Walked in the customs of the nations: As elsewhere in the Scriptures, the verb walked is a way of saying “lived” or “behaved” (see 1 Kgs 3.3). Osty-Trinquet says “imitated.” The Hebrew word for customs may be rendered “practices” (New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible) or “rites” (New American Bible). The whole expression may be translated “lived like the nations” (New Century Version).

Whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel: See the comments at 1 Kgs 14.24.

And in the customs which the kings of Israel had introduced is literally “and the kings of Israel which they did.” Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation have added the word customs, which is not in the Hebrew. This clause is awkward in Hebrew and some experts have suggested that it should be omitted altogether, following the ancient Syriac version (Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). But the textual evidence for its presence here is rather strong and the majority of ancient and modern versions retain it in one form or another. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text. Rather than omitting these words, translators should recognize that this is an elliptical sentence, that is, even though the words “they walked in the customs of” are not repeated from the beginning of this verse, they must be understood as implied in the Hebrew text. Revised Standard Version speaks of the customs which the kings of Israel had introduced. The most likely meaning is “the practices established by the [previous evil] kings of Israel.” Earlier kings of Israel had been guilty of setting up wrong ways of worshiping and living, and the people willingly followed these practices as well as those of the other nations around them. The reference to the kings of Israel is to the kings of the northern kingdom of Israel.

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 .