Nevertheless: The transition word in Hebrew is important here. It is the same word as used in 2 Kgs 3.3 and is sometimes translated “only.” It is a rather strong indicator of contrast. Some other English renderings are “But” (New Century Version), “however” (New International Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Moffatt), and “Still” (New American Bible).

High places: See the comments on 1 Kgs 3.2. Worship in such places was not always forbidden in the history of Israel. It was apparently considered acceptable in the story of Saul’s visit to the prophet Samuel in 1 Sam 9.12. The practice seems to have been common before the building of the Temple for Yahweh (1 Kgs 3.2). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and Revised English Bible use the word “shrines” to translate the Hebrew noun here. New Century Version attempts to convey the notion that these were religious places with the words “places where gods were worshiped.” The writer does not state that false gods were being worshiped. If the writer is negative about the worship at the high places, it is most likely because this worship of Yahweh was taking place outside of Jerusalem, away from the central place of worship. For this reason a translation such as “pagan places of worship” (Good News Translation) or the one in New Century Version is not recommended here. The second occurrence of the words high places, at the end of the verse, may be replaced by an adverb, such as Good News Translation has done with the word “there.”

The passive expression were not taken away will have to be made active in some languages. The implied subject may be either the king or the people in general, who are specifically mentioned later in this verse. In languages where the passive form is not an option, translators are advised to make King Joash the subject of the verb; for example, Contemporary English Version translates the whole clause here as “Joash did not destroy the local shrines.” See the comments on 1 Kgs 15.14.

In some languages the verb sacrifice and possibly also burn incense (see the comments on this verb in 1 Kgs 3.3) will require a clear statement regarding the deity to whom sacrifice and incense are being offered. Some interpreters think that the present context would certainly require the addition of something like “to false gods,” “to idols,” or “to pagan deities.” But other interpreters think the main concern of the author is that people were worshiping God in the wrong places, that is, outside of Jerusalem. Compare 1 Kgs 12.33; 13.1, 2; 22.43 (22.44 in the Masoretic Text).

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 instructions of Elisha continue with two brief commands in the form of direct discourse and each command is followed by an indication that it was accomplished according to the instructions. While this form may be unnatural in some languages, it will be perfectly acceptable in others. Translators should study their own languages to determine how such a series of commands would normally be described and then such forms should be used in translation. There should be no doubt as to which person is giving the instructions and which one is following them. In some languages this will mean replacing the pronouns by proper names or nouns in certain places (so Good News Translation).

Open the window eastward: It is difficult to imagine how Jehoash himself could open a window while holding a drawn bow and arrow with Elisha’s hands at the same time covering his own hands. The sense may be “Have someone open the window….” In many languages it will be more natural to translate “Order someone to open the window….” It is also possible that the events in verses 16-17 are not intended to be taken in strict chronological order. Based on this understanding, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch restructures these two verses as follows:

• Then Elisha said, “Open the window through which one can see toward the east, and draw the bow!” Joash did it.
Now Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands and said, “Shoot!” The king shot the arrow….

Windows at that time were simply openings in the wall. There were not glass windows as there are today. To open the window meant either to draw open the curtain or to open the shutters.

The word eastward may be translated “on the east side [of the room/house]” or “on the side where the sun rises/appears in the morning.” The significance of eastward is clear: according to 2 Kgs 10.32-33, the Syrians controlled the territory east of the Jordan River. For this reason Good News Translation says “the window that faced toward Syria.” Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente surprisingly says “Open the window that looks toward the west,” but this must surely be a mistake in translation.

He opened it is literally “he opened.” Revised Standard Version and most translations add the pronoun it.

The second command in this verse is Shoot, which may be translated either as a direct quotation or indirectly, depending on what is most natural in the receptor language. In certain languages the idea of shooting in this context will be rendered “Let go of the arrow” since the bow was already drawn.

The LORD’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria!: This is an incomplete sentence, but the verb “to be” is probably to be understood as indicated in the Good News Translation rendering. NET Bible provides what may be a helpful model for other languages: “This arrow symbolizes the victory the LORD will give you over Syria.” The meaning of the expression is, in fact, illuminated by the statement that follows: For you shall fight the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of them.

Aphek is mentioned eight times in the Old Testament and refers to at least four different cities. The reference here and in 1 Kgs 20.26 is to the city of Aphek in Syria, although its exact location is uncertain. Since many readers today will not know that Aphek is a city, this information may be made explicit.

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 .

For: The transition word used here in Hebrew normally shows a logical relationship, often one of cause and effect. It is left untranslated by Good News Translation, but why Good News Translation has left this logical relationship implicit is not clear. The relationship between verses 25 and 26-27 may not be clear in a rather literal translation. Therefore, the following translation of verses 26-27 by Contemporary English Version may provide a good model:

• The LORD helped Jeroboam do this because he had seen how terribly the Israelites were suffering, whether slave or free, and no one was left to help them. And since the LORD had promised that he would not let Israel be completely destroyed, he helped Jeroboam rescue them.

The LORD saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter: As indicated by the Good News Translation footnote, the Hebrew text has the word “rebellious” in place of bitter. In Hebrew the consonants for these two words are the same. But most scholars agree that the reading of the ancient Greek version rendered in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation is likely to reflect the original text and is certainly easier to translate. This expression would then be similar to the one in 2 Kgs 13.4, indicating that Yahweh took notice of the extreme difficulties of his people. Similar statements are also made of the earlier history of Israel in Exo 3.7 and Deut 26.7. Some possible renderings here are “the LORD had seen how bitterly Israel had suffered” (Revised English Bible) and “the LORD saw the intensity of the pain of the people of Israel.” In certain languages the image of “bitterness” may have to be replaced by some other figure indicating the painfulness or intensity of suffering since “bitterness” may not be appropriate.

Bond or free: This all-inclusive expression is intended to emphasize that there was absolutely no one who would come to the aid of Israel. Compare the translation of the similar expression in 1 Kgs 14.10; 21.21 and 2 Kgs 9.8. New International Version and New Century Version move this expression so that it becomes a part of the description of Israel rather than its potential helpers. But this is not recommended to translators.

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 .

Nevertheless: The positive evaluation of Jotham is qualified in much the same way as was the one for his father Uzziah (verse 4). The transition word used here in Hebrew is stronger than the common conjunction. As pointed out in verse 4, it is sometimes translated “only” in other contexts.

The high places were not removed: The Hebrew verb here is the same one translated “were not taken away” in verse 4. In some languages the passive form will have to be made active as in the previous case.

For high places, see the comments at 1 Kgs 3.2 and 2 Kgs 12.3.

Sacrificed and burned incense: See the comments on 1 Kgs 3.3 and 2 Kgs 12.3.

He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD: The verb built is translated “rebuilt” in some translations (New International Version, New Century Version, New Living Translation, Contemporary English Version), but there is no evidence that the upper gate had existed previously and had been damaged or destroyed. It will be better, therefore, to say that Jotham built this gate rather than saying that he “rebuilt” it.

The upper gate is probably the same gate as the one called “the upper Benjamin Gate” in Jer 20.2. It was located on the north side of the Temple area. Ezekiel refers to it as “the north gate” (Ezek 8.14; 40.35, 40, 44; 44.4; 46.9; 47.2). It is for this reason that the name “North Gate” is found in Good News Translation. The parallel account in 2 Chr 27.3-4 also speaks of “the upper gate,” but it gives a more detailed description of the other building projects of King Jotham. Since the reference seems to be to a specific gate and not just an indefinite gate, many translations use capital letters: “the Upper Gate” (New International Version, New Century Version, Contemporary English Version).

Some translators may wish to move the apparently positive contribution of building the gate to the beginning of this verse and follow it with the conjunction marking contrast and the qualification about the negative aspects of Jotham’s reign. The translation would then read:

• He built the Upper Gate of the Temple. But he did not destroy the local shrines. So the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

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 wording of this verse is very similar to 1 Kgs 14.23. The vocabulary also corresponds in some measure to Deut 12.2; 2 Kgs 16.4 and Jer 17.2.

The pillars were tall stones set up for worship (see the comments on 1 Kgs 14.23), while the Asherim were wooden representations of the goddess named Asherah. Asherim is translated “sacred poles” by a number of modern versions (New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh is quite similar with “sacred posts.” See the comments on 1 Kgs 14.15 and 2 Kgs 13.6.

The location of these objects of worship is said to be on every high hill and under every green tree. These two expressions are generally taken to refer to different places, although it is not impossible to understand that the green trees were on the hilltops. See 1 Kgs 14.23.

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 .

This verse and the previous verse follow the customary formula for describing the beginning of the reign of the kings of Israel and Judah. The following information is provided here:

• (1) Age of the ruler at his coronation: twenty-five.

• (2) Length of his reign: twenty-nine years.

• (3) Location of his capital: Jerusalem.

• (4) His mother’s name: Abi. This name is spelled a different way in the ancient Greek version. The most common form of the name is “Abijah,” as in the parallel account in 2 Chr 29.1. It is this form of the name that is used by Good News Translation, New International Version, New Century Version and New Jerusalem Bible in this verse. It is probably better to use this longer form in both cases in order to avoid confusing the reader, who might otherwise think that two different persons are meant.

The Zechariah mentioned here is not Zechariah the late sixth-century prophet to whom the book of Zechariah is attributed, nor is it the king of Israel mentioned in chapter 15 of this book. There are, in fact, about thirty different people by this name mentioned in the Bible.

Some interpreters suggest that Abijah’s father may be the same Zechariah mentioned in Isa 8.2 since that Zechariah must have been a well-known person with influence among the people. But such an identification is only speculation. Perhaps in order to avoid giving the impression that Abijah’s father is the same as the prophet Zechariah, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente translates the last sentence of this verse as follows: “His mother was named Abi and was the daughter of a certain Zechariah.” The words “a certain Zechariah” do not mean “a specific person known by everyone,” but rather “someone named Zechariah.”

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 transition word But renders the common Hebrew conjunction, but many English versions use some kind of contrast marker since some kind of verbal response would normally be expected. While several versions have the same connector as Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible has “however.”

The people were silent: American Bible takes the Hebrew word rendered the people to be an explanatory, but incorrect, addition since this word is not found in the Septuagint or in the parallel passage in Isa 36.21. American Bible, therefore, translates “They remained silent,” referring to the three envoys of Hezekiah. Contemporary English Version seems to follow this same interpretation. But the Masoretic Text makes sense, and most versions translate as in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. The people referred to are the people of Judah in general.

The expressions were silent and answered him not a word are merely positive and negative ways of saying the same thing. But the repetition of the same idea is intentionally used for emphasis. Where possible, this may be imitated in the receptor language.

For the king’s command was, “Do not answer him”: Instead of using a direct quotation for the prohibition of the king, many languages will find it more natural to present this idea indirectly (so Good News Translation). Revised English Bible, for example, says “for the king had given orders that no one was to answer him.” The king refers to King Hezekiah of Judah, as Good News Translation makes explicit, and not to the Assyrian king.

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 .

By the way that he came, by the same he shall return: This statement repeats the one made at the end of verse 28, but the structure is altered here and third person singular pronouns are used in place of the more direct second person singular pronouns because Yahweh is now addressing Hezekiah rather than Sennacherib. However, the inverted structure in this verse may not be natural in other languages. In such cases it will be better to say “He shall return by the same way he came” (New American Bible).

And he shall not come into this city: See verse 32. The conjunction and may be misleading since it does not introduce a separate idea. Rather, what follows is a reaffirmation of the idea before it. So it may be better to omit the conjunction in many languages.

Says the LORD: The repetition of this formula at this point may seem unnecessarily redundant, but it is a common way of stressing the fact that the message comes from the LORD. In some cases this clause will be more appropriate as a separate sentence as in Good News Translation. Contemporary English Version seeks to express the meaning of this clause by beginning the verse with the words “As surely as I am the LORD….”

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 .