Clarke's Bible Commentary - Haggai 1:1
Verse 1. In the sixth month] Called Elul by the Hebrews. It was the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year, and the last of the civil year, and answered to a part of our September. ZerubbHebel the son of Shealtiel] Who was son of Jeconiah, king of Judah, and of the family of David, and exercised the post of a governor among the people, but not over them, for both he and they were under the Persian government; but they were permitted to have ZerubbHebel for their own governor, and Joshua for their high priest; and these regulated all matters relative to their peculiar political and ecclesiastical government.
But it appears from Ezra, v. 3, that Tatnai, the governor on this side the river, had them under his cognizance. None of their own governors was absolute. The Persians permitted them to live under their own laws and civil regulations; but they always considered them as a colony, over which they had a continual superintendence.
Joshua the son of Josedech] And son of Seraiah, who was high priest in the time of Zedekiah, and was carried into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, 1 Chron. vi. 15. But Seraiah was slain at Riblah, by order of Nebuchadnezzar, 2 Kings xxv. 18- 21.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. In the second year of Darius the King , etc.] That is, of Persia; he is spoken of as if he was the only king in the world; and indeed he was the then greatest king in it; and therefore is emphatically called “the king”. This was not Darius the Mede, as Genebrard; who was contemporary with Cyrus, and partner in the kingdom; nor Darius Nothus, as Scaliger, and those that follow him; since the second year of this Darius was, according to Cocceius, who follows this opinion, one hundred and thirty eight years after the first edict of Cyrus; and so Zerubbabel and Joshua must exercise their office, the one of governor, the other of high priest, such a term of years, and more, which is not credible; and some of the Jews in captivity must have lived upwards of two hundred years; even those who saw the temple in its first glory, before the captivity, and now behold it in Haggai’s time, in a very different condition, ( Haggai 2:3). It seems therefore more probable, according to Josephus f9 , and others, that this was Darius Hystaspis, who was chosen king by the nobles of Persia, upon his horse’s neighing first as Herodotus relates: the second year of his reign was about seventeen or eighteen years after the proclamation of Cyrus; during whose reign, he being much engaged in affairs abroad, and the reign of his successor Cambyses, the enemies of the Jews, encouraged by the latter, greatly obstructed the building of the temple, and discouraged them from going on with it; but when this king came to the throne, things took another turn, being favoured by him; for Josephus relates, that, when a private person, he vowed, if ever he became king, whatever of the holy vessels were in Babylon, he would send to the temple at Jerusalem; and upon solicitations made to him, the Jews were encouraged to go on with the building of it: in the sixth month ; the month Elul, answering, to part of August, and part of September; which was the sixth, reckoning from the month Nisan: in the first day of the month ; which was the feast of the new moon: came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet ; or, “by the hand of Haggai” f12 ; by his means; he was the instrument by whom the Lord delivered his word; the word was not the prophet’s, but the Lord’s; and this is observed, to give weight and authority to it: unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel : the same who is called Salathiel, ( Matthew 1:12 Luke 3:27) according to Kimchi and Ben Melech, he was the grandson of Salathiel; though rather Salathiel seems to be his uncle, he being the son of Pedaiah his brother, ( 1 Chronicles 3:17-19) however, he was his heir and successor in the government, and so called his son; (see Gill on “ Matthew 1:12”): governor of Judah ; not king; for the country was under the dominion of the king of Persia, and Zerubbabel was a deputy governor under him; so the apocryphal Ezra calls him governor of Judea, ``And also he commanded that Sisinnes the governor of Syria and Phenice, and Sathrabuzanes, and their companions, and those which were appointed rulers in Syria and Phenice, should be careful not to meddle with the place, but suffer Zorobabel, the servant of the Lord, and governor of Judea, and the elders of the Jews, to build the house of the Lord in that place.” (1 Esdras 6:27) and, according to Josephus f13 , he was made governor of the captive Jews, when in Babylon, being in great favour with the king of Babylon; and, with two more, were his body guards; and he was continued governor by the Persians, when the Jews returned to their land: and to Joshua the son of Josedech the high priest ; who is called Jeshua, and his father Jozadak, ( Ezra 3:2) his father was carried captive by Nebuchadnezzar, ( 1 Chronicles 6:15) now, to these two principal persons in the commonwealth of Judea was the word of the Lord sent by the prophet; the one having the chief power in civil things, and the other in things ecclesiastical; and both had an influence upon the people; but very probably were dilatory in the work of building the temple; and therefore have a message sent to them, to stir them up to this service: saying : as follows:
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-11 - Observe the sin of the Jews, after their return from captivity in Babylon. Those employed for God may be driven from their work by storm, yet they must go back to it. They did not say that they woul not build a temple, but, Not yet. Thus men do not say they will neve repent and reform, and be religious, but, Not yet. And so the grea business we were sent into the world to do, is not done. There is proneness in us to think wrongly of discouragements in our duty, as in they were a discharge from our duty, when they are only for the tria of our courage and faith. They neglected the building of God's house that they might have more time and money for worldly affairs. That the punishment might answer to the sin, the poverty they thought to preven by not building the temple, God brought upon them for not building it Many good works have been intended, but not done, because men suppose the proper time was not come. Thus believers let slip opportunities of usefulness, and sinners delay the concerns of their souls, till to late. If we labour only for the meat that perishes, as the Jews here we are in danger of losing our labour; but we are sure it shall not be in vain in the Lord, if we labour for the meat which lasts to eterna life. If we would have the comfort and continuance of tempora enjoyments, we must have God as our Friend. See also Lu 12:33. When God crosses our temporal affairs, and we meet with trouble an disappointment, we shall find the cause is, that the work we have to d for God and our own souls is left undone, and we seek our own thing more than the things of Christ. How many, who plead that they cannot afford to give to pious or charitable designs, often lavish ten time as much in needless expenses on their houses and themselves! But thos are strangers to their own interests, who are full of care to adorn an enrich their own houses, while God's temple in their hearts lies waste It is the great concern of every one, to apply to the necessary duty of self-examination and communion with our own hearts concerning ou spiritual state. Sin is what we must answer for; duty is what we mus do. But many are quick-sighted to pry into other people's ways, who ar careless of their own. If any duty has been neglected, that is n reason why it should still be so. Whatever God will take pleasure in when done, we ought to take pleasure in doing. Let those who have pu off their return to God, return with all their heart, while there is time.
Original Hebrew
בשׁנת 8141 שׁתים 8147 לדריושׁ 1867 המלך 4428 בחדשׁ 2320 השׁשׁי 8345 ביום 3117 אחד 259 לחדשׁ 2320 היה 1961 דבר 1697 יהוה 3068 ביד 3027 חגי 2292 הנביא 5030 אל 413 זרבבל 2216 בן 1121 שׁאלתיאל 7597 פחת 6346 יהודה 3063 ואל 413 יהושׁע 3091 בן 1121 יהוצדק 3087 הכהן 3548 הגדול 1419 לאמר׃ 559
