the descendants of Ishmael: called also Ishmaelites and
Saracens, or Arabians, from their country. Their name, Saracens, is not
derived, as some have thought, from Sarah, Abraham’s wife, but from the
Hebrew _sarak_, which signifies “to rob” or “to steal;” because they
mostly carry on the trade of thieving: or from Sahara, the desert;
Saracens, inhabitants of the desert. But some writers think Hagarene
imports _south_, conformably to the Arabic; hence Hagar, that is, the
southern woman; and Mount Sinai is called Hagar, that is, the southern
mountain, Gal. iv, 25. But there seems also to have been a particular
tribe who bore this name more exclusively, as the Hagarenes are
sometimes mentioned in Scripture distinct from the Ishmaelites, Psalm
lxxxiii, 6; 1 Chron. v, 19.
HAGGAI was one of the Jews who returned with Zerubbabel to Jerusalem in
consequence of the edict of Cyrus; and it is believed that he was born
during the captivity, and that he was of the sacerdotal race. His
prophecy consists of four distinct revelations, all which took place in
the second year of Darius, king of Persia, B. C. 520. The prophet
reproves the people for their delay in building the temple of God, and
represents the unfruitful seasons which they had experienced as a divine
punishment for this neglect. He exhorts them to proceed in the important
work; and by way of encouragement predicts, that the glory of the second
temple, however inferior in external magnificence, shall exceed that of
the first; which was accomplished by its being honoured with the
presence of the Saviour of mankind. He farther urges the completion of
the temple by promises of divine favour, and under the type of
Zerubbabel he is supposed by some to foretel the great revolutions which
shall precede the second advent of Christ. The style of Haggai is in
general plain and simple; but in some passages it rises to a
considerable degree of sublimity.
Saracens, or Arabians, from their country. Their name, Saracens, is not
derived, as some have thought, from Sarah, Abraham’s wife, but from the
Hebrew _sarak_, which signifies “to rob” or “to steal;” because they
mostly carry on the trade of thieving: or from Sahara, the desert;
Saracens, inhabitants of the desert. But some writers think Hagarene
imports _south_, conformably to the Arabic; hence Hagar, that is, the
southern woman; and Mount Sinai is called Hagar, that is, the southern
mountain, Gal. iv, 25. But there seems also to have been a particular
tribe who bore this name more exclusively, as the Hagarenes are
sometimes mentioned in Scripture distinct from the Ishmaelites, Psalm
lxxxiii, 6; 1 Chron. v, 19.
HAGGAI was one of the Jews who returned with Zerubbabel to Jerusalem in
consequence of the edict of Cyrus; and it is believed that he was born
during the captivity, and that he was of the sacerdotal race. His
prophecy consists of four distinct revelations, all which took place in
the second year of Darius, king of Persia, B. C. 520. The prophet
reproves the people for their delay in building the temple of God, and
represents the unfruitful seasons which they had experienced as a divine
punishment for this neglect. He exhorts them to proceed in the important
work; and by way of encouragement predicts, that the glory of the second
temple, however inferior in external magnificence, shall exceed that of
the first; which was accomplished by its being honoured with the
presence of the Saviour of mankind. He farther urges the completion of
the temple by promises of divine favour, and under the type of
Zerubbabel he is supposed by some to foretel the great revolutions which
shall precede the second advent of Christ. The style of Haggai is in
general plain and simple; but in some passages it rises to a
considerable degree of sublimity.