away from her.” (Gen. 16:1-6) At the fountain on the way to Shur Jehovah’s angel found Hagar and instructed her to return to her mistress and to humble herself under her hand. Moreover, she was told that Jehovah would greatly multiply her seed and that the son to be born to her was to be called Ishmael. Abraham was eighty-six years old when Ishmael was born.—Gen. 16:7-16.

Years later, when Abraham prepared “a big feast on the day of Isaac’s being weaned” at the age of about five years, Sarah noticed Hagar’s son Ishmael, now about nineteen years old, “poking fun” or playing with Isaac in a mocking way, and here making early manifestation of the antagonistic traits that Jehovah’s angel foretold would be shown by him. (Gen. 16:12) Apparently fearing for the future of her son Isaac, Sarah requested Abraham to drive out Hagar and her son. This displeased Abraham, but at Jehovah’s direction he followed through on his wife’s request. Early the next morning he dismissed Hagar with her son, giving her bread and a skin water bottle.—Gen. 21:8-14.

Hagar wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. “Finally the water became exhausted . . . and she threw the child under one of the bushes.” Ishmael’s being referred to as a “child” is not an anachronism, for the Hebrew word yeʹledh here rendered “child” also means “young man,” and is so translated at Genesis 4:23. As to his being thrown under one of the bushes, although it was foretold that he would be a “zebra of a man,” Ishmael may not have been very strong as a teen-ager. (Gen. 16:12) Hence he may have given out first, necessitating his mother’s supporting him. This would not be inconceivable, for women in those days, especially slave women, were accustomed to carrying heavy burdens in everyday life. It seems that in time Hagar also gave out, making it necessary for her to withdraw her support from him, depositing him, perhaps somewhat abruptly, under the nearest sheltering bush. Hagar herself sat down “about the distance of a bowshot” (a common Hebrew expression denoting the usual distance at which archers placed their targets) away from her son. Although Hagar did not want to see her son die, she, nevertheless, kept him in sight.—Gen. 21:14-16.

God’s angel then called to Hagar, telling her not to be afraid and that Ishmael would be constituted a great nation. Furthermore, God opened her eyes so that she saw a well of water, from which she filled the skin bottle and gave her son a drink. “God continued to be with the boy,” and in time he became an archer and “took up dwelling in the wilderness of Paran.” Hagar procured a wife for him from the land of Egypt.—Gen. 21:17-21.

According to the apostle Paul, Hagar figured in a symbolic drama in which she represented the nation of fleshly Israel, bound to Jehovah by the Law covenant inaugurated at Mount Sinai, which covenant brought forth “children for slavery.” Because of the nation’s inability, due to their sinful condition, to keep the terms of that covenant, under it the Israelites did not become a free people but were condemned as sinners worthy of death, hence being slaves. (John 8:34; Rom. 8:1-3) Jerusalem of Paul’s day corresponded to Hagar, for Jerusalem the capital, representing the organization of natural Israel, found herself in slavery with her children. Spirit-begotten Christians, though, are children of the “Jerusalem above,” God’s symbolic woman. This heavenly Jerusalem, like Sarah the freewoman, has never been in slavery. But just as Isaac was persecuted by Ishmael, so also the children of the “Jerusalem above,” who have been set free by the Son, experienced persecution at the hands of the children of enslaved Jerusalem. However, Hagar and her son were driven out, representing Jehovah’s casting off natural Israel as a nation.—Gal. 4:21-31; see also John 8:31-40.

HAGGAI

(Hagʹgai) [festive].

A Hebrew prophet in Judah and Jerusalem during Zerubbabel’s governorship in the reign of Persian King Darius Hystaspis. (Hag. 1:1; 2:1, 10, 20; Ezra 5:1, 2) “Haggai” may be an abbreviated form of “Haggiah,” meaning “festival of Jah (Jehovah).”

Jewish tradition holds that Haggai was a member of the Great Synagogue. From Haggai 2:10-19 it has been suggested that he may have been a priest. His name appears along with that of the prophet Zechariah in the superscriptions of Psalm 111 (112) in the Latin Vulgate, Psalms 125 and 126 in the Syriac Peshitta Version, 137 in the Septuagint Version, 145 in the Septuagint, the Peshitta, and the Vulgate, and 146, 147 and 148 in the Septuagint and the Peshitta. It is probable that Haggai was born in Babylon and that he returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel and the Jewish remnant in 537 B.C.E. But little is actually known about Haggai, for the Scriptures do not reveal the prophet’s parentage, tribe, and so forth.

Haggai, the first postexilic prophet, joined about two months later by Zechariah (Hag. 1:1; Zech. 1:1), kindled the zeal of the repatriated Jewish exiles for the resumption of temple construction after a halt of some years precipitated by enemy opposition but extended by Jewish apathy and selfish pursuit of personal interests. (Ezra 3:10-13; 4:1-24; Hag. 1:4) Four God-given messages delivered by Haggai during about a four-month period in the second year of Darius Hystaspis (520/519 B.C.E.) and recorded by the prophet in the Bible book of Haggai were especially effective in initially moving the Jews to resume temple-building work. (Hag. 1:1; 2:1, 10, 20; see HAGGAI, BOOK OF.) Haggai and Zechariah continued to urge them on in the work until the temple was completed in Darius’ sixth year, in 515 B.C.E.—Ezra 5:1, 2; 6:14, 15.

HAGGAI, BOOK OF

An inspired book of the Hebrew Scriptures listed among the so-called “Minor Prophets.” It consists of four messages from Jehovah to Jews that had returned from Babylonian exile, urging them to finish rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. Also being prophetic, the book foretold such things as the filling of Jehovah’s house with glory and the overthrow of human kingdoms.—Hag. 2:6, 7, 21, 22; compare Isaiah 2:2-4.

WRITERSHIP AND CANONICITY

Haggai the prophet was the writer, he first having personally delivered each message found in the book. (Hag. 1:1; 2:1, 10, 20; see HAGGAI.) While most of the ancient Scripture catalogues do not list the book of Haggai by name, it is evidently included in their references to the ‘twelve minor prophets,’ the number twelve thus being complete. The Jews have never questioned its right to a place among the Hebrew Scriptures, and the canonicity of the book is definitely established by the quotation from Haggai 2:6 appearing at Hebrews 12:26.—Compare Haggai 2:21.

STYLE

The language is simple and the meaning is made abundantly clear. Thought-provoking questions are sometimes posed. (Hag. 1:4, 9; 2:3, 12, 13, 19) The book of Haggai contains strong reproof, encouragement and hope-inspiring prophecy. The divine name, Jehovah, appears thirty-five times in its thirty-eight verses, and it is clearly shown that the messages were from God, Haggai serving as His commissioned messenger.—Hag. 1:13.

DATE AND CIRCUMSTANCES

The four messages recorded by Haggai were delivered at Jerusalem within about a four-month period in the second year of Persian King Darius Hystaspis (520/519 B.C.E.), the book apparently being completed in 520 B.C.E. (Hag. 1:1; 2:1, 10, 20) Zechariah was prophesying for the same purpose during Haggai’s prophetic activity.—Ezra 5:1, 2; 6:14.

MESSAGES OF LASTING BENEFIT

Among other things, the book of Haggai engenders faith in Jehovah, essential to God’s servants. It shows that God is with his people (Hag. 1:13; 2:4, 5), and also urges them to put his interests first in life. (Hag. 1:2-8; Matt. 6:33) The book makes clear the fact that mere formalistic worship does not please Jehovah (Hag. 2:10-17; compare Isaiah 29:13, 14; Matthew 15:7-9), but that faithful actions harmonizing with the divine will result in blessing. (Hag. 2:18, 19; compare Proverbs 10:22.) The writer of the Bible book of Hebrews applies Haggai 2:6 as having a greater fulfillment in connection with God’s kingdom in the hands of Jesus Christ.—Heb. 12:26-29.

OUTLINE OF CONTENTS

I. First message, in second year of Darius Hystaspis, on first day of sixth month (1:1-15)

A. Reproof for failure to rebuild temple (1:1-12)

1. People more interested in own homes, eating and drinking, while God’s house lay waste (1:3-8)

2. God’s blessing on their crops and toil removed (1:9-11)

B. Zerubbabel and Joshua lead; people stirred up to resume rebuilding work on twenty-fourth day of sixth month (1:12-15)

II. Second message, on twenty-first day of seventh month (2:1-9)

A. Those who had seen temple built by Solomon look at rebuilding as insignificant; apparently discourage others (Compare Zechariah 4:10.) (2:1-3)

B. Jehovah reassures them that he is with them, recalling his covenant with Israel; he will fill this house with glory (2:4-9)

1. He will rock heavens, earth, sea and dry ground (2:4-6)

2. Desirable things of all nations will come in, so that glory of this house will be greater than former one (2:7-9)

III. Third message, on twenty-fourth day of ninth month (2:10-19)

A. People unclean in all their work and what they present (2:10-14)

B. Even when struck with scarcity, drought and hail, have not turned to Jehovah (2:15-17)

C. From this day Jehovah will bestow blessing (2:18, 19)

IV. Fourth message, on twenty-fourth day of second month (2:20-23)

A. Jehovah will rock heaven and earth, overthrow kingdoms of the nations (2:20-22)

B. Will set Zerubbabel (a descendant of David and ancestor of the Messiah) as a seal ring, as His chosen one (See 1 Chronicles 3:1-19; Matthew 1:6-16, Luke 3:23-31.) (2:23)

See the book “All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial,” pp. 166-168.

HAGGI

(Hagʹgi) [festive].

Second-named son of Gad; grandson of Jacob and ancestral head of the Haggites.—Gen. 46:8, 16; Num. 26:4, 15.

HAGGIAH

(Hag·giʹah) [a festival of Jehovah].

Son of Shimea; a Levite of the family of Merari.—1 Chron. 6:16, 29, 30.

HAGGITES

See HAGGI.

HAGGITH

(Hagʹgith) [festive].

A wife of David and the mother of Adonijah, who schemed to get the kingship over Israel.—2 Sam. 3:2, 4; 1 Ki. 1:5, 11; 1 Chron. 3:1, 2.

HAGRI

(Hagʹri).

Father of Mibhar, one of David’s mighty men.—1 Chron. 11:26, 38.

HAGRITE

(Hagʹrite).

Many scholars believe that the Hagrites are probably the same as the A·graiʹoi mentioned by the ancient geographers Strabo, Ptolemy and Pliny. Whether they were descendants of Hagar, as some suppose, cannot be definitely established. The Hagrites apparently were a pastoral people residing in tents E of Gilead. In the days of King Saul the Israelites living E of the Jordan defeated the Hagrites, taking 100,000 captives, as well as thousands of camels, asses and sheep. (1 Chron. 5:10, 18-22) The psalmist listed the Hagrites among other enemies of Israel, such as the Edomites, Moabites, Ammonites and Amalekites. (Ps. 83:2-7) However, during David’s rule, Jaziz the Hagrite was in charge of the royal flocks.—1 Chron. 27:31.

HAIL

A form of precipitation consisting of pellets of ice or frozen rain. The Bible’s references to the destructive nature of hail are confirmed by what has happened in different parts of the earth in more recent years. For example, in the spring of 1888, at Moradabad, India, and vicinity, a hailstorm killed 260 persons. About ten years later hundreds of small animals were killed in a hailstorm in the state of Missouri, U.S.A., the hail even penetrated the roofs of houses. Hail is particularly damaging to crops, with single hailstorms sometimes causing losses amounting to millions of dollars.

USED BY JEHOVAH

Hail is one of the forces Jehovah has used at times to accomplish his word and to demonstrate his great power. (Ps. 148:1, 8; Isa. 30:30) The first recorded instance of this was the seventh plague upon ancient Egypt, a destructive hailstorm that ruined vegetation, shattered trees and killed both men and beasts out in the field, but did not affect the Israelites in Goshen. (Ex. 9:18-26; Ps. 78:47, 48; 105:32, 33) Later, in the Promised Land, when the Israelites, under Joshua, came to the aid of the Gibeonites, who were threatened by an alliance of five kings of the Amorites, Jehovah used great hailstones against the attacking Amorites. On this occasion more died from the hailstones than in battle with Israel.—Josh. 10:3-7, 11.

Symbolic

Jehovah, however, did not spare unfaithful Israel from devastating hail. (Hag. 2:17) Furthermore, through his prophet Isaiah, he foretold the overthrow of the ten-tribe kingdom by the Assyrians, comparing the conquering Assyrian forces to a “thunderous storm of hail.” (Isa. 28:1, 2) Similarly the Babylonians, like hail, were to sweep away Judah’s “refuge of a lie,” that is, Judah’s alliance with Egypt for military help.—Isa. 28:14, 17; 31:1-3.

‘For the day of war’

In speaking to Job out of the windstorm, Jehovah indicated that he had reserved storehouses of hail for “the day of fight and war.” (Job 38:1, 22, 23) Appropriately, therefore, hail is mentioned among the elements to be used against the attacking forces of “Gog.” (Ezek. 38:22) Additionally, in the book of Revelation, reference is made to hail in conjunction with the first of the seven angels with trumpets blowing his trumpet, and in connection with the opening of the heavenly temple sanctuary of God. (Rev. 8:2, 7; 11:19) Then, at the pouring out of the seventh bowl of God’s anger, symbolic hailstones weighing about a talent (c. 75 lbs., avdp.; c. 34 kg.) descend upon wicked men.—Rev. 16:1, 17, 21.

HAIR

Historically, men and women in general have regarded their hair as ornamental, enhancing their attractiveness, and as a sign, in many cases, of strength and youth. Therefore, great care has been given to the hair.

EGYPTIANS

The Egyptians had, probably, the most peculiar