SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:6
Sembr is mucho, y encerr is poco; coméis, y no os hart is; bebéis, y no os saci is; os vestís, y no os calent is; y el que anda a jornal recibe su jornal en saco roto.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Haggai 1:6
Verse 6. Ye have sown much] God will not bless you in any labour of your hands, unless you rebuild his temple and restore his worship. This verse contains a series of proverbs, no less than five in the compass of a few lines.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 6. Ye have sown much, and bring in little , etc.] Contrary to what is usually done; the seed that is sown is but little, in, comparison of what springs up, is reaped, and gathered into the barn; which commonly affords seed again to the sower, and bread to the eater; but here much land was tilled, and a great deal of seed was sown in it; but a thin crop was produced, little was gathered into the barn; a blessing being withheld from the earth, and from their labours, because of their sins, which they would do well to think of, and the cause of it: ye eat, but ye have not enough ; what the earth did yield, and which they gathered in, they made food of, and ate of it; yet it was not sufficient to satisfy their hunger; or it was not blessed for their nourishment; or they had a canine appetite in judgment given them, so that they were never satisfied: or, it was “not for fulness” f16 ; they were not filled with it to satisfaction, but still craved more; and yet, it may be, durst not eat more, if they had it, lest they should want the next day: ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink ; or, “not to inebriation” f17 ; it was not sufficient to quench their thirst, much less to make them merry and; cheerful: the vines produced such a small quantity of grapes, and those so little wine, that they had not enough to drink, at least could not drink freely, but sparingly, lest it should be all spent before another vintage came: ye clothe you, but there is none warm ; or, “but” it is “not for heat to him” f18 ; to anyone; so rigorous the season, so extreme the cold, that his clothes will not keep him warm, even though the climate was, naturally and usually hot: and he that earneth wages earneth wages [to put it] into a bag with holes ; or, “pierced through” f19 ; if a man is hired as a labourer, and gets much wages, and brings it home, and lays it up; or if he trades and merchandises, and has great gains by it, and thinks to amass great riches; yet, what through losses, and the dreariness of provisions, and the many ways he has for the spending of his money, it is as if he put it into a bag full of holes, and it ran through as fast as put into it; signifying hereby that all his pains and labour were in vain.
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
זרעתם 2232 הרבה 7235 והבא 935 מעט 4592 אכול 398 ואין 369 לשׂבעה 7654 שׁתו 8354 ואין 369 לשׁכרה 7937 לבושׁ 3847 ואין 369 לחם 2527 לו והמשׂתכר 7936 משׂתכר 7936 אל 413 צרור 6872 נקוב׃ 5344
