Then: The transition word at the beginning of this verse is the common Hebrew conjunction, but the context may require a temporal connector as in Revised Standard Version. Some versions (Revised English Bible), however, omit the conjunction altogether. Good News Translation and certain other versions attempt to show the transition by beginning a new paragraph at this point. Contemporary English Version highlights the suddenness of the action by beginning this verse with the words “Right away.”

Good News Translation finds it unnecessary to qualify Jehoiada as the priest since this information is given twice in verse 9 and is also added by Good News Translation in verse 4 as well.

The captains who were set over the army: It is not clear whether these captains are to be identified as “the captains” mentioned in verse 4 or whether the reference is to a different group of officers.

Bring her out: The difference between Bring (Revised Standard Version) and “Take” (Good News Translation) is a matter of perspective. Those versions following Revised Standard Version (New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New International Version) seem to imply that Jehoiada, who gives the order, is already outside the Temple shouting back inside to the guards who were still inside. But in all likelihood, he was still inside the Temple with the men he was commanding. So Good News Translation (also New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, American Bible) provides a better model for this context.

Between the ranks: The sense of the Hebrew here is not entirely clear. Is Athaliah to be brought out from inside the ranks? Surely she would not have been allowed to enter inside of the circle of guards around Joash. Because of this difficulty, Revised English Bible corrects the Hebrew text to read “outside the precincts,” and this reading does fit well with the end of the verse, which says that Athaliah is not to be killed in the Temple. But most modern versions attempt to follow the Masoretic Text as do Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. This is also the recommendation of Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, which gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text, so other translators are encouraged to adopt it. It is perhaps best to understand this as meaning “between the rows of soldiers” so that she might not escape. New Jerusalem Bible provides a good model with “Take her out under guard.”

Slay with the sword: New Revised Standard Version modernizes the language, saying “kill with the sword.” But in this context it may even be advisable to leave implicit the fact that the killing would be done with the sword (so Good News Translation).

Any one who follows her: This would certainly not mean any person who followed Athaliah at a distance, since the whole crowd no doubt went after her outside the Temple eventually. The intent was to prevent anyone from attempting to free her from her captors. These would be her supporters who must suffer the same fate as their leader.

Let her not be slain in the house of the LORD: A dead body in the Temple would have made the Temple ritually unclean (Num 19.11-16). The passive verb be slain can be made active by saying “Do not kill her here in the Temple of the LORD” (New Living Translation) or “Don’t let Athaliah die in the Temple.”

The last sentence of Revised Standard Version, including the direct quotation, is moved forward to the beginning of the verse by Good News Translation. In addition to shifting this information forward, Good News Translation transforms the direct quotation into an indirect statement. One or both of these changes may be required in other languages as well.

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 .