He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD: The Hebrew pronoun for He is emphatic, so some versions begin this verse with “It was he who…” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Nouvelle Bible Segond, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Since the previous verse mentions both Jotham and his father, Good News Translation and Bible en français courant say “It was Jotham who…” to avoid any ambiguity. The verb built must be taken here in the sense of rebuilding or restoration since the Temple gate in view here was already there long before the time of Jotham. For this reason several modern versions say “rebuilt” (Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation, New Century Version, La Bible du Semeur). Since he did not rebuild the gate himself, it is even better to say “had [it] rebuilt.” The upper gate is probably the same gate as the one called “the upper Benjamin Gate” in Jer 20.2. According to Ezek 9.2, it was located on the north side of the Temple area. Ezekiel refers to it as “the north gate” (Ezek 8.14; 40.35, 40, 44; 44.4; 46.9; 47.2), so Good News Translation says “the North Gate.” However, some interpreters think the upper gate was located south of the Temple. 2 Chr 23.20 seems to indicate this. Possibly the upper gate is the same as the New Gate mentioned in Jer 26.10 and 36.10, since the New Gate seems to have been located south of the Temple, although the location of the New Gate is not certain.

And did much building on the wall of Ophel: The exact sense of this clause in Hebrew is not clear. Jotham may have made extensive repairs on the wall in view here or he may have added to it. New Living Translation says “He also did extensive rebuilding on the wall at the hill of Ophel,” and Revised English Bible has “and [he] built extensions on the wall at Ophel.” Ophel was the section of Jerusalem located on a hill south of the Temple and of the royal palace. Since Ophel refers to a part of the city, Good News Translation renders the wall of Ophel as “the city wall in the area of Jerusalem called Ophel” (similarly Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). Other ways of expressing this phrase include “the wall of the quarter of [town called] Ophel” (Bible en français courant) and “the wall in the area known as Ophel” ( NET Bible).

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 .