The prophet Jeremiah prophesied the defeat and exile of Jehoiachin and continued to prophesy during the time of the Exile (Jer 22.24-30; 24.1-10; 29.1-2).

Jehoiachin the king of Judah gave himself up to the king of Babylon …: The Hebrew text has a singular subject (Jehoiachin the king of Judah) followed by a list of other people who are, in fact, included as real subjects of the verb gave … up. In some languages the model of Good News Translation will be a good one to follow, but in other cases a separate sentence may be required stating that “Jehoiachin’s mother, his sons, his officers, and the palace officials also surrendered.”

Good News Translation does not indicate that Jehoiachin was king of Judah, but because this information is not clearly stated in the immediate context, it may be better to include it here.

Gave himself up to is literally “went out to” (so King James Version, Nouvelle version Segond révisée, La Bible Pléiade). As in 1 Sam 11.3, this verb has the sense of “surrendered to” (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible) in this context.

His servants, and his princes, and his palace officials: According to the Hebrew text, three groups of people are mentioned following the mention of Jehoiachin’s mother. The wide differences in the following translations are confusing: “his sons, his officers, and the palace officials” (Good News Translation), “his courtiers, his officers, and his eunuchs” (Revised English Bible), “his ministers, officers, and functionaries” (New American Bible), and “his retinue, his nobles and his officials” (New Jerusalem Bible).

Servants here refers to court officials or government officials. Princes translates a Hebrew word with a wide range of meanings. Throughout the Old Testament, this word refers to a variety of military or civil positions of leadership (see 1 Kgs 4.2, where it is rendered “high officials”). It may also refer to princes, which explains the Good News Translation rendering “sons.” The Hebrew word translated palace officials is sometimes rendered “eunuchs,” and is, in fact, so rendered here by Revised English Bible, em>Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, La Bible Pléiade, and certain other versions. Probably, however, the more general meaning of trusted officials is what is intended here. See the comments on this term at 1 Kgs 22.9 and 2 Kgs 8.6; 9.32.

Took him: Some manuscripts of the Septuagint read “took them,” and are followed by Osty-Trinquet. The plural is historically correct, as verse 15 shows, but the writer’s focus is here on the king himself; so translators should follow the singular reading in the Masoretic Text.

In the eighth year of his reign refers to the reign of Nebuchadnezzar and not that of Jehoiachin, as might be supposed in reading Revised Standard Version. This information is placed in a separate sentence at the end of the verse in Contemporary English Version as follows: “These things took place in the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s rule in Babylonia.” The city of Jerusalem was captured in March of 597 B.C.

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 .

The common Hebrew conjunction at the beginning of this verse is correctly translated So in order to show the logical relationship between Jehoiachin’s being given a place of special honor by the Babylonian king and the fact that he was able to get rid of his prison clothes.

Jehoiachin put off his prison garments: This should not be translated in such a way as to leave Jehoiachin naked in the minds of the readers or hearers of this text. What is clearly intended is that he was allowed to exchange his prison outfit for ordinary civilian clothing. The Hebrew verb translated put off is more literally “changed.” Contemporary English Version attempts to convey the idea by saying “Jehoiachin was even allowed to wear regular clothes.” Others may prefer to say “Jehoiachin exchanged his prison clothes for ordinary clothes.” The name Jehoiachin does not appear in the Hebrew text of this verse. Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, as well as nearly all modern translations, have added the name to make clear the subject of the verbs put off and dined.

Every day of his life he dined regularly at the king’s table is literally “he ate bread continually/regularly before him all the days of his life.” This is reminiscent of Mephibosheth’s being invited to eat with David in 2 Sam 9.13. It was a particularly great honor to be invited even once to partake of a meal with a king. To do so on a regular basis was an indication of an even greater honor. It is very possible, however, that these words are not to be understood literally. As in 1 Kgs 2.7, which said that the sons of Barzillai were to eat at Solomon’s table, the meaning may be that he received a royal pension. American Bible translates this “he received permanent provisions by his favor for life.”

In view of the context, the adverb regularly will be seen as unnecessarily repetitious in some languages and may be omitted. The fact that this was done every day of his life indicates that this was done regularly for the rest of Jehoiachin’s life. In some languages the habitual verb form will be used to underline the regularity of this event.

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 .

