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Haggai/Zechariah helps readers learn how the message of these two prophets who challenged and encouraged the people of God after the return from Babylon can have the same powerful impact on the community of faith today. The setting: Jerusalem. Recently returned from Babylonian captivity, the Jews are occupied with personal pursuits while the temple of Yahweh lies in ruins. To the prophets Haggai...

Once again the priests’ answer consists of one word in Hebrew (“defiled”), which represents the starting point for the prophet’s main thrust.17 God is drawing an analogy between the defilement in the scenario and the defilement of the people. Note the repetition of the Hebrew word ken (“so,” which looks back to the priests’ answer) three times in verse 14 before repeating the priests’ answer again at the end of the verse: (lit.) “So this people, and so this nation before me, declares the LORD, and
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