Hag 1:1 | Clarke | e4.org | THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET HAGGAI Chronological Notes relative to this book -Year from the Creation, according to Archbishop Usher, 3484. -Year of the Julian Period, 4194. -Year since the flood, 1828. -Year from the vocation of Abram, 1301. -Year since the first celebration of the Olympic games in Elis by the Idaei Dactyli, 934. -Year since the foundation of the monarchy of the Israelites by the Divine appointment of Saul to the regal dignity, 576. -Year from the foundation of the temple, 492. -Year from the division of Solomon's monarchy into the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, 456. -Year since the re-establishment of the Olympic games at Elis by Lycurgus, Iphitus, and Cleosthenes, 365. -Year since the conquest of Coroebus at Olympia, usually called the first Olympiad, 257. -First year of the sixty-fifth Olympiad. -Year from the building of Rome, according to the Varronian or generally received computation, 234. -Year from the building of Rome, according to Cato and the Fasti Consulares, 233. -Year from the building of Rome, according to Polybius the historian, 232. -Year from the building of Rome, according to Fabius Pictor, 228. -Year of the era of Nabonassar, 228. -Year since the destruction of the kingdom of Israel by Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, 202. -Year since the destruction of the kingdom of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, 68. -Year since the destruction of the Chaldean empire by the Persians, 18. -Year before the birth of Christ, 516. -Year before the vulgar era of Christ's nativity, 520. -Cycle of the Sun, 22. -Cycle of the Moon, 14. -Second year of Darius I., king of Persia. -Twenty-eighth year of Amyntas, king of Macedon. -Seventh year of Demaratus, king of Lacedaemon, of the family of the Proclidae. -Eleventh year of Cleomenes, king of Lacedaemon, of the family of the Eurysthenidae. -Fifteenth year of Tarquinius Superbus, the last king of the Romans. -This was about twelve years before the abolition of the regal government of the Romans by the expulsion of the Tarquins. -Confucius, the celebrated Chinese philosopher, is supposed to have flourished about this time. CHAPTER I The prophet reproves the people, and particularly their ruler and high priest, for negligence and delay in rebuilding the temple; and tells them that their neglect was the cause of their having been visited with unfruitful seasons, and other marks of the Divine displeasure , 1-11. He encourages them to set about the work, and on their doing so, promises that God will be with them , 12-15. We know nothing of the parentage of Haggai . He was probably born in Babylon during the captivity, and appears to have been the first prophet sent to the Jews after their return to their own land. He was sent particularly to encourage the Jews to proceed with the building of the temple, which had been interrupted for about fourteen years. Cyrus , who had published an edict empowering the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their city and temple, revoked this edict in the second year of his reign, through the evil advice of his courtiers and other enemies of the Jews. After his death Cambyses renewed the prohibition, but after the death of Cambyses, Darius , the son of Hystaspes , renewed the permission ; and Haggai was sent to encourage his countrymen to proceed with the work. Darius came to the throne about the year B.C. 521, and published his edict of permission for the Jews to rebuild the city and temple in the second year of his reign, which was the sixteenth of their return from Babylon. NOTES ON CHAP. I Verse 1. In the sixth month ] Called Elul by the Hebrews. It was the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year, and the last of the civil year, and answered to a part of our September . Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel ] Who was son of Jeconiah , king of Judah, and of the family of David, and exercised the post of a governor among the people, but not over them, for both he and they were under the Persian government; but they were permitted to have Zerubbabel for their own governor, and Joshua for their high priest; and these regulated all matters relative to their peculiar political and ecclesiastical government. But it appears from Ezra, , that Tatnai , the governor on this side the river, had them under his cognizance. None of their own governors was absolute. The Persians permitted them to live under their own laws and civil regulations; but they always considered them as a colony, over which they had a continual superintendence. Joshua the son of Josedech ] And son of Seraiah, who was high priest in the time of Zedekiah, and was carried into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, . But Seraiah was slain at Riblah, by order of Nebuchadnezzar, .

‏ Haggai 1:1

THE BOOK

OF THE

PROPHET HAGGAI

Chronological Notes relative to this book

-Year from the Creation, according to Archbishop Usher, 3484.

