The Meaning of Haggai 1:10 Explained

Haggai 1:10

KJV: Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.

YLT: Therefore, over you refrained have the heavens from dew, And the land hath refrained its increase.

Darby: Therefore over you the heavens withhold their dew, and the earth withholdeth its fruit.

ASV: Therefore for your sake the heavens withhold the dew, and the earth withholdeth its fruit.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore the heaven  over you is stayed  from dew,  and the earth  is stayed  [from] her fruit. 

What does Haggai 1:10 Mean?

Context Summary

Haggai 1:1-11 - Selfish And Shortsighted Thrift
Zerubbabel is the Sheshbazzar of Ezra 1:8. He was of the royal line, and appointed governor by Cyrus. Josedech was son of Seraiah, high priest when Jerusalem was taken, 2 Kings 25:18-21. The returned exiles had been experiencing a succession of bad seasons. They had sown much, and reaped little; their money ran out of the bag as quickly as they put it in; a drought lay on all the land, and the reason for it was to be found in the neglected Temple. How frequently our disasters and losses in business arise from our failure to remember God's cause. We say that we have not the time, cannot afford the money, and see no necessity for setting apart the Lord's Day or the daily period for meditation and prayer. Did we see things as they really are, we should find that this is false economy, and wastes more than we save. "There is that which withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty." The mower does not waste time when he stops to whet his scythe. [source]

Chapter Summary: Haggai 1

1  The time when Haggai prophesied
2  He reproves the people for neglecting the building of the house
7  He incites them to the building
12  He promises them, being forward, God's assistance

What do the individual words in Haggai 1:10 mean?

Over therefore above you withhold the heavens the dew and the earth withholds its fruit
עַל־ כֵּ֣ן עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם כָּלְא֥וּ שָמַ֖יִם‪‬‪‬‪‬ מִטָּ֑ל וְהָאָ֖רֶץ כָּלְאָ֥ה יְבוּלָֽהּ

עַל־  Over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם  above  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
כָּלְא֥וּ  withhold 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: כָּלָא 
Sense: to restrict, restrain, withhold, shut up, keep back, refrain, forbid.
שָמַ֖יִם‪‬‪‬‪‬  the  heavens 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
מִטָּ֑ל  the  dew 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: טַל  
Sense: dew, night mist.
וְהָאָ֖רֶץ  and  the  earth 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
כָּלְאָ֥ה  withholds 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: כָּלָא 
Sense: to restrict, restrain, withhold, shut up, keep back, refrain, forbid.
יְבוּלָֽהּ  its  fruit 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: יְבוּל  
Sense: produce, fruit, produce (of the soil).