Haggai 1:1

On the first day of the sixth month ¹  of King Darius’ ²  second year, the Lord spoke this message through the prophet Haggai ³  to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak: ⁴ 

Ex 4:13; 1Ki 14:18; 2Ki 14:25; 1Ch 3:17,19; 1Ch 6:14,15; Ezr 1:8; Ezr 2:2; Ezr 2:63; Ezr 3:2,8; Ezr 3:8; Ezr 4:2; Ezr 4:24; Ezr 5:1,2; Ezr 5:2; Ezr 6:14; Ne 5:14; Ne 7:7; Ne 8:9; Ne 12:1,10; Hag 1:12,14; Hag 2:1,10,20; Hag 2:2,4,21-23; Zec 1:1; Zec 4:6-10; Mt 1:12,13; Lu 3:27

¹ sn The first day of the sixth month was Elul 1 according to the Jewish calendar; August 29, 520 b.c. according to the modern (Julian) calendar.

² sn King Darius is the Persian king Darius Hystaspes who ruled from 522-486 b.c.

³ tn Heb “the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet” (בְּיַד־חַגַּי, bÿyad-khaggay). This suggests that the prophet is only an instrument of the Lord; the Lord is to be viewed as the true author (see 1:3; 2:1; Mal 1:1).

⁴ tn The typical translation “Joshua (the) son of Jehozadak, the high priest” (cf. ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV) can be understood to mean that Jehozadak was high priest. However, Zech 3:1, 8 clearly indicates that Joshua was high priest (see also Ezra 5:1-2; cf. NAB). The same potential misunderstanding occurs in Hag 1:12, 14 and 2:2, where the same solution has been employed in the translation.