front:intro hz6m 1 # Introduction to Haggai\n\n## Part 1: General Introduction\n\n### Outline of Haggai\n\n1. The people must finish the temple for Yahweh to bless them again (1:1–15)\n2. This temple will be more glorious than the first temple (2:1–9)\n3. Yahweh will bless a defiled people (2:10–19)\n4. Yahweh will defeat the nations and establish his ruler (2:20–23)\n\n### What is the book of Haggai about?\n\nThe people of Israel lacked necessary things like food and warm clothes. The prophet Haggai told them that they lacked such things because they were not obeying Yahweh. If the people of Israel would listen to Yahweh and start rebuilding the temple, then Yahweh would send rain and bless them again. The people listened and began to work on the temple. Yahweh encouraged the people, the priests, and the leaders. Yahweh told them that he was with them and would bless them when they would build the temple.\n\n### How should the title of this book be translated?\n\nThis book traditionally has been titled “Haggai” or “The Book of Haggai.” Translators may decide to call it simply: “The Sayings of Haggai” or “The Prophecies of Haggai.” \n\n### Who wrote the book of Haggai and when?\n\nThe prophet Haggai wrote this short book of two chapters. Haggai wrote this book after the exiles returned from Babylon. The exiles returned during the reign of the Persian king, Darius the first. We do not know very much about the prophet Haggai. However, we know that the prophets Haggai and Zechariah lived at the same time. Both Haggai and Zechariah are mentioned in Ezra 5:1 and 6:14. Ezra 5:1 and 6:14 indicate that Haggai and Zechariah lived and prophesied together for the sake of the people of Israel that had returned from exile. Thus readers can use Haggai to interpret Zechariah, and they can use Zechariah to interpret Haggai.\n\nHaggai 1:1 indicates that Haggai began his prophetic ministry during the sixth month of Darius’s second year, which was sometime between August and September of 520 B.C. According to Haggai 1:1, Haggai started to prophesy on the first day of the sixth month, which is probably the 29th of August in the year 520 B.C. But in contrast, Haggai 2:10 states that the last prophecies of Haggai occurred on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of the same year of Darius’ reign in Persia. The twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of the second year of Darius’ reign would be approximately in the middle of December of 520 B.C. Therefore, Haggai only prophesied to the people of Israel for a brief, roughly four-month period of time. When Haggai prophesied, the nation of Israel had no ruler or king of her own by whom to date Haggai’s prophecies. Thus, Haggai had to date his prophecies by the reign of Darius, king of Persia and suzerain of Judah. Much of our current knowledge about Darius the first comes from the famous Behistun Inscription. Haggai dates his prophecies by the reign of a pagan, Persian king to indicate that Jesus’ words of Luke 21:24, the “time of the Gentiles,” were now the state of things for the people of Israel.\n\n## Part 2: Important Religious and Cultural Concepts\n\n### Did Haggai prophesy before Ezra and Nehemiah?\n\nHaggai prophesied before the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. Both Haggai and Zechariah are mentioned in Ezra 5:1 and 6:14.\n\n## Part 3: Important Translation Issues\n\n### What does “consider your ways” mean?\n\nYahweh, through the prophecies of Haggai, told the people to “consider your ways” several times in this book. This means that he wants them to think carefully about how they have lived and behaved. For example, see the translation notes for verses 1:5 and 1:7 provided here.\n\n**Set your heart to examine your ways** means that God wants the people of Israel to consider their ways or to think carefully about their behavior. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “Consider your ways” or “Think carefully about your ways" or “Set your heart to examine your behavior” rc://*
1:intro n84r 1 # Haggai 1 General Notes\n\n## Structure and Formatting\n\nSome translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read.\n\n## Special Concepts in this Chapter\n\n### Farming imagery\n\nHaggai’s prophecies use the imagery of farming in reference to spiritual matters. For example, Haggai 1:6 indicates that the people of Israel had done a great amount of work, but they had very little to show for all of their effort. Thus, the lack of blessing from Yahweh indicates that the people of Israel needed to repent and build the temple.\n\n**Set your heart to examine your ways** means that God wishes the people of Israel to consider their ways or to think carefully about their behavior. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “Consider your ways” or “Think carefully about your ways” or “Set your heart to examine your behavior” rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom\n\nThe words **Darius**, **Haggai**, **Zerubbabel**, **Shealtiel**, **Joshua**, and **Jehozadak** are the names of men. rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names\n\nOften, throughout the book of Haggai, Yahweh speaks of himself by name to express the certainty of what he is declaring. Alternate translation: “this is what Yahweh has declared” or “this is what I, Yahweh, have declared” rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person
1:1 mbyj rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit בִּשְׁנַ֤ת שְׁתַּ֨יִם֙ לְדָרְיָ֣וֶשׁ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ 1 The prophet Haggai assumes that his readers will understand that by **the second year** he means the second year of the reign of Darius. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “In the second year of the reign of King Darius”
1:1 qt5i rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-ordinal בִּשְׁנַ֤ת שְׁתַּ֨יִם֙ & בַּחֹ֨דֶשׁ֙ הַשִּׁשִּׁ֔י & בְּי֥וֹם אֶחָ֖ד לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ 1 If your language does not use ordinal numbers, you could use cardinal numbers here. Alternate translation: “In year two of ... on day one of month six”
1:1 ha87 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names לְדָרְיָ֣וֶשׁ & חַגַּ֣י & זְרֻבָּבֶ֤ל & שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵל֙ & יְהוֹשֻׁ֧עַ & יְהוֹצָדָ֛ק 1 The words **Darius**, **Haggai**, **Zerubbabel**, **Shealtiel**, **Joshua**, and **Jehozadak** are the names of men.
1:1 y3ei rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-hebrewmonths בַּחֹ֨דֶשׁ֙ הַשִּׁשִּׁ֔י בְּי֥וֹם אֶחָ֖ד לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ 1 The **sixth** month of the Hebrew calendar includes August and September on Western calendars. You could convert the Hebrew day and month into an approximate date on the calendar that your culture uses. However, the Jews used a lunar calendar, so if you use a solar calendar, the date will be different every year and the translation will not be entirely accurate. So you may just want to give the number of the day and the name of the month on the Hebrew calendar, and say in a footnote approximately what time of year that is on your calendar.\n
1:1 ria7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom הָיָ֨ה דְבַר־יְהוָ֜ה בְּיַד־חַגַּ֣י הַנָּבִ֗יא 1 Here, **the word of Yahweh came by the hand of Haggai the prophet** is an idiom to introduce a special message from God to the prophet Haggai. If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, use an idiom from your language that does have that meaning or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “Yahweh gave this message to Haggai the prophet” or “Yahweh spoke this message to Haggai the prophet”
1:1 wn8q rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche בְּיַד־חַגַּ֣י הַנָּבִ֗יא 1 Haggai is using **hand** to represent the prophet Haggai. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your culture or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “through Haggai the prophet”
1:2 cav8 הָעָ֤ם הַזֶּה֙ 1 **These people** refers to the people of Israel who had returned from Babylon to Israel. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this plain in the translation. Alternate translation: “the people of Israel” or “the Israelites”
1:4 ms19 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הַעֵ֤ת לָכֶם֙ אַתֶּ֔ם לָשֶׁ֖בֶת בְּבָתֵּיכֶ֣ם סְפוּנִ֑ים וְהַבַּ֥יִת הַזֶּ֖ה חָרֵֽב 1 Yahweh is rebuking the people by using a question form that expects a negative answer. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or an exclamation. Alternate translation: “Now is not the time for you yourselves to live in your covered houses, while this house lies ruined.”
1:4 uga1 סְפוּנִ֑ים 1 Here, **covered** means “paneled” or “roofed.” Scholars are not sure of the exact meaning, but **covered** most likely has the meaning of “roofed.”
1:4 u9tf וְהַבַּ֥יִת הַזֶּ֖ה 1 Alternate translation: “while the temple of Yahweh”
1:4 raz0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor חָרֵֽב 1 Here, **ruined** means “uncovered” or “without a roof.” Scholars are not sure of the exact meaning, but **ruined** most likely has the meaning of “uncovered.”
1:5 i8x9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom שִׂ֥ימוּ לְבַבְכֶ֖ם עַל־דַּרְכֵיכֶֽם 1 **Set your heart to examine your ways** means that God wishes the people of Israel to make the decision to consider their ways or to think carefully about their behavior. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “Choose to consider your ways” or “Resolve to think carefully about your ways” or “Purpose to examine your behavior”
1:6 rma3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וְאֵין־לְשָׁכְרָ֔ה 1 Here, the clause **but cannot get drunk** means that there is not enough wine to satisfy the people’s thirst. In other words, there is not nearly enough wine for the people of Israel to drink and then be drunk. The reader should understand that the text is not stating that drunkenness is a good thing. Alternate translation: “but do not become inebriated”
1:6 aw8t rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor אֶל־צְר֥וֹר נָקֽוּב 1 Here, **only to put it into a bag full of holes** figuratively refers to not earn enough money to buy necessary goods upon which to live. Thus, the concept of not having sufficient money to live is spoken of as if the person were losing the money that falls out through holes in the money bag. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “only to lose it from a bag full of holes” or “only to have it disappear”
1:8 qmi7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche עֵ֖ץ 1 Haggai is using **timber** to represent only a part of what the people of Israel needed to build the temple. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your culture or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: ”lumber” or ”wood”
1:8 uu95 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor ואכבד 1 Here, **and I will be glorified** means that God would place his glorious presence or his splendor in the temple. Alternate translation: “and I will glorify myself” or “and I will come glorified” “and I will appear glorified”
1:9 yx8d rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor וְהִנֵּ֣ה 1 The author is using the phrase **but behold** to focus the reader’s attention on what he is about to state. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation. Alternate translation: “but look” or “but listen” or “but pay attention to what I am about to tell you”
1:9 eb3a rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor וְנָפַ֣חְתִּי ב֑וֹ 1 Here, **I blew it away** means that God removed the harvest and crops that the people of Israel expected to eat.. The people of Israel are not able to find their harvest or crops. Thus, the author describes the lack of crops as though the people of Israel were looking for crops, but Yahweh had blown them away like dust. Alternate translation: “I took it from you” or “I caused it to disappear”
1:9 wsac rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion יַ֣עַן מֶ֗ה 1 Haggai is using the question form to supply the assumed answer. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or an exclamation. Alternate translation: “You know why I did this!” or “You know why, do you not?”
1:9 g652 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person נְאֻם֙ יְהוָ֣ה 1 Yahweh speaks of himself by name to express the certainty of what he is declaring. Alternate translation: “this is what Yahweh has declared” or “this is what I, Yahweh, have declared”
1:9 u00a rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor חָרֵ֔ב 1 See how you translated this in [Haggai 1:4](../01/04.md).
