Now translates the common Hebrew conjunction. Here it simply expresses the continuation of the story. If a new section is begun here, it may not be necessary to translate the conjunction.

Hiram king of Tyre: Revised Standard Version follows the Hebrew order of name, title and area of rule, but the Good News Translation translators felt that it is more natural in English to speak of “King Hiram,” putting the title first. Naturalness in the receptor language should be the determining factor in deciding the order of these elements.

Tyre was the leading city of Phoenicia. David, and later Solomon, established treaties with Hiram, who supplied material and craftsmen for construction projects (1 Kgs 5.1-12; 1 Chr 14.1; 2 Chr 2.3-16).

Servants: The word so translated has a wide range of uses. Servants of a king include domestic servants, officers, and even ambassadors (see 1 Kgs 1.2 and the discussion on “servant,” in “Translating 1–2 Kings,” page 12). In this context these representatives of King Hiram were more than mere servants. A number of translations use terms that reflect the official nature of this visit, for example, “envoys” (Revised English Bible), “messengers” (New Century Version), “a delegation” (Bible en français courant), “an embassy” (New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Peregrino), and “officials” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Contemporary English Version).

When he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father: Hebrew uses an indefinite third person plural verb for anointed, without making explicit the subject of the verb. The implied subject is probably the priests of Israel. It will be noted, however, that in 1 Kgs 1.34 and 1.45 the subjects of the verb “anoint” are a priest and a prophet. Contemporary English Version says simply “When Hiram learned that Solomon was king,” but this translation eliminates the focus on the act of anointing, as does the translation in Good News Translation. If possible, the act of anointing should be kept as part of the meaning. Regarding the meaning and translation of anointed, see the comments on 1 Kgs 1.34. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente says “When he learned that Solomon had been consecrated king….” This will be a good model for those languages where passive verb forms are common.

For Hiram always loved David: The Hebrew conjunction translated for frequently introduces a clause indicating why something happened. In this case it was because of his friendship with David that King Hiram took the action indicated.

In some contexts loved may be more appropriately translated as “was a friend of” rather than with some form of the verb “to love.” Compare New Revised Standard Version: “for Hiram had always been a friend to David” (similarly Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). The terms “to love” and “to hate” are frequently used in the Old Testament for loyalty and disloyalty in a political sense (see 1 Sam 16.21; 20.17); and loved probably carries the meaning here of being political allies. The word always renders the Hebrew words “all the days.”

It may be helpful in some translations to reverse the order of information in this verse, as Good News Translation and others have done. Bible en français courant (similarly Parole de Vie) provides a good model for the entire verse:

• Hiram, king of the city of Tyre, had always been a friend of David. When he learned that Solomon had been consecrated king in order to succeed his father David, he sent a delegation to present him his best wishes.

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 .