In the year of the World 3457, before J. C. 542, before the Vulgar Æra 547. b Ezra iii. 3, & seq.HAGGAI, the tenth of the small Prophets, was born in all probability at Babylon, from whence he returned with Zerubbabel. The Captives began immediately after their return to work with ardour in rebuilding of the Temple, and in putting it into such a condition as to have sacrifices offered in it b. But by the envy of those, who were enemies to the Jews, and the ill offices of the Courtiers, Cyrus, in the second year of his reign, was induced to revoke that permission whereby he had impowered the Jews to rebuild their Temple. Cambyses the son of Cyrus, coming to the crown, renewed the same prohibition. So that the Temple for fourteen years continued in the same state wherein the Jews had put it immediately after their return; that is to say, without covering to any part except the Temple properly so called, or the Holy and the Sanctuary, and perhaps some Porches about the Courts belonging to the Priests.
But after the death of Cambyses, Darius the son of Hystaspes coming to the Empire c, Haggai was excited by God d to exhort c In the year of the World 3483, before J. C. 517, before the Vulgar Æra 521. d Ezra v. 1, 2, &c. and Hag. i. In the Year of the World 3484, before J.C. 516, before the Vulgar Æra 520.Zerubbabel Prince of Judah, and the High-Priest Joshua the son of Josedeck, to resume the work of the Temple, which had been interrupted for so long time. The Prophet reproaches them with their indolence, and tells them, that they were very careful to lodge themselves commodiously, while the House of the Lord remained a desart place, and lay buried in its own ruins. He says, that the calamities of drought and famine wherewith God had afflicted them since their return, were punishments for their neglecting to carry on the work of repairing his Temple. The remonstrances of Haggai had their effect, and in the second year of Darius, of the World 3484, which was the sixteenth after the return of the Jews from Babylon, they began again to proceed in this work. No sooner had they set about it, but the Lord Hag. i. 14. and ii. 1. Hag. ii. 2, 3, 4, 5—10.commanded Haggai to tell the people, that if any one had seen the Temple built by Solomon, and did not think this to be so beautiful and magnificent a structure as that was, he ought not to be discouraged, nor have at all the less respect for the new one: that God would render this still more august and venerable than the first had been, not in the abundance of gold and silver, which might adorn it, but by the presence of the Messiah, who was the Desire of all nations, and the Glory which he would add to it.
We know nothing of Haggai’s death. St. Epiphanius will have it, that he was buried at Jerusalem among the Priests; which might induce us to believe, that he was of Aaron’s family: but Haggai says nothing of himself, which favours this opinion. The Greeks fix his Festival on the 16th of December, the Latins on the 4th of July.