Haggai 1:7 kjv
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
Haggai 1:7 nkjv
Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Consider your ways!
Haggai 1:7 niv
This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways.
Haggai 1:7 esv
"Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways.
Haggai 1:7 nlt
"This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: Look at what's happening to you!
Haggai 1 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Hag 1:5 | Now therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. | Repeated command for self-reflection. |
| Ps 119:59 | When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies. | Result of considering ways: repentance. |
| Lam 3:40 | Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD! | Self-examination leading to return to God. |
| 2 Cor 13:5 | Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith... | New Testament call for spiritual introspection. |
| Gal 6:4 | But let each one test his own work... | Individual accountability for one's actions. |
| Prov 4:26 | Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. | Wisdom literature on careful planning of life. |
| 1 Cor 11:28 | Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread... | Self-examination before participating in holy things. |
| Mat 6:33 | But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness... | Priority setting: God's kingdom first. |
| Lk 12:33-34 | Sell your possessions... provide yourselves with moneybags that do not wear out... | Placing eternal treasures above temporal ones. |
| Deut 28:15 | But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God... all these curses... | Consequences of disobedience, matching Hag's context. |
| Ps 127:1 | Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. | Futility of human effort without divine blessing. |
| Isa 55:2 | Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread... | Wasting resources on unfulfilling pursuits. |
| Jer 12:13 | They have sown wheat and have reaped thorns; they have spent themselves... | Effort without satisfying return, akin to Hag. |
| Mal 3:8-10 | Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me in tithes and offerings... | Material blessing withheld due to neglect of God. |
| Jer 2:19 | Your evil will discipline you, and your apostasy will reprove you... | Own conduct bringing about consequences. |
| Hag 2:15 | Now consider from this day onward... | Another call to consider, setting new turning point. |
| Prov 23:7 | For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. | Connection between internal thoughts and external actions. |
| Joel 2:12-13 | “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart..." | Call for repentance from the heart. |
| Isa 1:19-20 | If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land... | Blessing promised for obedience. |
| Rev 2:5 | Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent... | Call for self-reflection and repentance for a church. |
| Phil 2:4 | Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. | Not only personal but community/divine interest. |
| Acts 3:19 | Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out... | Call to change actions and return to God. |
Haggai 1 verses
Haggai 1 7 Meaning
Haggai 1:7 presents a direct and emphatic divine command from God through the prophet Haggai to the people of Judah: to pause and deeply reflect upon their actions, priorities, and lifestyle. This instruction is not a superficial request but a call for profound self-examination regarding the disconnect between their personal pursuits and their neglect of God's temple and his kingdom. It implies that their current circumstances of hardship and unfruitful labor are a direct consequence of their misaligned priorities.
Haggai 1 7 Context
Haggai's prophecy begins in the second year of King Darius's reign (520 BC), about 16 years after the first wave of exiles returned to Judah under Zerubbabel and Joshua. Despite an initial burst of zeal, the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem had ceased. The people, facing economic difficulties and a perceived lack of divine favor, prioritized constructing their own paneled homes while the house of the Lord remained in ruins. Haggai 1:7, repeated from verse 5, serves as the climactic point of God's challenge to their misguided priorities. It's a foundational exhortation that leads to a subsequent divine instruction to resume the Temple work. This verse encapsulates the core message that their ongoing suffering (scarcity, drought, unproductive labor) was a direct result of their spiritual apathy and disobedience to God's commandment to restore His dwelling place.
Haggai 1 7 Word analysis
- "Thus": Indicates a solemn pronouncement and emphasizes that what follows is a direct, authoritative word from God, not mere human advice.
- "says": Signifies that the LORD is actively speaking, highlighting the immediate and personal nature of the divine communication to the people.
- "LORD of hosts": (Hebrew: YHWH Sabaoth). This title emphasizes God's omnipotence, His sovereignty over all creation, the angelic armies, and historical events. It underscores His immense authority and power to both judge and bless, giving gravitas to His command.
- "Consider": (Hebrew: Sîmû ləbaḇəḵem ‘al – "Set your heart/mind upon"). This is a powerful, emphatic imperative. It commands deep, careful introspection and intentional focus, far beyond a casual glance. It means to direct one's entire thought and attention, to truly reflect and assess. The repetition of this exact phrase from verse 5 reinforces its crucial importance.
- "your ways!": (Hebrew: darḵêḵem). Refers to the people's entire course of life, their conduct, actions, decisions, priorities, and lifestyle. It is a collective call to the community to evaluate the paths they are walking and the choices they are making, specifically in light of their neglect of the temple.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Thus says the LORD of hosts": Establishes divine authority and infallibility behind the command. It grounds the call to introspection in God's character as the sovereign, all-powerful ruler who has a right to command His people. This is not just a prophet's idea but a direct message from the Divine.
- "Consider your ways!": This phrase acts as a sharp rhetorical question and an imperative call to self-examination. It prompts the audience to connect their observable circumstances (scarcity, lack of blessing) with their choices and actions (prioritizing their own comfort over God's house). The emphatic nature implies that their ways are fundamentally flawed and require immediate re-evaluation and change. It directs their focus inwards, highlighting personal responsibility for collective hardship.
Haggai 1 7 Bonus section
The doubling of "Consider your ways" (Haggai 1:5, 1:7) underscores its critical importance to the prophetic message. It functions as a recurring refrain designed to penetrate the spiritual apathy of the people and drive home the urgency of their need for repentance. This divine refrain is an expression of God's profound desire for His people to understand the link between their actions, their spiritual state, and His providential care. This isn't just a physical assessment of their conduct; it is an examination of their inner motivation, reflecting a fundamental misalignment of heart, prompting them to realize that true prosperity comes from alignment with God's will. The command initiates a call to shift from human-centered living to God-centered priorities, a message highly relevant for any age or spiritual community.
Haggai 1 7 Commentary
Haggai 1:7 is God's direct and urgent appeal for introspection among the post-exilic community. Faced with material deprivation, the people were questioning their circumstances, but God here points them to the true cause: their misplaced priorities. "Consider your ways" demands a spiritual audit of their lives, specifically their actions concerning the Temple's derelict state versus the zeal with which they adorned their own homes. This wasn't merely about brick and mortar, but about where their affections and allegiance truly lay. Their hardship was a divine discipline, a stark mirror reflecting their spiritual neglect. The powerful title "LORD of hosts" asserts God's ultimate authority to deliver this critique and to bless or withhold blessing based on their obedience. This verse lays the groundwork for the ensuing command to build, presenting the profound link between their spiritual condition, their practical actions, and God's tangible provision.Example: If a community prioritizes elaborate church buildings for personal prestige but neglects local missions, God might prompt them to "consider their ways" through a decline in spiritual vitality.