At that time Solomon held the feast for seven days: The feast refers to the Festival of Shelters (see the comments on 2 Chr 5.3). The dedication of the Temple lasted from the eighth day to the fourteenth day of the seventh month. This was immediately followed by the Festival of Shelters, which lasted from the fifteenth day to the twenty-second day. At that time … for seven days refers to the week right after the dedication of the Temple. Good News Translation leaves At that time implied by only saying “for seven days.” New Living Translation is better with “For the next seven days.”
And all Israel with him, a very great congregation refers to all the Israelites who had come to Jerusalem for the Festival of Shelters. The phrase all Israel clearly refers to both Israel and Judah. For the Hebrew word rendered congregation, see the comments on 2 Chr 5.6, where it is translated “assembly.”
The entrance of Hamath (see the comments on 1 Chr 13.5) and the Brook of Egypt refer to the northern and southern borders of the country of Israel. For this reason Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, and New Living Translation say “from as far away as…” and add the qualifiers “in the north” and “in the south” (see also Bible en français courant, which adds “in the north” and “in the south”). These two places are significant here because they indicate that Israelites assembled from one end of the country to the other.
The word Brook in the Brook of Egypt renders a Hebrew noun that may be translated more precisely as “wadi,” that is, a valley or deep gully which is usually dry in the dry season but carries rushing water in the rainy season. Compare the following translations: “the Wadi [or, wadi] of Egypt” (New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible) and “the Torrent of Egypt” (New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). The exact location of this wadi is uncertain. It is sometimes said to be a part of the Nile River, but more likely it refers to the Wadi-el-Arish, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea and is located in the northeastern part of the Sinai Peninsula about 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of Gaza. Since this wadi marked the southern boundary of the Promised Land (Num 34.5), this second location seems more likely to be the correct one. Moffatt says “the Wady-el-Arish.” In languages that have only one word for any kind of flowing water, translators must be careful to avoid giving the impression that this phrase refers to the Nile River, the best known river in Egypt. For example, King James Version says “the river of Egypt,” which would almost certainly be understood as a reference to the Nile River.
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 .