B. The Prophecies. — The prophecies of Haggai are arranged in four fjroups, each one headed by the date on which it was delivered. They cover a period of four months, from September to December of the year 520.t
i. Fir.it prophecy : September ; I'"", Haggai comes forward on the 1st of the month, perliaiia because there would then be a gathering of the people to celebrate the festival of the new moon. He addresses Zerubbabel by his Babylonian title of Peh'ih (' governor '), and Joshua by his new title of High Priest (lit. 'great priest ; before the Exile it was 'chief,' lit. 'head jiriest,' or 'the priest '), because as oflii'lal leaders of the com- munity they were princiiially to blame for the neglect of religious and i>atriotic duty. He denounces the popular excuse that the time had not yet come J for the temple to be built. 'The fact is, you have thought more of your own com- fort than of God's glory, and built your own houses in a fashion which recalls the luxury of your forefathers (1 K 6° 7', Jer '22'''), while you nave allowed the temple to lie in ruins. Consider your ways ! look back at the experiences of the past sixteen years, and learn the lesson of the disappointment, misery, and insecurity you have sull'ered. Consider your ways ! think of your present state of inaction. If you would regain the favour of God,§ go up to tlie mountains and fetch timber, and begin at once to build the House. The drought, the bad har^'ests, the dis-
* See the great Behistun inscription of Daritu, Record* <if tho Past, i. 10T-i:io.
tin (he pre -exilic period the year waa reckoned from autunm to autunm ; but during the Exile a changre of reckon- ing occurred, prob. due to Babylonian influence, and the year ran from spring to spring (see Ex 12'-0. i.f. April-April. The old Heb. names of the months were dropped, and at first the months were known by numbers, as in Ha^, Zee ; then the Hab. names of the months were gradually mtroduccd as in Zee, Ezr, Neh. See Weill). J'roirq.^ 110 ; Benzinger, Ufbr. Arch. 201 ; Nowack, Lchrh. llebr. Arch. 1. 218 f. ; and art, TlJiE.
I In 1^ the text nmst be corrected to make sense ; flee VSS and llVni. The tlrst ny ' time," i> not given by VSS ; it must either be struck out, or pointed ?U ' now,' or corrected to ny ' yet.'
) In commenting on the form of the word ' and I will be glorifled,' v.»(T3D.'< for .TlDDN), the Talni, Bays. 'There are five points in which the Urst temple ditTertHl from the second ; they are the ark and the mercy-seat and the cherubim, the lire, and IheShecliinoli.anil the Holy Spirit, and tlie Urim and Tummim. Tidin. B. I'uma 216.
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HAGGAI
HAGGAI
ea^es of the post seasons, are iiotliinj; but n punish- nient * for the sellisli nejjlect of your foruniost duty.' Tlie prophet's earnest ami direct ajipeal Blirreil tlie sluniherinj; energies of both leaders and people, and tliey proceeded to ilo work in the House of J".t This was on the '24tli day of the sixth month, i.e. little more than three weeks after Ha<.'j;ai first came foiward.
iu Secund prupliccy : October ; 2'"'. In spite of the enthusiasm aroused bj' the prophet's lirst address, and before the work could have ad- vanced much l>eyond the repairing of the founda- tions, a feeling of despair began to damp the ardour of the workers, both leailers and i)eople. Those who wore old enough to recollect the former temple circulated depressing comparisons : ' This new temple will never be like the old one.' J To arrest the spread of this despondent spirit Haggai promptly brought a message, this time of strong encouragement. It was useless to si)end vain regrets upon the past, when all their energies were needed for the present. J" was still present with His people ; § and the time was fast approach- ing for Israel to enter upon its glorious career. The completion of the temple was to be the signal for a convulsion of the universe and a revolution in the Gentile world. Then this very temple, which now appeared too great for their resources and too mean for their desire, would be lilled with the treasures of the Gentiles. 1| That day would see the long - delaj-ed fulfilment of the great promises ; II and then there would be no comparison between the first temple and the second, for the glory of the latter House would far excel the glory of the former.
iii. Third prnphecij : December; 2"''"'. On this occasion Haggai came before the people with a parable, a warning, and a promise. There was much still to depress the spirit of the builders
• In T.i" the second word CJ'^y^ ' tor your salte.' is prob. an erroneous repetition of tlie first 13"'^^. In v,i2 the second UT^'rjh^ 'their God,' is rendered by LXX, Syr. Vulg. 'unto them,' □"'/X, which is to be preferred.
t V.13 is suspicious ; it interrupts the connexion between V.I3 and \M; and it is not in Hag^gai's style, e.g. for '* %^0 H. writes K'5!^', tor'' nfrN^p? he writes 'inS^ %•»■} v. 12. See Buhme, ZATW vii. 215; Stade, GVIu. lu'n.; Wellh. ShU. u. Vorarb. v. I(j9 ; Nowack, Kl. Proph. 305. The last part of the verse may have been taken from 2-*. On this verse was based the curious tradition that Hapi^ai, like John the Baptist and Malachi, was really an angel in human form. See Jerome, Opera, ed. Bened. i704, tom. iii. p. 1G91, and Cyril Alex. Opera, ed. 1638, tom. iii. p. 637, commenting on this verse.