And I have been with you wherever you went: In some languages it may be more natural to reverse the order of these two clauses by saying “Everywhere you went, I remained with you.”

And have cut off all your enemies from before you: In this context the verb cut off may be rendered “destroyed” (Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation, Revised English Bible) or “defeated” (Good News Translation, New Century Version). A literal rendering is likely to be misunderstood in many languages, although the English idiom “cut down” (New American Bible) may be appropriate in the context of warfare. New Jerusalem Bible uses the expression “got rid of.” The phrase from before you is left untranslated in some versions, but the expression seems to indicate that the destruction of David’s enemies took place in his presence as he moved forward in battle. This phrase may be awkward in some languages if translated literally. Revised English Bible offers a good model with “in your path,” and so does Contemporary English Version with “right in front of your eyes.”

And I will make for you a name, like the name of the great ones of the earth: The form of the Hebrew verb rendered will make may be understood here in two different ways. It may be taken as expressing future tense or past tense. The majority of versions use future tense here, but Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has past tense, rendering the whole clause as “and I have given you fame, like the most important men of the world have” (similarly Contemporary English Version, La Sainte Bible: La version Etablie par les moines de Maredsous). In this context the word name refers to “reputation” (Bible en français courant) or “fame” (Revised English Bible). The great ones of the earth refers to people who were well known by other people throughout the world. God’s Word speaks of “the greatest people on earth.”

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 .