The Pulpit Commentary — Haggai — Section 21

twenty-first was tho IB8t and great day of lavished on the houso was no longer avail- the Fe11st of •r11berne.cles (Lov. xxiii. 34, able; tbe precious stones could not be hlLd. eto.), when 1t WRB the oustom to colebrato Besides these defeots, the Talmurliats the ingathering of the harvest. The joyous reckon five things wanting in this second DRture of this festive.I was sadly mnrred on temple, viz. the a.rk of the covenant, with this occasion. Their crops were scanty, the cherubim a.nd mercy-seat; the hr,ly fire; and tlJey ho.d no temple in whose courts the Bhechina.h; the spirit of prophecy; the they might assemble to pay their vows and Urim and Thummim. It was, according dffer their tbe.nk-ofi'erings. The building to Josephus, only half the height of Solo- which bad begun to .make some progress mon's-sixty cubit.a(' Ant.,' xv. 11. 1), aud only the more showed its poverty. Every- it appears to have been in many respects thing tended to make them contrast the inferior to the first building(' Ant.,' iv. 2). present with the past. But, God mercifully Hecabams of Abdera gives t110 dimensions relieves their despondency with a new of the courts as five hundred feet in le11gtb message. By the prophet Haggai (see and a. hundred cubits in breadth (double llote on oh. i. 1). the width of the conrt of the tabernacle), Ver. 2.---Spee.k now to Zerubbabel. The and the size of the altar a.s twenty cubits 1nessa.ge. is addressed . to the heads of the aqua.re a.nd ten cubit.ii high (see Josephus, nation, temporal and spiritnal, and to all •Cont. Ap.,' i. 22; Conder,' Handbook to the the people who he.d returned (see notes on Bible,' p. 370). eh. i. 1 and ,12). Ver. 4.-lle strong. This is repeated Ver. 3.-Who is· left among you l etc. It three times for emphasis' sake. The same is quite possible that there should be some exhortation we.a given by David to Solomon old people present who had seen Solomon's befoJe the building of the first temple temple. Many have thought that Haggai (1 Chrqn. xxviii. 10; comp. Josh. i. 6, 7, :J). himself wa.s of the number. It we.a sixty- Haggai seems to suggest comfort in the eight yea.re ago that the temple was de- thought that such admonition wa.s needeu stroyed, and we can well believe that its at that time a.a well a.a now when they a.re remarkable features were deeply impressed so depressed (comp. Zech. viii. 9). And on the minds of those who o.s boys or work j literally, and do; ,ro,ein: facile. youths had loved a.nd admired it. Ezra The word is used absolutely, as often ( comp. tells us (iii. 12) that '' many of the priests Isa. xii v. 23 ; Amos iii. 6, and note tliere ). and Levites [when the foundation first was Here it means, "Work on bravely, finish le.id] and chief of tile fa.there, who were what you have begun." I am with you ancient men, that had seen th.i first house, (see eh. i. 13, and note there). The con- . . . wept with e. loud voice." This house. sciousness of God's presence gives confi- ·The prophet identifies the present with dence and strength. Solomon's temple, as being adapted for the Ver. 5.-According to the word that I sOJDe purposes, to fill the so.me place in the covenanted. The Hebrew is siruply, "the ne.tioual life, built on the same hallowed word that I," etc. Hence some have c, n- spot, and partly with the so.me materials. nected it with the verb "do" in the preced- In the J ewe'. eyes there was one only ing verse, the intervening words being temple, whatever might be tht. date of its pa.renthetical. But there is intended no erection or the comparative worth of its injunction respecting the observation of the decorations a.ud materials. First; former, old covenant, but a. consolatory me~sage as ver. 9. How do ye see it nowt (Numb. under present despondency. Others take xiii. 18), In what cop.dition do ye see this it with the verb that follows: "the word auJ house now? Is it not in your eyes in com- my Spirit remain o.mong yon." But it ll! parison of it a.a nothing1 The woriils, "in best to leave the clauso in the nbrupt oompa.rison of it," ought to be omitted, as fashion in which it is introduced: "(Here not required by the Hebrew idiom. Does is, here stands) the word tha.t I coveuauteu it not seem in your eyes as if it ha.d no with you." lf o.uything is supplieu, we existence? If the injunction of Cyrus might insert, "I will confirm." Tho (Ezra i, 3, etc.) had been carried out, the promise of present help is con.firmed by the dimensions of the new temple would 110.ve remembrance of God's former covenant with exceeded those of the old ; but Zel'Ubbe.bel Israel, that they should be his peculiar seems to bo.ve been unable, with the small peoplo, e.ud po,sess the right of access to resources at his dispose.I, to execute the him aud a. elaim on his help (E:s:od. :s:ix.. original design, though even so the prnpor- 5, (j; xxix. 45, 46 ; Deut. vii. 6; J er. vii. tions were not greatly inferior to those of the 23). This clau~e is entirely omitted by earlier temple. But the chief inferiority the Septuagiut, So my Spirit reme.ineth lay in the absence of the splendour and among you j Rcvise,l Version, aml my enrichment with which Solomon auorned Spirit abode among you. llut the clausu bis etlilice. The golu which he ba.d refors to Gcd's presence t\m,,ng them no,r,  THE BOOK OF HAGGAI. l_oH, 11, 1-23,