Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor: See the comments on 2 Chr 17.5. Since this is the beginning of a new section, Good News Translation identifies Jehoshaphat more fully as “King Jehoshaphat of Judah,” which other languages may find helpful. Good News Translation does the same with Ahab in the next clause by saying “King Ahab of Israel.”

And he made a marriage alliance with Ahab: It is possible to understand this clause to mean that Jehoshaphat made an alliance with King Ahab by marrying a daughter or sister of Ahab. But according to 2 Chr 21.6, Jehoshaphat made the alliance by having his son Jehoram marry one of Ahab’s daughters. Such marriages between royal families were often made for financial and political reasons. In this case the reasons were clearly political. This clause may be difficult to express in some languages. Good News Translation expresses it clearly, but Contemporary English Version is even clearer by saying “He signed a treaty with King Ahab of Israel by arranging the marriage of his son and Ahab’s daughter.”

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 .