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 .

Manasseh receives a negative evaluation that contrasts sharply with the one given his predecessor and father Hezekiah. The prophet Jeremiah prophesied doom for the people of Judah because of the sins of Manasseh (Jer 15.4).

He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD: See the comments on 2 Chr 21.6. In this context the evil that Manasseh did refers to pagan worship (see the following verses).

According to the abominable practices of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel: See the comments on 2 Chr 28.3. This last half of the verse may be rendered “following the detestable practices of the pagan nations whom the LORD had forced out of the land long ago as the Israelites advanced” (similarly New Living Translation).

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 .

While they were bringing out the money that had been brought into the house of the LORD: The referent of the pronoun they is uncertain; and perhaps for this reason Good News Translation uses a passive verb and most French versions resort to the indefinite “one” as the subject. But New Century Version is probably correct in making explicit that the subject is “The Levites.” For the money that had been brought into the house of the LORD, see the comments on 2Chr 34.9.

Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of the LORD: Since Hilkiah is identified as “the high priest” in verse 9, in some languages it may be more natural to omit the words the priest here (so Good News Translation). It is not clear whether Hilkiah found the book of the law in the same place where the money had been kept or whether he found it somewhere else at the same time. In the parallel text in 2 Kgs 22, the book of the law probably refers to the book of Deuteronomy, perhaps in an earlier form than the one in Bibles today. However, here in 2 Chronicles, which was written in the Persian period, the writer probably has in mind the entire Pentateuch (see the comments on 1 Chr 22.12; 2 Chr 12.1; 17.9; and 25.4). The Hebrew noun translated book has a broad semantic range and can refer to a scroll, a letter, a legal document, or a collection of laws. In this time period a book was usually in the form of a scroll. This is why some translations of this verse and the following verses say “scroll” (Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) rather than book.

Given through Moses is literally “by the hand of Moses” (see the comments on 2 Chr 33.8). There is no verb in the Hebrew, but a verb such as given must be supplied in some languages. A possible model for this phrase is “which he [the LORD] gave to the people through Moses.”

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 afterward means after the Levites had cooked the Passover animals and sacrificial animals and had handed the meat over to their fellow Israelites.

They prepared for themselves and for the priests: The pronoun they refers to “the Levites” (New Living Translation, New Century Version). The verb prepared has no direct object in the Hebrew. Good News Translation adds the object “meat.” Moffatt supplies the noun “flesh.” Another way of handling this problem is by rendering this clause as “they made preparations for themselves and for the priests” (New International Version).

Because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied in offering the burnt offerings and the fat parts until night: The Levites had to prepare the meat for the priests because the priests were occupied with offering sacrifices. The words were busied are supplied by Revised Standard Version; they are not in the Hebrew text. Most modern versions add an expression like this as the context requires. New Revised Standard Version adds “were occupied,” which is more natural in English. It will be possible in some languages to supply only the verb “to be” by rendering this clause as “because the priests … were offering the burnt offerings…” since the idea of busyness is not actually present in the text. In this context the sons of Aaron is better rendered “the descendants of Aaron” (New Revised Standard Version) or “descended from Aaron” (Good News Translation). The fat parts probably refers to the fatty animal parts of fellowship offerings (so Dillard; see the comments on 2 Chr 7.7 and 29.35). Bible en français courant renders the burnt offerings and the fat parts as “the complete offerings and the fatty parts of the other sacrifices.”

So the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests …: This summary statement is a repetition of information already given at the beginning of the verse. If such repetition is unnatural or awkward in the receptor language, it may be omitted (so Good News Translation).

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 Solomon said: Verse 1b may be understood as words that Solomon spoke to himself. If so, then Solomon’s prayer to God begins in verse 2 (so NET Bible). Other translations understand verse 1b as the beginning of Solomon’s prayer. Since verse 2 makes clear that Solomon is talking to God and not to human beings, some of these translations introduce the direct quotation of verses 1b-2 with the verb “prayed” instead of said (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation).

The LORD has said that he would dwell in thick darkness: This line refers to Lev 16.2. In the Masoretic Text the parallel text in 1 Kgs 8.12 agrees with the wording here. However, the Septuagint text of 1 Kgs 8.12 has a longer reading (beginning with the words “The LORD has set the sun in the heavens”), which is followed by Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, and several other translations of 1 Kgs 8.12. Some versions harmonize the text here in 2 Chronicles with that of the Septuagint in 1 Kings by following the longer text (so Revised English Bible, Moffatt). Revised English Bible, for example, says “The LORD has caused the sun to shine in the heavens; but he has said he would dwell in thick darkness.”

The Most Holy Place had no windows; no natural light penetrated it except when the curtain was drawn back. While darkness may be said to be thick in English, the term used in other languages may be quite different. In fact, the Hebrew has a single word for thick darkness, which refers to “obscurity” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). The idea is “an obscure place” (La Bible du Semeur) or simply “a very dark place.” The same expression is found in Exo 20.21. It may be translated “a/the dark cloud” (New International Version, New Century Version, New American Bible).

Good News Translation, which takes this line as part of Solomon’s prayer, has changed the third person references to the LORD to second person by saying “LORD, you have chosen to live in clouds and darkness” (similarly Parole de Vie). Good News Bible does this because the Hebrew uses the second person for the LORD in the rest of the prayer in the following verse. Translators must decide whether it will be confusing to readers in the receptor language to shift from third person to second person in speaking to God. In addition to the question about shifting pronouns, translators must also ask themselves whether it is natural in their language to use the third person in prayers to God.

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 .

Kenan, Ma-halalel, and Jared represent the fourth, fifth, and sixth generations of mankind. Regarding the relationship of these three persons, see the comments on the previous verse. According to Gen 5.12-17, Kenan was seventy years old when Ma-halalel was born. Ma-halalel was sixty-five years old when Jared was born.

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 .