According to the translations in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, verses 4-7 are the words that Josiah spoke to Shaphan, and these four verses are enclosed within quotation marks. It is possible, however, to understand verse 7 as the author’s comment rather than as part of the quotation that begins here in verse 4 (so Moffatt, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). As noted in the discussion on verse 7, most translations include verse 7 as part of Josiah’s words.
Go up: While the Temple was probably higher in elevation than the location from which Josiah sent Shaphan, in many languages it will be more natural to say simply “Go” (so Good News Translation).
Hilkiah the high priest: Languages differ as to whether it is more natural to give the name Hilkiah before the title the high priest, as in the Hebrew and many English versions, or after the title, as in Good News Translation, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and New American Bible. Translators should ensure that the most natural order is used in the receptor language since there is no difference in meaning here. The name of this high priest is spelled “Hilkiyahu” in Hebrew in verses 4, 8a, and 14. But in verses 8b, 10 and 12, the name is spelled Hilkiah. A few very literal translations maintain this distinction in translation, but nearly all other translations use the same form of the name in each of these verses. In order to avoid confusion for readers today, translators should choose one of the two spellings and be consistent.
For comments on high priest, see 2 Kgs 12.10.
That he may reckon the amount of the money: The verb reckon is a rather archaic way of saying “count” (New Revised Standard Version), although there is considerable discussion about the precise meaning of the verb found here in Hebrew (yatem). The Hebrew verb in its basic form means “to complete.” In the form found in this verse, it usually means “to make [something] ready” or “to finish [doing something],” but such a translation does not seem to fit here. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “let him weigh the silver,” but states in a footnote that the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament recommends the translation of this verb in this context as “that he may present the entire amount of the money,” and this rendering is recommended by the writers of this Handbook.
The Septuagint, however, has the verb “to seal up,” which probably happened because a scribe misread the Hebrew verb as chatom. One part of the Septuagint tradition reads “to melt down,” which is equivalent to the Hebrew verb yatek. Revised English Bible and New Jerusalem Bible follow this Greek version in translating “tell him to melt down the silver,” and New American Bible and Gray have a similar translation. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to the verb in the Masoretic Text. The majority of versions seem to follow the verb in the Masoretic Text, but they prefer to translate the meaning as “count” (New Revised Standard Version, Bible en français courant).
Money translates the Hebrew word for “silver.” In some contexts this noun refers to silver as a metal or to objects made of silver. In other contexts it refers to money in general (see the comments on 2 Kgs 12.4). Whether it is translated as money or “silver” here often depends on whether translators follow the Masoretic Text in reading “count” or whether they follow one part of the Septuagint tradition in reading “melt down.”
Which has been brought … which the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people: The passive construction, which has been brought, is somewhat redundant since the text later says that this money was collected from the people. In those languages where the passive form is problematic, the verse may be restructured to avoid it, indicating that the high priest should present the entire amount of the money “which the people had brought…” or “which the priests … had collected from the people.” The Hebrew does not state explicitly why the people gave money, but compare Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente: “that the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people as an offering to the temple.”
The keepers of the threshold were priests who were responsible for guarding the doorway into the Temple and ensuring that only authorized persons entered (see the comments at 2 Kgs 12.9). The expression has been translated in a variety of ways, but with the same basic meaning as follows: “those on duty at the entrance” (Revised English Bible), “the doorkeepers” (New American Bible; similarly Knox), and “the gatekeepers” (New Century Version). The same expression is also found in 2 Kgs 23.4; 25.18; 2 Chr 34.9 and Jer 52.24.
The doorkeepers as well as the royal secretary and the high priest were fulfilling their responsibility as outlined in 2 Kgs 12.9-16.
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 .