Uriah the priest built the altar: The phrase Uriah the priest is repeated twice in this verse and also occurs in verses 15 and 16. Good News Translation seems to consider the five occurrences of this phrase in verses 10-16 as unnatural in English, so it reduces it to the proper name “Uriah” after the first occurrence. However, naturalness in the receptor language should determine how this repetition is handled in translation. The use of the definite article with altar reflects the Hebrew, but this may not prove to be natural in other languages. In several modern English versions, in fact, this becomes “an altar” (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New International Version, New Century Version) because this particular altar had not existed previously. The definite article was used probably because this altar was patterned after the one in Damascus. But in the receptor language it may be better to say “an altar.”

All that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus refers to the plans and instructions Uriah had received.

Uriah the priest made it reflects the Hebrew, but it is redundant. The verbal expressions built the altar and made it both have Uriah the priest as subject and refer to the same event. In some languages the most natural thing to do will be to translate this idea by a single verbal expression.

Before King Ahaz arrived from Damascus: The verb arrived will be more naturally rendered “came back (New Century Version)” or “returned (Good News Translation)” in many languages. Some may wish to follow New American Bible, which reads “by the time the king returned home.”

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 .