And … also: Revised English Bible begins this verse with “What is more…” in an attempt to reflect the Hebrew adverb that is found here and at the beginning of the two previous verses. See the comments on verse 46.

Blessed be the LORD: In some languages God can “bless” people but the same verb cannot be used of people in their relationship to God. In such languages it will be necessary to say something similar to Good News Translation; for example, “Praise the Lord” (International Children’s Bible) or possibly “I praise you, LORD” (Contemporary English Version).

For God of Israel, see verse 30.

Who has granted one of my offspring to sit on my throne this day: The Masoretic Text says simply “who has given today one sitting on my throne.” Following the Masoretic Text, Nouvelle Bible Segond, for example, says “who has placed today someone on my throne.” Revised Standard Version and New Revised Standard Version follow the Septuagint in adding the word offspring. New Jerusalem Bible also follows the Septuagint, saying “one of my own sons.” The context requires that the word “descendants” or “sons” be understood, so in many languages the decision to include the word “descendants” will be based on translation principles and not on text-critical decisions. Contemporary English Version makes explicit that this descendant is Solomon: “You have made my son Solomon king.”

My own eyes seeing it: No contrast is intended between the king’s own eyes and someone else’s eyes. Rather, the contrast is between living to see this event and not living to see it. New Living Translation says “while I am still alive to see it.” Even New Revised Standard Version, which is normally quite literal, here translates “and permitted me to witness 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 .

In the previous verse Joab had told Benaiah to go ahead and kill him where he was standing (holding on to the corners of the altar) and this had been reported to Solomon. This is why Solomon now says Do as he has said ….

Strike him down: See the comments on this expression in verse 25.

Thus: This Revised Standard Version rendering reflects nothing more than the common Hebrew conjunction. But it is clear that Solomon sees a logical relationship between the killing of Joab and the removal of guilt from himself and from the other descendants of David. Joab’s death would compensate for the crimes he had committed and in this way the family of David would no longer be considered guilty.

After the verb take away, the Septuagint adds the word “today.” This addition is found in New Jerusalem Bible, but Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives an {A} rating to the Masoretic Text, which should be followed.

From me and from my father’s house means from Solomon and from all of David’s other descendants.

The guilt for the blood which Joab shed without cause: Joab had killed Abner and Amasa, who were both innocent (verse 32). The Hebrew expresses this as “the guiltless blood that Joab shed” (see also 1 Sam 25.31). But in many languages a more natural model will be “the guilt of Joab, who executed people who had done no wrong” or “… who has killed innocent people” (New Century Version).

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 .

In the night: The Hebrew does not state clearly whether the woman lay on her son and killed him the same night that he was born (so Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie) or whether this happened some days later. But this detail is not important to the story. For this reason Good News Translation, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje, and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente say “one night.”

She lay on it: Neither does the Hebrew indicate whether the woman deliberately lay on her son and smothered him or whether it was an accident. Good News Translation probably expresses the intended sense, that the woman “accidentally rolled over on her baby” (also Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje; similarly New Living Translation).

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 .

1Kings 3.:20

At midnight: The word midnight translates two Hebrew words meaning “the middle of the night” (so New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). For this reason some modern versions say “midnight” (Moffatt). But the Hebrew word meaning “the middle of” does not always have that precise meaning but sometimes means only “in” or “during.” For this reason other versions say only “during the night” (Good News Translation), “in the night” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), or “Later that night” (New American Bible).

The woman who is speaking refers to herself in the third person as your maidservant. While this is a common Old Testament way of showing respect to the person she is speaking to, it may not convey the same meaning in other languages. For this reason it will be better translated by the first person singular pronoun “I.” But if there are other means that may be used to convey the idea of respect, they may be used here. For example, the woman may repeat the word for “sir” or “your Majesty.” Or, as in Revised English Bible, one may translate “I, your servant.”

Bosom renders a Hebrew noun that often refers to the lap or to the part of the body where one holds close a loved one. It is quite possible to translate my bosom as “near me,” “in the bed with me,” or “next to me” (Contemporary English Version).

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 .

Here, as elsewhere in the chapter, Judah and Israel refer to the people of the southern and northern parts of the united kingdom.

Safety translates a Hebrew noun meaning “security,” “without worry,” or “safety.” Peregrino says “quietly,” and New Living Translation has “peace and safety.”

From Dan even to Beersheba: The city of Dan, which was located at the southern foot of Mount Hermon, was the northernmost limit of ancient Israel. Beersheba was located in the Judean Negeb, and stood as the southernmost point. From Dan even to Beersheba became a fixed phrase to refer to the entire country from the extreme north to the extreme south (for example, Jdg 20.1; 2 Sam 3.10; 17.11; 24.2, 15; 1 Chr 21.2).

Since many readers will not know that these two towns represent the extreme northern and southern borders of Israel, this information should be made explicit. There are several ways to do so: (1) place this information in a footnote as does Traduction œcuménique de la Bible; (2) keep the names of the towns in the text and make explicit their location, for example, “from the town of Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south” (Contemporary English Version; similarly Parole de Vie, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente); (3) omit the names and translate the sense of this fixed phrase, for example, “from one end of the country to the other” (compare Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje).

Solution (2) has the advantage of translating the meaning while also reinforcing for the reader the locations of these two towns, and is the translation that we recommend. In either option 1 or 2, it will be important to add the classifier term “town” to indicate to readers what Dan and Beersheba refer to.

Every man under his vine and under his fig tree: Every man is not intended as an individualistic statement, nor is it to be understood as limiting the meaning to male members of the society. The idea is that every family unit would be able to live securely and without any fear of problems from outsiders. And each family would have its own source of the basic essentials of life.

Vine is “grapevine” and it was the most important plant in Israel. The fig tree grew to a height of about five meters (sixteen feet) and provided a lot of shade as well as being an important source of food. The vine and the fig tree are often used together in the Old Testament to symbolize safety and prosperity (for example, 2 Kgs 18.31; Isa 36.16; Mic 4.4). English translations traditionally render the Hebrew as under his vine and under his fig tree. Cogan (2000, pages 213-214), however, notes that the Hebrew word translated under can also mean “at the foot of,” and that this idiom is better translated “at the foot of his vine and at the foot of his fig tree,” since people did not sit under vines.

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 .

He also built a structure against the wall of the house … and he made side chambers all around: It is not clear how the Hebrew noun rendered structure is to be understood (see also the comments on verse 10). It is often understood as referring to the three-storied annex built against the sides and the back of the Temple (so Good News Translation, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). It is not clear from the Revised Standard Version translation whether a structure and side chambers refer to two different things or to the same thing. The English words structure and side chambers translate two different Hebrew nouns. There are two interpretations on how they relate to each other:
(1) Assuming that only one thing is intended, Good News Translation makes it clear that the structure was built against “the outside walls.” Good News Translation (similarly Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje) also brings forward from verse 6 the information that the outer structure was “three-storied” tall and from verse 10 the information that each level, or story, was 7.5 feet (about 2.5 meters) high (but see the comments on verse 10). The purpose of this structure was to help support the walls and to provide places for storage.
(2) Assuming that the structure is not the same as the side chambers, what was the structure It may have been a squared platform upon which the side chambers were built. Following this interpretation, Gray translates “And he built against the wall of the Temple a platform around the nave and the back part, and he made storeys round about.” Revised English Bible (also De Vries) is similar with “Then he built a terrace against its wall round both the sanctuary and the inner shrine. He made arcades all round [on top of the terrace].”

The exact shape of the side chambers referred to here and in verse 6 is not clear. There are two different views: (1) The outer stone wall of the Temple was stairstepped, that is, the stone wall receded one cubit, then further up it receded two cubits, and then further up it receded three cubits. Cedar boards lay horizontal on these recessed ledges and rested on vertical standing cedar panels to form straight up and down side chambers. According to this understanding, each level is one cubit wider than the one below, but the outer wall of the side chambers is straight up and down (so Good News Translation and Bible en français courant in their translations of verse 6). (2) Or, alternatively, the outer stone wall of the Temple was straight up and down and the second level of side rooms built in cedar against the outside of the stone wall projected out one cubit wider than the first level; and the third projected out one cubit wider than the second level.

There is simply no way to know for sure which of the above mentioned understandings is correct. But translators should follow consistently throughout this chapter the one understanding that they accept. And if it is judged necessary, a footnote may be given with the other interpretation.

For the nave and the inner sanctuary, see the introductory discussion on this section and the comments on verse 3.

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 .