Rehoboam went to Shechem: Shechem was about 65 kilometers (40 miles) north of Jerusalem. It was located in the territory settled by the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh and was the first religious center of the twelve tribes in Canaan (see Josh 24.1). It became the first capital of the northern kingdom (1 Kgs 12.25), whose first king, Jeroboam, was from the tribe of Ephraim (1 Kgs 11.26).

For all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king: The words all Israel occur frequently in the historical texts but usually refer only to the northern tribes as distinct from the tribe of Judah. Good News Translation makes this information explicit in the text itself by translating Israel as “northern Israel.” Compare also “the northern tribes of Israel” (Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). The Hebrew verb here may be rendered had come or “had gone” (Revised English Bible), depending on the location of the writer. Good News Translation and New Living Translation avoid the matter of direction by saying “had gathered.” Revised Standard Version reflects the Hebrew by repeating the phrase to Shechem, but this is awkward in English. New International Version and Revised English Bible replace this second occurrence of the phrase with the adverb “there” for naturalness.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .