They offer to the LORD every morning and every evening burnt offerings and incense of sweet spices: See Exo 29.38-41; 30.7-8. For burnt offerings, see the comments on 1 Chr 16.1; for incense of sweet spices, see 2 Chr 2.4.

Set out the showbread on the table of pure gold: For the showbread, see Lev 24.5-9 and the comments on 1 Chr 9.32. For the table of pure gold on which the showbread was placed, see Exo 25.23-30 and the comments on 1 Chr 28.16-17. Pure gold is literally “pure” or “clean.” Unlike 1 Chr 28.17 and 2 Chr 3.4, where the Hebrew word for “gold” also occurs, the text here does not have the noun gold. Revised Standard Version has added the noun gold, on the assumption that the writer left the noun implied. However, in this verse the Hebrew word for “pure” probably refers to the table; and the sense is that the table is ritually pure or clean. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and Bible en français courant, for example, say “the pure table,” New International Version has “the ceremonially clean table,” and NET Bible translates “a ritually clean table” (similarly Good News Translation).

And care for the golden lampstand that its lamps may burn every evening: For the golden lampstand, see the comments on 1 Chr 28.15 and 2 Chr 4.7.

For we keep the charge of the LORD our God, but you have forsaken him: The Hebrew word translated for may be understood as a logical connector (so Revised Standard Version) or as an emphatic marker (so NET Bible, which renders it “Certainly”). For Revised Standard Version it introduces why the priests do all of the things mentioned in the beginning of this verse; it is “because” they do what God has commanded them to do. For NET Bible it emphasizes that the people of Judah observe God’s laws, but the people of Israel have rejected God. The Hebrew pronouns for we and you are emphatic and help to make a sharp contrast between Judah and Israel. Neither Revised Standard Version nor Good News Translation keeps this emphasis. Bible en français courant is better with “We indeed faithfully keep the service of the Lord, while you, you have forsaken the true God.” Another possible model is “As for us, we are doing what the LORD our God requires, while you have turned your backs on him.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

They were broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city: Nation and city are the subjects of the passive verb were broken in pieces. The Hebrew verb here means “to crush fine” or “to pound up.” In this context it is used figuratively to mean “oppressed” (Good News Translation) or “destroy” (New Century Version). As mentioned in the previous verse, translators must decide whether the Hebrew phrase rendered nation against nation refers to people of different countries or to clans within Israel. Moffatt, for example, says “clan … against clan.” Most interpreters seem to understand it as referring to conflicts between nations.

For God troubled them with every sort of distress: The writer sees God as responsible for the difficulties experienced by the peoples of these nations and cities. The words every sort of distress are almost synonymous with “great disturbances” in the previous verse.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

According to verses 7-9, Jehoshaphat sent a group of government officials, priests and Levites throughout the southern kingdom to teach God’s Law to the people. There is no parallel for this passage in 1 Kings.

In the third year of his reign indicates that Jehoshaphat took this action relatively early in his reign.

He sent his princes …: In this context the Hebrew word for princes is better rendered “officials” (New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) or “officers” (Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). These men were not the sons of King Jehoshaphat.

Ben-hail is literally “son of strength.” The Septuagint says “the sons of strength.” A New English Translation of the Septuagint translates the beginning of this verse in the Septuagint as “And in the third year he dispatched his leaders and the sons of the mighty, Abdias and Zacharias and Nathanael and Michaias….” Following the Septuagint, some scholars propose that the Masoretic Text should be corrected to read “outstanding men” (so Myers), which refers to the following four men.

To teach in the cities of Judah: Verse 9 indicates what Jehoshaphat’s officials taught. It was God’s Law. If the receptor language has a separate word for religious instruction, it should probably be used here. In some languages it will be more natural to speak of this duty of the officials before giving their names; for example, Contemporary English Version renders this whole verse as follows:

• In the third year of Jehoshaphat’s rule, he chose five officials and gave them orders to teach the LORD’s Law in every city and town in Judah. They were Benhail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

And he said … And he said …: The first occurrence of the pronoun he refers to the spirit, which Good News Translation makes explicit. Its second occurrence refers to the LORD, which many modern versions make explicit (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New International Version, Revised English Bible, Nouvelle version Segond révisée, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).

I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets: This literal rendering is not recommended in most languages. A possible model is “I will go and cause all of Ahab’s prophets to speak lies” (similarly Good News Translation). His prophets refers to the four hundred prophets on whom Ahab called to give him guidance.

You are to entice him, and you shall succeed: The Hebrew verbs rendered entice and succeed may both be translated in the future tense. But in this context they may also both be translated as imperatives. Most translations treat the first of these two verbs as a command and the second verb as a statement of what will happen (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation). If both verbs are treated as commands, a possible model is “Deceive him and overpower him.” If both verbs are taken in the future tense sense, they may be rendered “You will entice him and be successful.”

It is possible to avoid the embedded quotations in this verse by saying:

• The spirit replied that he would go to Ahab’s prophets and cause them to tell lies. So the LORD gave the spirit permission to go ahead and do it, telling the spirit that he would succeed in tricking Ahab.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

And now behold: The Hebrew focusing particle rendered behold is intended to concentrate God’s attention on what Jehoshaphat is about to say. Like Good News Translation, many modern versions leave it untranslated.

The men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir: The men (literally “the children/sons”) may be rendered “the armies” (Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation) or “the soldiers.” Several Old Testament passages show clearly the relationship between Seir and Edom (see Gen 32.3; 36.8-9, 21; Num 24.18; Jdg 5.4; 2 Chr 25.14). Therefore it is not surprising that several modern versions translate Mount Seir as “Edom” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version) or “Edomites” (Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). Even where this identity with Edom is not made, other versions show clearly that Mount Seir does not refer to a mountain but to people by saying “the people of the hill-country of Seir” (Revised English Bible) or “the inhabitants of the mountains of Seir” (La Bible du Semeur). See the comments on 1 Chr 4.42.

Whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy: The nations that God protected when the Israelites came to possess the land are now the very nations that are threatening Judah. See Num 20.14-21 and Deut 2.4-19. Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version both make it clear that the term Israel refers to “our ancestors,” that is, the ancestors of Jehoshaphat and his people. In the Hebrew text the word Israel is a collective noun in the singular, but the verbs rendered came, avoided, and destroy are plural. When they came from the land of Egypt refers to the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. New Century Version provides a helpful model for the last half of this verse, saying “You wouldn’t let the Israelites enter their lands when the Israelites came from Egypt. So the Israelites turned away and did not destroy them.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Yet the LORD would not destroy the house of David: Yet correctly translates the common Hebrew conjunction. Since Jehoram did what was evil, the reader expects God to punish him, but this verse indicates that God did what was unexpected. Other possible connectors are “However” (An American Translation, La Bible du Semeur), “Nevertheless” (New International Version), and “but” (Good News Translation). In this context the house of David refers to the royal descendants of David, so Good News Translation and Bible en français courant say “the dynasty of David.” New Century Version says “David’s family,” which is correct, but is subject to misunderstanding. The LORD was concerned with the continuation of the rule by one of David’s descendants and not just for the safety of his family.

Because of the covenant which he had made with David: God was not willing to destroy the dynasty of David because of the covenant he made with him (see 1 Chr 17.10-14; 2 Chr 6.16; 7.18). For covenant see the comments on 1 Chr 11.3.

And since he had promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons for ever: God promised David that his descendants would always reign. The pronoun he refers to God. The pronouns him and his point to David. In some languages it will be necessary to translate one or more of these pronouns more explicitly. The Hebrew verb translated promised is literally “said,” but in the context of the covenant, the rendering of Revised Standard Version is clearly acceptable. The lamp was a symbol for the continuing existence of the royal dynasty. The lamp promised to David and his descendants is certainly not to be understood in terms of a literal lantern or flame. Rather, it is a figurative expression, which is also found in 2 Sam 21.17; 1 Kgs 15.4; 11.36; and 2 Kgs 8.19. The extinction of the light would represent the end of his dynasty. In some languages the figurative language of the lamp may obscure the meaning. If this is the case, translators may consider dropping the image, as in Good News Translation. Other possible nonfigurative renderings are “he had promised that his descendants would always reign” (La Bible du Semeur) and “He had promised that one of David’s descendants would always rule” (New Century Version).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

And Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains …: Since the phrase Jehoiada the priest is used twice in the previous verse, it may be unnecessarily redundant in some languages to restate here that Jehoiada was a priest. In fact, Good News Translation omits this information in both verses because it is given earlier in 2 Chr 22.11. The Hebrew verb translated delivered is simply “gave,” and it is so rendered in Good News Translation and many other versions. But in this context it may be preferable to use a more technical military term such as “issued” (New Jerusalem Bible), “supplied” (New Living Translation), or “handed out” (Revised English Bible). Captains translates the same Hebrew expression that is rendered “commanders of hundreds” in verse 1. New Jerusalem Bible says “regimental commanders” both here and in verse 1.

The spears and the large and small shields: For spears see the comments on 1 Chr 11.11. The Hebrew word rendered large … shields does not occur in the parallel text of 2 Kgs 11.10. Good News Translation translates this word as “smaller shields” in 2 Chr 9.16 (see the comments there). The meaning of the Hebrew noun translated small shields is uncertain. See the comments on 1 Chr 18.7 for this noun, where it is recommended that it be rendered “bow-and-arrow cases.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh provides a helpful model for all the weapons here, saying “spears and shields and quivers.”

That had been King David’s probably does not mean that these weapons were all used personally by King David. Rather, they were weapons that he had captured from his enemies in war.

Which were in the house of God: These weapons were probably stored in a special storehouse on the Temple grounds.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

But they conspired against him: Instead of paying attention to the warning of Zechariah, the people of Judah plotted against him. For this reason the common Hebrew conjunction may be translated But (also New International Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible). But it is also possible to translate it as a temporal connector, saying “Then” (New Living Translation, Nouvelle Bible Segond) or “After that” (Parole de Vie). The pronoun they may be rendered “the people of Judah” (Contemporary English Version). The Hebrew verb translated conspired comes from a root meaning “to tie” or “to bind together.” The plotters secretly bound themselves to each other to do harm to Zechariah. This clause may be expressed as “But they made common cause against him” (Revised English Bible) or “After that, the people formed a plot against Zechariah” (Parole de Vie).

And by command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the LORD: By command of the king indicates that King Joash was involved in the plot against Zechariah also. He gave the actual order for Zechariah’s execution. They stoned him with stones is redundant in English, so Good News Translation omits the words with stones (see the comments on 2 Chr 10.18). This clause most likely means “they killed him by throwing stones on him” (similarly Parole de Vie) although few versions make the death of Zechariah explicit here. However, it becomes clear in the next verse that he died. Jesus referred to the murder of innocent Zechariah in Matt 23.35 and Luke 11.51 (see the comments on “Title and place within the Old Testament” in “Translating 1-2 Chronicles,” page 3). The court of the house of the LORD probably refers to the Temple’s inner courtyard (see Matt 23.35 and the comments on 2 Chr 4.9).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .