Moreover the bronze altar that Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of the LORD: Moreover (also New Revised Standard Version, King James Version) translates the common Hebrew conjunction, which many other versions leave untranslated here (so New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, La Bible du Semeur). Revised Standard Version uses the conjunction Moreover here since the writer is stating that the bronze altar as well as the Tabernacle was still in Gibeon. Revised English Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh express it with the adverb “also.” Translations such as “Now” (NASB) and “But” (New Living Translation, Bible en français courant) do not seem to fit the context as well. The bronze altar was not the incense altar within the Tabernacle, but the altar for burnt offerings which was located in the middle of the courtyard in front of the Tabernacle (see the comments on 1 Chr 6.49). Bronze was a metal alloy consisting mostly of copper. The copper was mixed with another metal, usually tin, but sometimes with silver or lead. The bronze was almost twice as hard as copper alone. For the translation of the word bronze, see the comments on 1 Chr 15.19. According to Exo 27.1-2, this altar was made of acacia wood and covered with bronze.

The work of Bezalel is described in Exo 31.1-5 and 35.30–36.1. The son of Uri, son of Hur may be rendered “the son of Uri and the grandson of Hur” (Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, La Bible du Semeur, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Contemporary English Version omits these words in the text but includes them in a footnote. Such a shortening of the text is not recommended since the ancestors of Bezalel have not been mentioned previously in 2 Chronicles. For Bezalel … had made, Good News Translation uses the passive expression “had been made by Bezalel”; but in many languages where passive forms are rare or unknown, the form of the Hebrew will be followed here.

The adverb there refers to Gibeon, as in verses 3 and 6. In some languages the meaning may be much clearer if this is made explicit by saying “in/at Gibeon” (Good News Translation, New Living Translation, New Century Version, Revised English Bible). Some Hebrew manuscripts have “he put” (sam) instead of there (sham). Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament states that it is impossible to know for sure which reading is original, but since the textual evidence is better for the adverb there, Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament expresses a slight preference for this reading, giving it a {D} rating. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament suggests that the reading “he [David] put” was a theological correction made in order to place Solomon’s activity in verses 7-12 in Jerusalem. According to Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament‘s understanding of the correction, verse 4 says David had brought up the ark from Kiriath Jearim to Jerusalem and had set up a tent for it, and verse 5 says David had also put the bronze altar in Jerusalem. The purpose of such a change was to show that Solomon offered sacrifices in Jerusalem (see the comments on verse 13 also). Most versions agree with the recommendation of Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament that the original text read there (referring to Gibeon), but some follow the reading “he put” (with David as the subject). New American Bible, for example, renders the first sentence of this verse as “The bronze altar made by Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, he put in front of the LORD’s Dwelling on the high place.” But the New American Bible rendering keeps this event in Gibeon rather than in Jerusalem at a later time.

And Solomon and the assembly sought the LORD: For the assembly, see the comments on 2Chr 1.3. This phrase may be rendered “all the people” (Good News Translation) or “all the people who had gathered.” Sought the LORD is literally “sought it/him.” The Hebrew text does not have the LORD. Rather, there is only a singular pronoun, which may be understood as referring either to the altar or to Yahweh. Because of this ambiguity in the Hebrew text, New Revised Standard Version says “inquired at it,” indicating that they inquired at the altar. Other versions that follow this interpretation are Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy. But many versions take the pronoun as referring to Yahweh (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, El libro del Pueblo de Dios). Either interpretation is possible and acceptable. Translators must simply choose one meaning unless the receptor language allows for the same ambiguity as the Hebrew.

Since the verb sought may be misunderstood in the sense of looking for something that is lost, a different verb should probably be used in many languages. However, the verb chosen will be determined by the way in which the pronoun is interpreted. If the pronoun is taken as referring to Yahweh, then the verb may be “consulted” (New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Bible en français courant) or “worshiped” (Good News Translation, New Century Version). This interpretation is preferable, since 1-2 Chronicles often speaks of “seeking the LORD” or “seeking God.” However, if the pronoun is taken as referring to the altar, then it will be better to say “resorted to” (Revised English Bible) or “inquired at” (New Revised Standard Version).

Contemporary English Version combines and restructures verses 2-5 to give the background information first. Contemporary English Version has made a number of exegetical decisions about the meaning of various phrases and clauses in these verses which may be different from the decisions made by translators working on these verses, but it may be a helpful model for some languages. Its rendering for these verses is:

• At that time, the sacred tent that Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the desert was still kept at Gibeon, and in front of the tent was the bronze altar that Bezalel* had made.
One day, Solomon told the people of Israel, the army commanders, the officials, and the family leaders, to go with him to the place of worship at Gibeon, even though his father King David had already moved the sacred chest from Kiriath-Jearim to the tent that he had set up for it in Jerusalem. Solomon and the others went to Gibeon to worship the LORD….
*Bezalel: Hebrew “Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur.”

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 .