The twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius corresponds to December 18, 520 B.C. In the Jewish lunar calendar, though not in our modern calendar, this was exactly three months after the work on the Temple was renewed (1.15). The ninth month was later given the name Kislev (compare Zech 7.1). We may note that between the time of Haggai’s previous message (2.1) and the time of this one, Zechariah had begun his prophetic ministry with a call to the people to repent (Zech 1.1-6). In this instance, the date is given in the order day-month-year, but there is no reason to believe that the variation in the order of elements is significant. Translators should use whatever order of elements is most natural in their language. For comments on month and Darius, see the notes on 1.1.

The word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet: This part of verse 10 is broadly similar to the statements in 1.1 and 2.1. However, there are two small points to be noted. First of all the Good News Translation preposition “to” (rather than “through” as in 1.1 and 2.1) reflects a slight difference in the Hebrew wording here. The same distinction in English is made in New American Bible, Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible/Revised English Bible, New International Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, and New Living Translation, but not in Revised Standard Version or even the very literal Revised Version. If translators can readily keep the distinction in their own languages, then they should do so; but if a distinction would sound forced and unnatural, it need not be made. In other languages, a distinction is made in Biblen: Det Gamle og Det Nye Testamente, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, but not in Bible en français courant. Some languages use the equivalent of the preposition “on” in this context; for example, “came on Haggai.” However, many translators will wish to follow Good News Translation.

The second point to note is that Good News Translation here says “the LORD Almighty,” whereas the Hebrew text has only the LORD. However, verse 11 in Hebrew begins by repeating Thus says the LORD of hosts. Because this repetition sounds clumsy in English, Good News Translation has incorporated the second occurrence into its translation of verse 10. Translators may follow this example, but if they do, it would probably be better to run verses 10 and 11 together and number them 10-11. For LORD of hosts, see the comments on 1.2.

Because of the way Good News Translation has handled verse 10, it is able to begin verse 11 with a new sentence: “He said….” Contemporary English Version ties the verses together as follows: “10 … the LORD God All-Powerful told the prophet Haggai 11 to ask the priests….” Either model is possible. However, translators should remember that these quotation formulas carry information at the discourse level. Even if they do not repeat the formulas at every occurrence, the discourse function of these formulas should be preserved if at all possible. In the present context, the combination in verse 10 of the date and the word of the LORD came is a high level marker of the beginning of the third message of the book. In verse 11 the second formula Thus says the LORD of hosts (compare 1.2, 5, 7) marks the beginning of a unit at the next lower level. In this case it marks the beginning of the paragraph revealing what the LORD said. In translation it is quite possible to retain something equivalent to both formulas, as is done in New English Bible/Revised English Bible, Bible en français courant, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch. Translators should also note that Thus says the LORD of hosts introduces a second degree quotation, which leads in the next verse to a third degree quotation. In languages in which such embedded quotations are unusual or confusing, it may be necessary to turn one or more of them into indirect speech, as a number of modern versions do.

Ask the priests to decide this question: The content of the LORD’s message to Haggai is a command. It was one of the functions of the priests to give “a ruling” (Good News Translation, New English Bible/Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) when questions arose about the interpretation of the Law, or about ritual purity (Lev 10.10-11; Deut 17.8-12; compare Zech 7.2-3; Mal 2.7). For priests see 1.1. Ask the priests to decide this question may also be expressed as “ask the priests for their opinion on the following matter” (Contemporary English Version), “Ask the priests this question about the law” (New Living Translation), or even “Ask the priests to instruct you” (Beck).

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Haggai. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2002. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .