The Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded: Since the Levites were a part of the people of Judah, it will be more natural in some languages to render The Levites and all Judah as “The Levites and all the other people of Judah.” Did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded may be better expressed as “obeyed everything Jehoiada the priest had commanded” (New Century Version) or “executed punctually all the orders that the priest Jehoiada had given them” (La Bible du Semeur). For Jehoiada the priest, see the comments on 2 Chr 22.11. It is mentioned twice in this verse that Jehoiada was a priest, but this information may be left implied if it is clear in the context (so Good News Translation).

They each brought his men, who were to go off duty on the sabbath, with those who were to come on duty on the sabbath: The pronoun They refers to the commanders of the priests and Levites. Good News Translation makes this explicit by saying “the commanders.” For who were to go off duty on the sabbath, see the comments on 2Chr 23.4. As in verse 4, this clause probably means “who were to go on duty on the Sabbath.” The Hebrew clause rendered who were to come on duty on the sabbath more likely means “who were to go off duty on the Sabbath.” The priests and Levites coming on duty and going off duty are in view here. Their commanders assembled them all.

For Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss the divisions: The commanders were able to assemble all the priests and Levites since Jehoiada had not dismissed any of their divisions. For the divisions of the priests and Levites, see 1 Chr 23–26; for the word divisions, see the comments on 1 Chr 24.1.

If the last part of this verse is found awkward when translated literally, it may be restructured according to the following model:

• Jehoiada did not let anyone from the groups of the priests and Levites go away. So the commanders could use the men who came on duty on the Day of Rest as well as those who went off duty on that day.

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 .

Then the Spirit of God took possession of Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest: Some versions capitalize the word for Spirit (so Revised Standard Version, Bible en français courant, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje), but others do not (so Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible). It is better not to capitalize it since this is not a reference to the Holy Spirit, but to a spirit sent by God or to God himself (see the comments on 1 Chr 12.18). Took possession of is literally “clothed itself with.” The sense is that God himself was controlling the speech of Zechariah. Some other renderings are “came upon” (New International Version), “enveloped” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), and “energized” ( NET Bible). New Century Version says “entered,” but this verb is not recommended since it seems to suggest a later Christian theology of the Holy Spirit “entering” a person. For Jehoiada the priest, see the comments on 2 Chr 22.11.

And he stood above the people: The Hebrew here may also be taken to mean “and he stood opposite the people” (Dillard). However, it more likely means the prophet positioned himself on an elevated place, perhaps on a platform or raised area, where others could see and hear him. Good News Translation renders this clause well with “He stood where the people could see him.”

Thus says God: See the comments on the similar expression “Thus says the LORD” in 1 Chr 17.3.

Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD, so that you cannot prosper?: Compare Num 14.41. This rhetorical question may be rendered as a strong statement by saying “You disobey the LORD’s commandments, so you will not prosper.” New Century Version has “Why do you disobey the LORD’s commands? You will not be successful.”

Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has forsaken you: For the verb forsaken, see the comments on 2 Chr 15.2. This sentence may be rendered “You have abandoned the LORD, and now he has abandoned you!” (New Living Translation) or “Because you have left the LORD, he has also left you” (New Century Version).

Revised Standard Version gives a literal translation of the Hebrew for Zechariah’s words. But such a translation may be confusing since God refers to himself in the third person as the LORD and he. Good News Translation restructures the words of Zechariah so that Zechariah refers to God in the third person rather than quoting the words of God. Bible en français courant provides still another model by changing the third person references to God to first person, saying “Listen to what God declares: ‘Why do you disobey my commandments? You get no benefit from it! You have abandoned me, so I, I also, will abandon you!’ ”

In languages where direct quotations are not acceptable, the following model of this verse may be considered:

• One day Zechariah, the son of the priest Jehoiada, gave them a message from God. First he asked them why they continued to disobey the LORD’s commands. Then he said they could not prosper because of their disobedience. He also said they had abandoned the LORD, and now the LORD was abandoning 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 .

And they brought him upon horses: The pronoun they is again indefinite, but it probably refers to the same people who killed Amaziah. In some languages the personal pronoun him will not be acceptable in this context since Amaziah was no longer alive. Even in languages where this is possible, it may be more natural to speak of “his corpse” or “his body” (Good News Translation, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). The Hebrew word for horses is plural. However, Good News Translation renders upon horses as “on a horse,” and New International Version says “by horse.” The intended sense of the plural is probably that they brought his corpse “in a chariot pulled by several horses” (Bible en français courant).

And he was buried with his fathers: See the comments on 2 Chr 21.1. The passive expression he was buried will have to be made active in some languages, as it is in the Hebrew text. Possible models are “they [indefinite] buried him” and “his people buried him.” The word fathers in this context refers to the ancestors of King Amaziah. Good News Translation implies this by rendering with his fathers as “in the royal tombs.”

For the city of David, see the comments on 1 Chr 11.5. The Masoretic Text says “the city of Judah” (New International Version, New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), which Moffatt renders “the capital of Judah.” Revised Standard Version follows the Septuagint and the parallel text in 2 Kgs 14.20 by saying the city of David (also Revised English Bible). Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to “the city of Judah.” If the Masoretic Text is followed, a footnote may be added to say that the expressions the city of David and “the city of Judah” refer to the same place.

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 .

Ahaz was twenty years old … and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: This sentence follows the common formula that is used to summarize the reign of a ruler of Israel or Judah by stating his age when he took over (twenty years old), the length of his reign (sixteen years), and his capital (Jerusalem). See the comments on 2 Chr 13.2. According to this verse, Ahaz died when he was 36 years old (20 + 16); but according to 2 Kgs 18.2, Ahaz’s son Hezekiah began to rule when Hezekiah was 25 years old. If both of these accounts are correct, then Ahaz was only eleven years old when his son Hezekiah was born. Obviously, there are difficulties in determining the chronology in Ahaz’s reign, but translators should follow the text and not attempt to harmonize the various accounts.

And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD, like his father David: See the comments on 2 Chr 14.2. The evaluation of the reign of Ahaz is negative when compared with King David. The Chronicler often judges other kings of Judah by the standard of David (see 2 Chr 11.17; 29.2; 34.2). The phrase like his father David may be misunderstood to mean that David also did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD. So Good News Translation renders this phrase as “He did not follow the good example of his ancestor King David,” and other versions says “contrary to his ancestor David” (Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). David was not the father of Ahaz, but his most famous ancestor. A possible model for this whole sentence is “He did not do what the LORD saw as right, so he was not like his ancestor David.”

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 gathered their brethren: Their brethren refers to “their fellow Levites” (Good News Translation). Parole de Vie says “the people of their clans.”

And sanctified themselves: They made themselves ritually clean in fulfillment of the king’s command in verse 5 (see the comments there).

And went in as the king commanded, by the words of the LORD, to cleanse the house of the LORD is a literal rendering of the Hebrew. As the footnote in Good News Translation indicates, this second half of the verse may be understood and translated in two different ways as follows:

(1) According to the text of Good News Translation, the words of the LORD refers to the Law of the LORD and is connected with the verb to cleanse; that is, the Levites cleansed the Temple according to the requirements of the Law.
(2) But the words of the LORD may also be taken with the verb had commanded; that is, the LORD had instructed the king to order the cleansing of the Temple. Moffatt follows this second interpretation by saying “and entered, by order of the king under the authority of the Eternal, to cleanse the Temple of the Eternal.”

The first interpretation seems more likely to be correct.

Later the context makes it clear that went in means they entered the Temple, but in some languages this information will be required here by saying “they went into the Temple” (New Century Version).

