Haggai 1 11

Haggai 1:11 kjv

And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.

Haggai 1:11 nkjv

For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands."

Haggai 1:11 niv

I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands."

Haggai 1:11 esv

And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors."

Haggai 1:11 nlt

I have called for a drought on your fields and hills ? a drought to wither the grain and grapes and olive trees and all your other crops, a drought to starve you and your livestock and to ruin everything you have worked so hard to get."

Haggai 1 verses

Haggai 1 11 Meaning

Haggai 1:11 states unequivocally that the pervasive drought and resulting economic hardship experienced by the returned exiles were not random misfortune but a direct, deliberate act of divine judgment. God Himself "called for" these afflictions—a comprehensive lack of moisture and productivity affecting the land, mountains, all agricultural produce (grain, new wine, oil, and whatever the ground yielded), and impacting every person and beast, rendering all their labor unfruitful. This was God's chosen method to discipline His people for neglecting His temple while prioritizing their own comfortable dwellings.

Haggai 1 11 Context

Haggai 1:11 is the culmination of God's immediate response through the prophet Haggai to the post-exilic community. The verses preceding it (1:2-4) lay the foundation, highlighting the people's misplaced priorities: while God's house lay desolate, they lived comfortably in their "paneled houses." Verses 5-6 serve as a stark "consider your ways" message, directly linking their current state of unfulfilling labor and perpetual lack to their neglect of the temple. Verse 9 further explains that despite their efforts, God frustrated their endeavors because His house remained in ruins. Verse 10 states God's direct action: He had "withheld the dew" and the earth its produce. Haggai 1:11 then elaborates on the specific form of this divine judgment: a comprehensive drought impacting every facet of their agricultural and communal life, serving as undeniable evidence of God's active disapproval. The following verses show the people's repentance and immediate response to God's word, signaling a turning point.

Haggai 1 11 Word analysis

• "I called for" (Hebrew: קָרָאתִי – qarati): This first-person singular perfect tense verb from the root קָרָא (qara') means "I called" or "I summoned." It signifies a deliberate, authoritative, and direct command from God Himself. It emphasizes divine agency, indicating that the drought was not a natural happenstance but an orchestrated act of judgment by the sovereign Creator.

• "a drought" (Hebrew: חֹרֶב – ḥōrev): This noun denotes "dryness," "waste," "desolation," or "scarcity," stemming from a root meaning "to be dry" or "to be in ruins." It pictures intense heat, parched conditions, and a devastating lack of moisture, leading to widespread barrenness and hardship.

• "on the land" (עַל-הָאָרֶץ – ʿal-hāʾāreṣ): Specifies the physical territory or ground. It points to a broad, pervasive impact across the entire cultivable area, indicating widespread agricultural failure.

• "and on the mountains" (וְעַל-הֶהָרִים – wəʿal-hehārîm): Mountains were crucial sources of water (springs, runoff) and pasture. A drought on the mountains implied the drying up of these vital water supplies and the loss of grazing land, leading to suffering for both humans and livestock.

• "on the grain" (וְעַל-הַדָּגָן – wəʿal-haddāḡān): Refers to the staple cereal crops (wheat, barley) which were foundational for daily bread. Their destruction meant fundamental food insecurity.

• "on the new wine" (וְעַל-הַתִּירוֹשׁ – wəʿal-hattîrôš): Denotes the fresh grape juice from a new harvest. It symbolized blessing, joy, and agricultural abundance. Its absence indicated a severe reduction in a source of comfort and a sign of economic distress.

• "on the oil" (וְעַל-הַיִּצְהָר – wəʿal-hayyiṣhār): Signifies olive oil, an essential commodity used for food, lighting, and anointing. Together with grain and new wine, it represented the basic provisions and prosperity derived from the land (e.g., Deut 7:13). Their collective failure signified widespread economic and sustenance crisis.

• "and on whatever the ground produces" (וְעַל-כֹּל אֲשֶׁר-תּוֹצִיא הָאֲדָמָה – wəʿal-kol-ʾăšer tōṣîʾ hāʾădāmâ): This comprehensive phrase indicates that the drought affected every type of agricultural output, leaving no crops untouched. It emphasizes the totality of the natural devastation.

