A literal translation of these verses, as in Revised Standard Version, results in a heavy style in English. Good News Translation restructures them in order to produce a less tedious style. However, Good News Translation does not state the total number of famous soldiers from the tribe of Gad. A possible way of expressing this is “There were eleven of them ranked in the following order: Ezer…” (Contemporary English Version). Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente also restructures these verses by saying “Their leader was Ezer, and after him these were the other ten: Obadiah….” Nothing more is said in the Old Testament concerning these eleven men from the tribe of Gad.

As in verse 3, the Hebrew word translated chief (verse 9) is literally “head,” although some translate “first” in this context (God’s Word, New American Standard Bible). New Living Translation and New Century Version capture the meaning with “leader.”

Obadiah (verse 9) is certainly not the same person as the prophet that bears this name.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .