Then: The common Hebrew conjunction here is probably best translated by a temporal connector as in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, even though it is ignored by certain modern versions (Revised English Bible, New Century Version).

All the people of the land: See the comments on verse 14 concerning this expression. It is also found in verses 19-20.

The house of Baal refers to the temple of Baal in the southern kingdom of Judah. According to 2 Kgs 10.27, the temple of Baal in the northern kingdom of Israel had been demolished already. There is no mention elsewhere in Scripture of a temple of Baal in Jerusalem, and the context does not clearly indicate where it was located. It may have been in Jerusalem, perhaps in the Temple itself or in the royal palace. Or it may have been outside of Jerusalem in the nearby countryside.

His altars and his images may be translated as “its altars and its images” (New Jerusalem Bible) since the altars and images were located in the temple of Baal.

They slew Mattan the priest of Baal: The archaic verb slew has been appropriately replaced by “killed” in New Revised Standard Version. This priest of Baal is mentioned elsewhere only in the parallel passage in 2 Chr 23.17. The man named Mattan in Jer 38.1 is not the same person.

And the priest posted watchmen over the house of the LORD: It should be made clear in translation that the priest here was Jehoiada and not Mattan, the priest of Baal, who had been killed. In addition to mentioning Jehoiada by name, Good News Translation and Revised English Bible also begin a new paragraph with this last sentence of the verse.

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 .