Hag 2:20-23 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Hag 2:20-23: 2:20-23 Haggai’s final message is perhaps the most important; it reestablishes the prominence of David’s descendant in Israel’s religious and political life. The dynasty of David was key to restoring the Hebrew people after the Babylonian exile (see Jer 23:5 ; Ezek 37:24 ). God had cursed David’s descendant, King Jehoiachin, at the time of the Exile (Jer 22:24-30 ), but Haggai’s last message overturns that curse and reinstates the covenant with David (see 2 Sam 7:4-17 ) as the means by which God will carry out his promises to bless and restore Israel.

Summary for Hag 2:20-23: 2:20-23 ^a Haggai’s final message is perhaps the most important; it reestablishes the prominence of David’s descendant in Israel’s religious and political life. The dynasty of David was key to restoring the Hebrew people after the Babylonian exile (see Jer 23:5 ^b; Ezek 37:24 ^c). God had cursed David’s descendant, King Jehoiachin, at the time of the Exile (Jer 22:24-30 ^d), but Haggai’s last message overturns that curse and reinstates the covenant with David (see 2 Sam 7:4-17 ^e) as the means by which God will carry out his promises to bless and restore Israel.
2:21 ^f Zerubbabel, the governor, was a descendant of David through Jehoiachin (1 Chr 3:19 ^g). Haggai’s affirmation thus overturns the curse on Jehoiachin (Jer 22:24-30 ^h). However, Zerubbabel abruptly disappears from the biblical record. He was possibly deposed as Judean governor or even executed by King Darius, who was attempting to control his newly acquired empire. The expectations here ascribed to Zerubbabel, and his status as a descendant of David, might have made him a political threat to Darius.
2:22 ⁱ I will overturn their chariots and riders: The prophet’s language would remind Israel of their deliverance from the Egyptian army (see Exod 15:1-21 ^j). The ambiguity of the threat of God’s judgment makes it unclear whether Haggai is referring to events in the distant future or to something more immediate involving the Persian Empire (e.g., the Greek-Persian wars during the reigns of Darius I and Xerxes or the later Peloponnesian War).
2:23 ^k The signet ring was a symbol of kingship. An engraved stone set in a gold or silver finger ring was used to seal or endorse official documents. The image here emphasizes the divine authority invested in Zerubbabel and assures the people of God’s continuing involvement in the political process (despite the failures of the Hebrew monarchs). The designation of Zerubbabel as the signet of the Lord no doubt rekindled expectations for the Messiah, since Zerubbabel was a descendant of King David. Yet the declaration ultimately points beyond Zerubbabel (see study note on 2:21) to one of his descendants (see Matt 1:12 ^l; Luke 1:32-33 ^m; 3:27 ⁿ).

Thematic note: Clean, Unclean, and Holy
The rites and regulations establishing cleanness and uncleanness were to distinguish Israel from the surrounding nations. To understand a rationale behind these regulations, one suggestion has been that unclean things are associated with death or the ground (see, e.g., Lev 21:1 ^o, 11 ^p; 22:8 ^q). Recent studies, however, suggest the principle of “normalcy.” God is a God of order. Things that are normal in God’s order are called “clean” and are “permitted.” Abnormal things would be unfit for food or offerings and would be “unclean.” A normal land animal would be a vegetarian (see Gen 1:30 ^r). A normal human body would have no infections or discharges. A normal piece of cloth would have no mildew on it. If abnormalities occurred, the animal, person, or cloth was unclean.
What is unclean is not sinful but represents a kind of unworthiness that cannot come in contact with what is holy (e.g., Lev 11:44-45 ^s). If it is cleansed, it acquires the potential for holiness; it may be dedicated to God and become holy. If what is holy (such as the Sabbath) is treated like something common, God is blasphemed and the thing is profaned. If what is clean becomes unclean, it is defiled and requires cleansing. Some things, such as unclean animals, fish, or birds, remain unclean by definition and can never be cleansed, and, thus, can never become holy.
In the new covenant, things that were previously unclean have been declared clean (Acts 10:15 ^t, 28 ^u, 45 ^v). Yet God is still a God of order (1 Cor 14:33 ^w) and wants worship to be conducted in an orderly way (1 Cor 14:40 ^x). While God’s grace is abundant to repentant sinners, some things are still repulsive to his holiness and should never be brought into his presence (e.g., Ananias and Sapphira’s offering; see Acts 5:1-11 ^y).

Passages for Further Study
Gen 7:2 ^z; Lev 11:1–15:33 ^aa; 21:1-23 ^ab; 22:3-8 ^ac; Num 19:1-22 ^ad; Deut 14:1-21 ^ae; 21:1-9 ^af; Pss 19:9 ^ag; 24:3-4 ^ah; 51:7-10 ^ai; Isa 52:11 ^aj; Matt 8:2-4 ^ak; John 13:10-11 ^al; Acts 10:9-28 ^am; Heb 9:13-15 ^an, 23 ^ao