• "on man" (וְעַל-הָאָדָם – wəʿal-hāʾādām): Indicates the direct suffering of the human population, including hunger, weakness, and overall diminished well-being. The impact extended beyond the economy to personal lives.

• "and beast" (וְעַל-הַבְּהֵמָה – wəʿal-habbəhēmâ): Refers to domestic animals vital for labor, transportation, and food. Their suffering from lack of water and fodder contributed to the community's hardship.

• "and on all the labor of your hands" (וְעַל כָּל-יְגִיעַ כַּפַּיִם – wəʿal kol-yəḡîaʿ kappayim): This phrase connects directly back to verse 6, highlighting the futility of their efforts. "Labor of your hands" encompasses all human endeavor, including farming, trade, and wages. Despite their toil, there was no tangible fruit or satisfaction, illustrating God's withholding of blessing from all their economic activities due to their disobedience.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "I called for a drought on the land and on the mountains": This powerful opening clearly establishes God's absolute sovereignty and purposeful intervention. The "calling for" negates any notion of accidental natural disaster; it is a deliberate act from the divine throne, extended to both the agricultural lowlands and the higher sources of water, ensuring widespread impact.
  • "on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil": This tripartite group represents the agricultural foundation of ancient Israelite life and economy. Their desolation signifies a complete breakdown of essential provisions and blessings promised under the covenant. It illustrates the economic severity of the judgment, targeting the very sustenance of the people.
  • "and on whatever the ground produces, on man, and beast": This progression broadens the scope from specific crops to all agricultural yield, and then extends the affliction to all living beings – humans suffering from hunger and diminished quality of life, and animals suffering from thirst and lack of pasture. It portrays a comprehensive, pervasive hardship affecting every aspect of existence within the community.
  • "and on all the labor of your hands": This phrase emphatically reinforces the theme of futility. It communicates that every effort made by the people, every sweat and toil, would be devoid of proper recompense or satisfaction. It directly links their material hardship and economic struggle to the spiritual neglect of God's house, revealing that true prosperity is divinely ordained and not solely the result of human exertion.

Haggai 1 11 Bonus section

• The use of the Hebrew word ḥōrev for "drought" is powerful, as it also means "desolation" or "ruin," directly linking the physical dryness to the ruined state of the temple they neglected. The very state of their land mirrored the state of God's house.
• The seven-fold repetition of "on" (וְעַל – ve'al) within the verse, outlining all the things the drought affected, highlights the all-encompassing and systematic nature of God's judgment. This stylistic choice emphasizes the complete and utter effect of the curse, leaving no area of life untouched.
• Haggai's direct address, delivering a "Thus says the LORD of hosts," carries immense prophetic authority, emphasizing that this message is from the supreme, all-powerful God who controls natural forces and human destinies.
• The agricultural specificity of the judgment was particularly poignant for an agrarian society where harvest failures were catastrophic. It underscored God's absolute control over their primary source of sustenance, making His message acutely felt in their daily lives.

Haggai 1 11 Commentary

Haggai 1:11 provides the definitive explanation for the widespread economic distress, crop failure, and general dissatisfaction that afflicted the post-exilic community. The prophet clarifies that the drought and barrenness were not simply unfortunate weather patterns but a precise, comprehensive, and divinely initiated judgment. God "called for" this devastation, explicitly taking credit for the all-encompassing nature of their suffering. This divine curse impacted every part of their livelihood—their crucial crops of grain, new wine, and oil; every plant growing from the earth; and the very well-being of humans and livestock. The effect was that despite their arduous "labor of your hands," they experienced persistent futility and lack, fulfilling the previously stated "bag with holes" analogy (1:6). The underlying reason for this profound hardship was their misplaced priorities: they meticulously cared for their own homes while God's temple lay in ruins. This verse teaches a fundamental principle: God actively withholds blessing and permits hardship when His people neglect His kingdom's priorities, serving as a catalyst for their reevaluation and repentance.

• Practical example: When personal comforts or pursuits consistently take precedence over obedience to God's will or participation in His work, individuals or communities may find that their efforts, despite being significant, lack satisfaction or lasting fruit.
• Practical example: Just as a farmer depends on rain, believers depend on God's grace for spiritual and even material fruitfulness. Neglecting one's spiritual house can result in barrenness in other areas of life.