Haggai 1 · Verse 9

Haggai 1:9

Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the Lord of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.
Haggai 1:9, King James Version

Haggai 1:9 in other translations

BSBYou expected much, but behold, it amounted to little. And what you brought home, I blew away. Why? declares the LORD of Hosts. Because My house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house.
WEB“You looked for much, and, behold, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the LORD of Armies, “Because of my house that lies waste, while each of you is busy with his own house.
ASVYe looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith Jehovah of hosts. Because of my house that lieth waste, while ye run every man to his own house.
YLTLooking for much, and lo, little, And ye brought it home, and I blew on it, Wherefore? --an affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, Because of My house that is waste, And ye are running--each to his house,
DARBYYe looked for much, and behold it was little; and when ye brought it home, I blew upon it. Wherefore? saith Jehovah of hosts. Because of my house that lieth waste, whilst ye run every man to his own house.
BBEYou were looking for much, and it came to little; and when you got it into your house, I took it away with a breath. Why? says the Lord of armies. Because of my house which is a waste, while every man takes care of the house which is his.
WebsterYe looked for much, and lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that is waste, and ye run every man to his own house.

What does Haggai 1:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
9. Ye looked for much--literally, "looked" so as to turn your eyes "to much." The Hebrew infinitive here expresses continued looking. Ye hoped to have your store made "much" by neglecting the temple. The greater was your greediness, the more bitter your disappointment in being poorer than ever. when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it--even the little crop brought into your barns I dissipated. "I did blow upon," that is, I scattered and caused to perish with My mere breath, as scattered and blighted corn. mine house ... his own house--in emphatic antithesis. ye run--expressing the keenness of everyone of them in pursuing their own selfish interests. Compare "run," Psa 119:32; Pr 1:16, contrasted with their apathy about God's house.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 9 Ye looked for much - Ye made great pretensions at first; but they are come to nothing. Ye did a little in the beginning; but so scantily and unwillingly that I could not but reject it. Ye run every man unto his own house - To rebuild and adorn it; and God's house is neglected!

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Haggai 1:1-11

Observe the sin of the Jews, after their return from captivity in Babylon. Those employed for God may be driven from their work by a storm, yet they must go back to it. They did not say that they would not build a temple, but, Not yet. Thus men do not say they will never repent and reform, and be religious, but, Not yet. And so the great business we were sent into the world to do, is not done. There is a proneness…

Read the full comment on Haggai 1:1-11 →

Haggai 1:9 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

פָּנֹ֤הpa.Nohyou turned to lookH6437
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הַרְבֵּה֙har.BehmuchH7235
וְהִנֵּ֣הve.hi.Nehand there!H2009
לִמְעָ֔טlim.'At<into> littleH4592
וַהֲבֵאתֶ֥םva.ha.ve.Temand you brought [it]H935
הַבַּ֖יִתha.Ba.yitthe houseH1004
וְנָפַ֣חְתִּיve.na.Fach.tiand I blewH5301
ב֑וֹvoon it
יַ֣עַןYa.'anbecause ofH3282
מֶ֗הMehwhat?H4100
נְאֻם֙ne.'Um[the] utterance ofH5002
יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahwehH3068
צְבָא֔וֹתtze.va.'otof hostsH6635
יַ֗עַןYa.'anbecause ofH3282
בֵּיתִי֙bei.Tihouse myH1004
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-whichH834
ה֣וּאhu'itH1931
חָרֵ֔בcha.Rev[is] desolateH2720
וְאַתֶּ֥םve.'a.Temand youH859
רָצִ֖יםra.Tzim[are] runningH7323
אִ֥ישׁ'isheachH376
לְבֵיתֽוֹ\׃le.vei.Toto own house hisH1004

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Haggai 1:9

  • Haggai 1:4

    Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?

  • Malachi 2:2

    If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.

  • Haggai 2:16-17

    Since those days were, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the pressfat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty. I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the Lord.

  • Revelation 3:19

    As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

  • Psalms 77:5-10

    I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? …

  • Haggai 1:6

    Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.

  • Isaiah 40:7

    The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.

  • Joshua 7:10-15

    And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you. …

  • Matthew 10:37-38

    He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

  • 1 Corinthians 11:30-32

    For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

  • Revelation 2:4

    Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

  • Isaiah 17:10-11

    Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips: In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Ye looked.They had used all proper means in the cultivation of their lands, and had "sown much;" but when they rationally entertained the most sanguine expectations of a large increase, they were strangely disappointed; and even what they had brought home was unaccountably wasted, as if the Lord had "blown upon it," and driven it away! And the reason was, because they neglected the temple, and left it in ruins, whilst they eagerly employed themselves in building and decorating their own houses; therefore they were visited by drought and famine, and by various diseases on man and beast.
6; 2:16,17; Isa 17:10,11; Mal 3:8-11
blow upon it. or, blow it away.
2Sa 22:16; 2Ki 19:7; Isa 40:7; Mal 2:2
Why.
Job 10:2; Ps 77:5-10
Because.
4; Jos 7:10-15; 2Sa 21:1; Mt 10:37,38; 1Co 11:30-32; Re 2:4; 3:19

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Haggai 1:8

    Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord.

  • Haggai 1:9

    Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the Lord of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.

  • Haggai 1:10

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

Read all of Haggai 1

Haggai 1:9 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Buscáis mucho, y halláis poco; y encerráis en casa, y soplo en ello. ¿Por qué? dice Jehová de los ejércitos. Por cuanto mi casa está desierta, y cada uno de vosotros corre á su propia casa.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Vous vous attendiez à beaucoup, et voici, ce n’a été que peu; et vous l’avez apporté à la maison, et j’ai soufflé dessus. Pourquoi? dit l’ Éternel des armées. À cause de ma maison, qui est dévastée, – et vous courez chacun à sa maison.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Ihr habt nach vielem ausgeschaut, und siehe, es wurde wenig; und brachtet ihr es heim, so blies ich darein. Weshalb das? spricht Jehova der Heerscharen; wegen meines Hauses, das wüst liegt, während ihr laufet, ein jeder für sein eigenes Haus.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Respexistis ad amplius, et ecce factum est minus; et intulistis in domum, et exsufflavi illud: quam ob causam? dicit Dominus exercituum: quia domus mea deserta est, et vos festinatis unusquisque in domum suam.