say: This is the matter that the people used to say to Zerubbabel and to Joshua:"
Metzudat David
"In the second year of Darius" — this is Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, who granted permission to rebuild the Temple after the construction had ceased during the days of Cyrus, as it is stated in the Book of Ezra.
"Son of Shealtiel." He was the son of Pedaiah, son of Shealtiel, as it is stated in Chronicles, and grandsons are [considered] as sons.
Metzudat Zion
"Pachat." A ruler and governor, like "pachot" and "saganim" (Ezekiel 23).
Malbim
"In the second year of Darius," as the Ri"a has already explained, and I, the author of Chazon, have elaborated on this in several places: that from the time of the first exile under Sennacherib, the period of the future redemption began. The prophets prophesied about the redemption, and the matter depended on whether Israel would merit it; if so, they would have been redeemed immediately in the days of Hezekiah or in the days of Josiah (as stated in Zephaniah 3). However, since they did not merit it, they were exiled to Babylon for their treachery, to end transgression and finish sin. When the Lord saw that if they remained in the Babylonian exile they would be absorbed among the nations and would cease to be part of the religion—since the holy seed had already intermingled with the peoples of the lands and had forgotten their language and their Torah—He therefore visited them with a slight visitation through Cyrus. The men of the Great Assembly went up with them, and they restored the Torah and the crown to their former state.
Although at that time the period of the future redemption had not yet arrived, and Daniel saw that four kingdoms would rule over Israel, and likewise many prophets saw this and informed him in a vision that the time of the end of wonders was very distant, nevertheless, it was possible that it would then be the time of redemption if they returned in complete repentance to the Lord and went up as a united front, like a wall. As our Sages of blessed memory stated: "Israel was worthy of having a miracle performed for them in the days of Ezra, etc., but sin caused otherwise," and likewise many midrashim of our Sages of blessed memory indicate this. At the time the Temple was being rebuilt, the possibility still hung in the balance: if they had returned in repentance, Zerubbabel would have been the Messiah king, and the Temple would have been established as an eternal dwelling. Therefore, the light of prophecy shone for them once again through the last prophets, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, who stood at that time and aroused them regarding the building and regarding repentance, and revealed to them this secret that the matter was in their hands.
However, since they did not merit it, the Second Temple was only a temporary sanctuary for the time being, destined to be destroyed by the Romans, and it lacked five things, as our Sages of blessed memory stated regarding the word "ve'eikavedah" [and I will be honored]. Now, in the days of the first Cyrus, a decree was given for them to go up to the Land of Israel, and they then began the building of the Temple. But the work ceased due to the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin until the time of Darius, because the time for building had not yet arrived. Therefore, they despaired of the building, as no further permission to build had reached them. Haggai then prophesied in the name of the Lord that they should begin the building and not wait for permission, for the time had arrived. The word was addressed to Zerubbabel, because if they had merited it and that had been the true redemption, he would have caused a horn to sprout for the House of David, and Zerubbabel would have been the Messiah. However, since they did not merit it, Zerubbabel returned to Babylon and died there. It is destined that a shoot will sprout from his descendants in the end of days. And the commentators have already written that he was not the son of Shealtiel, but the son of Pedaiah, and Pedaiah was the son of Shealtiel, and he was named after his grandfather.
’Thus speaks Hashem of hosts, saying: This people say: The time is not come, the time that Hashem’S house should be built.’
verse value 3346
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 49 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֥ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֥ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·be·built" (לְהִבָּנֽוֹת, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, Hashem. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Haggai. Unique to this verse in Haggai (hapax): "they·said" (אָֽמְר֔וּ), "time·to·come" (עֶת־בֹּ֛א), "time·of·house·of" (עֶת־בֵּ֥ית). The root אמר appears 3 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 34x in Haggai); "said" (root אמר, 26x in Haggai). First appearance of the root כה ("thus") in Haggai. First appearance of the root צבא ("hosts") in Haggai. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'saying', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 8 words. Full calculation: כֹּ֥ה [thus] (25) + אָמַ֛ר [said] (241) + יְהֹוָ֥ה [Hashem] (26) + צְבָא֖וֹת [hosts] (499) + לֵאמֹ֑ר [saying] (271) + הָעָ֤ם [the·people] (115) + הַזֶּה֙ [this] (17) + אָֽמְר֔וּ [they·said] (247) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + עֶת־בֹּ֛א [time·to·come] (473) + עֶת־בֵּ֥ית [time·of·house·of] (882) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + לְהִבָּנֽוֹת [to·be·built] (493) = 3346.
Rashi
"These people say" [lit. "This people said"]: This is stated because their enemies had halted [the rebuilding] through their own hands at first, and so they assumed that I would not fulfill My words that I spoke, "When the ruins of Jerusalem complete seventy years," and that the time for My House to be rebuilt would never come. Tell them that the time has now come. However, that first [seventy-year] period was only a reckoning to complete seventy years from the start of the Babylonian kingdom. And so it was: at the end of those seventy years, they were summoned to go up by the word of Cyrus. But the building of the Temple was contingent on the destruction of Jerusalem, which was in the days of Zedekiah — eighteen years later than the start of the Babylonian kingdom — as the Master said (Megillah 11a, Arakhin 12b): "They went into exile in the eighteenth year; they went into exile in the nineteenth year." And now those eighteen years have been completed.
Radak
Thus says the Lord, saying: [meaning] that they would say it to the people. And since the enemies of Judah had made them cease building the House all the years that had passed, the people had become despondent regarding the building of the House, and they were saying, “The time for building has not yet arrived,” even though they knew that the seventy years of the desolation of Jerusalem had been completed in the second year of Darius. They should have known that God had not brought them up from the exile for nothing. And even though the prophet had not yet spoken to them, they should have initiated the matter on their own and aroused themselves concerning it, for they saw that their deeds were not turning out successfully for them, as it is stated, “You have sown much,” etc. And they should have known that this was their punishment for having become despondent regarding the building of the House. And when God, blessed be He, saw that they were not arousing themselves on their own, He sent to them through the hand of the prophet Haggai.
Metzudat David
"Not yet the time to come." This means that they say, "The time has not yet come to build the House." But this is not so, for now is the time for the House of GOD to be built, for the seventy years that Jeremiah mentioned have already been completed, as stated at the end of [the Book of] II Kings, in the reckoning of the years of the generations.
Malbim
This nation said, "The time has not yet come," meaning that it was accepted by the nation [of Israel], from the mouths of the prophets, that before the true redemption there must be signs in the heavens and on earth, and that there must be the war of Gog and Magog, as all the prophets who prophesied concerning the end of days had foretold. And they saw that at that time there was not any of the preparations that are required to precede the redemption. Therefore they said, "The time has not yet come," meaning that the time which is the preparation for the arrival of the time when the House of the Lord will be built has not yet arrived. How can we say that the time for the building has arrived, when the time that must precede the building—the time of signs and wonders—has not yet come? Moreover, the condition for the building is that they must first have rest from their enemies, as was the case during the time of the building of Solomon's Temple. And the time of rest has not yet arrived, for they are enslaved to the kings of Media and Persia. The time of redemption must come before the time of building.
Then came the word of Hashem by Haggai the prophet, saying:
verse value 639
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "and·it·was" (וַֽיְהִי֙, 4 letters) and the longest is "the·word·of·Hashem" (דְּבַר־יְהֹוָ֔ה, 7 letters). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 34x in Haggai); "saying" (root אמר, 26x in Haggai). Full calculation: וַֽיְהִי֙ [and·it·was] (31) + דְּבַר־יְהֹוָ֔ה [the·word·of·Hashem] (232) + בְּיַד־חַגַּ֥י [by·hand·of·Haggai] (37) + הַנָּבִ֖יא [the·prophet] (68) + לֵאמֹֽר [saying] (271) = 639.
Radak
"And the word of the Lord came." The word of the Lord came to the people by the hand of Haggai, for regarding the first prophecy, He told him to say it to Zerubbabel and to Joshua, but regarding this second prophecy, He told him to say it to the people.
Malbim
"And the word of the Lord came" — this too is from the words of the Lord, who told him to say to the people: "Therefore the word of the Lord was in the hand of Haggai." This means that therefore the light of prophecy was aroused to shine, which is a sign that if they return in repentance, prophecy will return to them as before, and the time of rectification will arrive.
’Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your cieled houses, while this house lies waste?
verse value 3108
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 36 letters. The shortest word is "time" (הַעֵ֤ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·your·houses" (בְּבָתֵּיכֶ֣ם, 6 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Haggai. Unique to this verse in Haggai (hapax): "time" (הַעֵ֤ת), "to·you" (לָכֶם֙), "to·dwell" (לָשֶׁ֖בֶת). The root בית appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root חרב ("waste") in Haggai. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'cieled', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: הַעֵ֤ת [time] (475) + לָכֶם֙ [to·you] (90) + אַתֶּ֔ם [you] (441) + לָשֶׁ֖בֶת [to·dwell] (732) + בְּבָתֵּיכֶ֣ם [in·your·houses] (474) + סְפוּנִ֑ים [cieled] (246) + וְהַבַּ֥יִת [and·the·house] (423) + הַזֶּ֖ה [this] (17) + חָרֵֽב [waste] (210) = 3108.
Rashi
"Is it a time for you": The expression is one of astonishment; therefore the heh is vocalized with a patach.
Sefonim: Covered with cedar planks, as it is stated (1 Kings 6:9): "And he paneled the house... and paneled the house with cedar." And so too Targum Yonatan [renders]: "Is it then fitting for you to sit in houses that are roofed with cedar planks, while this Temple lies in ruins?"
Radak
"Is it a time for you?" [ha'et lakhem]. The letter heh is vocalized with a patach, and it serves as an interrogative. He said: You who say that the time has not yet come for the House of the Lord to be built—He said: is it the time for you to dwell in your paneled houses while this House lies in ruins? Is this good? Should you not be ashamed of this?
"Sefunim" [paneled]. [It means] roofed over. And likewise, [the phrase] "the portion of the ruler is set aside" [chelkat mechokek safun, Deuteronomy 33:21], and "paneled with cedar" [Jeremiah 22:14].
Metzudat David
"Is it time for you?" And is it only for you alone that this time has come, that you should sit in your enclosed and roofed houses, while this House remains desolate as it was? This is a matter of astonishment.
Metzudat Zion
Sefonim. The matter of the ceiling of the covering, as it is written, “and covered it with cedar” (Jeremiah 22:14):
"Ruined." From the language of churban (destruction).
Malbim
"Is it a time for you" – this means to say: Is there a specific time for this, that you sit in your houses, paneled? Behold, for this too there must come the time that the prophets prophesied, that you would dwell in tranquility, and yet you are not asking about this, about an appointed time — and will this house lie in ruins? Regarding this you should ask: Has the time arrived?
Now therefore thus says Hashem of hosts: Consider your ways.
verse value 2116
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 35 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 2116 = 46². The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֥ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "upon·your·ways" (עַל־דַּרְכֵיכֶֽם, 8 letters). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 34x in Haggai); "said" (root אמר, 26x in Haggai). First appearance of the root עתה ("now") in Haggai. First appearance of the root שום ("put") in Haggai. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'hosts', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְעַתָּ֕ה [now] (481) + כֹּ֥ה [thus] (25) + אָמַ֖ר [said] (241) + יְהֹוָ֣ה [Hashem] (26) + צְבָא֑וֹת [hosts] (499) + שִׂ֥ימוּ [put] (356) + לְבַבְכֶ֖ם [your·heart] (94) + עַל־דַּרְכֵיכֶֽם [upon·your·ways] (394) = 2116.
Rashi
"Concerning your ways" – concerning your occupations, which you see that there is no blessing in the work of your hands, as it says: "You have sown much, but brought in little." All this is because of the destruction of My Temple.
Radak
"And now." According to your ways, your occupations, and your deeds, just as it is written, "You shall honor it by not doing your ways," and afterward He explains and says, "You have sown."
Metzudat David
"Set your heart." Reflect on your affairs, and you will see that it is not so:
Metzudat Zion
"Your ways." This means your occupations, and likewise, "from pursuing your ways" (Isaiah 58).
Malbim
“And now, thus says the Lord: Do you not see and examine that you are required to build the Temple? If you set your hearts upon your ways, you will see, through experience, that your deeds are not acceptable.”
You have sown much, and brought in little, You eat, but you have not enough, You drink, but you are not filled with drink, You clothe you, but there is none warm; And he that earns wages earns wages For a bag with holes.
verse value 6056
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 76 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (ל֑וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·him" (ל֑וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·there·is·no·to·satisfaction" (וְאֵין־לְשׇׂבְעָה֙, 9 letters). 14 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Haggai. Unique to this verse in Haggai (hapax): "you·sowed" (זְרַעְתֶּ֨ם), "be or become great" (הַרְבֵּ֜ה), "and·brought·in" (וְהָבֵ֣א). The root אין appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root מעט ("littleness") in Haggai. First appearance of the root אין ("and·there·is·no·to·satisfaction") in Haggai. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 4 words.
Rashi
"And brought in little" [i.e., the harvest was small]: Because of the sin of the firstfruits, which had ceased [to be brought].
“Eat, but do not become satiated.” This refers to the sin of neglecting the meal-offerings.
"They drank, but there is no intoxication from it." Because the taste of the wine has been removed, since the libations have been nullified.
A garment, and it shall not be heated for him. On account of the sin of the priestly garments that were abolished.
And he who profits, profits only for a perforated bundle. All the gain you make goes and is exhausted, as if one were placing his money in a perforated cloth bag.
Radak
“You have sown much.” This is the opposite of the way of the world, for a person sows little and reaps much, bringing into the house more and more than what he sowed. But your affairs will come about in the opposite manner. How can you not consider that this is a punishment for the house, that you will leave it desolate? Furthermore, even what you do bring into the house will contain a curse, in that if you eat, you will not be satisfied; and even if you eat to your fill, as is the custom of the world.
"And one does not get drunk from it." Like [the word] "to satiety," [used earlier of eating], for drunkenness is satiety of wine; but there is one who exceeds the limit and becomes drunk until his mind is deranged.
And there is no heat for him. And the garment is not sufficient to warm him, even though it is sufficient to warm in the manner of the world, but the curse is found everywhere.
"And he who earns, earns." And whoever profits through buying and selling, or hires out himself or his animal, will incur a curse—as if one placed [his earnings] in a purse, a garment[-bundle], that is punctured underneath, for just as it goes in, so it comes out.
Metzudat David
“You have sown much.” Behold, you have sown much, but you have brought in little to the house—less than what you sowed—because the field did not grow.
"eat." You eat food, but it does not satisfy you, for the curse has been sent into the intestines.
"And there is not enough to become intoxicated." It [the wine] is not fit to cause intoxication, for the taste of the wine has changed.
"Clothing." This means: Behold, you have donned clothing, yet it is not sufficient to warm him, even though by the natural way of the world it should have been fit to warm [him].
"And he who gains" — referring to one who profits from buying and selling and the like — there is no blessing in his endeavor; it is as if he were placing his money in a cloth purse with a hole in the bottom, so that whatever goes in, comes right back out.
Metzudat Zion
"To be intoxicated." From the language of drunkenness:
To warm. From the word for warmth:
"And one who profits, profits." From the language of "wages" and "profit."
Tzror. A matter that is bound, like “a bundle of silver” (Proverbs 7:20):
Naquv. Related to the terms נֶקֶב (nekev) and חוֹר (chor), meaning "pierced," "hole."
Malbim
"You have sown much, but brought in little." This is contrary to the natural order, for one normally reaps more than one sows. Moreover, even in the little that you bring in there is a curse: you eat, yet the eating does not satisfy; and the garments do not warm. Furthermore, the wages of money contain a curse, as if the purse of money were pierced, so that it all disappears.
Verse structure: 7 words, 31 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֥ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "upon·your·ways" (עַל־דַּרְכֵיכֶֽם, 8 letters). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 34x in Haggai); "said" (root אמר, 26x in Haggai). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'hosts', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: כֹּ֥ה [thus] (25) + אָמַ֖ר [said] (241) + יְהֹוָ֣ה [Hashem] (26) + צְבָא֑וֹת [hosts] (499) + שִׂ֥ימוּ [put] (356) + לְבַבְכֶ֖ם [your·heart] (94) + עַל־דַּרְכֵיכֶֽם [upon·your·ways] (394) = 1635.
Radak
Thus says the Lord. It is clear:
Metzudat David
"Set your hearts" etc. This means: Reflect on your affairs in order to rectify them.
Malbim
"Thus said the Lord" — and this is why the Lord said it: after this examination you will see that the Lord desires the Temple. You will understand that what has not yet arrived is the time for the time, i.e., the prior preparations for the building of the Temple—divine providence, prophecy, miracles, and redemption. For this there is a condition: that you set your heart upon your ways, namely, upon the ways of the soul, so that you strive to repent and rectify your ways; and then.
