Go up to the mountain Go to any of the forests upon the mountains: see Nehemiah 2:8: and cut down timber to carry on the building; or go to the mountain of Moriah, which I have chosen to build my temple upon it; and I will take pleasure in it I will accept your offerings, and hear your prayers. And I will be glorified Will show my majesty, and account myself glorified by you also. Ye looked for much and lo, it came to little It did not answer the expectation you had formed. When ye brought it home, I did blow upon it I blasted it; or, blowed it away: when you brought your gains home, I caused them to be soon scattered again, or expended. The dearth with which God punished them for their neglect of rebuilding the temple, made all the necessaries of life so dear, that whatever gains they got were quickly expended. Why? saith the Lord, &c. For what reason have ye been visited with this calamity? Because of my house that is waste All this evil is come upon you for your ungodly neglect of my house, leaving it waste. And ye run every man to his own house You with eagerness carry on your own particular buildings, and mind only your own private affairs, and you take no manner of care about those things which concern my worship. Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew I have punished you with great drought, wherein the dew itself has ceased to fall: see 1 Kings 17:1. And the earth is stayed from her fruit From bringing forth those fruits which otherwise it would have produced. And I called for a drought I caused a dearth of every thing in the land, or a general barrenness to take place. And upon the mountains Upon the hills, where your cattle and flocks used to feed, and to find sufficient nourishment; upon the new wine, and upon the oil
Upon your vineyards and olive-yards; and upon men, and upon cattle I made both men and cattle unfruitful. Or the meaning is, their very constitutions were changed, and many diseases afflicted them.