A description of this flight of the remaining Israelites into Egypt is found also in Jer 43.5-7.

All the people, both small and great: This expression probably refers to social class rather than to physical size or age. These words may, however, intend to be all-inclusive, in which case a translation such as “the whole population” (Bible en français courant) will be acceptable. See the comments at 2 Kgs 23.2.

The captains of the forces: See the comments at verse 23, where the Hebrew expression here is translated “the captains of the forces in the open country.”

Arose, and went: The verb arose should not be taken to imply that the Israelites had necessarily been sitting or lying down. When this verb is used together with the verb went, it simply denotes the initiation of significant action (see the discussion on Hebrew serial verbs in “Translating 1–2 Kings,” pages 15-16). Revised English Bible translates the two together with the verb “fled.”

For they were afraid of the Chaldeans: The connector for introduces the reason why the Israelites fled. It was because of their fear of the Babylonians that they acted in the way that they did.

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 .

Revised Standard Version is a nearly literal rendering of the Hebrew. The sense is clearly expressed in Good News Translation, that is, Solomon’s actions show that he has replaced David as king. However, neither Revised Standard Version nor Good News Translation translates the Hebrew adverb meaning “moreover” at the beginning of this verse. In Hebrew this adverb occurs at the beginning of verses 46, 47, and 48. Bible en français courant reflects the adverb at the beginning of this verse with the words “In addition…” and New American Bible has “Besides….”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

When it was told King Solomon: In Hebrew it is not stated who told Solomon about Joab. This passive expression may be rendered in some languages as “When they told King Solomon” or “When King Solomon learned.”

Behold: Good News Translation does not translate this Hebrew focusing particle.

Solomon sent Benaiah …: Revised Standard Version follows the Masoretic Text here, while Good News Translation follows the longer text of the Septuagint, which says “Solomon sent to Joab saying, ‘What is the matter with you that you have fled to the altar?’ And Joab said, ‘Because I was afraid from your face, and I fled to the Lord.’ And Solomon the king sent Benaiah….” Good News Translation has turned the direct discourse of the Septuagint into indirect discourse. A number of other translations also follow the Septuagint (Contemporary English Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Osty-Trinquet, Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, De Vries). Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to the longer reading of the Septuagint. Probably a scribe accidentally omitted words between the two occurrences of “Solomon sent.”

Strike him down: See the comments on the verb here in verse 25.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Oh, my lord translates a fixed Hebrew formula used for beginning a conversation with someone of higher rank or social standing. It is an abbreviated form of saying “Let the harm our conversation might do come upon me, my lord!” It may be translated “Pardon me, your Majesty” or “Excuse me, your Majesty.” Neither Revised Standard Version nor Good News Translation capture the force of the Hebrew. New Revised Standard Version is better with “Please, my lord” (similarly Bible en français courant, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).

This woman and I is literally “I and this woman.” Most English translations reverse the order for reasons of English style. Translators in other languages should feel free to use whichever order is most natural in this context.

The words I gave birth to a child render a single Hebrew verb, meaning “I gave birth.” Since verse 20 states that the child was a son, Good News Translation brings this information forward to verse 17.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

This verse is a continuation of the provisions that were needed by Solomon and his people and were provided by those who were subject to him.

Ten fat oxen, and twenty pasture-fed cattle: The Hebrew word translated oxen is a collective term that is often rendered “cattle” or “herd.” It refers to bovine cattle and may include bulls, cows, calves, and heifers (see the discussion on this term in 1 Kgs 1.9). In this same verse this Hebrew word is also translated cattle. The word itself does not necessarily refer to male animals. The adjective fat contrasts these animals with those that are pasture-fed. The ten fat oxen were kept confined and fed in stalls, while the twenty pasture-fed cattle were allowed to graze in the fields. Instead of fat oxen, Contemporary English Version says “grain-fed cattle.” For both groups of animals, International Children’s Bible reads “10 cows that were fed good grain, 20 cows that were raised in the fields.”

Harts, gazelles, and roebucks all belong to the deer family. Harts refer to male deer weighing as much as three hundred pounds and having solid branching horns. Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version both translate this as “deer.” Gazelles were small antelopes with hollow antlers that did not branch out. Roebucks were small deer with antlers having five branches. For languages that do not have distinctive terms for different kinds of deer, International Children’s Bible may provide a useful model with “3 different kinds of deer.”

Fatted fowl: The exact identity of this bird is uncertain. Suggestions have included “guineas,” “pigeons,” “cuckoos,” “geese” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Contemporary English Version), “young chickens,” and more generally “poultry” (Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible). Since the precise kind of bird is uncertain, translators may use a general expression for fatted fowl, such as “fat birds” in International Children’s Bible.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The vestibule … was twenty cubits long … and ten cubits deep …: Vestibule renders a technical architectural term in Hebrew that means “portico” (New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “porch” (Contemporary English Version, Anchor Bible). This same Hebrew term is rendered “Hall” and “porch” in 1 Kgs 7.6, and “vestibule” in 1 Kgs 7.12. It was an unroofed structure through which one had to pass in order to enter the sanctuary itself. Like the sanctuary, the vestibule was twenty cubits wide (or long) from side to side. It was ten cubits long (or deep) from front to back. The writer does not say how tall the vestibule was.

The nave refers to the part of the sanctuary in front of the inner sanctuary (verse 16). It is described in more detail in verse 17. The nave, which was forty cubits long (about 20 meters or 60 feet), and the inner sanctuary, which was twenty cubits long, together made up the house, which was sixty cubits long. As already mentioned, nave is transliterated as “Hekal” by certain versions like New Jerusalem Bible and Osty-Trinquet. But New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh provides a more helpful model with “the Great Hall [of the House].” Traduction œcuménique de la Bible is quite similar. In other languages translators may have to say “the main hall” (Anchor Bible) or “the Main Room” and explain it further in the glossary. The English word nave is misleading since it refers to a central space separated from space on the sides by rows of pillars.

For cubits see the comments on verse 2.

New Living Translation may be a helpful model for the entire verse:

• The foyer at the front of the Temple was 30 feet wide, running across the entire width of the Temple. It projected outward 15 feet from the front of the Temple.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

As in the previous verse, many common language translations like Good News Translation add the words “of Solomon’s reign” after the words in the eleventh year.

In the month of Bul, which is the eighth month: Bul is a Canaanite month name and corresponds to the time from the middle of October to the middle of November. New Living Translation says “midautumn.” This is the eighth month in the Hebrew calendar (see the comments on verse 1 and Appendix A, “The Hebrew Calendar”). It will be noted that Good News Translation restructures the first part of this verse so that the month is mentioned before the year. Whichever arrangement is more natural in the receptor language should be adopted.

According to all its specifications: Specifications translates the Hebrew noun mishpat, which usually has the sense of “justice” or “judgment” (see 1 Kgs 3.28). Here, however, it seems to mean simply “plan” without any ethical sense. Another way of saying the whole phrase here in some languages is “exactly as he had [previously] decided to do.”

This chapter began by telling the reader that construction of the Temple was begun in the fourth year that Solomon was king (verse 1). Now the chapter ends by stating that it took seven years to build it.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .