Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Gary Hedrick" <garyh AT cjfm.org>]

     Yitzhak, you make a good point here.  I was overstating it when I said
the text was "clear."  The translators appear to be divided over the
possible messianic significance of Haggai 2:7.  Some take it as messianic
and others say the prophet is simply talking about a future time when the
treasures of the nations would flow into the Second Temple.  But even so,
wouldn't such a scenario be necessarily messianic?  Isn't it in messianic
times that the nations will bring tribute to Jerusalem and honor Israel's
King Messiah?  

     But our purpose here is to consider the Hebrew text itself and what it
means in English.  Here are the various English renderings of Haggai 2:7:

 

o°hID©v›kŠF ,©S§n¤j UtŠcU o°hID©v›kŠF›,¤t h¦T§J‹g§r¦v±u

:,ItŠc‰m v²u«v±h r©n¨t sIcŠF v®Z©v ,°h‹C©v›,¤t h¦,t‡K¦nU

 

1985 JPS Tanakh:

I will shake all the nations.  And the precious things of all the nations
shall come [here], and I will fill this House with glory, said the LORD of
Hosts.

 

1769 KJV:

And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and
I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.

 

1982 NKJV:

'and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All
Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,' says the LORD of hosts.

Footnote:

Or the desire of all nations

 

1996 NLT:

I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will come
to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory, says the Lord Almighty. 

 

1973 NIV:

I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I
will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty.

 

2001 ESV:

“‘And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall
come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts.

 

1995 NASB:

'I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all
nations, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD of hosts. 

 

1947 RSV:

and I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall
come in, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the LORD of hosts.

 

1901 ASV:

and I will shake all nations; and the precious things of all nations shall
come; and I will fill this house with glory, saith Jehovah of hosts.

 

Gary Hedrick

San Antonio, Texas USA

 

Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] "Desire of Women" in Heb. Text of Dan. 11:37

 

On 11/12/06, Gary Hedrick wrote:

 

> Doesn't Haggai 2:7 have a similar Hebrew construction ("desire

> of all nations") as a clear reference to the coming Messiah?

 

I would take Haggai 2:7's word "x?mdat" to refer to the city of Jerusalem

if the object of the word "come" and "the elite" is the subject.  I am not
sure why this is a reference to the "Messiah" at all, clear or unclear.

 

Yitzhak Sapir