Blessed be the LORD your God: See the comments on 1 Chr 16.36. Your God occurs three times in this verse and is significant because the queen of Sheba did not worship the same God as Solomon. But the visiting queen also names the God of Solomon. The Hebrew word translated LORD appears twice in the queen’s statement, and it represents the name Yahweh. This shows the queen’s awareness of the Israelite religion.

Who has delighted in you and set you on his throne as king: Revised Standard Version has two separate actions here. But the Hebrew is better rendered “who has delighted in you by placing you on his throne as king” (so Good News Translation, Osty-Trinquet). Traduction œcuménique de la Bible says “who has indeed wished to place you on his throne,” and New American Bible has “who has been so pleased with you as to place you on his throne as king.” Instead of his throne, the parallel text in 1 Kgs 10.9 says “the throne of Israel.” However, in 1-2 Chronicles both the kingdom and the throne are said to be God’s (see 1 Chr 17.14; 28.5; 29.23; 2 Chr 13.8).

The words for the LORD your God show that God remains the king of Israel. Good News Translation translates this phrase as “to rule in his name.”

Because your God loved Israel and would establish them for ever: The Hebrew here should not be understood to mean that God used to love Israel in the past but does not love Israel anymore. Good News Translation correctly indicates that God’s love for his people Israel continues. New Living Translation also does by saying “Because God loves Israel and desires this kingdom to last forever.”

He has made you king over them, that you may execute justice and righteousness: For the Hebrew words rendered justice and righteousness, see the comments on 1 Chr 18.14, where the same words are translated “justice” and “equity.”

Some languages may prefer to reverse the order of the last sentence in this verse by saying “He has made you their king, so that you can maintain true justice, because he loves his people Israel and wants to preserve them 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 .