And the LORD gave Solomon great repute is literally “And the LORD made Solomon big exceedingly.” The Hebrew text contains an adverb as well as the verb meaning “to make big.”

In the sight of all Israel is literally “in the eyes of all Israel” (Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). In some languages it will be more natural to say “in the presence of all the people of Israel.” God’s Word and New Jerusalem Bible have “as all Israel could see.”

And bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel: In Hebrew the third person singular verb rendered bestowed (literally “gave”) has no stated subject, but it seems most natural to assume that the subject is the LORD, the same as for the verb for gave … repute. This is the interpretation in nearly all translations. However, it is grammatically possible to take Israel in the previous clause as the subject of the verb bestowed, as God’s Word does by saying “The people of Israel gave him royal honor like no king of Israel before him ever had.”

Since only Saul and David had been kings of Israel before Solomon, the clause as had not been on any king before him in Israel (literally “on every king before him over Israel”) come somewhat as a surprise. The Hebrew word translated before him usually means “before him in time,” so New Jerusalem Bible expresses this clause as “as no previous king of Israel ever had.” New Living Translation translates the last half of this verse as “and he gave Solomon even greater wealth and honor than his father,” but the translation should not limit the comparison to David only. Some interpreters argue that the Hebrew word for before him should be translated “more than on him.” This is the basis for the rendering “and he gave him royal majesty that had not been on any king more than on him” (Klein). Some Septuagint manuscripts, followed by Klein, do not have the words in Israel. Without these words, the sense is that God made Solomon more glorious than kings who had ruled in other nations as well as those who had ruled in Israel. However, translators should follow the Masoretic Text here, which includes the words in Israel.

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 .