-Year of the Julian Period, 4194.

-Year since the flood, 1828.

-Year from the vocation of Abram, 1301.

-Year since the first celebration of the Olympic games in Elis

by the Idaei Dactyli, 934.

-Year since the foundation of the monarchy of the Israelites by

the Divine appointment of Saul to the regal dignity, 576.

-Year from the foundation of the temple, 492.

-Year from the division of Solomon's monarchy into the kingdoms

of Israel and Judah, 456.

-Year since the re-establishment of the Olympic games at Elis

by Lycurgus, Iphitus, and Cleosthenes, 365.

-Year since the conquest of Coroebus at Olympia, usually called

the first Olympiad, 257.

-First year of the sixty-fifth Olympiad.

-Year from the building of Rome, according to the Varronian or

generally received computation, 234.

-Year from the building of Rome, according to Cato and the Fasti

Consulares, 233.

-Year from the building of Rome, according to Polybius the

historian, 232.

-Year from the building of Rome, according to Fabius Pictor, 228.

-Year of the era of Nabonassar, 228.

-Year since the destruction of the kingdom of Israel by

Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, 202.

-Year since the destruction of the kingdom of Judah by

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, 68.

-Year since the destruction of the Chaldean empire by the

Persians, 18.

-Year before the birth of Christ, 516.

-Year before the vulgar era of Christ's nativity, 520.

-Cycle of the Sun, 22.

-Cycle of the Moon, 14.

-Second year of Darius I., king of Persia.

-Twenty-eighth year of Amyntas, king of Macedon.

-Seventh year of Demaratus, king of Lacedaemon, of the family of

the Proclidae.

-Eleventh year of Cleomenes, king of Lacedaemon, of the family of

the Eurysthenidae.

-Fifteenth year of Tarquinius Superbus, the last king of the

Romans.

-This was about twelve years before the abolition of the regal

government of the Romans by the expulsion of the Tarquins.

-Confucius, the celebrated Chinese philosopher, is supposed to

have flourished about this time.

CHAPTER I

The prophet reproves the people, and particularly their ruler and high priest, for negligence and delay in rebuilding the temple; and tells them that their neglect was the cause of their having been visited with unfruitful seasons, and other marks of the Divine displeasure, 1-11.

He encourages them to set about the work, and on their doing so, promises that God will be with them, 12-15.

We know nothing of the parentage of Haggai. He was probably born in Babylon during the captivity, and appears to have been the first prophet sent to the Jews after their return to their own land. He was sent particularly to encourage the Jews to proceed with the building of the temple, which had been interrupted for about fourteen years. Cyrus, who had published an edict empowering the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their city and temple, revoked this edict in the second year of his reign, through the evil advice of his courtiers and other enemies of the Jews. After his death Cambyses renewed the prohibition, but after the death of Cambyses, Darius, the son of Hystaspes, renewed the permission; and Haggai was sent to encourage his countrymen to proceed with the work. Darius came to the throne about the year B.C. 521, and published his edict of permission for the Jews to rebuild the city and temple in the second year of his reign, which was the sixteenth of their return from Babylon.

NOTES ON CHAP. I

Verse 1. In the sixth month] Called Elul by the Hebrews. It was the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year, and the last of the civil year, and answered to a part of our September.

Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel] Who was son of Jeconiah, king of Judah, and of the family of David, and exercised the post of a governor among the people, but not over them, for both he and they were under the Persian government; but they were permitted to have Zerubbabel for their own governor, and Joshua for their high priest; and these regulated all matters relative to their peculiar political and ecclesiastical government. But it appears from Ezra, Ezr 5:3, that Tatnai, the governor on this side the river, had them under his cognizance. None of their own governors was absolute. The Persians permitted them to live under their own laws and civil regulations; but they always considered them as a colony, over which they had a continual superintendence.

Joshua the son of Josedech] And son of Seraiah, who was high priest in the time of Zedekiah, and was carried into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, 1Ch 6:15. But Seraiah was slain at Riblah, by order of Nebuchadnezzar, 2Ki 25:18-21.