Haggai 2:23 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Haggai 2:23
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.
a day (as the warm hours) · preposition with the article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
saith
נְאֻםne.'um-
H5002
an oracle · noun, common masculine singular construct
LORD
יְהוָ֣הYah.weh
H3068
Jehovah · proper noun, a title
hosts
צְבָא֡וֹתtze.va.'ot
H6635
a mass of persons (or figuratively · noun, common feminine plural absolute
take
אֶ֠קָּחֲךָ'E.ka.cha.kha
H3947
to take (in the widest variety of applications) · verb, qal imperfect, 1st person common singular + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular
Zerubbabel
זְרֻבָּבֶ֨לze.ru.ba.Vel
H2216
Zerubbabel · proper noun, a man's name
servant
עַבְדִּי֙'av.Di
H5650
a servant · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix
son
בֶּןben-
H1121
a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine singular construct
Shealtiel
שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵ֤לshe.'al.ti.'El
H7597
Shealtiel · proper noun, a man's name
saith
נְאֻםne.'um-
H5002
an oracle · noun, common masculine singular construct
LORD
יְהוָ֔הYah.weh
H3068
Jehovah · proper noun, a title
make
וְשַׂמְתִּ֖יךָve.sam.Ti.kha
H7760
to put (used in a great variety of applications · conjunction + verb, qal sequential perfect, 1st person common singular + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular
signet
כַּֽחוֹתָ֑םka.cho.Tam
H2368
a signature-ring · preposition with the article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
chosen
בָחַ֔רְתִּיva.Char.ti
H977
properly · verb, qal perfect, 1st person common singular
saith
נְאֻ֖םne.'Um
H5002
an oracle · noun, common masculine singular construct
LORD
יְהוָ֥הYah.weh
H3068
Jehovah · proper noun, a title
hosts
צְבָאֽוֹתtze.va.'ot
H6635
a mass of persons (or figuratively · noun, common feminine plural absolute
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Isaiah 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before…
Isaiah 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to th…
Song of Solomon 8:6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof…
Jeremiah 22:24 As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thenc…
Zechariah 4:6-14 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spir…
Matthew 12:18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgmen…
1 Peter 2:4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
John 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: f…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Haggai 2:20–end
After Haggai's sermon ad populum - to the people, here follows one, the same day, ad magistratum - to the magistrates, a word directed particularly to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, who was a leading active man in this good work which the people now set about, and therefore he shall have some particular marks put upon him (Hag 2:21): Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, speak to him by himself. He has thoughts in his head far above those of the common people, as wise princes are wont to have, who move in a higher and larger sphere than others. The people of the land are in care about their corn-fields and vineyards; God has assured them that they shall prosper, and we hope that will m…
take thee--under My protection and to promote thee and thy people to honor (Psa 78:70).
a signet-- (Sol 8:6; Jer 22:24). A ring with a seal on it; the legal representative of the owner; generally of precious stones and gold, &c., and much valued. Being worn on the finger, it was an object of constant regard. 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; Isa 43:10; Isa 44:1; Isa 49:3). So the spiritual Israel is sealed in their covenant head by His Spirit (Co2 1:20, Co2 1…
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 Zac 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 22:2…
The Church Fathers
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.
Wherefore 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." And it behoves us "to bear the image of the heavenly," that is, peace. And that we may know the truth of this, it is said in the Canticles to the soul now fully perfect, that which may the Lord Jesus say to you also, "Set me as a seal upon thine arm;" that peace may shine in your heart and Christ in your works, and that wisdom and righteousness and redemption may be formed in you.
"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 him, he said, "I am not Elijah." But Scripture does not say that John came in the body of Elijah but "in the spirit and the power of Elijah." Elijah, who was taken up into the heavens, did not return to them, just as it was not David who later became king but Zerubbabel. The Pharisees, however, did not ask John, "Have you come in the spirit of Elijah?" but "Are you Elijah himself?" That is why he said to them, "No." Why should he have needed to be Elijah himself, if the actions of Elijah were to be found present in John? Elisha intervened and stood between John and Elijah, lest John be judged by them, since Elijah was taken up in a sacred chariot, whereas [John's] head was carried away on a dish by a corrupt young girl.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Seal — Commonly a ring engraved with some device (Gen. 38:18, 25). Jezebel “wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal” (1 Kings 21:8). Seals are frequently mentioned in Jewish history…
Shealtiel — Asked for of God, father of Zerubbabel (Ezra 3:2, 8; Neh. 12:1).
Signet — A seal used to attest documents (Dan. 6:8-10, 12). In 6:17, this word properly denotes a ring. The impression of a signet ring on fine clay has recently been discovered among the ruins at Nineveh. It…
Seals · Illustrative of: What is dear or valued — Illustrative of: What is dear or valued
Shealtiel · Father of Zerubbabel and an ancestor of Jesus — Father of Zerubbabel and an ancestor of Jesus
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
In that day, saith the Lord of hosts,.... When all these kingdoms, and their thrones and strength, are destroyed; which shows that what follows cannot be understood literally of Zerubbabel, who lived not to see these things done:
will I take thee, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the Lord; that is, the Messiah, as is owned by Abarbinel; who says (x),
"the King Messiah shall come, who is of the seed of Zerubbabel; and he shall be the seal of the structure, and the end of the kingdoms; as it is said, "I will make thee as a signet, for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts"; for this no doubt is said concerning the days of the Messiah:''
and another Jewish writer (y…
Haggai 2:20-23
20. And again the word of the LORD came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying,
20. Et fuit (postea fuit) sermo Iehovae secundo ad Chaggai vicesimo quarto mensis, dicendo,
21. Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth;
21. Dic ad Zerubbabel, ducens Iehudah, dicendo, Ego concutiam coelos et terram;
22. And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.
22. Et evertam solium regnorum, et perdam robu…
Renewal of the Promise of Salvation. - Hag 2:20. On the same day on which the Lord promised to the people the return of the blessings of nature, Haggai received a second revelation, which promised to the community the preservation and care of the Davidic monarchy, represented for the time by Zerubbabel, in the midst of the storms that were about to burst upon the power of the world. Hag 2:21. "Speak to Zerubbabel the governor of Judah thus: I shake the heaven and the earth. Hag 2:22. And I will overthrow the throne of the kingdoms; and destroy the might of the kingdoms of the nations; and will overthrow the war-chariots, and those who ride in them: and horses and their riders shall fall, one…
The signet ring was a symbol of kingship. An engraved stone set in a gold or silver finger ring was used to seal or endorse official documents. The image here emphasizes the divine authority invested in Zerubbabel and assures the people of God’s continuing involvement in the political process (despite the failures of the Hebrew monarchs). The designation of Zerubbabel as the signet of the Lord no doubt rekindled expectations for the Messiah, since Zerubbabel was a descendant of King David. Yet the declaration ultimately points beyond Zerubbabel (see study note on 2:21) to one of his descendants (see Matt 1:12; Luke 1:32-33; 3:27).
Rashi on Haggai 2:23
and I will make you as a signet In contrast to what was decreed upon his father Jeconiah (Jer. 22: 24): “As I live, says the Lord, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, be a signet on My right hand, from there I will remove you.” [Jeremiah further] states there (ibid. 22:30): “Inscribe this man childless.” We learn that his repentance availed [Jeconiah], and Zerubbabel was born to him, and he was made as a signet.