Go up to the hill-country, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, says Hashem.
verse value 2059
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 47 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "tree" (עֵ֖ץ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·take·pleasure·in·it" (וְאֶרְצֶה־בּ֥וֹ, 7 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Haggai. Unique to this verse in Haggai (hapax): "yoke" (עֲל֥וּ), "hill" (הָהָ֛ר), "tree" (עֵ֖ץ). The root כבד appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 34x in Haggai); "said" (root אמר, 26x in Haggai). First appearance of the root ארץ ("and·I·will·take·pleasure·in·it") in Haggai. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·house', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: עֲל֥וּ [yoke] (106) + הָהָ֛ר [hill] (210) + וַהֲבֵאתֶ֥ם [and·you·shall·bring] (454) + עֵ֖ץ [tree] (160) + וּבְנ֣וּ [and·build] (64) + הַבָּ֑יִת [the·house] (417) + וְאֶרְצֶה־בּ֥וֹ [and·I·will·take·pleasure·in·it] (310) + (ואכבד) [and·I·will·be·glorified] (33) + וְאֶכָּבְדָ֖ה [and·I·will·be·glorified] (38) + אָמַ֥ר [said] (241) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 2059.
Rashi
"And I will honor it." It is written without the letter heh, corresponding to five things that were present in the First Temple but were absent in the Second Temple: the Ark, the Urim and Thummim, the Divine Fire, the Divine Presence, and the Holy Spirit, as stated in the tractate Yoma.
Radak
"Ascend the mountain, and ve'ekaved" ["and I will be glorified"]. It is written [Kethiv] "ve'ekaved," without the final heh, but it is read [Qere] "ve'ekavedah," with the final heh, and the meaning is one. And our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded on the absence of the heh from the written text [Kethiv]: for five things were lacking from the Second Temple: the Ark, the Urim and Tummim, the fire from above, the Divine Presence, and the Holy Spirit.
Metzudat David
"Ascend the mountain." This means: Do this — go up to the mountain, bring wood from there, and build the House.
"And I will be pleased with it." This means: Even though it [the House] will be small, I will be pleased with it, and I will be honored through it.
Metzudat Zion
"And I will take pleasure." From the language of ratzui (favor, acceptance).
Malbim
"Ascend the mountain and bring wood, and build the house," meaning that once you hasten to repair your ways, I will look upon it, the house, with favor; and then "I will be glorified," and the miracles and the Divine Presence will be seen, and the Glory of the Lord will appear at the house, and the house will be desired by the Lord.
You looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? says Hashem of hosts. Because of My house that lies waste, while you run every man for his own house.
verse value 5638
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 84 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "in·him" (ב֑וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·be or become great" (אֶל־הַרְבֵּה֙, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 130: because, because. 12 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Haggai. Unique to this verse in Haggai (hapax): "turned" (פָּנֹ֤ה), "to·be or become great" (אֶל־הַרְבֵּה֙), "and·behold" (וְהִנֵּ֣ה). The root בית appears 3 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 34x in Haggai). First appearance of the root נאם ("utterance") in Haggai. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 13 words.
Rashi
"You expected much" [lit. "turned toward abundance"]: Until now you were assuming that you would bring in much from the field, yet you brought in little.
"And I will blow on it": I will bring upon it the plague of rot and worm.
And I will blow. The language of blowing upon the coals of fire (Isaiah 54):
Radak
“Turn aside.” If you ascend the mountain and bring wood to build the House, the curse will depart from you; but now, “turn aside” to much, and behold, to little. Explanation: And behold, your turning aside is to little—the opposite of what you thought you would turn aside to much.
"And I blew into it." This is like a thing that perishes by a blowing of the mouth; and the Targum [Yonatan] renders: "And I will send upon it a curse" [ve'ana eshlach beih me'artah].
Metzudat David
"Turn to many." This means: If you do not heed Me, behold, when you turn to much [produce] to bring [it] to the house, I will send upon it a curse, and the aim will be turned back to little. And when you bring this little to the house, I will blow upon it, and it will be consumed by the breath of My mouth. This is a figure of speech.
Because of what? As if to say: And if you ask, for what reason will it be so? Behold, the word of the Lord of Hosts is to answer you: This is because of My house, which is in ruins, while each one of you runs to his own house to take shelter under the shadow of its beam.
Metzudat Zion
"And I will blow." From the term "pachah" — the blowing of the breath of the mouth.
