As noted in the introduction to this section beginning at verse 10, Good News Translation begins a new section here (also Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).
This is the account of the forced labor which King Solomon levied to build …: The Hebrew noun rendered account is often translated “word.” But this noun often has more specific meanings depending on the context. Here New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “This was the purpose of the forced labor which Solomon imposed: It was to build….” Good News Translation leaves implicit the words this is the account of, but there is no obvious reason why this should be done. So it may be best not to imitate this in other languages.
The Hebrew word for forced labor is the same as that used in 1 Kgs 4.6. See the discussion there. The English verb levied means “to require [people do so something] by authority.” This verb translates a Hebrew verb meaning “to raise.”
The noun Millo is a transliteration of a Hebrew term whose meaning has been much debated, though most scholars connect it to a verb meaning “to be full.” The Millo is referred to also in 2 Sam 5.9; 1 Kgs 9.24, 11.27; 2 Kgs 12.20; 1 Chr 11.8 and 2 Chr 32.5. The footnote in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh indicates that this refers to “a citadel,” but several commentaries and translations suggest that this refers to some kind of landfill (so Good News Translation).
McCarter in the Anchor Bible commentary on 2 Samuel says “This must refer to a major earthwork of some kind, a rampart perhaps or a platform produced by filling in a ravine…” (page 141). According to 1 Kgs 9.15, 23 and 11.27, Solomon “built” the Millo, but these references may be understood in the sense of “rebuilt” or perhaps “enlarged.” Anderson, in his commentary on 2 Samuel, speaks of a “system of artificial terraces supported by retaining walls with leveled filling…” (page 85). Thus New International Version translates “the supporting terraces” and New Living Translation gives this translation in a footnote.
Even if the Millo does refer to a landfill of some kind, archaeologists are not agreed on the location of this fill. Some believe it refers to terraces built on the east side of the east ridge of Jerusalem, which is probably the basis for the Good News Translation translation “on the east side of the city.” Others consider it to be a landfill south of the Temple mount on the southeast hill or to be a landfill connecting the City of David to the high fortified area to the north. There is no way to be certain about what the Millo was nor where it was located. Translators may wish to follow a well-known translation in a major language or transliterate Millo and give the possible meanings in a footnote.
For a discussion on the wall of Jerusalem, see 1 Kgs 3.1.
Hazor and Megiddo and Gezer were all cities that had existed earlier. For this reason Good News Translation says that Solomon used forced labor “to rebuild” these cities. All three of these cities had strategic military importance on the borders of Israel. Instead of using a verb such as “rebuild,” it may be better to say something like “fortify” (so New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), since Solomon rebuilt these towns as military fortresses.
Hazor was a fortified city in the territory of Naphtali in the northern part of the country. It was located on a trade route running from the Euphrates River to Egypt in the south.
For Megiddo see the comments on 1 Kgs 4.12. This city was located on a major trade route running north and south.
Gezer was located in the southern foothills on the western edge of the Judean mountain range and guarded two important crossroads. One route to the west ran north from Egypt. Another route to the north of Gezer ran between the Mediterranean Sea and Jerusalem.
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 .