Haggai 2:15

Now consider carefully from this day forward: Before one stone was placed on another in the temple of the LORD,

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Haggai addresses the post-exilic community in Jerusalem immediately after declaring their current offerings defiled. He directs them to reflect on the period before construction resumed.

The words — The phrase שִֽׂימוּ־ לְבַבְכֶם (si.mu- le.vav./Khem) literally means "set your heart," commanding focused attention. It is paired with מִן־ הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וָמָ֑עְלָה (min- hai./Yom ha./Zeh va./Ma.'e.la/h), meaning "from this day upward."

The thread — This call to reflection echoes Haggai 1:5, where the prophet commands the people to "consider carefully your ways." The reference to temple construction also points back to Ezra 3:10 and Ezra 4:24 regarding the foundation and subsequent halt.

Why it lands — The text demands the reader examine their spiritual and material circumstances against the timeline of God's interrupted work. It requires a deliberate shift in focus from present failure to the historical reality of God's temple.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְעַתָּה֙ve./'a.Tahand/ therefore שִֽׂימוּ־si.mu-set נָ֣אna'please לְבַבְכֶ֔םle.vav./Khemheart/ your מִן־min-from הַיּ֥וֹםhai./Yomthe/ day הַזֶּ֖הha./Zeh<the>/ this וָמָ֑עְלָהva./Ma.'e.la/hand/ up/ -wards מִטֶּ֧רֶםmi./Te.remfrom/ before שֽׂוּם־sum-put אֶ֛בֶן'E.vena stone אֶל־'el-to אֶ֖בֶן'E.vena stone בְּהֵיכַ֥לbe./hei.Khalin/ [the] temple of יְהוָֽה׃Yah.wehYahweh

King James Version

And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord:

Cross-references

Haggai 1:5 Now this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Consider carefully your ways.
Ezra 3:10 When the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their positions to praise the LORD, as David king of Israel had prescribed.
Ezra 4:24 Thus the construction of the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Haggai 1:7 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Consider carefully your ways.
Haggai 2:18 Consider carefully from this day forward—from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, the day the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid—consider carefully:
Psalms 107:43 Let him who is wise pay heed to these things and consider the loving devotion of the LORD.
Isaiah 5:12 At their feasts are the lyre and harp, tambourines and flutes and wine. They disregard the actions of the LORD and fail to see the work of His hands.
Hosea 14:9 Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, and the righteous walk in them but the rebellious stumble in them.
Malachi 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you ask, ‘How do we rob You?’ In tithes and offerings.
Romans 6:21 What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death.