And she bore him sons …: If Abihail in verse 18 was a second wife of Rehoboam, then the pronoun she refers to Abihail. But if Abihail is the mother of Mahalath, then Mahalath is the subject of the verb bore. A number of versions make it explicit that Mahalath is the subject here (so Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation, New Century Version, God’s Word). This understanding of the text seems more probable. Translators will have to decide whether it is more natural in the receptor language to make this explicit or to say “They had three sons” (Good News Translation).

Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham: Nothing more is known of these three sons. The names Jeush and Shemariah are used elsewhere in the Old Testament for other persons. Zaham is mentioned nowhere else in Scripture.

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 .