Verse 40 expresses the purpose for which God should act and deal with each person as he deserves. Given the length of the sentence, which begins in verse 37, it may be advisable to begin a new sentence at this point. New Century Version begins with “Do this so….”

The Hebrew verb rendered fear covers a range of meanings, including “to be afraid,” “to tremble,” “to stand in awe,” and “to have reverence for.” The context here suggests that the sense is not so much “be afraid of” as “revere” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), “reverence” (New Jerusalem Bible), “worship and obey” (Contemporary English Version), or “stand in awe” (Moffatt). New Century Version says “respect,” but this seems rather weak in English. A number of modern versions continue to use the verb “fear” (New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible).

The land which thou gavest to our fathers: See the comments on verse 34.

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 .