Haggai orAggeus[1] (/ˈhæɡaɪ/;Hebrew:חַגַּי –Ḥaggay;lit. 'One who celebrates';Koine Greek: Ἀγγαῖος;Latin:Aggaeus) was aHebrew prophet active during the building of theSecond Temple inJerusalem, one of the twelveminor prophets in theHebrew Bible, and the author or subject of theBook of Haggai. He is known for his prophecy in 520 BCE, commanding the Jews to rebuild the Temple.[2] He was the first of threepost-exilic prophets from the Neo-Babylonian Exile of the House of Judah (withZechariah, his contemporary, andMalachi, who lived about one hundred years later), who belonged to the period ofJewish history which began after the return fromcaptivity inBabylon. His name means "my holidays".
Scarcely anything is known of his personal history, with the book of Haggai offering no biographical details about his ancestry or anything else in his life outside the prophecies of 520 BCE. Haggai is only mentioned in one other book of the Bible, the book of Ezra.[3] He may have been one of thecaptives taken to Babylon byNebuchadnezzar. Some commenters suggest he may have been an old man, and seen the previous temple before its destruction due to what he says about the former glory of the Temple in Haggai 2:3.[4] He began God's prophecy about sixteen years after thereturn of the Jews to Judah (ca.c. 520 BCE). The work of rebuilding thetemple had been put to a stop through the intrigues of theSamaritans. After having been suspended for eighteen years, the work was resumed through the efforts of Haggai and Zechariah.[5] They exhorted the people, which roused them from their lethargy, and induced them to take advantage of a change in the policy of the Persian government underDarius I.
Haggai prophesied in late 520 BCE Jerusalem, about the people needing to complete building the Temple. He has four messages, which begin on August 29 and culminate on December 18.[4] The new Temple was bound to exceed the awesomeness of the previous Temple. He claimed if the Temple was not built there would be poverty, famine and drought affecting the Jewish nation.
There is a controversy regarding who edited Haggai's works. According to scholars, they credit it to his students. However, Jewish traditions state that the Men of theGreat Assembly were responsible for the edits. The Men of the Great Assembly are traditionally known for continuing the work of Ezra and Nehemiah.[2]
Haggai supported the officials of his time, specificallyZerubbabel, the governor of Judah, andJoshua the High Priest. In the Book of Haggai, God refers to Zerubbabel as "my servant" asKing David was, and says he will make him as a "signet ring", as King Jehoiachin was.[6] The signet ring symbolized a ring worn on the hand of Yahweh, showing that a king held divine favour. Thus, Haggai is implicitly, but not explicitly, saying that Zerubbabel would preside over a restored Davidic kingdom.[7]
The Persian Empire was growing weak, and Haggai saw time as an opportunity to restore the Davidic Kingdom. He believed that the Kingdom of David was able to rise and take back their part in Jewish issues. Haggai's message was directed to the nobles andZerubbabel, as he would be the first Davidic monarch restored. He saw this as important because the Kingdom would be an end to Jewish idol worship.[2]
Haggai, in rabbinic writing, is often referred to as one of the men of theGreat Assembly. TheBabylonian Talmud (5th century CE) mentions a tradition concerning the prophet Haggai,[8] saying that he gave instruction concerning three things: (a) that it is not lawful for a man whose brother married his daughter (as a co-wife in a polygamous relationship) to consummate alevirate marriage with one of his deceased brother's co-wives (a teaching accepted by theSchool of Hillel, but rejected by theSchool of Shammai);[9] (b) that Jews living in the regions ofAmmon andMoab separate from their produce thepoor man's tithe during theSabbatical year; (c) that they accept of proselytes from the peoples ofTadmor (Palmyra) and from the people ofḲardu.
On theEastern Orthodox liturgical calendar, Haggai is commemorated as asaint and prophet. Hisfeast day is 16 December (for those churches which follow the traditionalJulian Calendar, 16 December currently falls on 29 December of the modernGregorian Calendar). He is also commemorated, in common with the other righteous persons of the Old Testament, on the Sunday of the Holy Fathers (the second Sunday before theNativity of the Lord).
Haggai is commemorated with the otherMinor prophets in theCalendar of saints of theArmenian Apostolic Church on 31 July.
In the Masonic degree ofHoly Royal Arch Haggai is one of the Three Principals of the Chapter. Named after Haggai the prophet and accompaniesZerubbabel, Prince of the People, andJoshua, the son of Josedech, the High Priest.[10]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Easton, Matthew George (1897). "Haggai".Easton's Bible Dictionary (New and revised ed.). T. Nelson and Sons.| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