To cleanse translates a Hebrew verb that refers to ceremonial or ritual cleanness. Good News Translation attempts to maintain the cultic sense by saying “to make … ritually clean.” In the Old Testament this verb is used of purifying the Temple, people, the gates and walls of Jerusalem, and the land itself (see 2 Chr 34.3, 5, 8; Neh 12.30). While this Hebrew verb is not the same verb used in verse 5, to cleanse the house of the LORD is clearly the response of the priests and Levites to the command to “sanctify the house of the LORD.”

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 they killed the passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month: The passover lamb is literally “the passover.” Revised Standard Version and most other versions rightly supply the implied information of lamb. But Good News Translation uses the plural “lambs,” since more than one lamb was sacrificed (see verse 17). Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, and nearly all other translations have also added the word day, which is only implied in the Hebrew.

The priests and the Levites were put to shame not because of personal sins, but because they had been tardy in purifying themselves for the sacrifices in the Temple and had thereby delayed the Passover celebration from the first month to the second month. The writer has already stated that many of the priests were not ritually clean (verse 3; 2 Chr 29.34). Now he includes the Levites also. The wording of Revised Standard Version makes it sound as if someone else put them to shame, and the Hebrew may be understood to mean this, but in fact they probably felt shame all on their own. So it is better to render were put to shame as “were ashamed” ( NET Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “felt ashamed of themselves” (similarly New Jerusalem Bible).

So that they sanctified themselves, and brought burnt offerings into the house of the LORD: The result of their feeling of shame was that they did what they should have done long before, that is, they consecrated themselves to the LORD. After that, they were able to bring burnt offerings to the Temple. For sanctified themselves, see the comments on 1 Chr 15.12; for burnt offerings see 1 Chr 16.1.

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 .

Verses 20-21 are a of summary of Hezekiah’s reign but not according to the usual formula.

Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah is literally “And Hezekiah did like this in all Judah.” This clause may be rendered “This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah” (New International Version) or “Hezekiah acted in this manner throughout Judah” (La Bible Pléiade).

And he did what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God: This sentence uses three positive terms to describe the reign of Hezekiah. King Asa is described by only two of these three terms (good and right) in 2 Chr 14.2 (see the comments there). Good News Translation omits the word faithful, but it should be retained in translation if at all possible. NET Bible keeps it by rendering this sentence as “He did what the LORD his God considered good and right and faithful.”

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 .

Is not Hezekiah misleading you…?: This whole verse is a rhetorical question. Its purpose is to strongly affirm the belief of the Assyrian king that the faith of the people of Judah in Yahweh was of no value and would not be rewarded. The Hebrew verb translated Is … misleading sometimes occurs in contexts that indicate no moral judgment, where it means to urge someone to do something. But here, as elsewhere in 1-2 Chronicles, the verb has a negative connotation of misleading someone into doing something against that person’s will. It may be translated in a variety of ways here, such as “is leading you astray,” “is deceiving you” (Bible en français courant), “Is … deluding you” (Anchor Bible), and “is lying” (Contemporary English Version). Since the Hebrew verb here has the sense of urging someone to action, Dillard begins this verse with “Hasn’t Hezekiah reduced you to forced labor…?” The forced labor would refer to making the people work on water projects and repairing the walls of the city. But such a translation seems to be more specific than the Hebrew verb suggests here.

The LORD our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria: Sennacherib quotes Hezekiah here, so this is an embedded quotation. The pronoun our is inclusive in the mouth of Hezekiah, since he addressed his own people with these words. From the hand of the king of Assyria means “from the power of the Assyrian king.” Some other figurative ways of expressing this phrase are “from the grasp of the king of Assyria” (New American Bible) and “from the King of Assyria’s clutches” (New Jerusalem Bible). Good News Translation renders this embedded quotation as indirect discourse, so it says “from our power” since it is the king of Assyria who is speaking. Contemporary English Version has simply “from me.”

In order to avoid the embedded quotation in this verse, translators may say:

• Hezekiah is certainly tricking you when he says that the LORD your God will deliver you from my powerful attack. You will eventually die of hunger and thirst.

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 .