The kings of these cities had been killed and their people had been deported to Samaria (see 2 Kgs 17.24). For the cities called Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah, see the comments at 2 Kgs 17.24 and 18.34.

There are difficulties in understanding the Hebrew text of this verse. A literal translation reads “Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king for the city [laʿir in Hebrew] of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and of Ivvah?” Some interpreters understand the Hebrew word laʿir to be the name of another city rather than the Hebrew word for “for the city.” Revised English Bible, for example, reads “Where are the kings of Hamath, of Arpad, and of Lahir, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?” (similarly New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, American Bible). Lahir (or Lair) was a city in northeastern Babylonia, and most likely laʿir should be understood as that city in this verse.

The question in this verse implies a response that would indicate that these kings are no longer living. Contemporary English Version therefore transforms the question into a statement as follows:

• The kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah have all disappeared.

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 .