But: The common Hebrew conjunction here is translated by Revised Standard Version in such a way as to mark the contrast between the queen’s expectations and what she actually witnessed when she met Solomon. While her expectations were quite positive, she was overwhelmed by what she discovered when she saw Solomon in Jerusalem. Some other connectors used to mark this contrast are “Nevertheless” (NASB) and “Yet” (New American Bible).

I did not believe the reports … you surpass the report which I heard: Reports is literally “words,” and report is literally “what is heard.” Since these words are synonyms here, Revised Standard Version uses the noun report for both of them (also New Revised Standard Version). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates the reports (literally “their words”) as “what they said.”

My own eyes had seen it: Instead of retaining the noun eyes as the subject of the verb had seen, it will be more natural in many languages to say “[I] saw with my own eyes” (New American Bible) or “[I] saw for myself” (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). Another possible rendering is “I myself saw.”

Behold, half the greatness of your wisdom was not told me: Good News Translation does not translate the Hebrew particle rendered behold. This particle calls attention to the statement that follows, and if the receptor language has such a particle or construction that serves the same function, it may be used here. The passive expression was not told me will have to be made active in some languages. It will be possible in certain cases to use the indefinite third person plural subject as follows: “they did not tell me….” But in other cases a more emphatic negative could be used, such as “no one told me….” Another way of saying this for some languages is “I did not learn about…” or “I did not hear about….”

An alternative model for this whole verse is:

• I did not believe what people said about you until I came and saw it for myself. In fact, I had not heard about even half of your great wisdom! You are even greater than what they told me.

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 .