Because:
Malbim
"Turning" [i.e., expecting]: After He had informed them that the curse which had befallen them until now was due to the absence of the House of the Lord, He now informed them that from this time forth, since they have already heard from the prophet that the Lord commands them to build the House, if they now neglect the building of the House, then there will be a providential curse. Initially, the curse was only through the hiding of His face, and consequently what they turned to was little — meaning that only a little produce would grow from the seed they sowed. But now there will be a providential curse, such that even if they turn to much — meaning they harvest much — nevertheless, "and behold, to little," it will be cursed and diminished from it, yielding little. And even after you bring the produce into the house, "I will blow upon it," meaning I will burn it with the breath of My mouth — "because of what? says the Lord" — "because My House is desolate," meaning that until now, since He had not aroused them to build, the curse was not a punishment for their failure to build, but rather it occurred naturally due to the absence of the blessing, for the Temple is a prerequisite for blessing; if they had brought much into the house, they would have had much according to nature. But now it will be a path of punishment because the House is desolate and "you run each to his own house," meaning you do not strive for the building of the House, but only for the needs of your own homes. Therefore, I will send a curse upon the produce that will be in your houses.
Therefore over you the heaven has kept back, so that there is no dew, and the earth has kept back her produce.
verse value 1277
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 34 letters. The shortest word is "dew" (מִטָּ֑ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·you" (עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 170: therefore, upon·you. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Haggai. Unique to this verse in Haggai (hapax): "therefore" (עַל־כֵּ֣ן), "upon·you" (עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם), "imprisonment" (כָּלְא֥וּ). The root על appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root על ("therefore") in Haggai. First appearance of the root שמים ("heaven") in Haggai. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'dew', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: עַל־כֵּ֣ן [therefore] (170) + עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם [upon·you] (170) + כָּלְא֥וּ [imprisonment] (57) + שָׁמַ֖יִם [heaven] (390) + מִטָּ֑ל [dew] (79) + וְהָאָ֖רֶץ [and·the·land] (302) + כָּלְאָ֥ה [restricted] (56) + יְבוּלָֽהּ [her·produce] (53) = 1277.
Rashi
"Upon you, the heavens have withheld [dew]." Because of your sins:
"Withheld." Meaning: they held [the dew] back.
Radak
"Therefore, upon you." For in the lands of the nations, rain and dew fall; but upon you, in your land, the heavens have withheld even the dew, which [ordinarily] is not withheld. And so it says in the curses: "I will make your heavens like iron," and this is like "upon you," as stated here.
Metzudat David
"Because of you the heavens have withheld dew." Although dew is not withheld from other places, upon you the heavens have restrained themselves from bringing down dew.
"Kalah yevulah." It withheld giving its fruit.
Metzudat Zion
"כלאו" – The meaning is "to restrain," as in "and the people were restrained from bringing" (Exodus 36:6).
Yevuloh. Its fruit, as in: "And there is no yield in the vines" (Habakkuk 3:17):
Malbim
"Therefore upon you," meaning: until now the curse was not under God's specific providence, but rather [it happened naturally] upon you — the heavens withheld their dew, which occurred through the heavens and the celestial order that did not give their dew, and through the natural tendency of the land that withheld its produce. But from now on, the punishment will be under [God's] specific providence.
And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground brings forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.’
verse value 4778
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 90 letters. The shortest word is "scorching·heat" (חֹ֜רֶב, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·upon·the·wine" (וְעַל־הַתִּיר֣וֹשׁ, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 106: and·upon, and·upon. 12 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Haggai. Unique to this verse in Haggai (hapax): "and·I·called" (וָאֶקְרָ֨א), "upon·the·land" (עַל־הָאָ֣רֶץ), "and·upon·the·mountains" (וְעַל־הֶהָרִ֗ים). The root עול appears 4 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root עול ("and·upon·the·mountains") in Haggai. First appearance of the root אשר ("that") in Haggai. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'ground', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 5 words.
Radak
"And I called for drought." I decreed dryness upon the land, that it be dry, that its air be dry, and that it have no moisture from below, from the waters of the deep—contrary to what is stated: "and from the deep, crouching beneath."
"And upon the mountains." For there are mountains on which good fruit-bearing trees and good grasses grow, as it is stated: "and from the best of the mountains of old, and the bounty of the everlasting hills" [Deuteronomy 33:15].
"And for the grain": For these three are the essentials, the sustenance of man. And afterwards, he states in general terms, "And for all that the earth brings forth." And he specifies "for man and for beast," because the dryness of the air produces bad diseases in man and in beast.
"And for all the toil of their hands" – as the Sage Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra, of blessed memory, explained: "They shall not succeed, and they shall toil in vain; those who draw water from the well shall not benefit." That is to say, the dry air that was in their land dried up everything they would water.
Metzudat David
"And I called." I will bring, by decree, dryness upon the land, etc., so that the produce of the land will wither and be ruined.
"And upon that which the earth brings forth." From the other species:
"And upon man and upon beast." For the drought and the dryness breed diseases in man and in beast.
"Upon every toil of hands": Regarding all the occupations in which you toil, I will send drought and dryness. This means that a curse will come upon them, and you will not succeed.
Metzudat Zion
Chorav. Dryness, as it is said: “the waters were dried up” (Genesis 8:13).
The new wine. Grapes for wine:
The oil. The olives for oil:
Malbim
"And I will call for devastation upon the land" — the devastation will be by My calling and decree, not by the heavens. And the devastation will be upon the grain and upon the new wine; even though there will be grain and new wine, it will still be affected. And upon all that the earth brings forth; even though the earth will bring forth and not withhold its yield, it will still be affected. And it also includes all manual labor, for regarding this the heavens were unable to place a curse.
Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, hearkened to the voice of Hashem their God, and to the words of Haggai the prophet, as Hashem their God had sent him; and the people did fear before Hashem.
verse value 5566
Insights
Verse structure: 24 words, 116 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·them·of" (וְכֹ֣ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "son·of·Shealtiel" (בֶּֽן־שַׁלְתִּיאֵ֡ל, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 115: the·people, the·people. 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Haggai. Unique to this verse in Haggai (hapax): "and·he·heard" (וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע), "and·Joshua" (וִיהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ), "and·them·of" (וְכֹ֣ל). The root יהוה appears 3 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 34x in Haggai). First appearance of the root זרבבל ("Zerubbabel") in Haggai. First appearance of the root יהושע ("and·Joshua") in Haggai. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'their·God', dividing the verse into phrases of 20 and 4 words.
Radak
And Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, heard the voice of the Lord, their God. And even though Haggai did not prophesy to them, the law was in their favor to build the House, since they saw that their deeds were not coming to them correctly, but rather the world was turned upside down for them, to examine their deeds. And this is what is meant by "the voice of the Lord, their God," for the Almighty commanded in the Torah: "and you shall not walk with Me in [the way of] happenstance [keri]," and when evil comes upon them, they should examine their deeds and not say that it is a coincidence. Furthermore, they were stirred up to build the House through the words of the prophet Haggai, whom God sent to them. This is what is stated: "And through the words of Haggai the prophet."
Metzudat David
And concerning the words of the prophet Haggai. And to the words of the prophet Haggai, which he prophesied to them, as the LORD sent him:
"And the people feared." From the warnings of the Lord and the declarations of punishment:
Metzudat Zion
And on the words. And to the words:
Malbim
And Zerubbabel heard, meaning to say: Zerubbabel, Joshua, and all the remnant of the people—namely, the leaders among them—heeded the voice of the Lord their God, Who had told them to set their hearts upon their ways; and they also heeded the words of the prophet Haggai, as the Lord had sent him to build the House according to the command of the Lord through the prophet. And the people feared; however, the common multitude feared the Lord out of dread of punishment. Nevertheless, they did not heed to begin the construction, for they did not have permission from the king.
Then spoke Haggai Hashem’S messenger in Hashem’S message to the people, saying: ‘I am with you, says Hashem.’
verse value 1970
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 48 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֛ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "Haggai" (חַגַּ֞י, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·message·of" (בְּמַלְאֲכ֥וּת, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, Hashem. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Haggai. Unique to this verse in Haggai (hapax): "messenger" (מַלְאַ֧ךְ), "in·message·of" (בְּמַלְאֲכ֥וּת), "to·the·people" (לָעָ֣ם). The root יהוה appears 3 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 34x in Haggai); "and·said" (root אמר, 26x in Haggai). First appearance of the root אני ("I") in Haggai. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'saying', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַ֠יֹּ֠אמֶר [and·said] (257) + חַגַּ֞י [Haggai] (21) + מַלְאַ֧ךְ [messenger] (91) + יְהֹוָ֛ה [Hashem] (26) + בְּמַלְאֲכ֥וּת [in·message·of] (499) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + לָעָ֣ם [to·the·people] (140) + לֵאמֹ֑ר [saying] (271) + אֲנִ֥י [I] (61) + אִתְּכֶ֖ם [with·you] (461) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה [says·Hashem] (117) = 1970.
