Haggai 2:1
In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai, saying,
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
This second prophecy came while the people were actively rebuilding. They had obeyed Haggai's first message (delivered a month earlier) and resumed construction, but now faced a different challenge: discouragement over the temple's inferior appearance compared to Solomon's magnificent structure. Some older Israelites who remembered the first temple's glory wept when they saw the new foundation (Ezra 3:12-13).
The seventh month held profound significance. It was when Solomon dedicated the first temple (1 Kings 8:2), making the timing poignant—a reminder of past glory while confronting present limitations. The Feast of Tabernacles celebrated God's faithfulness during wilderness wandering, when Israel had no temple at all yet experienced God's presence in the pillar of cloud and fire. Haggai's message during this feast reoriented their perspective from architectural comparison to covenant relationship.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the precise historical dating of God's word demonstrate that Scripture addresses real people in real circumstances, not just abstract theology?
- What significance do you see in God speaking during Israel's feast season rather than at a 'more convenient' time?
- How does understanding that 'the word of the LORD came' through human prophets inform your view of biblical authority and inspiration?
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Analysis & Commentary
In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai—This precise dating (October 17, 520 BC) marks Haggai's second oracle, delivered exactly three weeks after the people resumed temple construction (Haggai 1:15). The timing is significant: the seventh month (תִּשְׁרִי/Tishri) was Israel's most sacred month, containing the Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles. Haggai spoke on the seventh day of Tabernacles, when Israel celebrated God's wilderness provision and dwelt in temporary shelters, remembering their dependence on God.
The phrase "came the word of the LORD" (הָיָה דְבַר־יְהוָה/hayah debar-YHWH) emphasizes divine initiative—prophecy originates not from human imagination but from God's sovereign communication. The prophet is merely the vessel; the message carries divine authority. This formula appears throughout the prophets, establishing that what follows demands attention and obedience as God's own word.
"By the prophet Haggai" (בְּיַד־חַגַּי הַנָּבִיא/beyad-Chaggai hanavi)—literally "by the hand of Haggai"—indicates the prophet as God's instrument. Haggai's name means "my feast" or "festive," appropriate for one ministering during Israel's feast season. Though Haggai's personal background remains obscure, his message transformed a discouraged community into motivated builders who completed God's house.