So the king commanded: So (also New Living Translation, NASB) correctly renders the common Hebrew conjunction as a logical connector. But Good News Translation and most other modern versions consider the beginning of a new paragraph sufficient to represent the transition here. The verb commanded is literally “said.”

And they made a chest: The referent for the pronoun they is unclear. Good News Translation suggests that the Levites made the chest, but this is more specific than the Hebrew text. In languages where passive forms are acceptable, it will be advisable to use one here; for example, New Century Version renders the first two clauses of this verse as “King Joash commanded that a box for contributions be made” (similarly New Living Translation). Otherwise some other indefinite form should be used. A chest is literally “a box one,” that is, “a box” (Good News Translation, New Century Version). The Hebrew word rendered chest is the same word used for the coffin of Joseph (Gen 50.26) and for the ark of the covenant (as, for example, in Exo 25.10 and 1 Chr 6.31). Some scholars have suggested that the Hebrew word for “one” in this verse should be corrected to read “cedar” since the Hebrew letters in the words for “one” and “cedar” are similar in shape. Such a correction is not recommended since there is no manuscript evidence for the reading “cedar chest.” But since this box was probably made of wood, some translators may prefer to specify the material as Contemporary English Version has done by saying “a wooden box.” Such collection boxes to receive money were common in ancient Near Eastern temples. In languages where the size of the box is important to translators, it was probably small enough to be carried by one or two persons when it was empty.

And set it outside the gate of the house of the LORD: The box was probably placed just outside the southern gate that led into the inner courtyard of the Temple (compare 2 Kgs 12.9).

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 .