The Meaning of Haggai 1:12 Explained

Haggai 1:12

KJV: Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.

YLT: And Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Joshua son of Josedech, the high priest, and all the remnant of the people, do hearken to the voice of Jehovah their God, and unto the words of Haggai the prophet, as Jehovah their God had sent him, and the people are afraid of the face of Jehovah.

Darby: And Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all the remnant of the people, hearkened to the voice of Jehovah their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, according as Jehovah their God had sent him, and the people feared before Jehovah.

ASV: Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of Jehovah their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as Jehovah their God had sent him; and the people did fear before Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then Zerubbabel  the son  of Shealtiel,  and Joshua  the son  of Josedech,  the high  priest,  with all the remnant  of the people,  obeyed  the voice  of the LORD  their God,  and the words  of Haggai  the prophet,  as the LORD  their God  had sent  him, and the people  did fear  before  the LORD. 

What does Haggai 1:12 Mean?

Study Notes

fear
fear of the Lord
The "fear of the Lord," a phrase of the O.T. piety, meaning reverential trust, with hatred of evil.

Verse Meaning

Haggai"s preaching moved Zerubbabel, Joshua , and the remnant of Israelites who had returned from captivity to obey the Lord. This demonstrated reverence for Him.
"Haggai referred to the people as a remnant (here and also in Haggai 1:14 and in Haggai 2:2), not merely because they were survivors of the Babylonian Exile but also because they were becoming what the remnant of God"s people should always be-those who are obedient within their covenant relationship to the Lord (cf. Isaiah 10:21)." [1]
This term probably refers to the entire Judean population, consisting of both those who had returned from Babylon and those who had remained in the Promised Land (cf. Jeremiah 8:3; Ezekiel 5:10; Ezekiel 9:8; Ezekiel 11:13). [2]
"When times are prosperous, it may be easier to dismiss a word of prophetic rebuke; but hard times often expose raw nerves of the spiritual life that has grown insensitive to God"s spirit. Frequently it is in the midst of exceptional human difficulty that God"s word finds its greatest success." [3]
"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." [4]

Context Summary

Haggai 1:12-15 - The True Glory Of God's House
One earnest man can arouse an entire community. Let a fire glow in our hearts, and it will spread. Assured of God's presence and favor, within three weeks the whole land was awake. Note the cooperation of God's Spirit with the message of His servant, "the Lord stirred up." Let us ever seek and rely on His cooperation! "We are witnesses, so also is the Holy Spirit!" Three prophecies occupy the following chapter. In the first, Haggai 1:1-9, the Jews are encouraged to persevere. Although there was no comparison between the glory of Solomon's Temple and the splendor of this, they must not be discouraged. Though they might deplore the absence of the sacred fire of the Shekinah, of the Ark with its cherubim, of the Urim and Thummim, and of the spirit of prophecy, yet the Messiah's presence, which would be associated with the second Temple would more than compensate for their deficiency, since He was the antitype of them all. If we lack many of the advantages and attractions in which others excel, let us be more than satisfied to possess Christ. And be it always remembered that Christian worship seeks to realize the presence of Him who said: "I am in the midst." Without that a cathedral is an empty void; with that, a barn will be heaven. For Haggai 1:6-7 see Hebrews 12:26-28. This little while in God's arithmetic lasted for 517 years. [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 1:12 mean?

And obeyed Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jehozadak the priest high and with all the remnant of the people the voice of Yahweh their God and the words of Haggai the prophet as had sent him Yahweh their God and feared the people the presence of Yahweh
וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע זְרֻבָּבֶ֣ל ׀ בֶּֽן־ שַׁלְתִּיאֵ֡ל וִיהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ בֶּן־ יְהוֹצָדָק֩ הַכֹּהֵ֨ן הַגָּד֜וֹל וְכֹ֣ל ׀ שְׁאֵרִ֣ית הָעָ֗ם בְּקוֹל֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֔ם וְעַל־ דִּבְרֵי֙ חַגַּ֣י הַנָּבִ֔יא כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר שְׁלָח֖וֹ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם וַיִּֽירְא֥וּ הָעָ֖ם מִפְּנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה

וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע  And  obeyed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
זְרֻבָּבֶ֣ל ׀  Zerubbabel 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: זְרֻבָּבֶל  
Sense: the grandson of king Jehoiachin and leader of the first group of returning exiles from Babylon.
בֶּֽן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
שַׁלְתִּיאֵ֡ל  of  Shealtiel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵל 
Sense: father of Zerubbabel.
וִיהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ  and  Joshua 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹושֻׁעַ  
Sense: son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יְהוֹצָדָק֩  of  Jehozadak 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹוצָדָק  
Sense: grandson of the high priest Hilkiah; son of the high priest Seraiah; and father of the high priest Joshua; he never attained the office of high priest himself because he was carried captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar.
הַכֹּהֵ֨ן  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
הַגָּד֜וֹל  high 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
וְכֹ֣ל ׀  and  with  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
שְׁאֵרִ֣ית  the  remnant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: שְׁאֵרִית  
Sense: rest, residue, remainder, remnant.
הָעָ֗ם  of  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
בְּקוֹל֙  the  voice 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
יְהוָ֣ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֔ם  their  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
דִּבְרֵי֙  the  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
חַגַּ֣י  of  Haggai 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַגַּי 
Sense: 0th in order of the minor prophets; first prophet to prophecy after the captivity.
הַנָּבִ֔יא  the  prophet 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
שְׁלָח֖וֹ  had  sent  him 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם  their  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וַיִּֽירְא֥וּ  and  feared 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
הָעָ֖ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
מִפְּנֵ֥י  the  presence 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָֽה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.