Haggai 2:13
What does Haggai 2:13 mean?
A plain-English look at Haggai 2:13 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Haggai 2:13 means
Haggai’s second question flips the scenario: if someone unclean from contact with a dead body touches food, does the uncleanness spread? The priests answer: it becomes unclean. Impurity is contagious; it transfers readily. This highlights a sobering asymmetry: defilement spreads more easily than holiness. Sin’s effects are invasive; ritual impurity communicates uncleanness to common things. The people are being taught that a defiled condition corrupts what they do, even religious acts. The takeaway is not despair but realism: external rituals cannot repair an unclean heart. Only returning to God in obedience restores purity so that labor and offerings become pleasing to Him again.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by reason of a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Then 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.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by reason of a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Then Haggai said, Will any of these be made unclean by the touch of one who is unclean through touching a dead body? And the priests answering said, It will be made unclean.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And Haggai saith, `If the unclean of body doth come against any of these, is it unclean?' And the priests answer and say, `It is unclean.'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752If a man carry sanctified flesh in the skirt of his garment, and touch with his skirt, bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat: shall it be sanctified? And the priests answered, and said: No.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And Haggai said, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, is it become unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.
Context
This second question, with its affirmative answer, sets up the application in verse 14. Having established that holiness does not spread but impurity does, Haggai will declare that the people and their work had been unclean. The contrast between verses 12 and 13 is essential: it shows why mere involvement in temple matters could not counteract the defilement of neglect and disobedience. The argument prepares the way for verses 15–17, which review the painful consequences the people experienced, and for verses 18–19, which promise a decisive turning once obedience resumes.
v.12If 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 food, shall it become holy? And the priests answered and said, No.
v.13This passage
v.14Then answered Haggai and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith Jehovah; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Numbers 19:11
He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days:
- Leviticus 22:4
What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath an issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso toucheth anything that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him;
- Numbers 5:2
Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is unclean by the dead:
- Numbers 9:6
And there were certain men, who were unclean by reason of the dead body of a man, so that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day:
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