Haggai 1:9
New International Version
“You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the LORD Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house.

New Living Translation
You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses.

English Standard Version
You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.

Berean Standard Bible
You 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.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the LORD of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house.

New American Standard Bible
You start an ambitious project, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why?” declares the LORD of armies. “It is because of My house which remains desolate, while each of you runs to his own house.

NASB 1995
“You look for much, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why?” declares the LORD of hosts, “Because of My house which lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house.

NASB 1977
You look for much, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why?” declares the LORD of hosts, “Because of My house which lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house.

Legacy Standard Bible
You look for much, but behold, it comes to little; and you bring it home, and I blow it away. Why?” declares Yahweh of hosts, “Because of My house which lies waste, while each of you runs to his own house.

Amplified Bible
“You look for much [harvest], but it comes to little; and even when you bring that home, I blow it away. Why?” says the LORD of hosts. “Because of My house, which lies in ruins while each of you runs to his own house [eager to enjoy it].

Christian Standard Bible
“You expected much, but then it amounted to little. When you brought the harvest to your house, I ruined it. Why? ” This is the declaration of the LORD of Armies. “Because my house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You expected much, but then it amounted to little. When you brought the harvest to your house, I ruined it. Why?” This is the declaration of the LORD of Hosts. “Because My house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house.

American Standard Version
Ye 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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
You look for much and it has come to a little, and you enter within the house and I blow on it, and why are these things, says LORD JEHOVAH? Because my house is ruined and you run each man to his own house!

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Ye looked for much, and there came little; and it was brought into the house, and I blew it away. Therefore thus saith the Lord Almighty, Because my house is desolate, and ye run everyone into his own house;

Contemporary English Version
You expected much, but received only a little. And when you brought it home, I made that little disappear. Why have I done this? It's because you hurry off to build your own houses, while my temple is still in ruins.

Douay-Rheims Bible
You have looked for more, and behold it became less, and you brought it home, and I blowed it away: why, saith the Lord of hosts? because my house is desolate, and you make haste every man to his own house.

English Revised Version
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 lieth waste, while ye run every man to his own house.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"You expected a lot, but you received a little. When you bring something home, I blow it away. Why?" declares the LORD of Armies. "It's because my house lies in ruins while each of you is busy working on your own house.

Good News Translation
"You hoped for large harvests, but they turned out to be small. And when you brought the harvest home, I blew it away. Why did I do that? Because my Temple lies in ruins while every one of you is busy working on your own house.

International Standard Version
You turned away in pursuit of abundance, but look at how little you found! What you did manage to bring home, I blew away! And why?' declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. 'It's because of my house! It lies in ruins while each of you runs off to his own house!

JPS Tanakh 1917
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 My house that lieth waste, while ye run every man for his own house.

Literal Standard Version
“Looking for much, and behold, little, | And you brought [it] home, and I blew on it—why?” A declaration of YHWH of Hosts, | “Because of My house that is desolate, | And you are running—each to his house,

Majority Standard Bible
You 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.

New American Bible
You expected much, but it came to little; and what you brought home, I blew away. Why is this?—oracle of the LORD of hosts— Because my house is the one which lies in ruins, while each of you runs to your own house.

NET Bible
You expected a large harvest, but instead there was little, and when you brought it home it disappeared right away. Why?' asks the LORD who rules over all. 'Because my temple remains in ruins, thanks to each of you favoring his own house!

New Revised Standard Version
You have looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? says the LORD of hosts. Because my house lies in ruins, while all of you hurry off to your own houses.

New Heart English Bible
"You looked for much, and, look, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?" says the LORD of hosts, "Because of my house that lies waste, while each of you is busy with his own house.

Webster's Bible Translation
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 my house that is waste, and ye run every man to his own house.

World English Bible
“You looked for much, and, behold, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says Yahweh of Armies, “Because of my house that lies waste, while each of you is busy with his own house.

Young's Literal Translation
Looking 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,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Call to Rebuild the Temple
8Go up into the hills, bring down lumber, and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified, says the LORD. 9You 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. 10Therefore, on account of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth has withheld its crops.…

Cross References
Proverbs 27:20
Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

Ecclesiastes 1:8
All things are wearisome, more than one can describe; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear content with hearing.

Isaiah 40:7
The grass withers and the flowers fall when the breath of the LORD blows on them; indeed, the people are grass.

Ezekiel 21:31
I will pour out My anger upon you; I will breathe the fire of My fury against you; I will hand you over to brutal men, skilled in destruction.

Haggai 1:4
"Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?"

Haggai 1:6
You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough. You drink but never have your fill. You put on clothes but never get warm. You earn wages to put into a bag pierced through."


Treasury of Scripture

You looked for much, and, see it came to little; and when you brought it home, I did blow on it. Why? said the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that is waste, and you run every man to his own house.

Ye looked.

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.

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…

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: …

blow upon it.

2 Samuel 22:16
And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

2 Kings 19:7
Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.

Isaiah 40:7
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.

Why.

Job 10:2
I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.

Psalm 77:5-10
I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times…

Because.

Haggai 1:4
Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?

Joshua 7:10-15
And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? …

2 Samuel 21:1
Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David inquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.

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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.














(9) Ye looked for much.--Literally, There has been a turning about for much.

I did blow upon it--scil., for the purpose of dispersing it. Even the little that was brought into the garner was decimated by God's continued disfavour.

Verse 9. - He shows the real cause of the calamities that had befallen them. Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little. Emphatic infinitive, as in ver. 6. "To look for much, and behold! little." They fixed their expectations upon a rich harvest, and they reaped less than they had sown (Isaiah 5:10). And when they had stored this miserable crop in their barns, I did blow upon it; or, did blow it away (ἐξεφύσησα, Septuagint), dissipated it as if it were mere chaff, so that it perished. Doubtless, as Dr Pusey observes, they ascribed the meagreness of their crops to natural causes, and would not see the judicial nature of the infliction. The prophet brings the truth home to their conscience by the stern question, Why? And he answers the question for them, speaking with God's authority. Because of mine house that is waste. The reason already given in ver. 4, etc., is repeated and enforced. And (while) ye run. Ye are indifferent to the miserable condition of the house of God, while ye haste with all diligence to your own houses for business or pleasure, being entirely absorbed in worldly interests, or eager only to adorn and beautify your own habitations. Or, your zeal is all expended on your own private dwellings.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You expected
פָּנֹ֤ה (pā·nōh)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 6437: To turn, to face, appear, look

much,
הַרְבֵּה֙ (har·bêh)
Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 7235: To be or become much, many or great

but behold,
וְהִנֵּ֣ה (wə·hin·nêh)
Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

it amounted to little.
לִמְעָ֔ט (lim·‘āṭ)
Preposition-l | Adverb
Strong's 4592: A little, fewness, a few

And what you brought
וַהֲבֵאתֶ֥ם (wa·hă·ḇê·ṯem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

home,
הַבַּ֖יִת (hab·ba·yiṯ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

I blew away.
וְנָפַ֣חְתִּי (wə·nā·p̄aḥ·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5301: To breathe, blow

Why?
יַ֣עַן (ya·‘an)
Adverb
Strong's 3282: Heed, purpose, to indicate the reason, cause

declares
נְאֻם֙ (nə·’um)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5002: An oracle

the LORD
יְהוָ֣ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

of Hosts.
צְבָא֔וֹת (ṣə·ḇā·’ō·wṯ)
Noun - common plural
Strong's 6635: A mass of persons, reg, organized for, war, a campaign

Because
יַ֗עַן (ya·‘an)
Adverb
Strong's 3282: Heed, purpose, to indicate the reason, cause

My house
בֵּיתִי֙ (bê·ṯî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1004: A house

still lies in ruins,
חָרֵ֔ב (ḥā·rêḇ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2720: Parched, ruined

while each
אִ֥ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

of you
וְאַתֶּ֥ם (wə·’at·tem)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person masculine plural
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

is busy
רָצִ֖ים (rā·ṣîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 7323: To run

with his own house.
לְבֵיתֽוֹ׃ (lə·ḇê·ṯōw)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house


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OT Prophets: Haggai 1:9 You looked for much and behold it (Hagg. Hag. Hg)
Haggai 1:8
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