Haggai 2:22

And I will ouerthrow the throne of kingdomes, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdomes of the heathen, and I will ouerthrow the charets, and those that ride in them, and the horses and their riders shall come downe, euery one by the sword of his brother. Haggai 2:22 (KJV)

The following passage is often attributed to the Bible, though its exact wording is not found in the King James Version: “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.” A similar wording appears in Jeremiah 50:36, which reads: “And I will break the power of the kingdoms; I will overthrow the thrones of the nations and destroy their strength with all their horses and chariots and warriors, every one by the sword of his brother.” Both renderings employ the same striking language of breaking the power of kingdoms, overthrowing thrones, and destroying strength through the loss of horses, chariots, and warriors. The repeated phrase “every one by the sword of his brother” emphasizes that the judgment will be carried out by close kin, underscoring the total and internal nature of the devastation. The passage, whether cited from Haggai or from Jeremiah, presents a vivid picture of divine judgment against the heathen kingdoms, describing the complete overthrow of military might and the downfall of those who ride in chariots. The imagery of thrones being overthrown, chariots destroyed, and riders falling by the sword of their own brother conveys a sense of comprehensive collapse and fraternal conflict. This language serves to highlight the seriousness of the prophetic warning and the certainty of the coming judgment upon the nations that oppose the divine purpose.