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Haggai 1:7-11
New English Translation
Haggai 1:7-11
New English Translation
Consequences of the Failure to Rebuild the Temple
7 Moreover, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has said: “Pay close attention to these things also.[a] 8 Go up to the hill country and bring back timber to build[b] the temple.[c] Then I will be pleased and honored,”[d] says the Lord. 9 “You expected a large harvest, but instead there was little.[e] And when you would bring it home, I would blow it right away.[f] Why?” asks the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Because my temple remains in ruins, thanks to each of you favoring his own house![g] 10 This is why the sky[h] has held back its dew and the earth its produce.[i] 11 Moreover, 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.”[j]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Haggai 1:7 tn Heb “Set your heart upon your ways”; see v. 5.
- Haggai 1:8 tn Heb “and build the house” (so NIV, NRSV), with “house” referring specifically to the temple here.
- Haggai 1:8 sn The temple was built primarily of stone, so the timber here refers to interior paneling (see v. 4) and perhaps to scaffolding (see Ezra 5:8; 6:4).
- Haggai 1:8 tn The Hebrew verb אֶכָּבְדָ (ʾekkavda) appears to be a defectively written cohortative (“that I may be glorified”). The cohortatives (note that the preceding אֶרְצֶה, ʾertseh, “I will be pleased,” may also be taken as cohortative) indicate purpose or result (cf. NIV, NRSV “so that”; CEV “so”) following the imperatives of v. 8a (“go up,” “bring back,” “build”).
- Haggai 1:9 tn Heb “Turning for much—look! It is [become] little!” The term פָּנֹה (panoh) means “turning [the head],” and here it is in order to look around. The term הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is an interjection drawing attention to the point being made.
- Haggai 1:9 tn Heb “I would blow at/against it.” The imagery here suggests that human achievements are so fragile and temporal that a mere breath from God can destroy them.
- Haggai 1:9 tn Heb “and each of you runs to his own house”; NIV “is busy with”; TEV “is busy working on”; NCV “work hard for.”
- Haggai 1:10 tn The Hebrew text has “over you” (so KJV), but this is redundant in contemporary English and has been left untranslated.
- Haggai 1:10 sn This linkage of human sin to natural disaster is reminiscent of the curse brought upon the earth by Adam’s disobedience (Gen 3:17-19; see Rom 8:20-22).
- Haggai 1:11 tn Heb “all the labor of hands” (similar KJV, NASB, NIV); cf. NAB “all that is produced by hand.”
Haggai 1:7-11
New International Version
Haggai 1:7-11
New International Version
7 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought(A) to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber(B) and build my house, so that I may take pleasure(C) in it and be honored,(D)” says the Lord. 9 “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little.(E) What you brought home, I blew(F) away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin,(G) while each of you is busy with your own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld(H) their dew(I) and the earth its crops.(J) 11 I called for a drought(K) on the fields and the mountains,(L) on the grain, the new wine,(M) the olive oil(N) and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.(O)”
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