Aggeus
Prophetia AggæiIntroductions
Enciclopedia Cattolica
AGGEUS (Hebrew Haggaj "Solemn"; Septuagint 'Αγγαῖος). - Prophet, tenth in the series of the "minor" prophets, the first among those after the exile. He is identical with the prophet of Ezra 5:1; 6:14. His brief activity, all of it taking place in 520 B.C., concerns the rebuilding of the Temple after the return from Babylon. H. delivered on this subject four oracles, transmitted in the two chapters of his book (1:2-11; 2:4-10; 2:12-20 and 22-24). Once a systematic resettlement of the families had taken place in the first six months, thought was given to the place of worship: the altar was restored on the spot where it had stood before the destruction (Ezra 3:2), then the foundations of the Temple were laid (Ezra 3:7 ff.). But because of various difficulties (Ezra 4) the work was soon abandoned, nor did there seem any prospect of resuming it. To shake souls out of their inertia, to revive the work and sustain its continuation was H.'s mission.
Haydock
Aggeus was one of those that returned from the captivity of Babylon, in the first year of the reign of king Cyrus. He was sent by the Lord in the second year of the reign of king Darius, the son of Hystaspes, to exhort Zorobabel, the prince of Juda, and Jesus, the high priest, to the building of the temple; which they had begun, but left off again through the opposition of the Samaritans. In consequence of this exhortation, they proceeded in the building, and finished the temple. And the prophet was commissioned by the Lord to assure them that this second temple should be more glorious than the former, because the Messias should honour it with his presence; signifying, withal, how much the Church of the new testament should excel that of the old testament. (Calmet) --- The glory of the Catholic Church hence appears. (Worthington) --- We know little of the life of Aggeus. It is thought that he was born in captivity. (Calmet) --- He came into Judea eighteen years after its termination, (Worthington) in the second year of Hystaspes, when the seventy years of the temple's desolation ended, Zacharias 1:12., and 1 Esdras v. The people had courage to obey the word of the prophets rather than the king's edict. Aggeus means feasting, (St. Jerome) or pleasant. He brings joyful tidings, after rebuking the people for preferring their own convenience before the house of God. (Haydock)
Douay 1582/1609
AGGEVS prophecying in the second yeare of Darius Histaspis king Aggeus prophecied after the captiuitie. of Christ and his Church. of Persians, that is, in the 18. yeare after the relaxation from captiuitie of Babylon, exhorteth to reedifie the Temple, which had bene begune and intermitted; promising much prosperitie after the building therof, and finally the coming of Christ desired of al nations; who by his presence S Ierom. Epist. ad Paulin. wil glorifie this new temple, more then the former built by Salomon; and especially prophecieth the glorie of his Catholique Church, which shal much excel the Church of the old Testament.
Cornely
Deauthentia et integritate libelli nemo prudens dubitat ; eius autem auctoritas divina, licet disertis Novi Test. testimoniis demonstrari non possit, traditione quum antiquae synagogae tum Ecclesiae , quae eum semper in canone habuerunt, extra omnem dubitationem ponitur.
S 29. — De Prophetia Aggaet.
Continue reading 21 paragraphs
317. — Tres prophetae, de quibus utagamus reliquum est, Aggaeus, Zacharias, Malachias, ultimi fuerunt, quos ante promissi Messiae adventum Deus populo suo concessit. Sophonias iam ante primam Chaldaeorum irruptionem vitam suam finierat; ex quatuor prophetis, qui exsilii initium viderunt, unus Daniel vitam suam ad Cyri usque aetatem protraxit fratresque suos exsilio soluto in patriam revertentes vidit; leremjias enim, Ezechiel et Baruch exsilii tempore sunt mortui atque Daniel ipse iam primis Cyri annis senex grandaevus diem ultimum obiit. Pro infinita autem sua bonitate Deus etiam reduces non dereliquit, sed novos eis suscitavit prophetas, qui difficillimis restaurationis initiis eos consolarentur, confortarent excitarentque atque in restaurationis opere adiuvarent.
Non admodum magnus erat reducum numerus (1 Esdr. 2,64 sq.), magnae autem et multae erant difficultates, quas Ilerosolyma reversi invenerunt. Statim quidem altari holocaustorum exstructo ius reaedificandi templi decreto Cyri eis concessum asseruerunt, sed statim quoque gentes vicinae eos deterrere conatae sunt (1 Esdr. 3,3); quum vero nihilominus templi fundamenta iecissent (1 Esdr. 3,8 sqq.), hostes eorum « impediverunt et turbaverunt eos in aedificando » eosque ut ab opere incepto desisterent coegerunt « omnibus diebus Cyri regis Persarum et usque ad regnum Darii regis Persarum » (1 Esdr. &,&. 5). Quibus difficultatibus primum eorum ardorem refrixisse, non valde mirum est; poenarum enim finem nondum advenisse neque tempus iam adesse reaedificandi templi facile sibi persuadere potuerunt. Porro non defuisse videntur, qui quum ex iactis fundamentis novum templum ad pristini splendorem non esse venturum vidissent, de divinis vaticiniis, quibus gloriosa populo restauratio erat promissa, dubitare inciperent. Alii autem, quos externarum potius rerum spes quam amor patriae Legis allexerat, spe sua frustrati querelis suis aliorum taedium auxerunt. Unde exorta est socordia quaedam in rebus religiosis, quae ue repetitis quidem poenis divinis excutiebatur. Quapropter Dominus, ut ad novum ardorem reduces excitaret, afflictos consolaretur, dubitantium animos erigeret, peccatores ad veram poenitentiam adduceret, ultimos illos prophetas suscitavit, qui pristinarum suarum promissionum se semper memorem esse ostenderent.
Tempore primus inter illos est 49gaeus, qui ipso suo festivi et laet: nomine, uti innuit S. Hieronymus, « seminandum esse docuit in lacrymis, utin gaudio posset meti » !. Quamvis etiam ab Esdra nominetur, praeter nomen tamen eius et propheticam dignitatem perpauca certa de eo nobis sunt tradita. Eum duobus mensibus ante Zachariam prophetico munere fungi coepisse atque exhortatione sua Zorobabelem, ducem populi, et losuam, summum sacerdotem, permovisse, ut intermissam templi aedificationem continuarent, ex eius libello haurimus, eumque una cum Zacharia duces populi in aedificationis opere adiuvisse, testatur Esdras?. Utrum iuvenis ex exsilio sit reversus, id quod asserit Ps. Epiphanius, an unus ex senibus fuerit, quos pristini templi splendorem vidisse indicat (2,3), id quod moderni nonnulli ex eius libello colligunt, in medio relinquimus, quum in neutram partem probabiles rationes afferantur?. Multo minus certa sunt, quae gx Psalmorum quorundam inscriptionibus colligunt aliqui, ei auctori carmina illa esse adscribenda, aut quae rabbini nonnulli asseruerunt, eum unum ex viris magnae synagogae fuisse; velut ineptam autem impugnant iam SS. Hieronymus et Cyrillus illorum opinionem, qui eum non hominem sed angelum fuisse ex 1,13 coniecerunt*.
Quibus omnibus praetermissis de libro eius dicemus. Constat autem quatuor vaticiniis, quae omnia a. 2. Darii trium mensium spatio, scilicet 1. die mensis 6., die 21. mensis 7. et die 24. mensis 9. sunt promulgata. Tria priora de aedificatione templi agunt populumque exhortantur, ut opus inchoatum alacriter perficiat, quartum vero antiquas promissiones messianicas davidicae domui factas confirmat. Singulorum argumenta desumes ex hac ANALYSI :
PRIMUS SERMO INCREPATORIUS die 4. mens. 6. a. 2. Darii ad duces populi habitus eiusque feli: effectus (4,4 -2,1 a.). 1. Exprobrat propheta populo intermissam templi aedificationem (4,1 -11). a.) Incipit ab irreverentia populi increpanda, qua domus Dei aedificandae tempus nondum advenisse obtendat, dum ipse in domibus pretiosis iam habitet (1,2- 4), b.) atque socordiae istius poenam fuisse terrae sterilitatem innuit, quam experti erant (1,9. 6); €.) diserle deinde intermissum opus continuari iubens, quippe quod Deo placeat (1,1. 8), fusius et clarius praeteritam calamitatem eiusque causam eis proponit (1,9-11).
9. Sermonis effectus (4,12-2,1 a.). Verbis prophetae perterritus (1,12), sed simul promisso divino auxilio confortatus (1,13) populus opus aedificationis iterum suscipit die 24. eiusdem mensis 6. * (1,14- 2,4 a.).
1. Propheta duces populumque alloquens (2,16-3) tristitiam ex viliore
(a) Temporis indicationem (2,1 a.) cum praecedente narratione ipse S. Hieronymus (Comm. in Agg. 1,14. M. 25, 1467) coniunxit atque sola librariorum socordia ad initium vaticinii sequentis traxit, ut duobus diversis diebus adscribi videatur. Quapropter omnes fere interpretes editionis Clementinae lectionem merito reiiciunt. Sola anni indicatio, si 1,1 et 2,10 conferuntur, cum versu sequente apte coniungitur.
novi aediflcii conditione exortam reprimit promisso divino auxilio confirmatisque pristinis vaticiniis (1,4-6);
9. atque speciatim praedicit mox adventura tempora messianica, quibus novum templum undique ad illud concurrentibus gentibus cum donis suis insigne sit futurum ^ atque gloriam adepturum, qua salomonicam superet (2,7 - 10).
1. Exemplis ex Lege desumtis ostendit propheta , uno opere bono reliqua opera non reddi bona, sed una re mala infici res bonas (2,44 - 14).
2. Quam doctrinam applicans docet, quomodo non obstantibus populi sacrificiis Deus propter neglectam templi aediticationem eos punire debuerit (2,15-18);
3. at ab illa die, a qua aedificationis opus resumserint, Deum eis benedicturum promittit (2,19. 20.).
QUARTUS SERMO CONSOLATORIUS eodem die, quo praecedens, habitus (2,94 -24).
Temporali benedictioni promissae accedit benedictio altioris generis. Etenim propheta Zorobabeli (qui ex domo davidica oriundus erat) praedicit, omnia regna mundi a Deo destructum iri, at Zorobabelem ad magnam gloriam iri exaltatum (2,23. 24).
Duo igitur libelli nostri videntur esse argumenta, ut eius unitas plane destruatur; tres priores enim sermones templi aedificationem urgent, quartus Zorobabeli protectionem divinam singularemque gloriam promittit. Attamen ad plenam perfectamque unitatem illa redigi facile videbimus, si theocratiae integrae, seu si mavis antiqui foederis promissionumque eius, restaurationem duabus illis partibus contineri animadverterimus. Foederis enim sui, quod Deus cum eo pepigerat, populus electus possidebat duo symbola et pignora : templum, in quo Deus speciali quadam ratione medio in populo suo residebat et ab integro populo ter quotannis conveniente velut supremus Dominus venerabatur et adorabatur, atque domum davidicam , cuius thronum regnumque in aeternum duraturum firmumque permansurum Deus olim promiserat. At duo illa pignora in chaldaico urbis et templi excidio videbantur interisse. Brevi ante ultimam cladem Ezechiel in sublimi quadam visione maiestatem Domini spectaverat sollemni modo e templo egredientem sedemque suam extra urbem sanctam transferentem (Ezech. 11); populus ex exsilio reversus ruinas dumtaxat antiqui sui templi repererat neque amplius Dominus possidebat domum, in qua in medio suo populo resideret. Item brevi ante exsilium Ieremias audierat lechoniam, ultimum salomonicae stirpis surculum ?, a Deo plane reiici : « Si fuerit lechonias signaculum (annulus) in manu dextera mea, inde evellam eum ;... scribe istum virum sterilem ; neque
(b) De lectione, quam in hoc vaticinio praeferendam ducimus, cfr Knabenbauer Proph. Min. lI. p. 192 sqq.
enim de semine eius erit vir, qui sedeat super solium David et potestatem habeat ultra in Iuda » (lerem. 21,95 sqq.); revera populus in terram suam quidem erat reversus, sed rex ei non redditus; davidicus thronus manebat destructus. Quid igitur erat de magnificis illis promissionibus, quae post poenae finem splendidam antiqui foederis restaurationem praenuntiabant? [am vero per Aggaeum, qui primus soluto exsilio surrexit propheta, Deus populo suo utrumque pignus quodammodo restituere atque ita fidelitatem suam manifestare voluit : in novum enim templum, cuius aedificatio ei exhibita erat, Ezechiel Dominum revertentem viderat (EzecA. 43), atque Ieremias quoque ex davidico semine germen iustum exsurgens conspexerat divinamque pro missionem audierat, non interiturum de Davide virum, qui sederet super thronum domus Israel (Jer. 23,5; 33,15 sqq.). Itaque Aggaei munus fuit, ut populum ad illud templum aetdificandum excitaret, quod non tantum regni messianici esset symbolum sed quod tempore messianico Verbum caro factum gloria sua esset impleturum , atque ut illum ex Davidis posteris designaret, qui pro lechonia reiecto continuaret promissiones domui davidicae factas. Evidens enim est, eum ad lerem. 21,94 alludere, quum Zorobabelem dicat a Deo electum, ut sit annulus in manu dextera Dei (49g. 2,24). Duo igitur libelli argumenta, quamvis diversa videantur, intime inter se cohaerent, atque tantum abest, ut eius unitatem perturbent, ut unum solum argumentum constituant, quo omnes promissiones messianicae populo reduci firmae rataeque manere docentur. Atque haec quidem de interna libri iNpoLE; ad externam vero eius formam quod attinet, nihil praeclari aut eximii habet. Prosaicus potius est eius sermo, simplex et planus; multis tamen suis interrogationibus vividus est atque nonnullis in locis , in quibus promissionum gravitas id postulat, altius quoque assurgit neque omni poetico ornatu caret.
De libelli nostri AUTHENTIA vel INTEGRITATE & nullo dubitatum est, neque facile dubitari potuit, siquidem satis clarum testimonium in 1 Esdr. 5,1 et 6,1& possidet. DiviNAE AvcrOoRITATIS autem praeter Esdram, qui « Aggaeum prophetam et Zachariam filium Addo ad Iudaeos in Iuda et lerusalem zn nomine Dei Israel prophetasse » dixit ad nostrum librum procul dubio alludens, duo alii nobis praesto sunt testes. Etenim Siracides nostri prophetae verbis usus celebrat Zorobabelem tamquam « annulum in manu dextera » (Ecc. 49,13; Agg. 2,25), atque S. Paulus verbis nostri libri, quae explicat, adhortationem suam ad Hebraeos confirmare voluit (Hebr. 12,26 sq.; Agg. 2,1).
derivatam , consentiunt tantum non omnes interpretes, licet de occasione, qua nomen prophetae sit impositum, inter se disceptent (cfr Reinke Der Prophet Haggai. Münster 1868. p. 1 sqq.). Omni probabilitate carere alteram sententiam arbitramur, quae eadem ratione nomen Haggai & nomine Hagaría derivari censet, qua Zachaeus & Zacharia sit derivatum (Bleek Wellhausen Einl. p. 434). Nam nomen Hagaria- (man, Deus cinzit vel tuitus est?) in Literis sacris saltem non occurrit, et num nomen Zachaeus cum Zacharia ullo modo cohaereat, meritissimo dubitatur; nomen 27
$. Iechoniam à Nabuchodonosor in Babyloniam abductum in throno quidem secutus est Sedecias, ultimus rex davidicus ante exsilium; sed Sedecías erat frater patris Iechoniae, ita ut Iechonias sit ultimum membrum lineae directae salomonicae, quod thronum occupavit.
Cornelius a Lapide
Argument 6 paragraphs
Haggai is placed tenth among the Prophets, or, as it is written in Hebrew with chet, חגי Chaggai, or Haggaeus, that is, festive, celebrating a feast, from the root chagag, that is, he celebrated a feast, prophesying festively to the people joyfully returning from Babylon to Judea. "Haggai," says St. Jerome to Paulinus, "festive and joyful, who sowed in tears that he might reap in joy, rebuilds the destroyed temple, and brings in God the Father speaking: Yet a little while, and I will move the heaven and the earth, and the sea and the dry land, and I will move all nations, and the desired of all nations shall come," namely the Messiah, or Christ. As to time, Haggai prophesied shortly after the return of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity. For when the commonwealth of the Jews was corrupted by vices, God destroyed it and led it into Babylon, and there kept them captive for seventy years, so that all that old and corrupted generation might perish, and in their place sons untouched by these vices might succeed, so that a new people might come to the renewal of Jerusalem. Therefore he returned in the year of Cyrus: soon he began to rebuild the temple, and laid its and the altar's foundations, but when Cyrus was slain shortly after by Tomyris, queen of the Scythians, his son Cambyses succeeded him in the kingdom of the Persians, or, as Ezra calls him, Assuerus in Chaldean, in Persian Artaxerxes, who, persuaded by Sanaballat and other Samaritans, enemies of the Jews, that the Jews were building a temple in appearance, but in reality a fortress as if they would rebel, forbade them to proceed in the work. Ezra relates this at length in book I, chapter IV, where he also adds in verse 24: "Then the work of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem was stopped, and it was not done until the second year of the reign of Darius, king of the Persians." For the Jews, seeing so many and such great hindrances to the work cast in by Cambyses, Sanaballat and others, kept saying that its time had not yet come. Wherefore God raised up Haggai in the second year of Darius, who might stir them up to resume the building of the temple. This is indeed what Ezra soon adds in chapter V, 1: "And the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zacharias the son of Addo, prophesied to the Jews that were in Judea and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel. Then Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, and Jesus the son of Josedec, arose, and began to build the house of God in Jerusalem, and the prophets of God were with them, helping them." And he adds in chapter VI that God inclined the heart of Darius, so that he not only permitted the building of the temple, but also promoted it by his edict, commanding that the expenses necessary for the building and sacrifices be provided from the royal tributes. Where St. Jerome rightly observes in the Prologue: "It should be known," he says, "that it was a sign of great spirit that Haggai and Zacharias were prophets, so that against the great edict of King Artaxerxes and the Samaritans and all the nations round about hindering the building of the temple, they commanded the temple to be built: Zorobabel also, and Jesus the son of Josedec, and the people who were with them, were of no less faith, so that they obeyed the prophets commanding rather than the command of the prohibiting king." And he adds, following the Chronicle of Eusebius, that these things happened "at the time when among the Romans Tarquinius Superbus, the seventh from Romulus, reigned, having the twenty-seventh year of his reign, who after eight years was expelled by Brutus: and then the republic was administered by consuls for four hundred and sixty-four years until Julius Caesar."
