“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Ask the priests for a ruling.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Yahweh of Armies says: Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,
- KJV Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,
- NKJV “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Now, ask the priests concerning the law, saying,
- NASB “The Lord of armies says this: ‘Now ask the priests for a ruling:
- NLT “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says. Ask the priests this question about the law:
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God instructs Haggai to pose questions of law to the priests. Their authoritative answers will illustrate a vital spiritual principle.
Overview
The priests were the recognized teachers of God's law (Malachi 2:7), so their rulings carry weight. Haggai uses a question-and-answer method to lead the people to a clear conclusion. This sets up the contrast between holiness and uncleanness in the verses that follow.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Lev 10:10–11You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the clean and the unclean,
- Mal 2:7For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the LORD of Hosts.
- Deut 33:10He will teach Your ordinances to Jacob and Your law to Israel; he will set incense before You and whole burnt offerings on Your altar.
- Deut 17:8–11If a case is too difficult for you to judge, whether the controversy within your gates is regarding bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults, you must go up to the place the LORD your God will choose.
- Ezek 44:23–24They are to teach My people the difference between the holy and the common, and show them how to discern between the clean and the unclean.
- Titus 1:9He must hold firmly to the faithful word as it was taught, so that he can encourage others by sound teaching and refute those who contradict it.
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The promise that the latter glory of the temple will exceed the former, and that God will shake the nations and bring 'the desire of all nations,' is fulfilled when Christ enters his temple.
How Haggai 2:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.