In 1 Chr 22.6-16 David had commanded Solomon in private to build the Temple. Now, in chapter 28, David gives public instructions regarding the construction of the Temple.

David assembled at Jerusalem …: Since this is a new section, David may be identified more fully as “King David” (Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie). The verb assembled may be translated “brought together” or “caused to assemble.” In the Hebrew text the words at Jerusalem come at the very end of this long and complex sentence (so King James Version). However, Revised Standard Version and most other modern versions have appropriately shifted these words forward and placed them with the verb assembled for reasons of style in the receptor language.

All the officials of Israel is a general expression that includes all or some of the separate groups mentioned in the rest of this verse. Nueva Versión Internacional expresses this by beginning with “David assembled in Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, that is, the officials of the tribes….” Other translations express this same meaning through punctuation; for example, some use a colon () to show that the following list makes up all the officials of Israel by saying “David assembled in Jerusalem all the authorities of Israel: the officials of the tribes…” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Peregrino. Some use a long dash; for example, American Bible has “David summoned all the officials of Israel to Jerusalem–the tribal chiefs…” (similarly New Living Translation, God’s Word).

A number of interpreters argue for two groups in this verse: (1) all the officials of Israel and (2) all the seasoned warriors (see the comments below). If this interpretation is followed, then the officials of the tribes, the officers of the divisions, the commanders, the stewards, the palace officials, and the mighty men are included under the heading all the officials of Israel. The words officials, officers, commanders, and stewards all translate the same Hebrew noun, which can refer to various kinds of leaders, depending on the context. In those languages that lack synonyms of this type, a translation using the word for “chief” for all of these terms would be an accurate rendering of the Hebrew.

The officials of the tribes refers to the traditional tribal leaders (see 1 Chr 27.16-22). American Bible calls these leaders “the tribal chiefs.” The other officials were appointed by the king.

The officers of the divisions that served the king refers to the military leaders listed in 1 Chr 27.1-15. Other translations of this phrase include “the officers of the divisions that took turns serving the king” (Nueva Versión Internacional) and “the commanders of the twelve army divisions” (New Living Translation).

For the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, see the comments on 1 Chr 13.1.

The stewards of all the property and cattle of the king and his sons refers to the persons listed in 1 Chr 27.25-31. Other translations include “the overseers of the royal property and livestock” (New Living Translation) and “leaders who took care of the property and animals that belonged to the king and his sons” (New Century Version). Most versions consider both the king and his sons to be genitives of the property and cattle, that is, they express ownership of the property and cattle. But it is also possible to take his sons as another object of the verb assembled at the beginning of the verse. This second interpretation of the Hebrew grammar is followed by Braun, who renders this verse as “David assembled all the princes of Israel–the princes of the tribes … and the princes of all the king’s property and cattle, as well as his sons, with the eunuchs and the mighty men, even every warrior–to Jerusalem” (similarly New American Bible, Klein).

Palace officials translates a single Hebrew noun. Some versions say “eunuchs” (Revised English Bible, An American Translation, Moffatt, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, La Bible Pléiade, Nueva Versión Internacional, Osty-Trinquet, Braun). Eunuchs were castrated men who were used both domestically and politically in the service of the king. The term “eunuch” is sometimes a taboo word in receptor languages. In certain languages it may have a very negative connotation, or the practice may be completely unknown. It may be necessary either to find an appropriate euphemism or to use a descriptive phrase. However, the significance of the term in this context is not that these people were emasculated men, but that they were important officials in the royal court. For this reason most translations avoid a term that focuses on the physical aspect of their condition.

Revised Standard Version takes the Hebrew expressions translated the mighty men and all the seasoned warriors as two distinct groups. Similarly, New Century Version says “the powerful men, and all the brave warriors.” The Hebrew is more literally “the mighty men, and [or, even] every mighty man of valor.” If the second phrase is in apposition to the first one, then only one group is intended; for example, Braun has “the mighty men, even every warrior.” Compare “the warriors, including the most skilled of them” ( NET Bible) and “all the veteran soldiers of high standing” (De Vries; similarly Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). The Hebrew words for “every mighty man of valor” may also be understood as referring to people with influence or wealth. This interpretation is the basis for the following renderings: “all the … important men” (Good News Translation), “all the other most important … civil authorities” (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente), “all the men of substance” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Klein), and “every man of standing” (American Bible).

So how many groups are included in this verse?

• (1) Some translations have one group: all his officials. For example, New Living Translation says:

David summoned all his officials to Jerusalem–the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of the twelve army divisions, the other generals and captains, the overseers of the royal property and livestock, the palace officials, the mighty men, and all the other warriors in the kingdom.

• (2) Others have two groups: (a) all the officials of Israel and (b) the palace officials, mighty men, and brave warriors. According to this understanding, the palace officials and warriors and important men were already in Jerusalem. For example, New International Version says:

David summoned all the officials of Israel to assemble at Jerusalem: the officers over the tribes, the commanders of the divisions in the service of the king, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the mighty men and all the brave warriors.

• (3) Others also have two groups: (a) all the leaders of Israel and (b) the important men. For example, Klein says:

David assembled to Jerusalem all the leaders of Israel–the leaders of the tribes, the leaders of the divisions that served the king, the commanders of the thousands, the commanders of the hundreds, the stewards of all the property and cattle of the king, and his sons, together with the eunuchs and the mighty warriors–and all the men of substance.

All of these interpretations are possible and acceptable renderings of the Hebrew.

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 .