Therefore from this second year of Darius until the year 42 of Augustus Caesar, in which Christ is said to have been born, there elapsed 518 years; so many years therefore did the prophecy of Haggai concerning Christ precede him.
Moreover it contains four parts, or visions: the first three refute three excuses of the Jews for deferring the building of the temple; in the fourth he promises to Zorobabel, who resumes the building, that Christ will be born from his line, who will adorn this temple by his presence, doctrine and miracles, and will make it more glorious than the temple which was previously built by Solomon, and will exalt the throne of his kingdom above all the kingdoms of the nations, subduing them.
Mystically, Haggai, say St. Jerome, Cyril and Rupert, desires that Jesus and Zorobabel, that is, Jesus Christ the Son of God, the high priest, such as Jesus the son of Josedec was; equally as the supreme prince, such as Zorobabel was, should build for himself and for us the house of God, that is, the body, in the incarnation.
Tropologically, so that God might build for himself in a faithful and holy soul a temple of virtues, says the same St. Jerome and Remigius.
Finally, Haggai was so illustrious, holy and wise that Origen believed him, equally with Malachi and John the Baptist, to have been not men, but incarnate angels, as Gabriel Vasquez reports in I part. tom. I, disp. CLXXXIV, num. 7, and others; indeed St. Jerome on cap. I, 13. The reason of Origen was, because in cap. I, 13, Haggai in Hebrew is called an angel: "And Haggai said, the messenger (in Hebrew מלאך malach, that is, angel) of the Lord from the messengers of the Lord." But this is an error: for it is certain that all the Prophets were men, not angels. Epiphanius describes the life of Haggai thus briefly in his book On the Lives of the Prophets: "The prophet Haggai, being very young, departed from Babylon to Jerusalem, and openly prophesied concerning the return of the people. And he saw with his eyes the structure of the temple of Jerusalem. The same man was the first of all to sing Alleluia in that place. Therefore he ended his life in that same place, and was buried in the earth near the priests with honor and glory. For this reason even today we sing Alleluia, which hymn is said to be of Haggai and Zechariah." St. Dorotheus has the same account, and also adds that he prophesied of Christ under the person of Zerubbabel, in cap. II, 24, when he says: "I will make thee as a signet, because I have chosen thee, saith the Lord: as also John the Evangelist says: For the Father hath sealed him, God." Isidorus also agrees, and adds that he was born in Babylon and returned to Jerusalem as a young man with the other Jews. Haggai is found inscribed in the Catalogue of Saints with Hosea in the Roman Martyrology on the 4th of July. Some believe that certain Psalms were composed by Haggai, namely CXI, which is inscribed: Alleluia, of the return of Haggai and Zechariah; and CXLV, whose title likewise is: Alleluia, of Haggai and Zechariah. The same title is found in Psalms CXLVI, CXLVII and CXLVIII in the Greek codices of the Vatican Septuagint. Some add Psalm CXXXVII, which in the same is inscribed: A Psalm for David himself, of Haggai and Zechariah. But others commonly believe that these Psalms were not composed, but sung by the people returning from Babylon, with Haggai and Zechariah leading; because they are festive and eucharistic, and therefore suit this matter and the rejoicing of the returning people, concerning which more in the Psalms. What you hear, that Haggai was the first in Jerusalem to sing Alleluia, understand it to mean the first after the return from Babylon. For before the captivity Alleluia was in use, as is evident from the Psalms, in which Alleluia resounds frequently: or, that he was the first to add Alleluia after the Psalms, on account of the joyful return from Babylon.
Machine translation from the Latin, not reviewed.