So renders the common Hebrew conjunction. This verse functions as a summary statement, so several English translations begin the sentence with the word So (New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, Good News Translation, New Living Translation).

Hebrew uses two verbs here, which are rendered built and finished, while Good News Translation combines these two verbs into the one expression “finished building,” just as in verse 9.

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 .

Since three different structures are said to have been built the same way, Good News Translation restructures the information by placing the names of the three structures together at the beginning of this verse.

Regarding The great court, see the comments on verse 9. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh refers to it here as “The large surrounding courtyard.”

Three courses of hewn stone round about, and a course of cedar beams: As in 6.36, a literal translation of these words may give the false impression that the walls of the structures mentioned here had only three layers of stone and one layer of cedar beams on top. The meaning, however, seems to be that there were “three courses of dressed stone to one layer of cedar beams” (New Revised Standard Version) and that this pattern was repeated at least a few times.

The inner court of the house of the LORD: See the comments on 1 Kgs 6.36.

Vestibule: See the discussion on this technical term at 1 Kgs 6.3.

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 .

All the elders of Israel came: The elders of Israel refers to the same group mentioned by this title in verse 1. Since verse 3 does not refer to another gathering of the elders, in addition to that in verse 1, many English translations use the past perfect tense here, for example, “had gathered” (Good News Translation) and “had arrived” (New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible).

The priests took up the ark: For priests see the comments on 1 Kgs 1.7. Took up means simply they “lifted” (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible) or “carried” (New Revised Standard Version) the ark.

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 .

Verses 37-40 present still other situations in which the people may turn to God in prayer. Verses 33 and 35 begin in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation with the word “When.” The Hebrew construction is different now in verse 37, which the Revised Standard Version translation indicates by the word If. But since verse 37 is presenting another possible situation, Good News Translation maintains consistency of form in English by using “When.”

There is famine in the land: The Hebrew word for famine may be rendered “hunger,” but in this context it is clear that “great hunger” or “widespread hunger” is intended. In certain languages it will be more natural to translate “there is no food in the land.” The same idea is conveyed in Contemporary English Version as “the crops may dry up.”

As in the previous verse, the land is the Promised Land and not the earth in general. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente says “our land.”

Pestilence refers to any kind of contagious sickness that causes people to die. In English this may be expressed as “plague” (New Revised Standard Version), “great sickness” (New Century Version), or “epidemic” (Good News Translation).

Blight or mildew: These two terms occur together five times in the Old Testament. Blight is the effect produced on crops by hot dry winds blowing from the Arabian desert. Mildew is a disease infecting grain as a result of too much moisture. These terms are translated in various ways in English as “blight either black or red” (Revised English Bible) and “wind-blast or mildew” (New Jerusalem Bible). Bible en français courant and Parole de Vie say “the grains will dry up or will rot.” New Living Translation translates both blight and mildew together as “crop disease.”

Locust or caterpillar: Both Hebrew nouns rendered here refer to jumping or leaping insects, including both locusts and grasshoppers. The first Hebrew noun refers to a fully developed insect and the second noun refers to an insect that is not yet fully developed, that is, to the larva. For this reason Revised English Bible says “locusts developing or fully grown.” De Vries says “grasshopper or locust.” The important point here is that these are insects capable of destroying growing plants.

Contemporary English Version may provide a helpful model for the first part of this verse:

• Sometimes the crops may dry up or rot or be eaten by locusts or grasshoppers, and your people will be starving.

If their enemy besieges them in any of their cities: The Hebrew verb translated besieges refers to a military procedure in which soldiers encircle a city in order to cut off its supplies of food, water, and weapons. The people inside the surrounded city will eventually have no choice but to fight their way out or surrender. In some languages this may be rendered “blockades” or “encircles … to defeat.”

Revised Standard Version follows the Septuagint with in any of their cities (also New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, Anchor Bible). The Masoretic Text says “in the land of his gates.” This unusual word order in Hebrew may mean “the gates of his land,” referring to the regions along the Israelite border. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {C} rating to the Masoretic Text. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates the Masoretic Text as “in any of the settlements of the land.”

Whatever plague, whatever sickness there is: The Hebrew word translated whatever is literally “all” or “any.” It is used here to indicate that regardless of what kind of difficulty the people of Israel suffer, they could present their problems to Yahweh in prayer. Plague translates a Hebrew noun that may be translated “blows.” Such “blows” refer to punishment by God. Sickness renders a Hebrew noun that refers to ill health in general.

For this whole verse the following translation may provide a simplified model for some languages:

• At times the land may become so dry that no food will grow, or it may rain so much that the grain will rot on the ground. Or, a great sickness may spread among the people. Sometimes all the crops may be destroyed by locusts or grasshoppers. Your people may be attacked in their cities by their enemies. Your people may become sick.

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 .

I will establish your royal throne over Israel for ever: Regarding the verb rendered will establish, see the comments on 1 Kgs 2.4. Here royal throne is used, as in 1 Kgs 1.13, in the sense of “kingship” or “rule.” The whole clause means that God will cause Solomon’s descendants to rule over the people of Israel forever. Parole de Vie translates “I will establish for ever the royal power of your family in Israel.” See also 1 Kgs 2.4 regarding the possible ways to understand the sense of Israel here.

As I promised David your father: David had earlier reported this promise to Solomon (see 1 Kgs 2.4).

