Haggai 2:5 [According to] the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.
Ver. 5. According to the word] Or, as Tremellius hath it better, Cum VERBO quo pepigeram vobiscum, With the WORD, in and for whom I covenanted with you, &c. So my Spirit remaineth among you. And so it is a gracious promise that the whole Trinity will be with them. The particle eth seemeth put for gnayim; and the article he is emphatic, showing that by Word is meant the second person, often called the Word both in the Old Testament, 2Sa 7:21 cf. 1 Chronicles 17:19, and in the New, Luke 1:1,80 : 2 John 1:1 1 John 5:7. The Chaldee seemeth to favour this interpretation, for he rendereth it, My word shall be your help. Jerome, Albertus, Nyssen, and Haymo dissent not. Haggai, and other prophets and patriarchs of old, did well understand the mystery of the sacred Trinity. See Trapp on " Gen 1:1 " Elihu speaks of the Almighty his makers, Job 35:10. Solomon the same, Ecc 12:1 Song of Solomon 1:11, which Jarchi interpreteth of the Trinity. Isaiah hath his Trisagion, or, "Holy, holy, holy," Isa 6:3 In Isaiah 42:5 "Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and they that stretched them out." So Deuteronomy 6:4, when Moses beginneth to rehearse the law, and to explain it, the first thing he teacheth them is the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity. "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one." Three words answering the three persons; and the middle word, "our God," deciphering fitly the second, who assumed our nature, as is well observed by Galatinus. Others observe that the last letters in the original, both in the word "hear" and in the word "one," are bigger than ordinary; as calling for utmost heed and attention. The old Rabbis were no strangers to this tremendous mystery (as appeareth by R. Solomen's note on Song of Solomon 1:11 "We will make," &c.), though their posterity desperately deny it. The Greek Church was not as sound in this fundamental point; therefore their chief city, Constantinople, was taken from them by the Turks (as Estius observeth) on Whitsunday, or (as others) on Trinity Sunday; which day (saith our chronicler) the Black Prince was used every year to celebrate with the greatest honour that might be, in due veneration of so divine a mystery. Now, Christ is here and elsewhere called The Word, either because he is so often promised in the word, or else because by him God's will was manifested and revealed to men, and that either mediately, in the prophets, whence Peter, martyr, thinketh that phrase came, Then came the word of the Lord, that is, Christ; or, immediately, himself, Hebrews 1:2; Hebrews 2:3 .
That I covenanted with you] Or, in whom I covenanted, and whence Christ is called the angel of the covenant, Malachi 3:1. Christ, then, was a Saviour to those of the Old Testament also, "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world," Revelation 13:8. Christ undertook to pay his people's debt in the fulness of time; and hereby they were saved. A man may let a prisoner loose now upon a promise to pay the debt a year after. See Hebrews 9:15, and take notice of the unity of the faith in both Testaments; they of old saw Christ afar off in the promises, they greeted him (ασπασαμενοι), and were regreeted by him, Hebrews 11:13
When ye came out of Egypt] Ye, that is, your ancestors. Things done by the parents may be said to be done by the children; because of the near conjunction that is between them. Hence Levi is said to pay tithes in Abraham, Hebrews 7:9, and Adam's sin is imputed to us all.
So my spirit remaineth among you] Not the substance, but the gifts of the Spirit; not the tree, but the fruits. Those whom God receiveth into the covenant of grace he endues them with the spirit of grace. See Romans 8:9; Romans 8:11. How else should they be able to perform their part of the covenant, since we cannot so much as suspirare unless he do first inspirare, breathe out a sigh for sin till he breathe it in to us by his Spirit? Hereby, then, we may know whether or not we are in covenant with God (the devil will be sure to sweep all that are not), sc. if his Spirit remain in us, Jeremiah 31:33, working illumination, 1 Corinthians 2:14,15, mortification, Romans 8:13, motion, Romans 8:14, gifts, 1 Corinthians 12:4; 1 Corinthians 12:7,8, &c., fruits, Galatians 5:22,23, strength, Isaiah 11:2, courage, as here.
Fear ye not] Cur timer hominem homo, in sinu Dei positus (Aug.)? Why should such fear man who have God in Christ by his Spirit standing with them and for them? The righteous may be bold as a lion; he hath the peace of God within him and the power of God without him, and so goes ever under a double guard; what need he fear? It is said of Achilles that he was Styge armatus, and therefore could not be wounded. But he that is in covenant with God is Deo, Christo, Spiritu Saneto armatus, and may therefore be fearless of any creature.