And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up is literally “And the Levites of the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites stood up.” Since not all Levites stood up to praise God, NET Bible renders the Levites as “some Levites.” The Levites were divided into subgroups or clans. The Kohathites were descendants of Levi’s second son Kohath (see 1 Chr 6.1). Korah was a descendant of Kohath (see 1 Chr 6.22), so the Korahites were a family within the Kohathite clan (see the comments on 1 Chr 26.1). For of the Kohathites and the Korahites, Moffatt says “Korahites belonging to the Kohath family.” Some of the Kohathites and the Korahites were consecrated as Temple musicians (see 1 Chr 6.33-38). Numerous Psalms are said to be songs composed by members of the clan of Korah.

To praise the LORD … with a very loud voice is literally “to praise the LORD … with a great voice upward.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “to extol the LORD … at the top of their voices.” Since these Levites were singers in the Temple, the sense is most likely not that they shouted but that they sang loudly. Therefore New American Bible says “to sing the praises of the LORD … in a resounding chorus.”

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 the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the anger of the Philistines and the Arabs: Stirred up … the anger is literally “stirred up the spirit” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). For this expression see the comments on 1 Chr 5.26. In this context it may be rendered “caused … to be angry” (New Century Version) or “caused … to become angry” (Contemporary English Version). For Philistines see the comments on 1 Chr 1.12; for Arabs see 2 Chr 17.11.

Who are near the Ethiopians is literally “who [were] at the hand of the Cushites.” For Ethiopians see the comments on 2 Chr 12.3. As there, it is best to render Ethiopians as “Cushites” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Nouvelle version Segond révisée, Nouvelle Bible Segond, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). The proximity of the Philistines and the Arabs to the Cushites may be expressed by rendering this clause as “who lived near the Cushites” (New International Version) or “who were neighbors of the Cushites” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Most versions make it sound as if the Philistines and the Arabs came all the way from Ethiopia. The sense is more likely that the Cushites mentioned here had settled along the coast among the Philistines and Arabs, which explains the Good News Translation rendering.

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 .

He stationed the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the LORD: The pronoun He refers to Jehoiada, which Good News Translation makes explicit. The Hebrew verb rendered stationed is the same one translated “set” in verse 10. Some other translations are “appointed” (God’s Word) and “installed” (La Bible du Semeur). The gatekeepers were the guards posted at the Temple gates (see verse 4).

So that no one should enter who was in any way unclean: Unclean refers to a state of ritual impurity, not to physical uncleanliness. This may be made clear in the translation itself (so Good News Translation) or by means of a footnote (so God’s Word). New Living Translation and NET Bible have “ceremonially unclean.” The notion of ritual impurity is described in detail in the book of Leviticus (see especially chapters 11–15).

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 he did not put their children to death …: The common Hebrew conjunction is correctly translated But since the reader might expect that the new king would execute the children of his enemies as well. Good News Translation uses the contrastive conjunction “however.”

According to what is written in the law, in the book of Moses, where the LORD commanded …: The book of Moses probably refers to the Pentateuch (see the comments on 2 Chr 17.9). The quotation that follows comes from Deut 24.16. Good News Translation provides a helpful model for some languages by avoiding the passive verb is written and saying “what the LORD had commanded in the Law of Moses.”

The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, or the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall die for his own sin: This quotation from Deuteronomy focuses on individual responsibility for sin. The Hebrew word translated fathers should not be limited to male parents in this context, so some modern versions use the word “Parents” (New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New Living Translation, New Century Version, God’s Word, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Similarly, every man is not limited to males, so it is better translated “everyone” or “Each person” (God’s Word).

Contemporary English Version provides a possible model of indirect discourse for those languages where the direct quotation is a problem. For this whole verse it has:

• But the children of those officers were not killed; the LORD had commanded in the Law of Moses that only the people who sinned were to be punished.

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 built towers in the wilderness, and hewed out many cisterns: Since King Uzziah did not build the towers and dig out the cisterns himself, it will be appropriate to say that he had them built and dug out (so Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). The Hebrew word for towers is the same one as in the previous verse, but these structures were different since they were not a part of a city wall, but free standing (see the comments on 1 Chr 27.25). They were isolated observation towers where soldiers could watch in the distance for any possible assault by enemy troops. In some languages a different term may be required. The wilderness refers to an area where people did not normally live, so Good News Translation and Moffatt say “the open country” (see the comments on 1 Chr 12.8). Here it included areas in the western foothills and on the coastal plain of Judah.

