And Segub was the father of Jair: According to Num 32.41, Manasseh was the father of Jair. However, here it says Segub was his father, which Good News Translation makes explicit by saying “and Segub had a son named Jair.”

Who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead: Good News Translation states in a footnote that the meaning of the Hebrew verbal expression here may be either that Jair “ruled” or “owned” these cities. The difference in meaning between the two verbs is not very great in this context. Some other model translations are “controlled” (New Century Version) and “possessed” (Holman Christian Standard Bible, New American Bible, La Bible du Semeur).

Gilead was on the east side of the Jordan River. It is described as a land by Revised Standard Version, but the meaning of the Hebrew term here is better translated “region” (Contemporary English Version) or “territory” (Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant) in this context.

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 .