HAGGAI 1:6

Literary Considerations

First let us consider how this verse fits in with the overall literary arrangement of the book.

Figure 1: The Structure of Haggai

Cycle I (1:1-2:9)            

                        A. This people is not ready to build (1:1-2)

                                        B. “Consider your ways” (1:3-15a)

                                                1. up to the present (1:3-6)

                                                            2. the future if you build (building begins) (1:7-15a)

C. Shaking of the heavens and the earth (1:15b-2:9)

Cycle II (2:10-23)

                        A'. This people offers unclean work (2:10-14)

                                        B'. “Consider from this day onward” (2:15-19)

                                                 1. up to the present (2:15-17)

                                                            2. the future since building began (2:18-19)

                                                                        C'. Shaking of the heavens and the earth (2:20-23)

From the above, one would expect some sort of correspondence in thought or wording between Haggai 1:6 and 2:15-17. In fact, it is in these two passages that the prophet speaks of repeated famine and drought at the time period.

Below is how NRSV renders 1:6, with my indentations:

        a. “You have sown much,

                and harvested little;

        b. you eat,

                but you never have enough;

        c. you drink,

                but you never have your fill;

        d. you clothe yourselves,

                but no one is warm;

        e. and you that earn wages

                put them into a bag with holes.”

There is some discussion among scholars as to whether this is poetry or prose. The Anchor Bible translates this verse as poetry while most others treat it as prose. Bullock says, “Although Haggai's style frequently follows the patterns of Hebrew parallelism, we need not, however, look for a poetic form behind the prose. It was likely the original style of writing rather than prose that was based upon a poetic original.”

Then there is the comment in The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery stating that “despite the prose style of Haggai, there is the use of parallelism. Haggai utilizes antithetical parallelism (i.e., the juxtaposition of opposites) as a means to intensify his message.”

Further, Van Leeuwen notes, “Sin undoes the separations and bonds of God's created order, especially in the Flood-Re-creation story. The theme of sin and the undoing of creation's beneficent order will continue throughout the OT, especially in the prophetic books and in 'World-Upside-Down' imagery (Hag 1:6, 10-11, etc).”

Specific Notes

Here are some comments regarding the five clauses above:

    a. Carroll R. states that “judgment on this people is in accord with covenant curses for disobedience. They are to suffer a lower crop yield (Deut 28:38).”

Myers and Myers say, “Hebrew zr', 'to sow,' usually refers specifically to the planting of seeds for field crops.” But they believe that it “must have a more extended meaning, with the basic agrarian chore of seeding a field representing all tasks undertaken to secure a food supply.” It is also the opinion of these authors that “this clause introduces an oracle of five units, the overall poetic structure of which suggests an affinity with proverbial or gnomic [i.e. wisdom] material.”

    b. Verhoef: “Some of the features in this picture of disaster [in Micah 6:9-16] are similar to that in Haggai: 'You shall eat, but not be satisfied' (Mic. 6:14)...”

    c. “Many OT passages that negate the vb. [sb', drink] depict people in want of something desirable, often when under Yahweh's judgment.” (O'Connell)

Several commentators point out that the reference to excess drinking was not as negative as we treat it today. The point is that the wine fails to bring on a happy frame of mind, as intended. As Verhoef says, “The Hebrew word need not imply being drunk, but may indicate abundance...”

    d. Verhoef says, “Various reasons are suggested for this particular experience: because of the drought the sheep could not provide the necessary wool for the fabrication of clothes (Cyrillus); because they could not earn enough, they did not have the required money to buy the necessary clothes (Hitzig); the lack of nutrition caused them to feel cold despite their clothes (Driver, et al,). Whatever the reason(s), their clothes did not have the desired effect.”

    e. “Haggai's words reveal an impoverished and dispirited state among the Jews who had remained in Judah and those who joined them from Babylon...These brought economic hardships, resulting in inflation, of which Haggai gives one of the classic definitions of all time. (Mason)

“Because of her rebellion and sin Israel's money bags (seror) had become tattered with holes.” (Carpenter)

“To work for wages without putting God first is like putting the earnings...into a purse with holes (Hag 1:6). In the futility of work, God's covenant curse is experienced (cf. Deut 28:38-39).” (Van Dam)

Some scholars do not believe Haggai was written until a much later date than the events being portrayed. They cite the opinion that coinage had not yet been introduced into the Middle East at the time of the return from exile. But other scholars more accurately point out that it was actually the Persians who were the first to utilize a crude form of coins slightly before the return. I actually have one such coin in my possession, a small lump of silver into which a simple design has been impressed.

