Haggai 1:10
What does Haggai 1:10 mean?
A plain-English look at Haggai 1:10 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Haggai 1:10 means
Because of their neglect, even the heavens and the earth withhold blessing. Dew and fruit, vital in an agrarian society, are restrained. This shows that God’s covenant rule touches all creation; nature itself responds to its Maker. The people’s spiritual condition is not a private matter—it affects the land they inhabit. The withholding is not vindictive but corrective, a sign that life cannot thrive while God’s house lies in ruins. The Creator uses the created order to call His people back. Their problem is not only insufficient effort but a broken alignment with the Lord who gives growth. Restoration begins with restoring honor to Him at the center.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Therefore for your sake the heavens withhold the dew, and the earth withholdeth its fruit.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Therefore for your sake the heavens withhold the dew, and the earth withholdeth its fruit.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949For this cause the heaven over you is kept from giving dew, and the earth from giving her fruit.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862Therefore, over you refrained have the heavens from dew, And the land hath refrained its increase.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Therefore the heavens over you were stayed from giving dew, and the earth was hindered from yielding her fruits:
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Therefore over you the heavens withhold their dew, and the earth withholdeth its fruit.
Context
Coming after verse 9’s diagnosis, verse 10 widens the lens to cosmic participation in God’s discipline. It anticipates verse 11’s detailed list of what the drought touches. This heightens the seriousness of the people’s neglect and underlines the necessity of the rebuilding command in verse 8. The narrative is pressing the readers to see that only turning to God’s priorities can reverse the barrenness that pervades their work and land.
v.9Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith Jehovah of hosts. Because of my house that lieth waste, while ye run every man to his own house.
v.10This passage
v.11And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the grain, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labor of the hands.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Jeremiah 14:1
The word of Jehovah that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought.
- Hosea 2:9
Therefore will I take back my grain in the time thereof, and my new wine in the season thereof, and will pluck away my wool and my flax which should have covered her nakedness.
- Leviticus 26:19
And I will break the pride of your power: and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass;
- Deuteronomy 28:23
And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.
- Joel 1:18
How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.
- 1 Kings 8:35
When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them:
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