Haggai 2:3
in Haggai 2‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not appear to you like nothing in comparison?’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes as nothing?
KJV
Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?
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This verse in Haggai 2
Commentary
9 notes on this verseWho is left among you that saw this house in her first glory?.... Not taken away by death, yet alive, and dwelling among them; and who lived before the destruction of the first temple, built by Solomon; and has seen it in all its magnificence; its grand and noble structure; its stately pillars; its carved work, and decorations of gold.
This site's exposition
In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day
on Haggai 2:1-3
A second dated oracle arrives less than a month after the work resumed, in the seventh month, on the twenty-first day, which the bench notes falls during the feast of tabernacles, the very feast that had recalled Solomon's dedication of the first temple (1 Kings 8:2). Addressed again to Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the residue of the people, the word turns to the discouragement building already showed: who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory, and how do ye see it now, is it not in your eyes as nothing? Some elders present, Ezra 3:12 records, had wept aloud at the new foundation for remembering Solomon's house, and Haggai names that grief before he answers it.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Chapter 2, Verse 1 and following) In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: Speak now to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying: Who among you is left who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing?
The Reformation1 voice
Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
It was now about seventy years since Solomon's temple was destroyed (for that was in the nineteenth year of the captivity, and this about the nineteenth after the captivity), so that there might be some yet alive who could remember to have seen it, and still they would be upbraiding themselves and their brethren with the great disparity between this house and that.
In the second he assures them that though their sin, in delaying to build the temple, had retarded the prosperous progress of all their other affairs, yet now that they had set about it in good earnest he would bless them, and give them success,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
(5) the spirit of prophecy. The connection of it with Messiah more than counterbalanced all these; for He is the antitype to all the five (Hag 2:9). how do ye see it now?--God's estimate of things is very different from man's (Zec 8:6; compare 1Sa 16:7). However low their estimate of the present temple ("it") from its outward inferiority, God holds it superior (Zec 4:10;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? - Who of you has seen the temple built by Solomon? The foundation of the present house had been laid about fifty-three years after the destruction of the temple built by Solomon and though this prophecy was uttered fifteen years after the foundation of this second temple, yet there might still survive some of those who had seen the temple of Solomon. Is it not in your eyes - Most certainly the Jews at this time had neither men nor means to make any such splendid building as that erected by Solomon. The present was as nothing when compared with the former.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Who is left among you? - The question implies that there were those among them, who had seen the first house in its glory, yet but few.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| מִ֤י | mi | who? | H4310 → | |
| בָכֶם֙ | vakhem | among you | ||
| הַנִּשְׁאָ֔ר | hanishar | [is] the [one who] remains | H7604 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| רָאָה֙ | raah | he saw | H7200 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַבַּ֣יִת | habayit | the house | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| הַזֶּ֔ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| בִּכְבוֹד֖וֹ | bikhvodo | in splendor its | H3519 → | 200 times |
| הָרִאשׁ֑וֹן | harishon | <the> former | H7223 → | |
| וּמָ֨ה | umah | and what? | H4100 → | |
| אַתֶּ֜ם | ʾatem | [are] you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| רֹאִ֤ים | roim | seeing | H7200 → | |
| אֹתוֹ֙ | ʾoto | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַ֔תָּה | ʾatah | now | H6258 → | 433 times |
| הֲל֥וֹא | halo' | ¿ not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| כָמֹ֛הוּ | khamohu | [is] as it | H3644 → | |
| כְּאַ֖יִן | keayin | as nothing | H369 → | 789 times |
| בְּעֵינֵיכֶֽם׃ | beeineikhem | in view your | H5869 → |
מִ֤יwho?
miH4310 →
בָכֶם֙among you
vakhem
הַנִּשְׁאָ֔ר[is] the [one who] remains
hanisharH7604 →
אֲשֶׁ֤רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
רָאָה֙he saw
raahH7200 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַבַּ֣יִתthe house
habayitH1004 →2046 times
הַזֶּ֔ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
בִּכְבוֹד֖וֹin splendor its
bikhvodoH3519 →200 times
הָרִאשׁ֑וֹן<the> former
harishonH7223 →
וּמָ֨הand what?
umahH4100 →
אַתֶּ֜ם[are] you
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
רֹאִ֤יםseeing
roimH7200 →
אֹתוֹ֙<obj.> it
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
עַ֔תָּהnow
ʾatahH6258 →433 times
הֲל֥וֹא¿ not
halo'H3808 →5168 times
כָמֹ֛הוּ[is] as it
khamohuH3644 →
כְּאַ֖יִןas nothing
keayinH369 →789 times
בְּעֵינֵיכֶֽם׃in view your
beeineikhemH5869 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Haggai 2:9The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former, says the LORD of Hosts. And in this place I will provide peace, declares the LORD of Hosts.”
it leads to
- Psalms 85:8–9
I will listen to what God the LORD will say; for He will surely speak peace to His people and His saints; He will not let them return to folly.
- Colossians 1:19–21
For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him,
- 2 Corinthians 3:9–10
For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry of righteousness!
- Psalms 24:7–10
Lift up your heads, O gates! Be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may enter!
- Isaiah 9:6–7
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of…
- Psalms 85:8–9
Through
Ezekiel 7:20His beautiful ornaments they transformed into pride and used them to fashion their vile images and detestable idols. Therefore I will make these into something unclean for them.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 24:21
Tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I am about to desecrate My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and the delight of…
- Jeremiah 7:30
For the people of Judah have done evil in My sight, declares the LORD. They have set up their abominations in the house that bears My Name, and so have defiled it.
- Ezekiel 24:21
Through
Ezra 3:12But many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads who had seen the first temple wept loudly when they saw the foundation of this temple. Still, many others shouted joyfully.
it leads to
- Job 8:7
Though your beginnings were modest, your latter days will flourish.
- Job 8:7
Where this verse is studied
About Haggai
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Twelve Minor Prophets; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Haggai; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.