Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?

HAGGAI 1:4KJV
Know the Bible

Haggai 1:4 (KJV)

What does Haggai 1:4 mean?

Haggai 1:4 challenges the people of Jerusalem for living comfortably in their well-finished houses while the temple of God remains in ruins. The verse points out the contrast between their personal priorities and the neglected state of the temple, questioning whether it is right for them to focus on their own homes while ignoring God's house.

The prophet Haggai is speaking to the returned exiles in Jerusalem, addressing their delay in rebuilding the temple after their return from Babylon. The word "cieled" refers to houses with paneled or decorated interiors, suggesting a level of luxury. Haggai’s question highlights the people's misplaced priorities at a time when restoring the temple should have been central to their community life.

The Hebrew behind Haggai 1:4

  • "cieled" (סָפוּן, saphun): This word means paneled or covered, often with wood, indicating that the people’s houses were not just functional but finished with care and comfort. This detail emphasizes the contrast between their attention to personal comfort and their neglect of the temple.
  • "waste" (חָרְבָּה, charevah): This word means desolate or in ruins. It underscores the abandoned and broken state of the temple, making the people’s inaction more striking.
  • "house" (בַּיִת, bayit): Used for both the people’s homes and the temple, this word draws a direct comparison between their private dwellings and God’s house, highlighting the disparity in how each is treated.

Why Haggai 1:4 matters

  • Haggai 1:4 clears up any idea that the people were simply too poor or unable to rebuild; instead, they had the resources to improve their own homes but chose not to prioritize the temple.
  • The verse reveals the heart of Haggai’s message: the people’s values were out of order, and their comfort had become more important to them than their communal worship and relationship with God.
  • This verse sets up the rest of Haggai’s message, where he calls the people to reconsider their ways and put the rebuilding of the temple first, showing how their choices affected their spiritual and communal life.

Where else these words appear

“cieled” Hebrew H5603 · used in 6 verses

  • Deuteronomy 33:21 And he provided the first part for himself, because there, in a portion of the lawgiver, was he seated; and he came with the heads of the people, he executed the justice of the LORD, and his judgments with Israel.
  • 1 Kings 6:9 So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar.
  • 1 Kings 7:7 Then he made a porch for the throne where he might judge, even the porch of judgment: and it was covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other.

“waste” Hebrew H2720 · used in 10 verses

  • Leviticus 7:10 And every meat offering, mingled with oil, and dry, shall all the sons of Aaron have, one as much as another.
  • Proverbs 17:1 Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife.
  • Ezekiel 36:35 And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.