Amplified Bible
Haggai 2:12
12If a man carries meat that is holy [because it has been offered in sacrifice to God] in the fold of his garment, and he touches bread, or cooked food, or wine, or oil, or any [kind of] food with this fold, does what he touches become holy [dedicated exclusively to God’s service]?’ ” And the priests answered, “No!” [Holiness is not transferrable.]
Haggai 2:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.
- New International Version (NIV)If someone carries consecrated meat in the fold of their garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, olive oil or other food, does it become consecrated?’ ” The priests answered, “No.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)'If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?'" The priests answered and said, "No."
- New King James Version (NKJV)“If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?” ’ ” Then the priests answered and said, “No.”
Context of Haggai 2:12
10On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (Dec 18, 520 b.c.), in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet, saying, 11“Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Ask the priests for a ruling: If a man carries meat that is holy [because it has been offered in sacrifice to God] in the fold of his garment, and he touches bread, or cooked food, or wine, or oil, or any [kind of] food with this fold, does what he touches become holy [dedicated exclusively to God’s service]?’ ” And the priests answered, “No!” [Holiness is not transferrable.] 13Then Haggai said, “If one who is [ceremonially] unclean because of [contact with] a corpse touches any of these [articles of food], will it be unclean?” And the priests answered, “It will be unclean.” [Ceremonial uncleanness, like sin, is infectious.] 14Then Haggai answered, “ ‘So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there [on the altar] is unclean [because they who offer it are unclean].
Read all of Haggai 2Haggai 2:12 word by word
הֵ֣ן׀ יִשָּׂא־אִ֨ישׁ בְּשַׂר־קֹ֜דֶשׁ בִּכְנַ֣ף בִּגְד֗וֹ וְנָגַ֣ע בִּ֠כְנָפוֹ אֶל־הַלֶּ֨חֶם וְאֶל־הַנָּזִ֜יד וְאֶל־הַיַּ֧יִן וְאֶל־שֶׁ֛מֶן וְאֶל־כָּל־מַאֲכָ֖ל הֲיִקְדָּ֑שׁ וַיַּעֲנ֧וּ הַכֹּהֲנִ֛ים וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ לֹֽא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- If oneאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- bearנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: bearH5375
- holyקֹ֫דֶשׁqôdesh · holinessH6944
- fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
- in the skirtכָּנָףkânâph · wingH3671
- of his garmentבֶּ֫גֶדbeged · garmentH899
- do touchנָגַעnâga‛ · to touchH5060
- breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
- or pottageנָזִידnâzîyd · stewH5138
- or wineיַ֫יִןyayin · wineH3196
- or oilשֶׁ֫מֶןshemen · oilH8081
- or any meatמַאֲכָלma'ăkâl · foodH3978
- shall it be holyקָדַשׁqâdash · to consecrate: consecateH6942
- And the priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
- answeredעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
Cross-references for Haggai 2:12
- Exodus 29:37For seven days you shall make atonement for the altar [of burnt offering] and consecrate it; then the altar shall be most holy. Whatever touches the altar must be holy (set apart for God’s service).
- Leviticus 6:27Whatever touches its meat will become consecrated (ceremonially clean). When any of its blood splashes on a garment, you shall wash what was splashed on in a holy place.
- Leviticus 7:6Every male among the priests may eat it; it shall be eaten in a holy place; it is most holy.
- Ezekiel 44:19When they go out into the outer court, into the outer courtyard to the people, they shall take off the garments in which they have been ministering and leave them in the holy chambers; then they shall put on other clothing so that they will not transmit holiness to the people with their [ceremonial] garments.
- Matthew 23:19You [spiritually] blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering?
Commentaries on Haggai 2:12
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11-14Verses 11-14 Ask now the priests concerning the law - The priests answer rightly, that, by the law, insulated unholiness spread further than insulated holiness. The flesh of the sacrifice hallowed whatever it should touch, but not further; but the human being, who was defiled by touching a dead body, defiled all he might touch Numbers 19:22. Haggai does not apply the first part; namely, that the worship on the altar which they reared, while they neglected…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-19Verses 10-19 Many spoiled this good work, by going about it with unholy hearts and hands, and were likely to gain no advantage by it. The sum of these two rules of the law is, that sin is more easily learned from others than holiness. The impurity of their hearts and lives shall make the work of their hands, and all their offerings, unclean before God. The case is the same with us. When employed in any good work, we should watch over ourselves, lest we…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12does that item become holy?: This question refers to meat from a holy sacrifice and how ceremonial purity and impurity could be transferred (see “Clean, Unclean, and Holy” Theme Note). Carrying the holy sacrifice (the meat set aside and prepared for the offering) made one’s robe holy (compare Leviticus 6:18). However, this holiness could not be passed on to a third object.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. "Holy flesh" (that is, the flesh of a sacrifice, Jr 11:15), indeed, makes holy the "skirt" in which it is carried; but that "skirt" cannot impart its sanctity to any thing beyond, as "bread," &c. (Le 6:27). This is cited to illustrate the principle, that a sacrifice, holy, as enveloping divine things (just as the "skirt" is "holy" which envelops "holy" flesh), cannot by its inherent or opus operatum efficacy make holy a person whose disobedience, as…Read the comment
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Haggai 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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