Haggai 2:2 (ASV)

Passage

Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying,

Nearby Context

Haggai 2:1 In the seventh [month], in the one and twentieth [day] of the month, came the word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet, saying,

Haggai 2:2 Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying,

Haggai 2:3 Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes as nothing?

Haggai 2:4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith Jehovah; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith Jehovah, and work: for I am with you, saith Jehovah of hosts,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "speak", "zerubbabel", "shealtiel", "governor", "judah", "joshua", "jehozadak", and "high". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "speak" and "zerubbabel", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "In the seventh month in the one..." into verse 3's "Who is left among you that saw...", so "speak" and "zerubbabel" belong inside that flow. In Haggai context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "speak" and "zerubbabel" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.