Didst thou not…?: This verse is another negative rhetorical question that has the intent of making a strong affirmation. Jehoshaphat declares that God drove out the original inhabitants of the land of Israel and gave it to the descendants of Abraham forever.

O our God renders a Hebrew expression that may be considered an affirmation of faith, so it may be translated as a separate sentence as in Good News Translation, which says “You are our God.” But this expression may also be understood as emphasizing the one who took action on behalf of Israel (so Revised Standard Version and many other versions).

Drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel: God’s expulsion of the people who lived in the Promised Land before Israel is described in Deut 9.5. This land refers to the land of Israel. Since Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah considered themselves to be a part of the people of God on whose behalf God acted long before, some languages may find it necessary to render thy people Israel as “us, your people Israel.”

And give it for ever to the descendants of Abraham thy friend: God gave the land of Israel to Abraham and his descendants forever (see 1 Chr 16.15-18). The descendants of Abraham refer to the same people as thy people Israel. Abraham is also referred to as the friend of God in Isa 41.8 and James 2.23

Good News Translation renders the rhetorical question in this verse as a statement. Another model that does this is:

• Our God, you are the one who drove out the people who lived in this land as your people Israel came in, and you gave it to them, the descendants of your friend Abraham, forever.

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 .