The word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai: The Hebrew expression for The word of the LORD came … to Haggai is the same as in verse 10. See the comments on that verse. In the present context, the phrase a second time is added. In some languages this may be translated simply as “again” (Contemporary English Version).
On the twenty-fourth day of the month: Good News Translation makes it clear that the date of this last message is the same as that of the previous one by saying “On that same day” before repeating the date, “the twenty-fourth of the month” (compare verse 10). This was December 18, 520 B.C.
“Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying…”: We may note that as in verses 10-11, the Hebrew here has a quotation within a quotation. Double quotations of this kind are unnatural in many languages, and Good News Translation has restructured so as to have only a single quotation. Contemporary English Version uses a colon () at the end of verse 20 to avoid any quotes, “20 That same day the LORD spoke to Haggai again and said: 21 Tell Governor Zerubbabel of Judah that….” Either model may be helpful for translators in terms of the structure. However, Good News Translation is not very helpful in its wording “the LORD gave Haggai a second message for Zerubbabel.” As it stands, this suggests that the first message of that day had also been addressed to Zerubbabel, but actually verse 10 does not say this or even suggest it. In fact, verse 14 makes it clear that the earlier message was for the population of Jerusalem and Judah as a whole. It would therefore be better to make two sentences here and say something like “On that same day … the LORD gave Haggai a second message. This time it was for Zerubbabel…” For Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, see the comments on 1.1.
I am about to shake the heavens and the earth: These words translate the same words in Hebrew as those that occurred in verse 6. See the comments there. Again they seem to indicate that Haggai expected the Messianic kingdom to be established before very long. This time he speaks more directly about the position of Zerubbabel in fulfilling the LORD’s purposes (verse 23). The expression I am about to … may be difficult in some languages. Another way to say this could be “It is almost time for me to…” or “Soon I will….” In some translations it may be necessary to make it clear that the LORD is the agent by saying “I, the LORD, am about to shake…,” “I, the LORD, am getting ready to shake…,” or “I, the LORD, am girding up my loins so that I may shake….”
I am about … to overthrow the throne of the kingdoms; I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations: These opening clauses of verse 22 in Hebrew say much the same thing twice in slightly different words. Because this is repetitive, Good News Translation expresses its meaning only once as “I am about to … overthrow kingdoms and end their power.” While this is more natural English, it appears to omit anything equivalent to of the nations. This could be restored by saying “foreign kingdoms” (as in New International Version and New Living Translation). New English Bible and Revised English Bible say the same sort of thing in higher level English with “heathen realms.” Other ways to express these clauses are “I am about to overthrow the authority and power of foreign kingdoms,” “Soon I am going to cause the kings [or, high chiefs] of foreign nations to lose their power,” and “I am getting ready to take away the power of the kings of foreign nations.”
Haggai is here referring to the various revolts and uprisings throughout the eastern parts of the Persian Empire, which Darius had to deal with before he was firmly established as emperor. They were actually taking place around the time of this message, and probably seemed to Haggai to be signs that the time was near when the LORD would step in and set up the kingdom of the Messiah.
And overthrow the chariots and their riders: The rest of verse 22 states in more detail how the LORD will break the power of the foreign kingdoms. Chariots were in those days one of the more advanced forms of military hardware, but even they would not be able to resist the LORD’s power. In some languages chariots will be rendered as “horse-drawn war carts.”
The horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his fellow: The literal translation of Revised Standard Version makes it sound as if the horses also killed each other with swords. Good News Translation has restructured to avoid this possibility and says “the horses will die, and their riders will kill one another” (similarly Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). This does not state who kills the horses, but the context makes it fairly clear that the fallen riders do so. The Hebrew does not actually state that the horses will be killed, but the verb go down strongly suggests going down to the place of the dead, not just falling over (compare Isa 5.14; Jer 48.15; 50.27; Ezek 32.19).
There is a further point which is not absolutely clear and that is whether the riders of the chariots and the riders of the horses are the same people or not. The parallel structure of the clauses in Hebrew suggests that they are not. Several versions such as Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible/Revised English Bible, New International Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and Contemporary English Version also seem to assume that they are not, though none says this directly. Generally speaking, charioteers and horsemen formed separate sections of ancient armies, and it seems more likely that different groups were in Haggai’s mind. A translator could remove the ambiguities of the verse by saying “I will overturn chariots and tip their drivers out of them. The cavalry horses will fall, and their riders will kill each other, and each other’s horses” or “I will cause the chariots to overturn and the drivers to fall out. The war horses will fall down [or, over] and the men who ride them will kill each other and each others’ horses.”
The idea of the enemies of God’s people killing each other is an ancient one (see Jdg 7.22) and became part of the traditional language associated with the LORD’s final intervention in history (compare Ezek 38.21; Zech 14.13; Matt 24.7; Mark 13.8; Luke 21.10).
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 .