Cisterns were water storage areas that had to be dug or carved out of solid rock (see the comments on 1 Chr 11.17). Some were open pits, but they had to be covered (Exo 21.33). More often they were hollowed out underground. Such cisterns could be as large as 6 meters (20 feet) square. Since these cisterns were often cut out of porous rock, they had to be lined with a lime plaster. For a fuller discussion on cisterns, see WTH, pages 159-160|fig:WTH.Cistern.159-160.html. In some languages hewed out many cisterns may be rendered “hollowed many places in rock for storing rain water.” New Century Version says “dug many wells,” but this rendering does not accurately reflect the meaning of the Hebrew here since wells collect underground water from the immediate area. Cisterns collect rainwater that flows into them. Contemporary English Version provides a good model here, saying “he had cisterns dug there to catch the rainwater.”

For he had large herds, both in the Shephelah and in the plain …: The conjunction for introduces why Uzziah had towers and cisterns built. The animals and the people working the land needed protection and water. The Hebrew word translated herds is sometimes used of possessions in general, but here and in most other passages it refers to “livestock” (Contemporary English Version). The same term is translated “cattle” in 1 Chr 5.9 (see the comments there).

The Shephelah refers to the western foothills of Judah (see the comments on 1 Chr 27.28 and 2 Chr 1.15). The exact reference intended by the plain is not clear. It probably refers to the coastal plain of Judah (so La Bible du Semeur), or it may be the high plateau east of the Jordan River and south of the city of Heshbon in northern Moab (called “the tableland” in New Jerusalem Bible).

And he had farmers and vinedressers in the hills and in the fertile lands: Vinedressers are people who take care of the vines that produce grapes. Their work involves pruning the vines as well as harvesting the grapes (see the comments on 1 Chr 27.27). The hills refers to the hill country of Judah. Fertile lands (also New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible) translates a Hebrew noun that sometimes refers to orchards with fruit trees. Here it simply means productive farmland. But the Hebrew noun may also be understood as the name of a town south of Hebron as in Josh 15.55. This is the basis for the rendering “Carmel” (King James Version, NET Bible, Nouvelle Bible Segond, Luther). A literal translation of the Hebrew clause here may suggest that there were farmers and vinedressers on both the hills and fertile fields. More likely, Good News Translation expresses the intended sense, that is, that the vineyards were planted on the hills and the fertile fields were used for the other crops.

For he loved the soil is a literal translation of the Hebrew. The sense is more clearly expressed in English as “Because he loved farming” (Good News Translation) or “for he was a lover of agriculture” (Moffatt).

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 .

So the armed men left the captives and the spoil …: So translates the common Hebrew conjunction. In this context the conjunction introduces the result of what the prophet and the four Israelite leaders said. The armed men may be rendered “the army” (Good News Translation, Bible de Jérusalem) or “the soldiers” (New International Version, New Century Version). For the Hebrew noun rendered spoil, see the comments on 2 Chr 14.14, where it is translated “plunder.” See also the comments on 1 Chr 20.2 and 2 Chr 15.11, where a different Hebrew word occurs.

Before the princes and all the assembly: As often in the historical books of the Old Testament, the Hebrew word translated princes does not refer to the sons of a king but to the “leaders” (Good News Translation) or “officials” (New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible). The assembly refers here to the people in general.

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 .

The Levites stood with the instruments of David: Stood with may be rendered “stood holding.” For the instruments of David, see the comments on 1 Chr 23.5. This phrase is ambiguous here. It may mean “the instruments that David had had made” (Parole de Vie) or “instruments like those that King David had used” (Good News Translation). The second sense is more probable since it is unlikely that David’s own instruments were still in working condition after three hundred years.

And the priests with the trumpets: The priests had been given the responsibility to sound the trumpets (see 1 Chr 15.24). For trumpets see the comments on 1 Chr 13.8.

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 .

The whole assembly of Judah … rejoiced: The whole assembly is repeated in this verse. Instead of repeating this phrase, it may be more natural to say simply “everyone” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). For The whole assembly of Judah, New Century Version has “All the people of Judah.”

The whole assembly that came out of Israel refers to the people from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and the other northern tribes who had come to Jerusalem for the festival (see verses 11 and 18). Since the term Israel is sometimes used by the author to refer to both the people of the northern and southern kingdoms and sometimes for the people of the southern kingdom, Good News Translation says “from the north” rather than out of Israel.

The sojourners who came out of the land of Israel refers to non-Israelites who lived permanently in the north. Some interpreters think that these words refer to northerners who lived in Judah. New Revised Standard Version renders sojourners as “resident aliens.” For sojourners see the comments on 1 Chr 16.19.

The sojourners who dwelt in Judah refers to non-Israelites who lived permanently in Judah. The Hebrew does not repeat the noun sojourners here as Revised Standard Version does, but that is clearly the meaning in this context of the Hebrew words, which are literally “those living in Judah.” Revised English Bible renders this clause and the previous one as “and the resident aliens from Israel as well as those who lived in Judah.”

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 .