There shall not fail you a man upon the throne of Israel: See the discussion in 1 Kgs 2.4, where the identical clause occurs. Parole de Vie expresses this as “There will always be one of your sons who will be king of the people of Israel after you.”

Good News Translation has turned this embedded quotation into an indirect quotation. Another possible model using indirect discourse is “that he should always have an heir to sit on the throne of Israel” (Knox).

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 .

Almug: See the comments on verse 11.

Supports for the house of the LORD, and for the king’s house: The Hebrew noun rendered supports occurs only here in the Old Testament, and its meaning is uncertain. It is a technical architectural term that seems to come from a root meaning “to support.” But the exact kind of support is not known. In addition to supports (Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), various other meanings have been proposed, including “railings” (Good News Translation, New Living Translation, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie, Nouvelle Bible Segond, Osty-Trinquet), “stools” (Revised English Bible), and “[stair] steps” (Contemporary English Version, De Vries).

Lyres also and harps for the singers: Lyres are musical instruments with strings, similar to harps. They probably had ten strings of equal length. Harps had twelve thicker strings of unequal length and had a lower register and louder sound than the lyres. Lyres had a rectangular soundbox and harps had a waterskin-shaped soundbox. An extensive general treatment of musical instruments in the Bible is provided in k The Bible Translatork* (Jones, 1986 and 1987). If these articles are unavailable to translators, consultants may be able to provide photocopies. Notice that Good News Translation and New International Version reverse the order of lyres and harps, perhaps because harps is the more familiar term. The singers (or, “musicians” [New Jerusalem Bible], “chanters” [New American Bible]) may refer to the Temple musicians or to musicians in the royal court. Since the text does not specify where they performed, translators should not do so in the receptor language either.

No such almug wood has come or been seen, to this day: The final clause of this verse may be understood in at least three different ways: (1) such fine almug wood has not been imported into Israel since then (so Good News Translation), (2) such large quantities of almug wood have not been imported since then (so New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Revised English Bible), or (3) no more wood of this kind has been imported since then (so New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). The mention of the “amount” of wood in verse 11 may make the translator lean toward the second interpretation. While no such almug wood is the subject of the verbs has come and been seen in Hebrew, this may sound awkward in certain languages if translated literally. Following the second interpretation, the idea is that “no such quantities of almug wood have ever been imported or even seen since that time.” In those languages where the passive verb forms are not possible, translators may have to say something like “Since that time no one has ever brought such a quantity of almug wood to Israel and in fact no one has even seen so much of that wood.”

For to this day, see the comments on 1 Kgs 8.8.

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 sister of Tahpenes bore him …: Regarding the name Tahpenes, see the comments on verse 19. Here, instead of referring to Hadad’s wife a second time as the sister of Tahpenes, the pronoun “she” may be used if it is considered more natural (so Good News Translation).

Weaned translates the Masoretic Text. The Septuagint reads “reared.” By changing one letter only in the Hebrew verb for weaned, the verb may be corrected to read “reared.” It is difficult to know whether the Greek translator misread the Hebrew or whether the Masoretic Text contains an error. A number of translations read “reared/raised” (La Bible Pléiade, Osty-Trinquet, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant, Good News Translation), but it is not always clear whether they are following the Septuagint (so New Jerusalem Bible, Osty-Trinquet) or whether they are free renderings of the Hebrew word for weaned. “Reared” seems to fit the context better. However, the verse seems to say that she both weaned him and “reared” him in the palace with the king’s sons. So either translation is acceptable.

House in this context may appropriately be translated “palace” (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).

That Genubath was … among the sons of Pharaoh means that he was treated as a member of Pharaoh’s family.

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 .

Some interpreters think that the form of the Hebrew text in verse 11 is poetical and may reflect its use in oral tradition. For this reason Peregrino places these words in poetic format when they are repeated in verse 14.

The word whereas is a creation of Revised Standard Version and does not reflect anything explicit in the Hebrew text. It serves here to introduce the comparison that Rehoboam is making between Solomon’s actions and his own. But it is not at all essential to the meaning of the verse.

I will add to your yoke is translated “I shall make it heavier still” by New Jerusalem Bible. In the Hebrew text the first person singular pronoun I is emphatic as an independent pronoun. It is emphatic again in the clause I will chastise you …. These pronouns give a stronger contrast in Hebrew than in Revised Standard Version between what Solomon did and what Rehoboam says that he will do.

My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions: The verb chastise is used twice. The basic meaning of the word is “admonish” or “discipline” (New Revised Standard Version) and it is sometimes used in the sense of “punish.” In the present context, however, the meaning is clearly “beat” or “whip.” Whips may have to be translated by a descriptive expression in some languages. A whip is an instrument of punishment with a handle and a flexible lash.

In several Old Testament passages, the Hebrew word rendered scorpions refers to insects that have a poisonous sting. It is possible that this word refers here to some kind of torture using poisonous insects. It is also possible that it is used here in a figurative way to say that Rehoboam’s treatment of the Israelite people will be far worse than his father’s treatment. But the parallelism with whips leads most interpreters to think that scorpions is a reference to leather whips that had metal spikes on them. Translations include “spiked lash” (New Jerusalem Bible), “whips that have sharp points” (New Century Version), “bullwhips” (Good News Translation), and “whips with pieces of sharp metal” (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 .