Rashi
"In the mission of the LORD." In the mission of the Omnipresent:
Radak
"And He said: 'The angel of the Lord'—in the service of the Lord. [He is] the Lord's agent. And so, every "angel" usually means an agent. And similarly, [the verse states], "He sent an angel and brought us out from Egypt," which refers to our teacher Moses, of blessed memory.
Metzudat David
The angel of the Lord. This means the messenger of the Lord:
In the mission of the Lord. On the mission of the Lord:
"I am with you." For they were still afraid to build the House without the king's permission, and therefore He said to them: "I am with you, and do not fear."
Metzudat Zion
"Angel." A messenger. And likewise, "whose angel was sent to them" (Ezekiel 23:40).
Malbim
And Haggai the messenger of the Lord said to them, by virtue of the mission of the Lord and His sending: "I am with you," meaning that they need not fear nor wait for permission, for the Lord is with them to save them in this matter, and no harm will come to them from the king.
And Hashem 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 in the house of Hashem of hosts, their God,
verse value 7156
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 112 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֡ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "all" (כֹּ֖ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "son·of·Shealtiel" (בֶּן־שַׁלְתִּיאֵ֜ל, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 621: and·spirit·of, and·spirit·of. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Haggai. Unique to this verse in Haggai (hapax): "and·he·stirred·up" (וַיָּ֣עַר), "spirit·of" (אֶת־ר֩וּחַ֩), "all" (כֹּ֖ל). The root רוח appears 3 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 34x in Haggai). First appearance of the root רוח ("spirit·of") in Haggai. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·people', dividing the verse into phrases of 16 and 6 words.
Rashi
“And they came and did the work.” They began to cut stones and saw timber on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, and on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came to Haggai.
Radak
"And He roused." Because of the enemies who were plotting to halt the work, they needed a stirring of the spirit to strengthen their hearts.
Metzudat David
"And the Lord stirred up." The Lord stirred up the will of Zerubbabel, etc., and they came and did the work needed for the House of the Lord.
Metzudat Zion
And He aroused. The word is in the form of "arousal."
Ruach. [Meaning] will, as in, "to wherever the spirit would go" (Ezekiel 1:12):
Malbim
(14-15) "And the Lord stirred up" — also, the Lord aroused within them a spirit of might and fear of the Lord. "And they came and did the work" — they began to prepare the construction work, and this was on the twenty-fourth day of the month.
in the four and twentieth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.
verse value 4063
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 41 letters. The shortest word is "in·day·of" (בְּי֨וֹם, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·four" (וְאַרְבָּעָ֛ה, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Haggai. Unique to this verse in Haggai (hapax): "in·the·sixth" (בַּשִּׁשִּׁ֑י). 9 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root עשרים ("twenty") in Haggai. First appearance of the root ארבע ("and·four") in Haggai. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·sixth', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: בְּי֨וֹם [in·day·of] (58) + עֶשְׂרִ֧ים [twenty] (620) + וְאַרְבָּעָ֛ה [and·four] (284) + לַחֹ֖דֶשׁ [to·the·month] (342) + בַּשִּׁשִּׁ֑י [in·the·sixth] (612) + בִּשְׁנַ֥ת [in·year·of] (752) + שְׁתַּ֖יִם [two] (750) + לְדָרְיָ֥וֶשׁ [of·Darius] (550) + הַמֶּֽלֶךְ [king] (95) = 4063.
Radak
"On the twenty-fourth day." Its sense connects with what precedes. And even though it is the beginning of a section, for "on this day" they began the work, as it is stated, "and they did work," and not that they began the building, but rather that they prepared the work, for they did not begin until the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month.
Metzudat David
"On that day, etc." – this phrase is dependent on the preceding verse, to teach that the beginning [of the process] was on the twenty-fourth day of the month, for then they began to prepare what was needed for the construction; but they began the actual building on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, as it is stated at the end of the book.
"In the sixth month." This means in the sixth month.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim