No passover like it had been kept in Israel …: It is not clear in what manner this Passover was so different from all others. According to 2 Kgs 23.22-23, this Passover was unlike any other before, because it was celebrated in Jerusalem. But here in 2 Chronicles, Hezekiah had already celebrated the Passover in Jerusalem, so the sense may be that the Levites were more prominent, or that the offerings were offered exactly as the Law required, or that all the tribes of Israel attended. The passive verb had been kept may be made active by making the people of Israel the subject of the sentence as follows: “The people of Israel had never observed a Passover celebration like this….” Another possible rendering is “No one had ever celebrated a Passover like this….”

Samuel lived about four hundred years before King Josiah.

None of the kings of Israel had kept such a passover as was kept by Josiah …: Since Josiah himself was also a king, translators may render none of the kings of Israel as “none of the other kings of Israel.” Good News Translation says “None of the former kings.” The passive expression was kept by Josiah may be stated actively as “Josiah kept/celebrated.”

Judah and Israel refer to the southern and northern kingdoms.

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 .