But he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering is literally “And Levi and Benjamin he did not count [or, muster] among them.” But translates the common Hebrew conjunction. Here it introduces a contrast with the previous verse. It should be made clear in translation that the pronoun he refers to Joab. Good News Translation substitutes the name “Joab” for the pronoun he at the beginning of this verse and replaces the name Joab at the end of the verse with the pronoun “he.” The immediate reason for not including the tribes of Levi and Benjamin in the census is stated at the end of this verse. But the text does not indicate why Joab objected so strongly to the census. According to Num 1.49, the tribe of Levi was not to be included in a census, probably because the Levites did not have to serve in the army. Scholars have suggested different possible reasons why Benjamin also was not included, but since the text does not say, translators should not attempt to say why in the translation. Some versions render Levi and Benjamin as “the tribes of Levi and Benjamin” (Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Nueva Versión Internacional, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje), so that readers will not think that two individuals are in view here.

For the king’s command was abhorrent to Joab: The king’s command is literally “the king’s word.” But the Revised Standard Version rendering correctly communicates the sense in this context. Some modern versions refer to “the king’s order” (Revised English Bible, Complete Jewish Bible) or “what the king had made him do” (New Living Translation). The Hebrew verb rendered was abhorrent refers to strong feelings of disgust or loathing that come when a person’s religious or moral order has been offended. For this whole clause Revised English Bible has “so deep was his repugnance against the king’s order” (similarly New American Bible), and American Bible says “because the command of the king was repugnant to Joab” (similarly La Bible du Semeur). The language level of the words “repugnance” and “repugnant” is high, but “repugnance” correctly indicates greater feelings than simply “disapproved” (Good News Translation), which is too weak to translate the Hebrew verb. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy says that Joab “did not like” the king’s order, but “did not like” is also too weak. A stronger expression such as “detested” or “was repulsive” (New International Version) should be used.

The Hebrew text states the reason at the end of the verse for not taking a census of the two tribes. Good News Translation places the reason first. But translators should choose whichever structure is more natural in their own language.

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 .