Haggai 2:22
in Haggai 2I will overturn royal thrones and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overturn chariots and their riders; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.
KJV
And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.
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This verse in Haggai 2
Commentary
6 notes on this verseAnd I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms,.... The Persian monarchy, which consisted of various kingdoms and nations, and was destroyed under Darius Codomannus by Alexander the great, who fought with him three pitched battles, and overcame him; but the thing was of the Lord, according to his purpose and will, and by his power and providence; and therefore the overthrow is ascribed to him.
This site's exposition
For the second time that day
on Haggai 2:20-23
The fourth word, to Zerubbabel alone, returns to the shaking of verse 6. The promise “I will make you like My signet ring” reverses Jeremiah 22:24, where the LORD pulled Coniah, grandfather of Zerubbabel, from His hand. Zerubbabel stands in the genealogies of Christ (Matthew 1:12, Luke 3:27).
This site's exposition
I will overturn royal thrones
The picture is a battlefield where chariots fall and riders turn their swords on one another. John Gill reads the overturned thrones as the Persian empire, which Alexander later overthrew. The fall of horse and rider is sung at Exodus 15:1.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 21 onwards) And the word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying: Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying: I will shake the heavens and the earth. I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overthrow chariots and their riders. Horses and their riders shall also fall, each by the sword of his brother.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the L ORD of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the L ORD of hosts. 9 The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the L ORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the L ORD of hosts.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:89%@v7-9
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
All other world kingdoms are to be overthrown to make way for Christ's universal kingdom (Da 2:44). War chariots are to give place to His reign of peace (Mic 5:10;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהָֽפַכְתִּי֙ | vehafakhti | and I will overthrow | H2015 → | |
| כִּסֵּ֣א | kise' | [the] throne of | H3678 → | |
| מַמְלָכ֔וֹת | mamlakhot | kingdoms | H4467 → | |
| וְהִ֨שְׁמַדְתִּ֔י | vehishmadti | and I will destroy | H8045 → | |
| חֹ֖זֶק | chozek | [the] strength of | H2392 → | |
| מַמְלְכ֣וֹת | mamlekhot | [the] kingdoms of | H4467 → | |
| הַגּוֹיִ֑ם | hagoyim | the nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| וְהָפַכְתִּ֤י | vehafakhti | and I will overthrow | H2015 → | |
| מֶרְכָּבָה֙ | merkavah | chariotry | H4818 → | |
| וְרֹ֣כְבֶ֔יהָ | verokheveiha | and riders its | H7392 → | |
| וְיָרְד֤וּ | veyaredu | and they will go down | H3381 → | |
| סוּסִים֙ | susim | horses | H5483 → | |
| וְרֹ֣כְבֵיהֶ֔ם | verokheveihem | and riders their | H7392 → | |
| אִ֖ישׁ | ʾish | each | H376 → | 1663 times |
| בְּחֶ֥רֶב | becherev | by [the] sword of | H2719 → | |
| אָחִֽיו׃ | ʾachiv | brother his | H251 → |
וְהָֽפַכְתִּי֙and I will overthrow
vehafakhtiH2015 →
כִּסֵּ֣א[the] throne of
kise'H3678 →
מַמְלָכ֔וֹתkingdoms
mamlakhotH4467 →
וְהִ֨שְׁמַדְתִּ֔יand I will destroy
vehishmadtiH8045 →
חֹ֖זֶק[the] strength of
chozekH2392 →
מַמְלְכ֣וֹת[the] kingdoms of
mamlekhotH4467 →
הַגּוֹיִ֑םthe nations
hagoyimH1471 →561 times
וְהָפַכְתִּ֤יand I will overthrow
vehafakhtiH2015 →
מֶרְכָּבָה֙chariotry
merkavahH4818 →
וְרֹ֣כְבֶ֔יהָand riders its
verokheveihaH7392 →
וְיָרְד֤וּand they will go down
veyareduH3381 →
סוּסִים֙horses
susimH5483 →
וְרֹ֣כְבֵיהֶ֔םand riders their
verokheveihemH7392 →
אִ֖ישׁeach
ʾishH376 →1663 times
בְּחֶ֥רֶבby [the] sword of
becherevH2719 →
אָחִֽיו׃brother his
ʾachivH251 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 24:7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
it leads to
- Luke 21:11
There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places, along with fearful sights and great signs from heaven.
- Revelation 6:8
Then I looked and saw a pale green horse. Its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed close behind. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill by sword,…
- Isaiah 19:2
“So I will incite Egyptian against Egyptian; brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.
- Zechariah 14:13
On that day a great panic from the LORD will come upon them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of one will rise against the other.
- 2 Chronicles 15:6
Nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God afflicted them with all kinds of adversity.
- Luke 21:11
Through
Psalms 46:9He makes wars to cease throughout the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields in the fire.
it leads to
- Isaiah 2:4
Then He will judge between the nations and arbitrate for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer take up the sword against…
- Micah 4:3–4
Then He will judge between many peoples and arbitrate for strong nations far and wide. Then they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer take…
- Micah 5:10
“In that day,” declares the LORD, “I will remove your horses from among you and wreck your chariots.
- Isaiah 2:4
Where this verse is studied
About Haggai
This page draws on Carl Friedrich Keil, The Twelve Minor Prophets; Edward Bouverie Pusey, The Minor Prophets: A Commentary; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Haggai; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.