Haggai 2:14

Haggai 2:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.
• New International Version (NIV)Then Haggai said, “ ‘So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,’ declares the Lord. ‘Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then Haggai answered and said, "So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the Lord, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Haggai answered and said, “ ‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,’ says the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

Context of Haggai 2:14

12A person might be carrying some special, holy meat in his clothes. His clothes might then touch some food. It might be bread, or soup, or wine, or oil. If the clothes that hold the holy meat touch any other food, does that other food also become holy?’ The priests replied, ‘No.’ 13Haggai asked the priests another question: ‘If anyone touches a dead body, you know that you become unclean. If an unclean person touches any of these foods, would they also become unclean?’ The priests replied, ‘Yes, those things would be unclean.’ So Haggai told them, ‘This is what the Lord says: This nation and its people are just like that. They are unclean. So everything that they do is also unclean. All the gifts that they offer to me are unclean. I could not accept them. 15Think carefully what life was like before you started again to build the Lord's temple. Do not forget that. 16In those days, you hoped to get 20 bags of grain from your fields. But you only got ten bags. You hoped to get 50 jars of wine from your grapes. But you only got 20 jars.

Haggai 2:14 word by word

וַיַּ֨עַן חַגַּ֜י וַיֹּ֗אמֶר כֵּ֣ן הָֽעָם־הַ֠זֶּה וְכֵן־הַגּ֨וֹי הַזֶּ֤ה לְפָנַי֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וְכֵ֖ן כָּל־מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יְדֵיהֶ֑ם וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר יַקְרִ֛יבוּ שָׁ֖ם טָמֵ֥א הֽוּא׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then answeredעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
• Haggaiחַגַּיchaggay · HaggaiH2292
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• this peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• this nationגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• me, saithנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• every workמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deed: workH4639
• of their handsיָדyâd · handH3027
• and that which they offerקָרַבqârab · to present: bringH7126
• uncleanטָמֵאţâmê' · uncleanH2931

Cross-references for Haggai 2:14

• Haggai 1:4‘You people are living in beautiful houses. But my temple is still just a heap of stones! It is time for you to do something about it!
• Proverbs 15:8When wicked people offer sacrifices to the Lord, he hates it. But he is pleased when good people pray to him.
• Proverbs 21:4Wicked people are proud and they boast. Sin is their guide through life.
• Proverbs 28:9If you refuse to listen to God's law, God will refuse to listen to your prayers.
• Isaiah 1:11The Lord says, ‘All your sacrifices are not important to me. I have received too many sacrifices that you have burned as gifts to me. I have received too many sheep and fat animals. I do not want any more blood from bulls, goats and lambs that you have offered to me as sacrifices. They do not give me any pleasure.
• Jude 1:23Some people are in great danger. You must save them from the fire of God's punishment. Also be kind to people who have done wicked and disgusting things. But be careful! Do not let their sins make you bad too.
• Ezra 3:2Jozadak's son, Jeshua, and some of the other priests in his family began to build the altar of Israel's God. Shealtiel's son, Zerubbabel, and some of his family also began to build it. They wanted to make burnt offerings on it. God's servant, Moses, had written about this in the law.

Commentaries on Haggai 2:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Then answered Haggai - So is this people - As an unclean man communicates his uncleanness to every thing he touches, so are ye unclean; and whatever ye have hitherto done is polluted in the sight of God. For your neglect of my temple has made you unclean, as if you had contracted legal pollution by touching a dead body.Read the comment
• 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. 14So it is with this people: Simply returning from exile to the land God promised Israel did not make the people of Judah holy. They were still unclean because they did not follow God's covenant instructions. Their work and worship were tainted by impurity. The ruins of the Lord’s temple symbolized their disobedience. Rebuilding the temple was a clear sign of changed hearts and renewed obedience to God's covenant.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. Then answered Haggai--rather, "Then Haggai answered (in rejoinder to the priests' answer) and said" [Maurer]. so is this people--heretofore not in such an obedient state of mind as to deserve to be called My people (Tit 1:15). Here he applies the two cases just stated. By the first case, "this people" is not made "holy" by their offerings "there" (namely, on the altar built in the open air, under Cyrus, Ezr 3:3); though the ritual sacrifice can…Read the comment

Topics related to Haggai 2:14

• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Haggai
• Comparison
• Desire
• Press
• Defile; Defilement
• Joshua (3)

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