He arose, and went: As is often the case when the verb arose is used in series with another verb, it does not refer to the specific act of getting up from a sitting position. It merely serves to mark the beginning of immediate action (see the discussion on Hebrew serial verbs in “Translating 1–2 Kings,” pages 15-16). For this reason it is rendered “at once” by Revised English Bible and omitted by Good News Translation and others.

The Hebrew says only that Adonijah went without telling where he went. Good News Translation makes this explicit, as do some manuscripts of the Septuagint, by adding “to the Tent of the LORD’s presence.” In the context it is clear that Adonijah went immediately to the tent. Contemporary English Version, therefore, says “so he ran to the sacred tent.”

Caught hold of the horns of the altar: The horns of the altar were small projections at the four corners of the altar that looked like horns. Anyone holding on to them was safe from being killed (see Exo 21.13-14). This information may be made explicit, as in Contemporary English Version: “grabbed hold of the corners of the altar for protection.”

The term altar used here refers to the altar of sacrifice and not the incense altar. It comes from a Hebrew verb meaning “to slaughter,” but the noun eventually came to be used of places where any kind of sacrifice was offered to God. In some languages the word altar has to be rendered by a descriptive phrase such as “table where people burn sacrifices to God” or “place where offerings are given to God.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .