It has been noted several times already that expressions like In the twenty-seventh year refer not to the age of the king, but to the point in the king’s reign when the event described took place.

The Jeroboam referred to in this verse is Jeroboam II (so Good News Translation, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje), the son of Jehoahaz, who ruled 783–743 B.C.

Azariah: The alternate name “Uzziah” is recommended here (so Good News Translation). See the comments on 2 Kgs 14.21.

Began to reign: This may be better translated in some languages as “was crowned king” or “became king” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).

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 .

As in previous passages where a new king is introduced, the seventeenth year refers to the reign of Pekah and not to his age.

For Pekah the son of Remaliah, see 2 Kgs 15.25. It will be important in most languages to state clearly, as Good News Translation has done, that Pekah was the ruler of Israel. The writer assumed that his original readers or hearers would know this, but now most readers or hearers will not be nearly so familiar with the names and history of these two kingdoms.

The reference to Ahaz the son of Jotham restates the information introduced in the last verse of the previous chapter, which describes Jotham’s death and the succession of his son Ahaz. Further details about Ahaz are given in the following verses.

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 .

But: Since the common Hebrew conjunction here begins a negative clause, it may have the force of a contrasting conjunction as in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation.

Would not listen: Even though the Hebrew verb used here is literally listen, it includes the meaning “obey” (Good News Translation, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).

Were stubborn is literally “stiffened their necks.” New International Version surprisingly has an almost literal rendering with “were … stiff-necked.” But such a rendering should be avoided if it is unnatural. If the receptor language has a common idiom for stubbornness, it could be used here. Certain languages say something like “were hard-headed” or “were like a donkey.”

As their fathers had been is literally “like the neck of their fathers.” But if the previous idiom is not translated literally, this one should certainly be rendered more dynamically as well. Some translations, following the Septuagint, say “more … than their ancestors had been” (Jerusalem Bible, Osty-Trinquet) rather than “as … their fathers had been.” Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to “like…” rather than “more than….” So translators are advised to translate “like their ancestors….”

Who did not believe in the LORD their God: All the ancestors of Israel are in view here. This clause does not mean that they were atheists in the modern sense of the word as the text might lead some readers to believe. They no doubt believed in the existence of God. But they did not exercise faith in God on a regular basis. Some other models are “who did not have faith in the LORD their God” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) and “for they refused to put their trust in…” (Revised English Bible).

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 .

He held fast to the LORD: The Hebrew verb used here literally means “adhere closely to.” Elsewhere in 2 Kings, it is rendered “clung to” (3.3) and “cleave to” (5.27). Here it is used figuratively to speak of complete devotion or loyalty to Yahweh. Some possible model translations are “He was devoted to Yahweh” (New Jerusalem Bible) and “He remained loyal to the LORD” (Revised English Bible). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh retains the more literal rendering “He clung to the LORD.”

The negative statement he did not depart from following him, as well as the positive statement kept the commandments …, are further explanations of what it meant to hold fast to the LORD. This repetition of the same essential idea using different words is a way of emphasizing the faithfulness of Hezekiah. Unless it is quite unnatural to repeat the synonymous expressions, they should be retained in translation.

Which the LORD commanded Moses: This kind of wording may give the impression that the commandments were only for Moses and not intended for others. So in some languages it will be better to say something like “which the LORD had given through Moses” or “which the LORD had given to Moses for the people of Israel.”

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 contains an embedded quotation, which will be extremely difficult to translate literally in many languages. Good News Translation provides a possible model for reducing the number of direct quotes to one instead of two.

They said to him: If the pronoun references are unclear here, translators should ensure that readers understand that the officials and senior priests mentioned in the previous verse are speaking to the prophet Isaiah. They are, of course, talking on behalf of King Hezekiah.

This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace: The words distress, rebuke, and disgrace have a cumulative effect. But each noun seems to have a slightly different focus. Distress centers on the feeling of the people of Judah themselves. The Hebrew word used here has to do with restriction or tightness, just as some speakers of English would speak of being “in a tight spot.” The Hebrew text does not make explicit who is experiencing distress. The reference may be to Hezekiah rather than the people in general. In any case, the Assyrian threat is the cause of the distress. Rebuke has to do with chastisement or correction, and in this case the punishment comes from God. In some languages this will need to be made explicit in translation. It is also possible that the agent of rebuke is the military officer referred to as “the Rabshakeh” (2 Kgs 18.19-35) rather than God, but this interpretation is less likely. The word disgrace focuses more on the attitude of other people observing the people of Judah. The result of their punishment by God is that they are humiliated in the presence of other nations. In view of all this, a possible model for this part of the verse might be something like the following:

• We are in a narrow place because God is punishing us. And so we are humiliated in the presence of other people.

Children have come to the birth does not mean that children have been born, but rather that they have come to term so that the time for them to be born has arrived. The context shows, however, that the women who should give birth to these children have no strength to bring them forth. It is important to recognize that this is figurative language and not to be taken literally. Certain versions show this by adding “as when” to begin these words (New International Version, New Century Version). Others begin a new sentence, saying something like “We are like a woman who has no strength to bring to birth the child she is carrying” (Revised English Bible). Compare also the Good News Translation model.

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 as he was worshiping: And renders the Hebrew verbal transition that is sometimes translated “And it happened.” Here it should probably be rendered in such a way as to indicate the passage of a certain amount of time rather than to have it simply link with the previous verse. Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, and Contemporary English Version begin this verse with “One day….” Many other versions begin a new paragraph at this point (New American Bible, New Century Version). Other translators should, at the very least, begin a new paragraph, but many will also have to add a more significant transition expression than the one found in Revised Standard Version.

The house of Nisroch his god: Apart from this verse and its parallel in Isa 37.38, the name of the god Nisroch is not found elsewhere in the Bible. Scholars have long been puzzled about this name since there seems to be no mention of a god by this name in Assyrian sources. Various attempts have been made to associate this name with the Assyrian god of war, Ninurta, or other Assyrian or Babylonian gods, but there is no certainty in these matters. Translators must be content to transliterate the name and indicate that it was in the temple of a god by this name that Sennacherib was assassinated.

Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons: Since Adrammelech and Sharezer were not the only sons of King Sennacherib, it will probably be better in many languages to say “two of his sons” (Good News Translation) rather than simply his sons. It will be recalled that the name Adrammelech in 2 Kgs 17.31 refers to one of the gods of the people of Sepharvaim, but here the name is used for a person. The traditional Hebrew text does not have the words his sons, but they are included here in the margin of the Masoretic Text and in the parallel text in Isaiah. So most modern versions translate these words.

Slew: This rather archaic English verb has been replaced by “killed” in New Revised Standard Version.

Escaped: This verb may also be translated “fled” (New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “ran away.”

The land of Ararat: The name Ararat is best known to most Bible readers as the mountainous area where the ark of Noah landed following the Flood (Gen 8.4). This region is thought to be located somewhere around Lake Van near where the borders of the modern countries of Turkey, Iran and Russia meet. Some translations indicate in a footnote that the land of Ararat is equivalent to the modern nation of Armenia (so Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Bible en français courant).

Esarhaddon his son: Since the text has already mentioned two other sons of King Sennacherib, Good News Translation translates his son as “Another of his sons” (also La Bible du Semeur). This will probably be a reasonable model to follow in a number of other languages. Esarhaddon ruled 681–669 B.C.

Reigned in his stead: See 1 Kgs 11.43.

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 .

I will cast off the remnant of my heritage: Other passages in 1–2 Kings suggest that the heritage or “inheritance” of the LORD is the people of Israel (1 Kgs 8.51, 53). Compare also Deut 32.9 and Psa 28.9. The word remnant refers to those people surviving after the majority of the group has been exterminated. So the expression the remnant of my heritage means simply “those of my people who remain.” Even their special status of being the people of God cannot change the situation. They too will be abandoned as God punishes Judah.

Give them into the hand of their enemies: Note that the pronoun them refers to the people of Judah and not to the northern kingdom of Israel. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente makes this explicit by stating “I will deliver the inhabitants of Judah to their enemies.”

As is so often the case, the Hebrew word for hand is a reference to the “power” of the enemies of Judah.

They shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies; that is, the remaining people of Judah will be at the mercy of those who raid and plunder. Their land and everything that they have will be taken from them by the conquerors. The Hebrew words for prey and spoil are used together in a similar way in various other places, including Isa 42.22 and Jer 30.16.

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 king went up to the house of the LORD …: According to a common structure in Hebrew, the verb went up is singular with only the king as subject. But this is followed by a list of the other groups that joined him in going to the Temple. It is also implied that “the elders” mentioned in the previous verse went along with the king and all the other people. A literal rendering of Revised Standard Version here may prove to be unnatural in certain languages. Good News Translation provides a more natural model in English, saying “together they went to the Temple….” Even though going to the Temple involved moving up in elevation, it may be more natural in many languages to say simply “went” instead of went up.

All the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem … all the people: All the men of Judah may be taken in a very general sense as referring to all people of Judah, or it may have a more restricted military sense. But in this context the broader, more general meaning is probably intended. Both New Revised Standard Version and New Jerusalem Bible translate “all the people of Judah.” Good News Translation does not translate literally the words all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem since it speaks of “all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem” in verse 1. Rather, it simply says “all the rest of the people” in this verse. Some kind of restructuring like this will be acceptable in other languages.

Instead of the prophets, the parallel passage in 2 Chr 34.30 has “the Levites,” as do some Hebrew manuscripts for this verse. But there is little serious textual justification for harmonizing the two passages. No major English version does so.

Both small and great: The list of those accompanying the king to the Temple is all-inclusive. This expression probably refers to the various social classes rather than to the ages of the people involved. For this reason Good News Translation speaks of “rich and poor alike,” and New Century Version says “from the least important to the most important.” Compare 2 Kgs 25.26 and 1 Sam 30.2, where the same expression is used. Compare also 1 Kgs 22.31, which has a similar expression.

He read in their hearing all the words …: Contrary to the references in chapter 22 (verses 8, 10 and 16), the Hebrew text makes it quite clear that in this case the book of the Law was read out loud so that all the people could hear (in their hearing [literally “in their ears”]) and that the book was read in its entirety (all the words).

The book of the covenant: This book was previously referred to as “the book of the law” in chapter 22 (verses 8 and 11). But there is little doubt that the same book is intended. If readers are likely to understand that a completely different book is meant, then translators must ensure that this mistaken notion is avoided. This may be done either through a footnote or by translating the same way here as in chapter 22. For covenant see the comments at 1 Kgs 3.15.

The passive construction which had been found may more naturally be translated with a verb in the active voice in many languages. This may be restated as “which Hilkiah had found” (see 2 Kgs 22.8).

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 .