Bakbukiah and Unno their brethren: MT has the reading “Unni” in the margin for Unno. “Unni” is also in the Vulgate and in a Syriac manuscript. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project supports the Hebrew text with a B rating. The Hebrew originally had waw (“and”) before brethren, but this evidently was assimilated to “Unni,” making it Unno. Translators should use the form “Unni,” as many versions do (New King James Version , New International Version, Revised English Bible, Nouvelle Bible Segond, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). It would be best to put “and” in the translation to indicate that their brethren refers to other Levites and not to Bakbukiah and Unno.

Stood opposite them: In Hebrew this is literally “in front of them.” Bakbukiah and Unno were the leaders of a second Levitical choir that sang antiphonally in the Temple liturgy (see Neh 11.17). This is made explicit in Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version.

In the service: Many commentators understand this to refer to the liturgical service in the Temple, as Revised Standard Version has done. Indeed, the Hebrew word for service is commonly used in the Old Testament to refer to liturgical service (see 2 Chr 8.14). Because the Hebrew word is a plural form, New International Version translates “in the services.” BNT interprets it to mean the “guard shifts” (similarly Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Chouraqui). Other translations interpret it to refer to “in their respective orders” (Jerusalem Bible) or “in their service divisions” (New American Standard Bible). However, the context here obviously refers to liturgical singing, so translators should follow the interpretation of Revised Standard Version.

Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Nehemiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .