The thirty-two captains of his chariots: See 1 Kgs 20.1, 16, and 24. Since the parallel passage in 2 Chr 18.30 does not have a number, some interpreters think that the number thirty-two is not original here in 1 Kings but was added by a scribe under the influence of the number of kings in chapter 20. For this reason New Jerusalem Bible omits the number. It may well be that thirty-two is not original, but there is no evidence in the Hebrew manuscripts of this verse for omitting it here. The omission in New Jerusalem Bible is based on a conjecture with no firm basis in the Masoretic Text. Even Gray, who considers it to be a later addition, includes it in his translation within parentheses. The preliminary report of Hebrew Old Testament Text Project gives an {A} rating to the Masoretic Text. So translators are advised to include the number in the receptor language.

For chariots see the comments on 1 Kgs 1.5.

Neither small nor great is a way of including everyone. A similar expression in Hebrew occurs in Num 22.18, where Revised Standard Version has “less or more.” Moffatt takes this expression to refer to “no one, young or old.” Good News Translation correctly expresses the meaning as “no one else.” It is also possible to understand these words as referring to “neither the soldiers nor the officers” (so Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie).

The direct quotation of Revised Standard Version is made into indirect speech in Good News Translation and certain other versions (for example, Moffatt and Revised English Bible). In languages where direct quotations are not often used, these versions provide good alternative models.

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 .