Haggai 2:23
in Haggai 2On that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will take you, My servant, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, declares the LORD, and I will make you like My signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the LORD of Hosts.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
In that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith Jehovah, and will make thee as a signet; for I have chosen thee, saith Jehovah of hosts.
KJV
In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the Lord, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts.
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This verse in Haggai 2
Commentary
13 notes on this verseWherefore to Him alone is it mystically said, "I will take thee, O Zerubbabel, and will make thee as a signet, for I have chosen thee." When our mind shall have become peaceful so that it may be said to her, "Return, return, O Shulamite," which signifies 'peaceful,' or, to use your own name, Irenice, then shall she receive Christ like a signet on herself, that is, the Image of God, that she may be according to that Image, for "as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly."
This site's exposition
For the second time that day
on Haggai 2:20-23
The fourth word, to Zerubbabel alone, returns to the shaking of verse 6. The promise “I will make you like My signet ring” reverses Jeremiah 22:24, where the LORD pulled Coniah, grandfather of Zerubbabel, from His hand. Zerubbabel stands in the genealogies of Christ (Matthew 1:12, Luke 3:27).
This site's exposition
I will make you like My signet ring
A signet ring carried its owner's seal and authority. Albert Barnes reads it as the LORD reversing the sentence on Jeconiah, whom Jeremiah 22:24 pictured as a signet pulled from the LORD's hand. Matthew Henry carries the promise on to Christ, chosen from Zerubbabel's line.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
"The Jews sent to John and said to him, 'Who are you?' He confessed and said, 'I am not the Messiah.' They said to him, 'Are you Elijah?' He said, 'No.' " But our Lord called him Elijah, as Scripture attests. However, when they interrogated …
This Haggai was also privileged to utter predictions concerning the Lord Christ, as, under the person of Zerubabel, he says things which are applicable to the Lord Christ: And I will make thee as a signet, because I have chosen thee, saith the Lord God.
(Verse 21 onwards) And the word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying: Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying: I will shake the heavens and the earth. I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overthrow chariots and their riders. Horses and their riders shall also fall, each by the sword of his brother.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
He is indeed the signet on God's right-hand. For all power is given to him, and derived from him. In him the great charter of the gospel is signed, and sanctified, and it is in him, that all the promises of God are yea and amen.
But this promise has special reference to Christ, who lineally descended from Zerubbabel, and is the sole builder of the gospel-temple. Zerubbabel is here owned as God's servant, and it is an honourable mention that is hereby made of him, as Moses and David my servants.
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the L ORD of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the L ORD of hosts. 9 The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the L ORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the L ORD of hosts.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:89%@v7-9
In that day, saith the Lord of hosts,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
I will make thee as a signet - God reverses to Zerubbabel the sentence on Jeconiah for his impiety.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
In all which points of view the theocratic people, and their representative, Zerubbabel the type, and Messiah his descendant the Antitype, are regarded by God. The safety of Israel to the end is guaranteed in Messiah, in whom God hath chosen them as His own (Isa 42:1; So the spiritual Israel is sealed in their covenant head by His Spirit (2Co 1:20, 22;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
In that day, saith the Lord - Some think, says this same learned writer, that Zerubbabel is put here for his people and posterity: but it may well be said that the commotions foretold began in the rebellion of Babylon, which Darius besieged and took; and exercised great cruelties upon its inhabitants. - Herod. lib. iii., sec. 220. Justin. 1:10. Prideaux places this event in the fifth year of Darius; others with more probability, in the eighth year. Compare Zec 2:9. And will make thee as a signet - I will exalt thee to high dignity, power, and trust, of which the seal was the instrument or sign in those days. Thou shalt be under my peculiar care, and shalt be to me very precious. See Jer 22:24 (note); Son 8:6 (note); and see the notes on these two places. For I have chosen thee - He had an important and difficult work to do, and it was necessary that he should be assured of God’s especial care and protection during the whole. On the three last verses of this prophecy a sensible and pious correspondent sends me the following illustration, which I cheerfully insert. Though in many respects different from that given above, yet I believe that the kingdom of Christ is particularly designed in this prophecy. “I think there is an apparent difficulty in this passage, because the wars of the Persians and Babylonians were not so interesting to the rising commonwealth of the Jews as many subsequent events of less note in the world, but which were more directly levelled at their own national prosperity; and yet neither the one nor the other could be termed ‘a shaking of the heavens and the earth, and an overthrow of the throne of kingdoms.’ “I know not if the following view may be admitted as an explanation of this difficult passage. […]
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בַּיּ֣וֹם | baiyom | on the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַה֣וּא | hahu' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| נְאֻם־ | neum- | [the] utterance of | H5002 → | 376 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| צְבָא֡וֹת | tzevaot | of hosts | H6635 → | 485 times |
| אֶ֠קָּחֲךָ | ʾekachakha | I will take you | H3947 → | |
| זְרֻבָּבֶ֨ל | zerubavel | O Zerubbabel | H2216 → | 21 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵ֤ל | shealtiel | Shealtiel | H7597 → | 9 times |
| עַבְדִּי֙ | ʾavdi | servant my | H5650 → | |
| נְאֻם־ | neum- | [the] utterance of | H5002 → | 376 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וְשַׂמְתִּ֖יךָ | vesamtikha | and I will make you | H7760 → | 584 times |
| כַּֽחוֹתָ֑ם | kachotam | like <the> signet-ring | H2368 → | |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| בְךָ֣ | vekha | <in> you | ||
| בָחַ֔רְתִּי | vacharti | I have chosen | H977 → | |
| נְאֻ֖ם | neum | [the] utterance of | H5002 → | 376 times |
| יְהוָ֥ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| צְבָאֽוֹת׃ | tzevaot | of hosts | H6635 → | 485 times |
בַּיּ֣וֹםon the day
baiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַה֣וּא<the> that
hahu'H1931 →1879 times
נְאֻם־[the] utterance of
neum-H5002 →376 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
צְבָא֡וֹתof hosts
tzevaotH6635 →485 times
אֶ֠קָּחֲךָI will take you
ʾekachakhaH3947 →
זְרֻבָּבֶ֨לO Zerubbabel
zerubavelH2216 →21 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵ֤לShealtiel
shealtielH7597 →9 times
עַבְדִּי֙servant my
ʾavdiH5650 →
נְאֻם־[the] utterance of
neum-H5002 →376 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וְשַׂמְתִּ֖יךָand I will make you
vesamtikhaH7760 →584 times
כַּֽחוֹתָ֑םlike <the> signet-ring
kachotamH2368 →
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
בְךָ֣<in> you
vekha
בָחַ֔רְתִּיI have chosen
vachartiH977 →
נְאֻ֖ם[the] utterance of
neumH5002 →376 times
יְהוָ֥הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
צְבָאֽוֹת׃of hosts
tzevaotH6635 →485 times
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
Isaiah 42:1“Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations.
it leads to
- Matthew 12:18–21
“Here is My Servant, whom I have chosen, My beloved, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will proclaim justice to the nations.
- Luke 3:22
and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in a bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”
- Isaiah 52:13
Behold, My Servant will prosper; He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
- Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty…
- Isaiah 43:10
“You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may consider and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed,…
- Matthew 12:18–21
Through
Isaiah 43:10“You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may consider and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed,…
it leads to
- Isaiah 41:4
Who has performed this and carried it out, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD—the first and the last—I am He.”
- Isaiah 45:6
so that all may know, from where the sun rises to where it sets, that there is none but Me; I am the LORD, and there is no other.
- Isaiah 46:8–9
Remember this and be brave; take it to heart, you transgressors!
- Isaiah 41:4
Where this verse is studied
About Haggai
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, Letter 30; Carl Friedrich Keil, The Twelve Minor Prophets; Cosmas Indicopleustes, The Christian Topography, Book 5; Edward Bouverie Pusey, The Minor Prophets: A Commentary; Ephrem the Syrian, COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 3:10; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Haggai; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.