The Meaning of Haggai 1:9 Explained

Haggai 1:9

KJV: Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.

YLT: Looking for much, and lo, little, And ye brought it home, and I blew on it, Wherefore? -- an affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, Because of My house that is waste, And ye are running -- each to his house,

Darby: Ye looked for much, and behold it was little; and when ye brought it home, I blew upon it. Wherefore? saith Jehovah of hosts. Because of my house that lieth waste, whilst ye run every man to his own house.

ASV: Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith Jehovah of hosts. Because of my house that lieth waste, while ye run every man to his own house.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Ye looked  for much,  and, lo, [it came] to little;  and when ye brought  [it] home,  I did blow  upon it. Why? saith  the LORD  of hosts.  Because  of mine house  that [is] waste,  and ye run  every man  unto his own house. 

What does Haggai 1:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Israelites had looked for much blessing from the Lord, but they had found very little. When they brought their grain home, the Lord blew it away. Apparently their grain was so light and small that much of it blew away with the chaff when they threshed it. The reason was clear. They had neglected the temple and had given all their time and energy to providing for themselves by building their own houses.
There are six occurrences of the phrase "declares the LORD of hosts" in Haggai ( Haggai 1:9; Haggai 2:4; Haggai 2:8-9; Haggai 2:23 [1]) and six occurrences of the shorter phrase "declares the LORD" ( Haggai 1:13; Haggai 2:4 [1], 14 , 17 , 23). This is unusual for a book as short as Haggai. Obviously the writer wanted to emphasize the divine origin of his message to the people. [3]

Context Summary

Haggai 1:1-11 - Selfish And Shortsighted Thrift
Zerubbabel is the Sheshbazzar of Ezra 1:8. He was of the royal line, and appointed governor by Cyrus. Josedech was son of Seraiah, high priest when Jerusalem was taken, 2 Kings 25:18-21. The returned exiles had been experiencing a succession of bad seasons. They had sown much, and reaped little; their money ran out of the bag as quickly as they put it in; a drought lay on all the land, and the reason for it was to be found in the neglected Temple. How frequently our disasters and losses in business arise from our failure to remember God's cause. We say that we have not the time, cannot afford the money, and see no necessity for setting apart the Lord's Day or the daily period for meditation and prayer. Did we see things as they really are, we should find that this is false economy, and wastes more than we save. "There is that which withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty." The mower does not waste time when he stops to whet his scythe. [source]

Chapter Summary: Haggai 1

1  The time when Haggai prophesied
2  He reproves the people for neglecting the building of the house
7  He incites them to the building
12  He promises them, being forward, God's assistance

What do the individual words in Haggai 1:9 mean?

[You] looked for much but indeed [it [came to] little and when you brought it home and I blew away it because why says Yahweh of hosts Because of My house that is [in] ruins and while of you runs every one to his own house
פָּנֹ֤ה אֶל־ הַרְבֵּה֙ וְהִנֵּ֣ה לִמְעָ֔ט וַהֲבֵאתֶ֥ם הַבַּ֖יִת וְנָפַ֣חְתִּי ב֑וֹ יַ֣עַן מֶ֗ה נְאֻם֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת יַ֗עַן בֵּיתִי֙ אֲשֶׁר־ ה֣וּא חָרֵ֔ב וְאַתֶּ֥ם רָצִ֖ים אִ֥ישׁ לְבֵיתֽוֹ

פָּנֹ֤ה  [You]  looked 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: פֹּונֶה 
Sense: to turn.
הַרְבֵּה֙  much 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: הַרְבָּה 
Sense: be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous.
וְהִנֵּ֣ה  but  indeed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
לִמְעָ֔ט  [it  [came  to]  little 
Parse: Preposition-l, Adverb
Root: מְעַט  
Sense: littleness, few, a little, fewness.
וַהֲבֵאתֶ֥ם  and  when  you  brought  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הַבַּ֖יִת  home 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
וְנָפַ֣חְתִּי  and  I  blew  away 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: נָפַח  
Sense: to breathe, blow, sniff at, seethe, give up or lose (life).
יַ֣עַן  because 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַעַן  
Sense: because, therefore, because that, on account of prep.
מֶ֗ה  why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
נְאֻם֙  says 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
צְבָא֔וֹת  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
יַ֗עַן  Because 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַעַן  
Sense: because, therefore, because that, on account of prep.
בֵּיתִי֙  of  My  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
חָרֵ֔ב  [in]  ruins 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: חָרֵב  
Sense: waste, desolate, dry.
וְאַתֶּ֥ם  and  while  of  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine plural
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
רָצִ֖ים  runs 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: רוּץ 
Sense: to run.
אִ֥ישׁ  every  one 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
לְבֵיתֽוֹ  to  his  own  house 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.