Haggai 1 2

Haggai 1:2 kjv

Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD's house should be built.

Haggai 1:2 nkjv

"Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying: 'This people says, "The time has not come, the time that the LORD's house should be built." ' "

Haggai 1:2 niv

This is what the LORD Almighty says: "These people say, 'The time has not yet come to rebuild the LORD's house.'?"

Haggai 1:2 esv

"Thus says the LORD of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD."

Haggai 1:2 nlt

"This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: The people are saying, 'The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.'"

Haggai 1 verses

Haggai 1 2 Meaning

Haggai 1:2 conveys the divine rebuke from the Lord of hosts concerning the post-exilic community's misguided excuse for not rebuilding His temple. The people rationalized their inaction by claiming that "the time" was not yet suitable for constructing the Lord's house, even as they focused on their own dwelling places. This reveals a critical issue of misplaced priorities and spiritual apathy.

Haggai 1 2 Context

Haggai's prophecy begins in the second year of Darius I (520 BC), sixteen years after the Jewish exiles had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon under Zerubbabel and Jeshua. While the foundation of the second temple had been laid soon after their return (Ezr 3:8-13), construction had stopped due to opposition from surrounding peoples and Samaritan interference (Ezr 4:4-5, 24). However, Haggai reveals that beyond external opposition, the people's internal apathy and misplaced priorities were the true hindrance. They had grown comfortable in their own rebuilt and paneled houses, allowing the Lord’s house to lie in ruins. This verse immediately sets the stage for God's direct confrontation of their excuse, challenging their self-serving "wisdom" regarding the appropriate "time."

Haggai 1 2 Word analysis

• "Thus speaks" (Koh amar): This phrase signals a direct divine utterance, establishing the absolute authority and origin of the message from God Himself. It’s not human opinion but a prophetic oracle.
• "the LORD of hosts" (YHWH Sabaoth): This is a majestic and powerful title for God. "YHWH" signifies the covenant God, ever-present and sovereign. "Sabaoth" means "armies" or "hosts" (celestial, earthly, or all forces). This title emphasizes His omnipotence, His command over all powers, and His unwavering ability to fulfill His purposes. It subtly counters any excuse of insufficient resources or overwhelming opposition by reminding the people who stands behind the command.
• "saying": Introduces the direct content of God's message, verbatim.
• "This people" (ha'am hazzeh): This is a strong and often negative or detached way God refers to Israel when they are in disobedience or rebellion. It implies a distance and a lack of proper covenant relationship at that moment, highlighting their unfaithfulness. It conveys God’s disappointment and a degree of judgment for their attitudes.
• "says": Indicates the specific utterance or widespread opinion among the people.
• "The time" ('eth): Refers to a specific season, opportune moment, or appointed time. The people claimed it wasn't the opportune moment.
• "has not come" (Lo' ba'): A strong negation. They assertively denied that the divine timing for construction had arrived, essentially accusing God of demanding something prematurely.
• "the time for the LORD’s house" ('et beth YHWH): Specifies the object of the timing debate: God’s own dwelling place.
• "to be built" (lehibbānôth): To be constructed or established. The emphasis is on the actual work of building.

Word-Group Analysis:

• "Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying: This people says": This stark juxtaposition sets up a direct confrontation between divine decree and human excuse. The Almighty God speaks, yet His own people offer a contradictory statement. It highlights the divine challenge to human rationalization.
• "The time has not come, the time for the LORD’s house to be built": This phrase reveals the heart of the people's problem. Their excuse was one of divine timing. They were either truly ignorant of God's will, or more likely, using "time" as a convenient cover for their laziness, apathy, and preoccupation with their own affairs. This also implies they believed they knew better than God concerning the appropriate time, revealing a deep spiritual error.

Haggai 1 2 Bonus section

The people’s argument about "the time not coming" could stem from a misunderstanding of prophecy (e.g., misinterpreting Daniel’s seventy-year prophecy), or simply a convenient rationalization born out of discouragement and a lack of faith. However, God, through Haggai, decisively refutes their claim by implying that His timing is always perfect. The real delay was not divine but human-caused, rooted in a comfort-seeking attitude over obedience. This illustrates a recurring theme throughout biblical history where God's people use external circumstances or misinterpret divine indicators to justify their inaction when confronted with clear mandates.

Haggai 1 2 Commentary

Haggai 1:2 powerfully uncovers the spiritual blindness and self-centeredness plaguing the returning exiles. While external opposition had stalled the temple's reconstruction for sixteen years, this verse reveals God's perception of their real problem: their own priorities. The people's statement, "The time has not come," was a carefully constructed excuse, suggesting prudence and a respectful deferral, when in reality it masked their apathy. They claimed it wasn't God's timing, but it was their convenience and self-interest dictating their actions.

The use of "Lord of hosts" highlights God's supreme authority and power over all circumstances, implicitly challenging their human reasoning that resources were insufficient or circumstances were not ideal. Such an all-powerful God does not ask His people to do something for which He has not also provided the means or deemed the timing appropriate. His direct, disapproving address "This people" underscores His displeasure with their spiritual lethargy and false piety. They were building and "paneling" their own houses, yet God's house lay in desolate ruins, a stark contrast that exposes their true heart. This verse sets the stage for God's prophetic interrogation, calling them to "consider their ways" and align their priorities with His divine will.