Historical Context

“The drought mentioned in the Persian period by Haggai (Hag 1:10,11) was local so far as known, but the lack of supplies (Hag 1:6; 2:16) was probably partly due to social misorganization (Hag 1:1-5).” (Way) As to the underlying reason the returnees were suffering such hardships in the first place, the prophet explains it clearly in Haggai 1:4, which reads, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house [i.e. the Jerusalem temple] lies in ruins?”

Schnittjer expresses the opinion that “the description ['paneled houses,' etc.] seems especially incongruent with the severe economic depression throughout the rest of the context (1:6,10)...Haggai's use of the rare term 'paneled' seems to be an intentional allusion to the materials used to build Solomon's temple (1 Kgs 6:15; cf. 6:9). Elsewhere the term only appears to describe the cedar paneling for two of Solomon's other lavish building projects (7:3,7) and one unrelated context (Jer 22:14).”

Coad: “For nearly twenty years the people had withdrawn into themselves in the face of overwhelming discouragement; accepting their subject rule, they had resigned themselves to making themselves as comfortable (v. 4: the word rendered paneled might mean no more than 'roofed'), and as unnoticeable, as possible. Haggai suddenly sees their passivity as a cause, rather than the result, of their demoralized condition.”

Then there is the opinion of Mason, who states, “Small wonder that at such a time it was all that people could do to get a roof over their own heads (1:4; the Heb. [seponim] probably suggests something a good deal more makeshift than the 'paneled' of most Eng. Versions).”

Kessler comments: “In Haggai's vision...restoration would be incomplete without the Jerusalem temple, and he views neglect of it as evidence of distain for Yahweh...To underscore the great importance of this task, Haggai creatively applies terminology associated with extreme covenant violation in the Deuteronomistic and priestly traditions to the community's neglect of the temple (compare Hag 1:6a with Deut 28:38a; Hag 1:66 with Lev 26:26).”

Verhoef similarly connects 1:5-6 with verses 2-4 “both by logic and by their content...They have acted in the normal way...but the net result was a bitter disappointment...According to Haggai the onus rests with them to consider the real issue in connection with their experiences.” Verse 5 is thus “a description of the barrenness of life and ineffectual work as a pointer to spiritual need.” (Wiseman)

DBI notes that “allusions to other texts and quotations abound as well. Haggai has striking connections with Deuteronomy 28:38-40, and 2:17 with verse 22 of Deuteronomy 28. Indeed, the whole context of blessings and curses undergirds the tone of these oracles.”

Futility Curse

One way that scholars sometimes group together different types of texts within the Bible is by their general forms, such as miracle story, legal pronouncement, theophany, etc. Thus, some commentators label Haggai 1:6 as an example of a “futility curse.”

“The prophet implies: 'You build houses and yet you have not enjoyed security.' Hillers has identified the language used in v. 6 as that found elsewhere in so-called futility curses...As these examples suggest, such curses regularly appear within a treaty context. Haggai is using well-known language from a well-known context. However, his use of this material is unusual. The curses are written in the past tense.” (Petersen)

“The futility curse is employed as a situation analysis to highlight the correlation between their ways and their experiences of adversity. Futility curses typically depict the discontinuity between the anticipated outcome of one's efforts and the actual outcome. This pattern is established in the other futility curses found in the old Testament (e.g. Lev 26; Deut 28; Mic 6:13-16; Amos 5:11-13; Hos 4:7-10 [esp. 10], cf. Isa 17:10-11...In Hag 1:6, the futility of the effort is not predicted but is identified as a past event with present consequences... Yahweh's expectation was that they would build Yahweh's house; but they did not...In essence, Yahweh's message to them is that their frustrating Yahweh's expectations has resulted in Yahweh's frustrating their expectations...The overarching idea is that the connection between behavior patterns and the futility of one's efforts is more than coincidental.” (Jacobs)

Writing on Micah 6:9-16, McConville writes, “A renewed accusation of injustice leads to a threat of 'desolation' (Mic 6:13,16; cf. Jer 19:8). Other threatened punishments have an ironic ring about them (like Hag 1:6) that remind of the 'futility curses' of Deuteronomy (Mic 6:14-15; cf. Deut 28:38-44).”

In closing, I want to quote from a New Testament passage which may also be considered as a form of the futility curse given in the past tense instead of the future tense:

“You desire

        and do not have; so you kill.

And you covet

        and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage way.

You do not have,

        because you do not ask.

You ask

        and do not receive because you ask wrongly.” (James 4:2-3)