Some translators may need to know in what way The wheels were made like a chariot wheel. It almost certainly does not refer to their size, since they would have been considerably smaller. The idea is probably that they followed the pattern or design of chariot wheels. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “The structure of the wheels was like the structure of chariot wheels.” In order to avoid misunderstanding, some may have to translate “The wheels were like small chariot wheels.” For chariot see the comments at 1 Kgs 1.5.

Their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs, were all cast: Axles, rims, spokes, and hubs are somewhat technical terms in English. New Jerusalem Bible renders these four nouns as “axles, felloes, spokes, and naves.” “Felloes” is another word for rims, and “naves” is a synonym of hubs. Most languages will have terms for these parts of the wheel. Translators should, however, avoid terms that are too technical if most readers will not know them. Rims and hubs, for example, are preferable to “felloes” and “naves” for American readers. In some languages all of these terms will be foreign. To introduce four foreign terms into the translation may be very difficult and distracting for the average reader. If this is the case, then it may be wiser to say simply that “all the parts of the wheels were made of bronze” and give the specific terms in a footnote.

Were all cast means they were all made of cast bronze.

Parole de Vie may provide a useful model for the whole verse:

• They [The wheels] were made like chariot wheels. All the parts of which they were made were in cast bronze.

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 .

There I have provided a place: There means “in the Temple” (Good News Translation). In many languages it will be appropriate to supply this information rather than translating the adverb of place literally.

The ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD: The Hebrew says literally that the covenant of the LORD is in the ark. But the ark did not contain the covenant itself, but rather the objects that represented the covenant and on which the agreement was written. Good News Translation makes it clear that this refers to “the stone tablets of the covenant” (see verse 9).

Which he made with our fathers is literally “which he cut with our fathers.” See the comments on verse 9. In this context fathers obviously refers not to the immediately preceding generation but rather to the “ancestors” who lived several hundred years before. So it will be better translated as “ancestors” (Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible) or “forefathers” (Revised English 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 .

And he stood: Since verse 54 says that Solomon “arose,” Good News Translation omits these words.

Blessed all the assembly of Israel: See the comments on verse 14. In languages where only God may be the subject of the verb “bless,” the model of Good News Translation may be helpful. Others may say “he commended … to God.”

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 .