Haggai 1 6

Haggai 1:6 kjv

Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.

Haggai 1:6 nkjv

"You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes."

Haggai 1:6 niv

You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."

Haggai 1:6 esv

You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.

Haggai 1:6 nlt

You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!

Haggai 1 verses

Haggai 1 6 Meaning

Haggai 1:6 describes the consequences of the people's misplaced priorities, specifically their neglect of rebuilding the Lord's Temple while focusing on their own houses and affairs. The verse details a pervasive futility in their labors: abundant effort yields meager results, basic needs like food, drink, and warmth remain perpetually unsatisfied despite consumption, and all financial earnings mysteriously dissipate, as if placed into a defective purse. This state of persistent lack and unproductive toil is presented as divine discipline, intended to awaken the people to their spiritual negligence and realign their focus towards God's purposes.

Haggai 1 6 Context

Haggai chapter 1 is set after the Jewish exiles' return from Babylon in 538 BC, specifically in the second year of King Darius's reign (520 BC). Though Cyrus the Great had issued a decree for their return and the rebuilding of the Temple decades earlier (538 BC), the people had become complacent. Facing local opposition and general indifference, they ceased the work on God's house for about sixteen years. Instead, they had prioritized building and paneling their own homes, leading to spiritual apathy. Haggai, as a prophet, is sent by the Lord to confront their misplaced priorities, rebuke their spiritual laziness, and urge them to restart the Temple's reconstruction. Verse 6 specifically articulates the direct consequence of their disobedience: a divine withholding of blessing on their efforts, manifesting as widespread economic hardship and futility, a visible sign that something was deeply amiss in their relationship with God.

Haggai 1 6 Word analysis

• You have sown much, and harvested little;

  • sown (zara זָרַע): Implies significant effort, investment, and hope for future return. The emphasis is on the quantity of their input.
  • much (harbeh הַרְבֵּה): Highlights the considerable human endeavor and labor expended.
  • harvested (qatsar קָצַר): Refers to the outcome, the reaping of what was sown.
  • little (meʿat מְעַט): A stark contrast to "much." It emphasizes the disappointing, unproductive return despite extensive effort. This is a divine withholding of blessing on their agricultural endeavors. This challenges the common ancient belief that hard work alone guarantees prosperity; here, God's favor is essential.

• you eat, but you never have enough;

  • eat (ʾākhal אָכַל): The basic act of consumption for sustenance.
  • never have enough (loʿ-leśobʿah לֹא־לְשָׂבְעָה): Literally, "not to satisfaction." Despite consuming food, true satiety or fulfillment is absent. This suggests a spiritual as well as a physical emptiness. Their desires remain unfulfilled. This serves as a polemic against the idea that material consumption leads to lasting satisfaction.

• you drink, but you are never filled;

  • drink (shāthāh שָׁתָה): Similar to eating, it's a basic need.
  • never filled (loʿ-le-rãwah לֹא־לְרָוָה): "Not to refreshment/satiety." Even after drinking, a persistent thirst remains. This extends the theme of insatiability to another vital area of life. It implies a deeper spiritual thirst that cannot be quenched by physical means.

• you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;

  • clothe (lābash לָבַשׁ): The act of putting on garments for warmth and modesty.
  • no one is warm (wᵉ-ʾên ḥôm lāh loʿ-yeḥām loh וְאֵין חֹם לָהּ לֹא־יְחַם־לוֹ): Though they wear clothes, they don't experience the warmth or comfort clothing should provide. This suggests a complete ineffectiveness of their possessions. It might also subtly hint at divine coldness or lack of God's covering.

• and he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.

  • earns wages (miśtakar śōḵēr מִשְׂתַּכֵּר שָׂכָר): Refers to diligent work for financial gain, to earn money or profit. It represents the entirety of their economic activity and effort.
  • bag with holes (tsᵉrôr nāqūv צְרוֹר נָקוּב): A striking metaphor for financial leakage and economic futility. A "tsᵉrôr" was a purse or bag, often used to carry stones (as weights) or money. "Naquv" means pierced or perforated. This vividly portrays money disappearing as quickly as it is earned, without any lasting benefit or accumulation. It's an indictment of the vanity of their labors when God's blessing is absent, and their resources drain away, leaving them perpetually in need. This is a direct consequence of their disobedience and misaligned priorities.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "You have sown much, and harvested little; you eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you are never filled; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;": This entire section presents a pattern of disproportionate effort and result, emphasizing futility. It covers major aspects of daily provision – food, drink, and warmth – demonstrating that basic human needs, usually satisfied through labor, were perpetually lacking despite their input. This is not mere scarcity but a lack of satisfaction and effectiveness, highlighting a spiritual dimension to their physical deprivation. It's a curse of dissatisfaction upon their worldly gains, revealing God's hand in their material struggles.
• "and he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.": This final phrase serves as a summary and pinnacle of the previous futility. It encapsulates the complete economic void—despite working hard to earn, the income immediately drains away, making savings impossible and leaving them constantly impoverished. It symbolizes wasted effort, unproductive labor, and God's curse directly impacting their financial stability. The image vividly depicts a systemic failure rooted in divine judgment, intended to draw their attention back to the true source of blessing and stability.

Haggai 1 6 Bonus section

This verse strongly suggests a spiritual dimension to economic well-being. It illustrates that God is sovereign over natural laws and human efforts; even diligent work (sowing much, earning wages) does not guarantee favorable outcomes without His blessing. The "bag with holes" can be seen as a direct consequence of "robbing God," a concept later expanded by Malachi, where withholding tithes leads to curses. This judgment was a form of severe mercy, intended not to destroy but to awaken the people, prompting introspection about their spiritual priorities and a return to faithfulness. The specific and detailed nature of the lack (food, drink, clothing, wages) implies that God targeted the very areas the people were striving to secure for themselves, showing that what they pursued without Him would ultimately fail to provide.

Haggai 1 6 Commentary

Haggai 1:6 is God's direct message to the returning exiles, explaining their pervasive economic and existential frustrations. They were working hard, striving to re-establish their lives and build their own comfortable homes, but all their effort led to an unsatisfying emptiness. Their fields produced poorly, their food didn't satiate, their drink didn't refresh, their clothes offered no warmth, and their earnings evaporated. This was not random misfortune but deliberate divine discipline. God was showing them that their neglect of His house (the Temple), the symbol of His presence and their covenant relationship, was the root cause of their material woes. Their futility in worldly pursuits was a direct mirror of their spiritual priorities; they sought satisfaction and security in the temporal while forsaking the eternal. This verse underscores a fundamental biblical principle: prioritizing God's kingdom and righteousness leads to divine provision and blessing, while self-centered pursuit of earthly comforts outside of God's will leads to emptiness and unfulfilled desires, even with diligent effort. It serves as a stark reminder that true prosperity and contentment flow from alignment with God's purposes.

Examples of modern application:

• Constantly acquiring new things but feeling an unquenchable desire for more.
• Working excessively to earn more money, only to find it quickly disappears through expenses or debt.
• Investing heavily in personal comfort or possessions, yet feeling a pervasive sense of discontent or unease.