1:9 vl6m rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor וְאַתֶּ֥ם רָצִ֖ים אִ֥ישׁ לְבֵיתֽוֹ 1 Here, **while every one of you runs to his own house** means that the people of Israel only were concerned about their own homes and not about the house of God. The people of Israel only worked on their own houses, but they did not build God’s house. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “while you each worry about your own house” or “while all of you think about your own houses” or “while each one of you builds his own house”
1:10 suc8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-personification כָּלְא֥וּ שָמַ֖יִם מִטָּ֑ל 1 Haggai uses **the heavens withhold the dew** to describe a lack of water coming to the land as dew in the morning. The dew that appears at night is spoken of as if it formed in the sky and fell like rain. The sky is spoken of as if it were a person who refuses to give a present, or as a parent who refused to feed his child. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “the heavens do not give any dew” or “no dew forms” or “the heavens withhold water in the morning”
1:10 zjm1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor מִטָּ֑ל 1 Here, **the dew** refers to moisture on the crops and plants that only comes in the morning before the sun evaporates the water. Thus, **dew** was an important source of water for the crops and plants in the rainless summer months of the land of Israel. The translator should retain the term **dew** or find a more general term for moisture or water that is not directly from rain falling from the sky. Alternate translation: “water in the morning” or “moisture in the morning”
1:10 khqc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-personification וְהָאָ֖רֶץ כָּלְאָ֥ה יְבוּלָֽהּ 1 Haggai uses **the earth withholds its produce** to describe a lack of crops and harvest for the people of Israel. The author speaks of **the earth** as if it were a person who could not give the people produce or crops. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “the earth does not give its produce” or “the earth withholds its crops”
1:11 a7ds rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-litany עַל־הָאָ֣רֶץ וְעַל־הֶהָרִ֗ים וְעַל־הַדָּגָן֙ וְעַל־הַתִּיר֣וֹשׁ וְעַל־הַיִּצְהָ֔ר וְעַ֛ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר תּוֹצִ֖יא הָאֲדָמָ֑ה וְעַל־הָֽאָדָם֙ וְעַל־הַבְּהֵמָ֔ה וְעַ֖ל כָּל־יְגִ֥יעַ כַּפָּֽיִם 1 Haggai uses a repetitive series of clauses here and in the next verse to show the comprehensive nature of the things that the drought affects. This repetitive style of speaking or writing is called a “litany.” Use a form in your language that someone would use to list a series of reasons for something. Alternate translation: “upon all the land, and upon all the crops, and upon every living thing, and upon all your labor”\n\n
1:11 v7pk rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וְעַל־הַתִּיר֣וֹשׁ וְעַל־הַיִּצְהָ֔ר 1 Here, **new wine** and **oil** represent grapes and olives, or the natural produce and crops before they are changed to their products for humans to eat or use. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “and upon the grapes, upon the olives”
1:11 ird4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns וְעַ֖ל כָּל־יְגִ֥יעַ כַּפָּֽיִם 1 If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea behind the word **labor**, you can express the same idea with a verbal form such as “work hard.” Alternate translation: “everything you have worked to make” or “the results of your work”
1:11 zygf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy כַּפָּֽיִם 1 Here, **your hands** represent the labor of each person among the people of Israel. The labor that the hands perform means the things that the labor produces. The hand represents the person. Alternate translation: “your effort” or “your work”
1:12 c4he rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע & בְּקוֹל֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֔ם וְעַל־דִּבְרֵי֙ חַגַּ֣י 1 The expression **Then … obeyed the voice** describes the idea of obeying or heeding the message of someone. If it would be helpful, you could use an equivalent idiom from your language or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “Then … obeyed Yahweh and Haggai” or “Then … listened to Yahweh and Haggai”
1:12 e9sl rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וַיִּֽירְא֥וּ הָעָ֖ם מִפְּנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה 1 This clause could mean: (1) the face could represent the person. Alternate translation: “the people feared Yahweh” or (2) the face could represent the person’s presence. Alternate translation: “and the people were afraid to be in Yahweh’s presence”
1:13 dtj5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה 1 See how you translated this phrase in [Haggai 1:9](../01/09.md).\nAlternate translation: “this is what Yahweh has declared” or “this is what I, Yahweh, have declared”
1:14 n1e7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיָּ֣עַר יְהוָ֡ה אֶת־רוּחַ֩ 1 Here, **So Yahweh stirred up the spirit of** is an idiom that means that God made the people want to rebuild the temple. If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, you could use an idiom from your language that does have this meaning or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “Yahweh moved the heart of” or “Yahweh inspired”
1:14 d0sd rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names זְרֻבָּבֶ֨ל & שַׁלְתִּיאֵ֜ל & יְהוֹשֻׁ֤עַ & יְהוֹצָדָק֙ 1 See how you translated these men’s names in [Haggai 1:1](../01/01.md). Make sure you translate these names consistently throughout this book.
1:15 vp6z rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-hebrewmonths בְּי֨וֹם עֶשְׂרִ֧ים וְאַרְבָּעָ֛ה לַחֹ֖דֶשׁ בַּשִּׁשִּׁ֑י 1 Haggai describes a time just 23 days after he received the vision. The **sixth** month of the Hebrew calendar includes August and September on Western calendars. You could convert the Hebrew day and month into an approximate date on the calendar that your culture uses. However, the Jews used a lunar calendar, so if you use a solar calendar, the date will be different every year and the translation will not be entirely accurate. So you may just want to give the number of the day and the name of the month on the Hebrew calendar, and say in a footnote approximately what time of year that is on your calendar. See how you translated the month number in [Haggai 1:1](../01/01.md).
1:15 cx2u rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-ordinal בְּי֨וֹם עֶשְׂרִ֧ים וְאַרְבָּעָ֛ה לַחֹ֖דֶשׁ בַּשִּׁשִּׁ֑י בִּשְׁנַ֥ת שְׁתַּ֖יִם לְדָרְיָ֥וֶשׁ הַמֶּֽלֶךְ 1 See how you translated the numbers in [Haggai 1:1](../01/01.md). If your language does not use ordinal numbers, you could use cardinal numbers here. Alternate translation: “In year two of ... on day 24 of month six”
2:intro ieh7 1 # Haggai 2 General Notes\n\n## Structure and Formatting\n\nSome translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. \n\n## Important Figures of Speech in this Chapter\n\n### Unclean\n\nHaggai uses an extended metaphor in this chapter related to ritual cleanliness. While the Jews were not unclean by nature as the Gentiles were, their actions made them unclean. rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor\n\nThe words **Darius**, **Haggai**, **Zerubbabel**, **Shealtiel**, **Joshua**, and **Jehozadak** are the names of men. rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names\n\nOften, throughout the book of Haggai, Yahweh speaks of himself by name to express the certainty of what he is declaring. Alternate translation: “this is what Yahweh has declared” or “this is what I, Yahweh, have declared” rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person
2:1 v31v rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-hebrewmonths בַּשְּׁבִיעִ֕י בְּעֶשְׂרִ֥ים וְאֶחָ֖ד לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ 1 This is the **seventh** month of the Hebrew calendar. The twenty-first day of the **seventh** month is near the middle of October on Western calendars. You could convert the Hebrew day and month into an approximate date on the calendar that your culture uses. However, the Jews used a lunar calendar, so if you use a solar calendar, the date will be different every year and the translation will not be entirely accurate. So you may just want to give the number of the day and the name of the month on the Hebrew calendar, and say in a footnote approximately what time of year that is on your calendar. See how you translated the month number in [Haggai 1:1](../01/01.md).
2:1 bul6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-ordinal בַּשְּׁבִיעִ֕י בְּעֶשְׂרִ֥ים וְאֶחָ֖ד לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ 1 See how you translated the numbers in [Haggai 1:1](../01/01.md). If your language does not use ordinal numbers, you could use cardinal numbers here. Alternate translation: “On day 21 of month seven”
2:1 t1us rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche בְּיַד־חַגַּ֥י הַנָּבִ֖יא 1 The author is using **hand** to represent the activity of the prophet Haggai. See how you translated this expression in [Haggai 1:1](../01/01.md). If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your culture or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “through Haggai the prophet”
2:2 q56p rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names זְרֻבָּבֶ֤ל & שַׁלְתִּיאֵל֙ & יְהוֹשֻׁ֥עַ & יְהוֹצָדָ֖ק 1 See how you translated these men’s names in [Haggai 1:1](../01/01.md).
2:3 m1jr rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion מִ֤י בָכֶם֙ הַנִּשְׁאָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֤ר רָאָה֙ אֶת־הַבַּ֣יִת הַזֶּ֔ה בִּכְבוֹד֖וֹ הָרִאשׁ֑וֹן 1 Yahweh speaks of the new temple as if it were the same building as the old temple. He is telling those who had seen the former temple to pay attention. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or an exclamation. Alternate translation: “I want those among you who saw this house in its former glory to pay attention.”
2:3 a63w rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns בִּכְבוֹד֖וֹ הָרִאשׁ֑וֹן 1 If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of **its former glory**, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “how glorious it was” or “how splendorous it was”
2:3 x5q5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion וּמָ֨ה אַתֶּ֜ם רֹאִ֤ים אֹתוֹ֙ עַ֔תָּה 1 Yahweh is telling the people of Israel that he knows what they are thinking about the new temple. He speaks of the new temple as if it were the same building as the old temple. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or an exclamation. Alternate translation: “I know what you think of this new temple.”
2:3 tsx7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲל֥וֹא כָמֹ֛הוּ כְּאַ֖יִן בְּעֵינֵיכֶֽם 1 Yahweh is telling the people of Israel that he understands that they are disappointed because the new temple is so small. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or an exclamation. Alternate translation: “I know that you think it is not important at all.”
2:4 y2v9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom חֲזַ֣ק & וַחֲזַ֣ק & וַחֲזַ֨ק 1 Here, **be strong** is an idiom that means one must overcome one’s fears with courage and act with bravery. Essentially, the imperative means to be brave and work with courage. If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, you could use an idiom from your language that does have this meaning or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “be brave” … “and be courageous” … “and act bravely”
2:4 x8wv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person נְאֻם־יְהוָ֡ה 1 Yahweh speaks of himself by name to express the certainty of what he is declaring. See how you translated this in [Haggai 1:9](../01/09.md). Alternate translation: “this is what Yahweh has declared” or “this is what I, Yahweh, have declared”
2:5 s0xn rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְרוּחִ֖י עֹמֶ֣דֶת בְּתוֹכְכֶ֑ם 1 Here, **and my Spirit remains in your midst** is an idiom meaning that God favors or will help the people of Israel to rebuild the temple and live in the land of Israel. The idiom encourages the people of Israel by expressing the idea of support and favor from God. If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, use an idiom from your language that does have that meaning or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “and my Spirit will protect you” or “and my Spirit will help you” or “and my Spirit will go with you”
2:5 xwza rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor אַל־תִּירָֽאוּ 1 **Do not fear** means one must overcome one’s fears with courage, and act with bravery. Essentially, the phrase means to be brave and work with courage. If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “Be brave ” or “Be courageous”
2:6 e2qq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor ע֥וֹד אַחַ֖ת & וַאֲנִ֗י מַרְעִישׁ֙ 1 Yahweh is using the phrase “I will once again shake” to represent the idea of an earthquake. Earthquakes often symbolized Yahweh’s supernatural intervention in history, such as in the final time of God’s judgment. Yahweh speaks of the sky and the earth as if they were solid objects that he could shake in an earthquake. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “I will again cause earthquake to jar”\n
2:6 ehw1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-merism אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם וְאֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְאֶת־הַיָּ֖ם וְאֶת־הֶחָרָבָֽה 1 Here, the words **heavens**, **earth**, **sea**, and **dry land** are referring to all of creation by naming the parts that are at the extreme ends of God’s creation. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “all of creation” or “every part of creation”
2:7 yfw3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor וְהִרְעַשְׁתִּי֙ 1 Yahweh is using the phrase “I will shake” to represent the idea of an earthquake. Earthquakes often symbolized Yahweh’s supernatural intervention in history, such as in the final time of God’s judgment. Yahweh speaks of the nations as if they were solid objects that he could shake. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “I will cause an earthquake to upset”
2:7 nmi4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns חֶמְדַּ֣ת 1 If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of **precious things**, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “with things people value” or “with items people desire ”
2:7 u8qx rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor וּמִלֵּאתִ֞י אֶת־הַבַּ֤יִת הַזֶּה֙ כָּב֔וֹד 1 Yahweh speaks of **glory** as if it were a solid or liquid that could be put into a container, in this case, the temple. This metaphor could mean: (1) the temple will become very beautiful. Alternate translation: “I will make this house very beautiful” or (2) the “precious things” that “every nation will bring” include much silver and gold and other forms of wealth. Alternate translation: “I will have people bring many beautiful things into this house”
2:7 kpek rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns כָּב֔וֹד 1 If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of **glory**, you could express the same idea in another way. See how you translated **glory** in [Haggai 2:03](../02/03.md). Alternate translation: “with glorious majesty” or “with splendorous majesty” or “with glorious nature”
2:8 f56d rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person נְאֻ֖ם יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת 1 Yahweh speaks of himself by name to express the certainty of what he is declaring. See how you translated this phrase in [Haggai 1:9](../01/09.md). Alternate translation: “this is what Yahweh of hosts has declared” or “this is what I, Yahweh of hosts, have declared”
2:9 s4di rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns כְּבוֹד֩ 1 If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of **glory**, you could express the same idea in another way. See how you translated **glory** in [Haggai 2:03](../02/03.md). Alternate translation: “The glorious majesty” or “The splendorous majesty” or “The glorious nature”
2:9 uhag rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom אֶתֵּ֣ן שָׁל֔וֹם 1 Here, **I will give peace** is an idiom that means “I will cause peace to happen.” If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, you could use an idiom from your language that does have this meaning or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “I will grant peace” or “I will allow peace”
2:9 vyq2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns שָׁל֔וֹם 1 If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of **peace**, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “prosperity” or "well being” or "good welfare”
2:10 wc9p rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-hebrewmonths בְּעֶשְׂרִ֤ים וְאַרְבָּעָה֙ לַתְּשִׁיעִ֔י 1 This is the **ninth** month of the Hebrew calendar. The twenty-fourth day of the **ninth** month is near the middle of December on Western calendars. You could convert the Hebrew day and month into an approximate date on the calendar that your culture uses. However, the Jews used a lunar calendar, so if you use a solar calendar, the date will be different every year and the translation will not be entirely accurate. So you may just want to give the number of the day and the name of the month on the Hebrew calendar, and say in a footnote approximately what time of year that is on your calendar. See how you translated the month number in [Haggai 1:1](../01/01.md).
2:10 if92 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-ordinal בְּעֶשְׂרִ֤ים וְאַרְבָּעָה֙ לַתְּשִׁיעִ֔י בִּשְׁנַ֥ת שְׁתַּ֖יִם לְדָרְיָ֑וֶשׁ 1 See how you translated the numbers in [Haggai 1:1](../01/01.md). If your language does not use ordinal numbers, you could use cardinal numbers here. Alternate translation: “On day 24 of month nine in year two of Darius”
2:10 i4py rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names לְדָרְיָ֑וֶשׁ & חַגַּ֥י 1 See how you translated these men’s names in [Haggai 1:1](../01/01.md).
2:10 s26v rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom הָיָה֙ דְּבַר־יְהוָ֔ה 1 This idiom is used to introduce a special message from God. See how you translated a similar phrase in [Haggai 1:1](../01/01.md). Alternate translation: “Yahweh gave a message” or “Yahweh spoke this message”\n
2:11 t7n0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotemarks כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת שְׁאַל־נָ֧א אֶת־הַכֹּהֲנִ֛ים תּוֹרָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר 1 Even if your language does not customarily put one direct quotation inside another, it would be good to present this quotation as a direct quotation. You may be able to indicate its beginning with an opening second-level quotation mark or with some other punctuation or convention that your language could use to indicate the start of a second-level quotation. You may also be able to use special formatting to set off the quotation. Alternate translation: “Yahweh of hosts says to ask the priests concerning the law, and say”
2:12 xeqr rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom בְּשַׂר־קֹ֜דֶשׁ 1 Here, **meat that is set apart to Yahweh** is an idiom that means “holy meat” or “sacred meat.” If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, you could use an idiom from your language that does have this meaning or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “meat that is holy to Yahweh” or “meat that is sacred to Yahweh”
2:12 x84u rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom בִּכְנַ֣ף & בִּ֠כְנָפוֹ 1 Here, **the fold** is an idiom that means “a crease.” If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, you could use an idiom from your language that does have this meaning or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “in the crease … the crease”
2:12 vx79 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis וַיַּעֲנ֧וּ הַכֹּהֲנִ֛ים וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ לֹֽא 1 Haggai is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You could supply these words from earlier in the context if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “The priests answered and said, ’No, the food does not become holy.’”
2:13 bg3q rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom טְמֵא־נֶ֛פֶשׁ 1 Here, **someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body** is an idiom that means “someone who has become ritually impure by touching a dead body.” If the Israelites touched something “unclean,” such as a dead body in [Numbers 19:13](../Num/19/13.md), then they themselves would be considered unclean for a certain period of time. To be unclean meant to be ritually impure or, simply put, that one could not participate in the public worship of God for a temporary period of time. If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, you could use an idiom from your language that does have this meaning or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “someone who is ritually impure by contact with a dead body” or “someone who is unable to publicly worship due to contact with a dead body”
2:14 dv6p rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom כֵּ֣ן הָֽעָם־הַ֠זֶּה וְכֵן־הַגּ֨וֹי הַזֶּ֤ה לְפָנַי֙ 1 **So it is with this people and this nation before me** is an idiom that means “The same principle applies to this people and this nation in my perspective.” If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, you could use an idiom from your language that does have this meaning or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “So the same thing applies to this people and this nation before me” or “So is the case also with this people and this nation before me”
2:14 ua4f rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה 1 Yahweh speaks of himself by name to express the certainty of what he is declaring. See how you translated this in [Haggai 1:9](../01/09.md). Alternate translation: “this is what Yahweh has declared” or “this is what I, Yahweh, have declared”
2:14 l3ow rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom כָּל־מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יְדֵיהֶ֑ם 1 Here, **every work done by their hands** means “all their agricultural work” or “all their agricultural products.” If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “it is with every work they produce” or “it is with any thing they do with their hands”
2:14 nybp rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר יַקְרִ֛יבוּ שָׁ֖ם 1 By there, Haggai means the altar at the temple. You can say that in your translation if it would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: "What they offer on the altar at the temple"
2:15 zlfb rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom שִֽׂימוּ־נָ֣א לְבַבְכֶ֔ם 1 See how you translated this expression in [Haggai 1:5](../01/05.md).
2:15 l2sc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive שֽׂוּם־אֶ֛בֶן אֶל־אֶ֖בֶן 1 If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “you placed stone upon stone”
2:15 r7pr rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche שֽׂוּם־אֶ֛בֶן אֶל־אֶ֖בֶן 1 Paul is using one part of the building process to represent the process of building in its entirety. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your culture or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “you began construction” or “you started work”\n
2:16 bguu rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom מִֽהְיוֹתָ֥ם בָּא֙ אֶל־עֲרֵמַ֣ת 1 **From that time when you came to a heap ** is an idiom that means: “How did you fare?” If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, you could use an idiom from your language that does have this meaning or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “Look what has happened to you up to now!” or “Have you recalled what life was like in the past?”
2:16 a1et rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit עֲרֵמַ֣ת עֶשְׂרִ֔ים 1 Haggai assumes that his readers will understand that **a heap of 20 measures** refers to a grain or a similar food of some type. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “a stack of 20 measures of grain” or “a pile of 20 measures of wheat” or “a mound of 20 measures of food”
2:16 zx3c rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-bvolume עֶשְׂרִ֔ים 1 Here, **20 measures of grain** are measurements of volume of unspecified and unknown amounts. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use the equivalent expression for a particular measurement in your translation or in a footnote. Alternate translation: “20 handfuls of grain” or “20 baskets of grain” or “20 bags of grain”
2:16 ply4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-bvolume חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים 1 Here, **50 measures of wine** are measurements of volume equivalent to unknown amounts. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use the equivalent expression for an unknown measurement in your translation or in a footnote. Alternate translation: “50 cups of wine” or “50 jugs of wine” or “50 jars of wine”
2:16 oc2t rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים 1 Haggai assumes that his readers will understand that **50 measures of wine** refers to wine. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “50 wine cups” or “50 wine vessels” or “50 wine jars”
2:17 xyl7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations הִכֵּ֨יתִי אֶתְכֶ֜ם בַּשִּׁדָּפ֤וֹן וּבַיֵּֽרָקוֹן֙ 1 Here Haggai quotes from the Old Testament scriptures, specifically from the first four words of [Amos 4:9](../04/09.md). If it would be helpful to your readers, you could format these words in a different way and include this information in a footnote.
2:17 p7cx rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom כָּל־מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יְדֵיכֶ֑ם 1 Here, **every work done by your hands** is an idiom that means “all your agricultural work” or “all your agricultural products.” If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, you could use an idiom from your language that does have this meaning or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “every work you produce” or “every product done by your hands”
2:17 grkc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְאֵין־אֶתְכֶ֥ם אֵלַ֖י 1 Here, **but you still did not turn to me** is an idiom that means “yet you did not come back to me” or “but you did not look again at me.” If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, you could use an idiom from your language that does have this meaning or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “but you still did not return to me” or “but you still did not look back at me”
2:17 bk6n rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה 1 Yahweh speaks of himself by name to express the certainty of what he is declaring. See how you translated this in [Haggai 1:9](../01/09.md). Alternate translation: “this is what Yahweh has declared” or “this is what I, Yahweh, have declared”
2:18 zyq1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-hebrewmonths מִיּוֹם֩ עֶשְׂרִ֨ים וְאַרְבָּעָ֜ה לַתְּשִׁיעִ֗י 1 This is the **ninth** month of the Hebrew calendar. The twenty-fourth day of the **ninth** month is near the middle of December on Western calendars. You could convert the Hebrew day and month into an approximate date on the calendar that your culture uses. However, the Jews used a lunar calendar, so if you use a solar calendar, the date will be different every year and the translation will not be entirely accurate. So you may just want to give the number of the day and the name of the month on the Hebrew calendar, and say in a footnote approximately what time of year that is on your calendar. See how you translated the month number in [Haggai 2:10](../02/10.md).
2:18 b4ns rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-ordinal מִיּוֹם֩ עֶשְׂרִ֨ים וְאַרְבָּעָ֜ה לַתְּשִׁיעִ֗י 1 See how you translated the numbers in [Haggai 2:10](../02/10.md). If your language does not use ordinal numbers, you could use cardinal numbers here. Alternate translation: “On day 24 of month nine”
2:18 pcm4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive לְמִן־הַיּ֛וֹם אֲשֶׁר־יֻסַּ֥ד הֵֽיכַל־יְהוָ֖ה 1 If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “from the day that you laid the foundation of the temple of Yahweh” or “from the day that you laid the foundation of Yahweh’s temple”
2:19 mx58 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הַע֤וֹד הַזֶּ֨רַע֙ בַּמְּגוּרָ֔ה 1 Haggai is using the question form to indicate a negative response or answer. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or an exclamation. Alternate translation: “You can see that there is no seed in the storehouse.”
2:19 uk7s rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy הַזֶּ֨רַע֙ 1 Here, **seed** represents grain, the most common form of food, generally speaking, that people consumed in biblical times. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “grain seed” or “any food” or “any bread”
2:19 thk9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion וְעַד־הַגֶּ֨פֶן וְהַתְּאֵנָ֧ה וְהָרִמּ֛וֹן וְעֵ֥ץ הַזַּ֖יִת לֹ֣א נָשָׂ֑א 1 Haggai is using the question form to indicate a negative response or answer. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or an exclamation. Alternate translation: “Until now the vine, the fig, the pomegranate, and the olive tree do not produce.” or “Can you not see that the vine, the fig, the pomegranate, and the olive tree do not produce until now?”
2:19 ld7r rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy הַגֶּ֨פֶן וְהַתְּאֵנָ֧ה וְהָרִמּ֛וֹן וְעֵ֥ץ הַזַּ֖יִת 1 Here, **the vine**, **the fig**, **the pomegranate**, and **the olive tree** all collectively represent the food or produce that comes from common agriculture. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “your grape vines, fig trees, pomegranate shrubs, and olive trees”
2:19 g2gc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וְהָרִמּ֛וֹן 1 The pomegranate is a kind of fruit that has a thick, tough skin filled with many seeds that are covered with edible red pulp. This sweet fruit grows on trees or shrubs. You may need to make explicit that the tree or shrub is being mentioned. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “the pomegranate tree” or “the pomegranate shrub" or “the pomegranate bush”
2:19 xz5x rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom לֹ֣א נָשָׂ֑א 1 Here, **have not produced** is an idiom that literally means “have not borne fruit.” If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, you could use an idiom from your language that does have this meaning or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “have not borne fruit” or “have not produced anything” or “have not yielded anything”
2:20 l5py rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיְהִ֨י דְבַר־יְהוָ֤ה 1 See how you translated a similar phrase in [Haggai 2:10](../02/10.md).
