And when he had taken counsel with the people: The pronoun he refers to Jehoshaphat, which New Century Version makes explicit. Good News Translation refers to him as “the king.” The Hebrew verb rendered had taken counsel is a passive form of the verb meaning “to advise.” The idea here is that the king “was advised” by the people, that is, he acted in accord with the wishes of the people. For this whole clause God’s Word says “After he had advised the people,” but this rendering makes it sound as if he simply announced his decision. New Century Version expresses the meaning more accurately by saying “Jehoshaphat listened to the people’s advice.”

He appointed those who were to sing to the LORD and praise him in holy array: It is not clear whether these people appointed by Jehoshaphat were already musicians or whether they were chosen here for the first time to sing. The Hebrew words translated in holy array may be understood in two different ways as follows (compare 1 Chr 16.29):

(1) They may be understood as referring to God’s holiness. Revised English Bible, for example, renders this whole clause as “he appointed men to sing to the LORD and praise the splendour of his holiness.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh similarly reads “he stationed singers to the LORD extolling the One majestic in holiness.” Compare also “and appointed musicians to play before the LORD and praise his majestic splendor” ( NET Bible).
(2) They may be understood as referring to the clothing worn by the singers. Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation take the Hebrew words to mean that the singers were dressed in sacred clothing (so also Moffatt, Bible en français courant, Nouvelle version Segond révisée, La Bible de Jérusalem: Nouvelle édition revue et corrigée).

As they went before the army, and say may be rendered “and to march ahead of the army, singing” (Good News Translation; similarly Contemporary English Version).

Give thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures for ever: See the comments on 1 Chr 16.34.

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 .