And David was angry: This clause describing David’s anger is not exactly the same as the expression used of the LORD’s angry reaction to Uzzah’s action. The previous verse says literally that “the LORD’s nose burned,” while here the text says simply that “David burned” without mentioning his “nose.” However, it may not be possible or natural to try to make this fine distinction in the receptor language. The Hebrew does not say at whom David was angry, but the context clearly indicates that he was angry at God.

Because the LORD had broken forth upon Uzzah is literally “because the LORD had breached a breach [gap] against Uzzah.” The basic meaning of the Hebrew verb rendered had broken forth is “to break through [a wall in an attack on a city].” The verb is used by extension to mean “to punish,” which is how Good News Translation translates the verb. The Old Testament does not hesitate to speak about the anger and punishment of God. God is consistently portrayed as a holy God who rejects everything that is not holy. To modern readers God’s anger and punishment sometimes seem extreme for the offence committed, but the Old Testament also shows God as slow to anger, merciful, and gracious (Num 14.18; Neh 9.17; Psa 86.15; 103.8; Nah 1.3). However, the point of this story is the sacred character of the Covenant Box; it must not be touched by anyone who is not authorized to do so no matter what the reason may be. See also Num 4.15 and 1 Sam 6.19.

And that place is called Perez-uzza to this day is literally “and he called that place Perez Uzzah to this day.” Some interpreters think the subject of the verb called is David; for example, Revised English Bible says “and he called the place Perez-uzza, the name it still bears” (similarly Contemporary English Version, Moffatt). However, others think the Hebrew verb here is an indefinite third person singular verb. This second interpretation is the basis for the passive verb in Revised Standard Version. The passive expression is called will have to be translated actively in those languages where the passive is unnatural or non-existent. In such cases translators may consider the following models: “they [indefinite] call the place…” and “the name of that place is….”

The Hebrew name Perez-uzza means “punishment of Uzzah” or more literally “breaking out against Uzzah.” The meaning of the name is crucial in this passage, and the reader should somehow be made aware of this meaning and its relationship to what happened to Uzzah in that place. This may be done in one of the following ways:

• (1) A footnote may be used to give the meaning of the Hebrew name as in Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, and Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje.

• (2) The meaning of the name may be given in square brackets (so An American Translation, Osty-Trinquet) or parentheses (so Nouvelle Bible Segond, La Bible du Semeur, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente) after a transliteration of the name; for example, An American Translation has “Perez-uzza [Breach of Uzza],” and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente says “Perez-Uzza (Punishment of Uzza).”

• (3) A direct translation of the name’s meaning may be given in the text. Knox captures the meaning of the whole verse well by saying “Great grief it was to David, this ruin the Lord had brought on Oza, and he called the place by the name it bears still, Oza’s Ruin.”

• (4) Translators may also transliterate the name in the text and then give the meaning also; for example, Moffatt says “Perez-Uzza or ‘Breaking of Uzza’ ” (similarly El libro del Pueblo de Dios).

To this day: See the comments on 1 Chr 4.41.

Good News Translation has reversed the sentences in this verse to follow a more logical pattern in which David’s anger is mentioned after the naming of the place. This may be a good model to follow in other languages.

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 .