Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD'S temple was laid, consider it.

HAGGAI 2:18KJV
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Haggai 2:18 (KJV)

What does Haggai 2:18 mean?

Haggai 2:18 calls the people to carefully think about the time since the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid, starting from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. The verse urges them to reflect on what has happened from that day onward, highlighting a turning point in their relationship with God and their work on the temple.

The prophet Haggai is speaking to the returned Jewish exiles in Jerusalem, encouraging them as they rebuild the temple after years of neglect. By pointing to a specific date—the day the temple’s foundation was laid—Haggai wants the people to pay attention to the changes that began from that moment, both in their circumstances and in God’s dealings with them.

The Hebrew behind Haggai 2:18

  • "Consider" (שִׂימוּ לְבַבְכֶם, simu levavkhem): This phrase literally means “set your heart,” which is a Hebrew way of saying “pay close attention” or “think deeply.” Haggai repeats this phrase to stress the importance of careful reflection, not just a passing thought.
  • "Day" (יוֹם, yom): The use of "day" here marks a specific, memorable point in time. This helps the people anchor their reflection to a real event—the laying of the temple’s foundation.
  • "Foundation" (יָסַד, yasad): This word means to establish or lay a base. In this context, it refers to the actual beginning of the temple’s rebuilding, a significant spiritual and communal milestone.

Why Haggai 2:18 matters

  • Haggai 2:18 clears up that the prophet is not just talking about any time, but a specific day that marks a new beginning for the people and their relationship with God.
  • The verse emphasizes the importance of remembering and reflecting on key spiritual milestones, rather than letting them fade into routine or forgetfulness.
  • By anchoring the people’s attention to the day the temple foundation was laid, Haggai connects their obedience and God’s blessing to concrete actions and moments, making spiritual change tangible.

Where else these words appear

“ninth” Hebrew H8671 · used in 17 verses

  • Leviticus 25:22 And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat of the old store.
  • 1 Chronicles 24:11 The ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah,
  • Jeremiah 36:22 Now the king sat in the winterhouse in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him.

“foundation” Hebrew H3245 · used in 41 verses

  • Exodus 9:18 Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.
  • Esther 1:8 And the drinking was according to the law; none did compel: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure.
  • Song of Solomon 5:15 His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

“temple” Hebrew H1964 · used in 76 verses

  • 1 Samuel 1:9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.
  • Nehemiah 6:10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.
  • Ezekiel 8:16 And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.

“upward” Hebrew H4605 · used in 134 verses

  • Genesis 6:16 A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.
  • Numbers 4:30 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.
  • 2 Chronicles 5:8 For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.