Jerome : (Verse 9.) You looked for more, and behold, there was less: and you brought it into the house, and I blew it away: You looked for many things, and they became few: and you brought them into the house, and I blew them away. Cast aside delay, and set aside all ambiguity, that you may more diligently build my house, as well as whatever has happened to you who have delayed building my house, not as before: You sowed much, but because the earth did not yield a harvest, you brought little; but when the crops began to ripen and the time of harvest drew near, and you thought you would have the grain in your hands, you harvested empty stalks and gathered empty husks without the fruits of the spikes. The fields were full: hope in the eyes, sorrow in the hands. But even this very thing that had been selected from a plentiful harvest and countless heaps, you brought into the house, and by my power, it was scattered. For I blew it away, and reduced it to nothingness; because the dead grain and empty husks, which are useful for eating, did not have flour and fine meal. However, this can be said: you brought it into the house, and I blew it away, and I will receive the gifts that they offered on the altar, and God will blow them away. But because he said, 'You have brought it into the house,' if we understand those things which have been brought as gifts, we say that they have been offered in the temple. And it does not agree with us, because at that time the house of God had not yet been built: which indeed happens even today to many who live in humble buildings, and as far as they are concerned, they despise the deserted house of God and when they are able to build, they disregard it: and as if already seeing mature crops, they promise themselves the fruit of their works, and deceived by hope, they find hardly anything great in return. But even these small things, which they had stored in the house and in the granary, are blown away by the Word of God, as if unworthy of His custody and protection. How often have I seen so much hope in their teaching as well as in their conduct: and after it came time to reap, that is, the time to teach and to provide an example for the people, they were found wanting, and fell from their lofty positions, and were found to be less than what everyone expected. It happened that gradually, due to sudden negligence, they lost even the little they seemed to have. However, they endured this because they felt secure in their former homes, and did not ascend the mountain of Scriptures, cutting down the wood of the Lord's building, nor did they build a daily house for the Lord within themselves; but despising its desolation, they also lost what they believed they had. The aforementioned evils are explained by this cause. — Commentary on Haggai Theodore of Mopsuestia : He intends by this to remind them of what they have suffered by neglecting the temple. When you overlooked my house lying in ruins and took an interest in rebuilding your own houses, he is saying, then the rain stopped, the land did not yield its crops, and I destroyed all the crops on the ground as though with a sword, striking many times both people and cattle, and in short ruining the fruit of your labors. In fact, to this exhortation to climb up, cut wood, bring it and give thought to rebuilding, he added these things to cause them fear by the reminder of what had happened lest they receive the command listlessly. — COMMENTARY ON Haggai 1:9-11 Theodoret of Cyrus : Now the God of all made these threats on account of the neglect of the divine house, though not for any need of it: the Maker of all things has no need even of heaven, creating everything out of lovingkindness alone. Rather, it was in his care for them all and his interest in their salvation that he ordered the rebuilding of the temple so that they might observe the law in it and reap the benefit, wanting as he did worship according to the law to be performed until the coming of the heir, according to the divine apostle. After the incarnation of our Savior, you see, when the new covenant was revealed, the old came to an end, and the law, which as a tutor had given us a glimpse of the teacher of great wisdom, yielded pride of place, since those tutored by it had no further need of the basic elements. — COMMENTARY ON Haggai 1:9-13