Now I have sent a skilled man: Now renders the common Hebrew conjunction plus the adverb usually translated “now.” This expression may be a transition introducing the next statement of King Hiram, but it more likely locates the time of sending the skilled craftsman to Solomon. For this reason some versions begin this verse with “I am now sending you…” (New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). The Hebrew verb form for have sent is subject to different interpretations. Revised Standard Version and New Revised Standard Version take it as a past tense, but Good News Translation and most other modern versions translate it as a present progressive form, which seems to be more in keeping with the use of the temporal adverb Now.

For a skilled man, see the comments on 2Chr 2.7.

Endued with understanding is literally “who knows understanding” as in the previous verse. For a skilled man, endued with understanding, New Jerusalem Bible says “a skilled and intelligent man,” and Revised English Bible has “a skilful and experienced craftsman.” Good News Translation says “a wise and skillful master metalworker,” but since the following verse shows that Huram did more than work with metal, this translation is not recommended.

Huramabi: The letters abi at the end of this name are taken by some as a part of the name itself as Revised Standard Version has done. Many versions retain it but add a hyphen (so New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, and most French versions) or take it as a separate name (so Contemporary English Version, El libro del Pueblo de Dios). However, some scholars believe that the Hebrew word abi, which may be taken to mean “my father,” is a title of respect rather than a name. The word means “master” or “adviser” in Gen 45.8 and Jdg 17.10. This is why New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translate “my master Huram/Hiram,” and Revised English Bible has “my expert Huram.” Similarly Berkeley says “my famed Huram.” That is, King Hiram may have been referring to Huram as his master craftsman. Luther also takes abi as a title, saying “Hiram, my adviser.” This same craftsman is called “Huramabiw” (which means “Huram is his master/father”) in 2 Chr 4.16. It may be helpful to follow the model of Good News Translation in distinguishing the names of the king and the craftsman by consistently spelling the king’s name “Hiram” and the craftsman’s name “Huram” (see the comments on 1 Chr 14.1).

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 .