2:20 rru4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-hebrewmonths בְּעֶשְׂרִ֧ים וְאַרְבָּעָ֛ה לַחֹ֖דֶשׁ 1 This is the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar. The twenty-fourth day of the ninth month is near the middle of December on Western calendars. You could convert the Hebrew day and month into an approximate date on the calendar that your culture uses. However, the Jews used a lunar calendar, so if you use a solar calendar, the date will be different every year and the translation will not be entirely accurate. So you may just want to give the number of the day and the name of the month on the Hebrew calendar, and say in a footnote approximately what time of year that is on your calendar. See how you translated the month number in [Haggai 2:10](../02/10.md). You may need to make explicit which month is mentioned. Alternate translation: “on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month” or “on the twenty-fourth day of the same month”
2:20 a3ho rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-ordinal בְּעֶשְׂרִ֧ים וְאַרְבָּעָ֛ה לַחֹ֖דֶשׁ 1 See how you translated the numbers in [Haggai 2:10](../02/10.md). If your language does not use ordinal numbers, you could use cardinal numbers here. You may need to make explicit which month is mentioned. Alternate translation: “on day 24 of month nine” or “on day 24 of the same month”
2:21 hexi rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotemarks אֱמֹ֕ר אֶל־זְרֻבָּבֶ֥ל פַּֽחַת־יְהוּדָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר אֲנִ֣י מַרְעִ֔ישׁ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ 1 Even if your language does not customarily put one direct quotation inside another, it would be good to present this quotation as a direct quotation. You may be able to indicate its beginning with an opening second-level quotation mark or with some other punctuation or convention that your language could use to indicate the start of a second-level quotation. You may also be able to use special formatting to set off the quotation. See how you translated similar second-level quotations in [Haggai 2:2](../02/02.md) and [Haggai 2:11](../02/11.md). Alternative translation: “This is the message that Haggai should say to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah: ‘I am about to shake the heavens and the earth.‘”
2:21 w9i2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor אֲנִ֣י מַרְעִ֔ישׁ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ 1 See how you translated this metaphor and these ideas in [Haggai 2:6](../02/06.md). If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “I will cause an earthquake”
2:21 fbc6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-merism אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ 1 Here, the words **heavens** and **earth** are referring to all of creation by naming the parts that are at the extreme ends of God’s creation. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “every part of creation” or “the whole universe” or “everything that exists”
2:22 ni5i rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְהָֽפַכְתִּי֙ כִּסֵּ֣א מַמְלָכ֔וֹת 1 **For I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms** is an idiom that means “For I will take away the power of rulers ruling in every country.” If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, you could use an idiom from your language that does have this meaning or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “For I will remove the power of kingdoms” or “For I will end the authority of kingdoms” or “For I will take kings off of their thrones”
2:22 sv3n rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy כִּסֵּ֣א מַמְלָכ֔וֹת 1 Here, **the throne of kingdoms** represents the kings or the persons who sit on the thrones of kingdoms or nations. The **throne** refers to the kingly authority and power that a king has when ruling over a kingdom or nation. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “the rule of kingdoms” or “the authority of kingdoms” or “the power of kingdoms”
2:22 gza6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy חֹ֖זֶק מַמְלְכ֣וֹת 1 Here, **the strength of the kingdoms** represents the kingly authority and power that the nations’ kings have when they rule. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “the rule of the kingdoms” or “the authority of the kingdoms” or “the power of the kingdoms”
2:22 wccb rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy מֶרְכָּבָה֙ וְרֹ֣כְבֶ֔יהָ 1 Here, **the chariots and their riders** is literally: ”the chariot and its rider.” The expression **the chariots and their riders** represents the kingly authority and power that the nations have when they rule in the world. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “the power of their armies” or “the power of their militaries” or “the strength of their armies”
2:22 jtdf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-merism וְהָפַכְתִּ֤י מֶרְכָּבָה֙ וְרֹ֣כְבֶ֔יהָ וְיָרְד֤וּ סוּסִים֙ וְרֹ֣כְבֵיהֶ֔ם 1 Yahweh is using two components of an army, its chariot teams (the chariots and their riders) and its cavalry troops (the horses and their riders), to mean the entire army. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “I will destroy the entire army”
2:22 js5m rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy בְּחֶ֥רֶב 1 Here, **the sword** represents a violent death. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “by the violent act of” or “by the violence of”
2:23 p75j rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person נְאֻם־יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֡וֹת 1 Yahweh speaks of himself by name to express the certainty of what he is declaring. See how you translated this in [Haggai 1:9](../01/09.md). Alternate translation: “this is what Yahweh of hosts has declared” or “this is what I, Yahweh of hosts, have declared”
2:23 p3ww rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names זְרֻבָּבֶ֨ל & שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵ֤ל 1 See how you translated these men’s names in [Haggai 1:1](../01/01.md).
2:23 itg1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה 1 Yahweh speaks of himself by name to express the certainty of what he is declaring. See how you translated this in [Haggai 1:9](../01/09.md). Alternate translation: “this is what Yahweh has declared” or “this is what I, Yahweh, have declared”
2:23 h7nz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-simile וְשַׂמְתִּ֖יךָ כַּֽחוֹתָ֑ם 1 Yahweh is saying that Zerubbabel will be like **a signet ring** because he, as king of Israel, would represent Yahweh in some official way, such as a symbol of the king’s royal authority and power represents the king. A **signet ring** is a ring worn by a king that is similar to a coin with a design engraved on it. A **signet ring** was used to imprint melted wax and seal an official document, such as a letter, for a king. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: “I will make you like my official signature” or “I will make you like my royal seal” or “I will make you like a symbol that represents me”
2:23 t8m9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy כַּֽחוֹתָ֑ם 1 Here, **a signet ring** represents the royal authority or official power of a king. Kings used a signet ring to seal documents to show that they truly had his authority and approval. Yahweh promises to use Zerubbabel like **a signet ring** to indicate his royal authority and official power. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “like an official symbol” or “like an official seal” or “like a royal signature”
2:23 fdzh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person נְאֻ֖ם יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת 1 Yahweh speaks of himself by name to express the certainty of what he is declaring. See how you translated this in [Haggai 1:9](../01/09.md). Alternate translation: “this is what Yahweh of hosts has declared” or “this is what I, Yahweh of hosts, have declared”
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