In the four-and-twentieth day, &c.— Three months after they had begun to build the temple, Haggai receives orders from the Lord, to go and propose two questions to the priests, respecting the ceremonies of the law; in order from their answer to draw instruction for the princes and the people. He first asks, whether the sanctified flesh of a sacrifice which a man carried in the lappet of his garment, communicated its sanctity, and rendered the things which he approached and touched with it incapable of being indifferently employed. The priests answer in the negative; upon which the prophet asks again, Haggai 2:14 whether a man, who is polluted by having attended a funeral, if he touches any thing eatable, does not communicate his pollution, so as that those who are clean can no longer use it. The priests reply, that the man thus polluted renders whatever he uses or touches unclean: the prophet then in the next verse, in the name of Jehovah, applies this their last answer to the present state of the people: "As a man polluted communicates his pollution to whatever he touches; so, whatever you have hitherto done, and whatever you have offered to me in this temple, hath been polluted in my sight. In vain have you offered to me sacrifices, to avert my anger from your land, and engage me to restore its fertility; I have been deaf to your vows, I have turned away mine eyes from your oblations. You have been smitten with the scourge of my displeasure until now; but inasmuch as you have at length begun to set about my temple, you shall soon behold the effects of my blessings upon you. I will restore fruitfulness to your fields, your vineyards and your olive-trees." See Haggai 2:19. God, to adapt himself to the grossness of the people, and render them more sensible of the fault that they had committed in thus neglecting the re-establishment of his house, observes, that he hitherto considered them all as men defiled by the touch of a dead body, since, instead of exciting his mercy by their offerings, they had only communicated their pollutions to the temple, altar, and victims. See Calmet.
Related Commentaries of Haggai 2:10
Haggai 2:10-14
10 In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,
11 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,
12 If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.
13 Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.
14 Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.