The introductory Hebrew word translated Now then may seem out of place here. It is ignored by a number of modern versions. A salutation would be normal in writing such a letter, but since it is not pertinent to the story, it is not included by the writer of 2 Kings. Compare the letter written to the king of Israel by the Syrian king in 2 Kgs 5.6.

It will be noted that the structure of this verse is radically changed in Good News Translation. The words as soon as this letter comes to you are placed at the end of the verse rather than at the beginning. The stage must be set and background information given before moving to the action required on receipt of the letter. This restructuring may be a good model for other languages to follow.

Seeing your master’s sons are with you is literally “and with you the sons of your master.” The word seeing is an addition of Revised Standard Version. But the common Hebrew conjunction that joins this clause with what goes before it may be translated “Since” (New Revised Standard Version) if a more complex sentence is used. On the other hand, it may be better in some languages to make this clause and the rest of the verse a separate sentence. Nevertheless, the relationship between the clauses in verses 2-3 should be made quite clear. It is because the persons receiving the letter are in charge of the descendants of Ahab and have all the means necessary at their disposal that they are asked to fulfill the order given in verse 3. This will probably require the conjunction “Therefore” or something similar at the beginning of the second sentence with the command (so Good News Translation).

Fortified cities: The traditional Hebrew text has the singular, “a fortified city,” and this is recommended by Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament with a {C} rating. The singular is followed by a number of modern versions (New Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Peregrino, em>Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, La Bible Pléiade, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament suggests that “a fortified city” refers to the city-state of Samaria (also the notes in La Bible Pléiade and Osty-Trinquet). The singular, however, may be understood as a collective noun, which may be translated as a plural as in all the ancient versions in spite of the textual preference for the Masoretic Text.

Weapons is rendered “you are armed” by Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente.

A possible model restructuring this verse and using two separate sentences might be as follows:

• You have King Ahab’s descendants with you and you also have chariots, horses, weapons, and your fortified city. Therefore, as soon as you receive this letter….

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .