These are the men refers back to the men listed in verses 9-13. Good News Translation changes the focus of the passage somewhat by referring to them simply as “they” in the middle of the verse. In order to maintain its focus, it may be better to begin this verse by saying “It was they who…” (New American Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible) or “These are the ones who…” (New American Standard Bible). Contemporary English Version highlights the fact that the event described in this verse had taken place previously by beginning with the word “Earlier.”
Who crossed the Jordan in the first month: The bravery of these men from the tribe of Gad is shown by the fact that they crossed the Jordan River while it was at flood level. These men did not regularly cross the Jordan River in the first month of each year. This verse refers to something that happened on one single occasion, so Good News Translation adds the words “of one year.” For the same reason Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente begins this verse by saying “One time…,” and American Bible has “These were the ones who once crossed the Jordan….” The Jordan is “the Jordan River” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation), and the men crossed it from east to west. The first month is Nisan, which corresponds to mid-March to mid-April.
When it was overflowing all its banks: The flooding may have been caused by the melting snow from Mount Hermon in the north or it may have been caused by heavy rains or a combination of the two.
And put to flight all those in the valleys, to the east and to the west is literally “and they put to flight all the valleys to the east and to the west.” Most interpreters understand “the valleys” as referring to the people who lived in the valleys, as do Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. In some languages it may be more natural to render to the east and to the west as “on both sides of the Jordan River” or “on both sides of the river.” This last part of the verse may be understood in three different ways:
• (1) Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, and most other versions interpret the Hebrew to mean that the soldiers from the tribe of Gad fought against the people living on both sides of the Jordan River and caused them to flee.
• (2) The flooding Jordan River, not the soldiers, caused the inhabitants of the valley to flee. Braun follows this interpretation by rendering the whole verse as “These were the men who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all the inhabitants of the valleys to the east and to the west.” New Jerusalem Bible is similar by making the flooding Jordan River the subject of the verb put to flight, but most versions either leave it ambiguous or clearly make the invading army of the tribe of Gad the subject of this verb.
• (3) Some interpreters make a slight change in the Hebrew verb translated put to flight, and then take the flooding river as the subject of the verb. The Hebrew verb is understood as related to the word for “bar” (of a gate). Following this interpretation, American Bible translates the final part of this verse as “and made impassable all the lowlands to the east and to the west.” Knoppers is similar with “rendering the lowlands impassable to the east and to the west.”
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 .