The Hebrew of this verse may be translated either as a question (so Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation) or as a conditional sentence. The footnote in New English Bible translates this as a conditional sentence: “If this has been done by your majesty’s authority, then we your servants have not been told who should succeed you on the throne.”

My lord the king … you: Nathan addresses the king in both the third person and the second person in this verse. Good News Translation maintains the respectful tone of the Hebrew with the words “Your Majesty,” but uses second person pronouns throughout. Translators will need to use a form that is clear and natural in the receptor language.

Your servants: See the comments on verse 2. Servants here will include Nathan himself, Solomon, Zadok, and Benaiah (verse 26). This might also be translated in the present context as “those of us who are loyal to you” or “those of us who follow you faithfully.”

The reading in the Masoretic Text says “your servants.” But the reading in the margin of the Masoretic Text corrects the text to read the singular, “your servant” (so Anchor Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). If the reading in the margin is followed, then “your servant” refers to Nathan. Compare Nouvelle Bible Segond for the last half of this verse, which reads “Why haven’t you let me know, me who is your servant…?” The reading “your servants” is probably to be preferred.

Sit on the throne … after him: Compare verse 20 where the same idea is expressed in the speech of Bathsheba.

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 .

Act therefore according to your wisdom: Good News Translation restates this as “You know what to do.” But the sense is more “Since you are wise, act prudently [or, wisely].” Solomon is to wait for the best time to act, and then he is to have Joab killed. In this context wisdom refers primarily to practical knowledge of how to live in the world rather than to knowledge of facts and information. Moffatt translates “Choose your own time.”

The connecting word but in Revised Standard Version (also New Revised Standard Version, New Century Version) hardly seems appropriate to the context and need not necessarily be reflected in other translations. Probably no connector will be required in many languages (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). If a connector is required, it will probably be better to use “and,” as in Revised English Bible and Nouvelle Bible Segond. Naturalness in the receptor language should be the determining factor in deciding how the two parts of this verse are to be connected.

Do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace: The reference to gray head is in fact a reference to gray hair, a sign of old age. This may also be translated “white head” (Anchor Bible). Similar expressions are found in Gen 42.38 and 44.31. David is saying that Joab must not be allowed to live to old age and then die a natural death. Joab’s violent death is reported in verse 34. Sheol was considered by the Israelites to be a dark place beneath the earth where dead people, whether good or evil, of all nations went after their death (see Gen 37.35; 42.38; 1 Sam 2.6; 2 Sam 22.6). Since this is a term that will have no meaning for many readers if transliterated into the receptor language, translators may wish to say something like “the world of the dead,” “the abode/dwelling place of the dead,” or “the underworld” (Revised English Bible margin). But care should be taken not to give the impression that this is a reference to the local cemetery. For this reason “the grave” (Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New International Version) is not recommended. It may be possible to translate the meaning without referring to “the world of the dead” at all, by saying something like “don’t let him die peacefully in his old age” (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 .

Why then have you not kept your oath to the LORD is literally “And why have you not kept the oath of the LORD.” The oath was made to the LORD. According to verse 42, Shimei swore an oath “by the LORD.” The verb “to keep” used in conjunction with the noun oath means the same thing as “obey,” “respect,” or “observe” (Nouvelle version Segond révisée). Since it occurs with the negative, Good News Translation, as well as Contemporary English Version, uses the common English idiom “broken your promise” along with the verb “disobeyed.”

The commandment with which I charged you is literally “the commandment with which I commanded you.” The noun for “commandment” and the verb for “commanded” are the same root in Hebrew, but it may be more natural in many languages not to use the same term twice.

While most modern translations take the question in this verse as a real one, Contemporary English Version considers it rhetorical and so transforms it into a statement as follows: “You have disobeyed me and have broken the promise you made to the LORD.”

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 .

Elihoreph and Ahijah … were secretaries: Regarding the name Elihoreph and the translation of it in Revised English Bible, see the comments on verse 2. The text does not indicate what the duties of the secretaries were. Possibly they were in charge of official court records and correspondence. Although the precise meaning of this term is not settled, it is certain that the office involved more than that of a modern-day secretary in the usual sense of the English word. Elihoreph and Ahijah may have been responsible for the king’s official correspondence or may have served as ambassadors. The meaning is closer to that of the cabinet level offices in the administration of the United States government, where each one is called “secretary of…,” followed by a term indicating the specific responsibility. The Hebrew verbal root on which this noun is based means “to count” or “to number.” New American Bible and Anchor Bible use the word “scribes,” but it should be noted that scribes in the time of Solomon held a very important position. They were men of great learning and were highly respected. For this reason “royal scribes” is better. Revised English Bible has “Adjutant-general,” but this modern term is unlikely to help translators in most areas of the world. Some languages may require an explanatory phrase like “the assistants to the king in charge of writing matters” or “the learned ones who wrote down things for the king.”

Recorder: The precise meanings and distinction between the Hebrew terms translated recorder and secretaries are not clear. But the rendering of the two terms should be decided together. Some interpreters understand the term translated as recorder in Revised Standard Version to mean “remembrancer” (that is, “one who remembers”), and indeed the root verb on which the noun is based means “to remember” or “to mention.” According to this understanding, the task of the person holding this office has been compared to that of the Egyptian “speaker,” who was responsible to report to the king and to communicate the king’s proclamations to his subjects. New Jerusalem Bible, Peregrino, and De Vries follow this interpretation by translating “herald.” Revised English Bible has the modern expression “Secretary of state.” Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, like Moffatt, translates “chancellor.”

Although the majority of English versions still use the noun “recorder” (similarly New Living Translation with “royal historian”) or a verb phrase having a similar meaning (for example, “kept the records” in Knox), translators should feel free to communicate the meaning “royal herald.” Some may say “the spokesman,” “the person in charge of direct communication with the king,” or “the one who reported to the king and made known his decisions to the people.” Since this office is different from that of a “secretary,” it is certain that the term recorder does not refer primarily to someone who kept official records for the king. These two terms, secretaries and recorder, should be translated the same way as in 2 Sam 8.16-17.

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 .