For: Once again the Hebrew has only the common conjunction, but the context may dictate the use of something stronger in some languages since it introduces the explanation as to why the Syrians had left their camp so suddenly. Some languages may even begin this verse with the words “The Syrians had run away because….”
The Lord had made the army of the Syrians hear the sound …: It will be noted that the word Lord is not all capital letters in this case. This indicates that it is a translation of the Hebrew word ʾadonai and not YHWH. New Jerusalem Bible has “Yahweh” here, following many Hebrew manuscripts. But the traditional text has the word ʾadonai. In those languages where these two terms are distinguished, either by using capital letters or by using different terms, translators should ensure that the proper term for ʾadonai is used here. See the discussion on “Translating Lord and LORD” in “Translating 1–2 Kings,” pages 11-12.
The verb had made … hear renders a causative verb form in Hebrew. It shows that it was the Lord who had caused the Syrians to hear what they thought was the sound of enemy forces approaching. The verb form used here also indicates that what is described in verses 6-7 had already happened before the action described in the previous verse; that is, the outcast Israelites arrived at the edge of the Syrian camp to find that the enemy soldiers had already left. Because of this flashback, Contemporary English Version carries out a rather radical restructuring of verses 5-8, giving the information in more chronological order. In Contemporary English Version the fleeing of the Syrian army (verses 6-7) is described before the arrival of the four diseased men (verses 5b and 8). The part about their arrival at “the edge of the Syrian camp” is therefore stated only once, rather than twice as in Revised Standard Version and most other versions. Peregrino shows that verses 6-7 interrupt the flow of the narrative by placing them in parentheses.
The word army occurs twice in this verse in Revised Standard Version as the rendering of two different Hebrew nouns that are close in meaning. The first Hebrew noun in the phrase the army of the Syrians is more literally “camp” (so Nouvelle Bible Segond). See the comments on this noun at 2 Kgs 5.15, where Revised Standard Version has “company.” Here it may be rendered army or “camp.”
They said to one another is literally “they said a man to his brother.” The expression is very similar to the one used in verses 3 and 9. While there was surely speaking back and forth involved in the Syrian retreat, Good News Translation focuses on the fact that they first “thought”; that is, before talking about their fears, these enemies of Israel were led to believe in their minds that they were about to be attacked by a strong enemy force. Most modern versions, however, retain the idea of the Syrians speaking to each other about their fears.
Behold translates the Hebrew focusing particle. It is left untranslated here in many modern versions, but NET Bible renders it “Look.”
The king of Israel has hired against us … to come upon us: The Hebrew verb translated has hired involves the payment of money for performing a particular job. In some languages a verb like “paid” or “gave money” will have to be used. The employment of foreign mercenary troops was commonplace in biblical times. em>Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente translates “the king of Israel has hired as mercenaries….” The two occurrences of the pronoun us here should be rendered as inclusive pronouns in languages that have inclusive and exclusive pronouns.
The kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt, of course, refers to the armies under the direction of the Hittite and Egyptian leaders. Some translations make it explicit that it would not have been just the kings themselves who would have been hired but also “their armies” (Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Regarding the Hittites, see the comments on 1 Kgs 10.29. The use of the plural noun kings seems to fit well with what is known about the Hittites, but is puzzling when used with regard to the Egyptians, who had a single king. For this reason some commentators have suggested that Egypt (Mitsrayim in Hebrew) is not intended here. A number of commentators and translations maintain that “Musrites” should be understood here (so Osty-Trinquet, La Bible Pléiade, em>Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Gray). Musri was a territory north of Syria (see the comments on 1 Kgs 10.28). This interpretation is the basis for the rendering in New American Bible, which translates “borderlands” in place of Egypt. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates “Mizraim” here and in 1 Kgs 10.28, where it is suggested in a footnote that “Muru” is intended. Most versions, however, retain Egypt in translation; and since there are historical problems in accepting the reading “Musrites,” the name Egypt is recommended. Similar to Good News Translation, NET Bible avoids the difficulty of the plural noun kings with Egypt by translating this part of the verse as “the kings of the Hittites and Egypt.” Contemporary English Version says “Hittite and Egyptian troops.” If translators follow the Hebrew here, they should keep the plural expression the kings of Egypt despite the historical problems.
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .