Jada was the son of Onam (verse 28).

And Jether died childless: Childless is the same expression as in verse 30 and the same difference in meaning is found in the existing modern translations. Some speak more generally of there being no “children”; and others speak more specifically of the absence of “sons.” See the discussion of this problem at verse 30.

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: See 2 Chr 28.

Hezekiah: See 2 Chr 29–32.

Manasseh: See 2 Chr 33.1-20.

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 .

Shime-i had sixteen sons and six daughters: Instead of six daughters, the Septuagint has “three daughters.” Klein suggests that the word six is an error in the Hebrew, created under the influence of the preceding number sixteen, and he follows the Septuagint here, but few other modern translations adopt this reading.

But his brothers had not many children, nor did all their family multiply like the men of Judah: The tribe of Simeon had ceased to be a separate tribe by the time this book was written and had been absorbed into the tribe of Judah. According to Josh 19.1 and 9, the land settled by the tribe of Simeon was within the land belonging to the tribe of Judah. His brothers is not intended to be taken in the strict literal sense of male offspring of the same father and mother. Rather, the broader notion of “his relatives” (Good News Translation) is what is meant. Revised English Bible translates “others of his family.”

All their family renders the text of the Masoretic Text. But two Hebrew manuscripts as well as the Septuagint (followed by Nouvelle Bible Segond) have “all their families/clans.” If the singular is followed, the sense may be that the clan of Shimei did not grow as fast as the clans in the tribe of Judah did. If the plural is followed, the meaning is most likely that the clans or families of the tribe of Simeon did not grow in size as much as the clans of Judah. Some versions make this interpretation explicit by saying “the tribe of Simeon” (Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch) or “Simeon’s tribe” (New Living Translation).

The men of Judah refers to the whole tribe of Judah and not just to its male members. So this phrase may be translated “the Judeans” (New Revised Standard Version), “the people of Judah” (New International Version), or “the tribe of Judah” (Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

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 when they received help against them means the Israelites received help from God against the Hagrites. New Jerusalem Bible says simply “God came to their help.”

The Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hands: All who were with them refers to the “allies” (Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Peregrino of the Hagrites. If the receptor language has a technical term or expression used to refer to political allies, it may be used here. Their hands refers to the power of the Israelites. The passive expression were given into their hands will have to be made active in some languages. Since the implied agent is God, some may translate this whole clause as “He [God] allowed them to defeat the Hagrites and all their allies” (similarly International Children’s Bible). Another possible model is “They were able to subdue the Hagrites and their allies” (Bible en français courant).

For they cried to God in the battle, and he granted their entreaty because they trusted in him: God helped the Israelites to defeat the Hagrites because they trusted him and prayed for his help. In some languages it may be important to restructure the verse by placing this reason for God’s help first. Good News Translation may provide a useful model in this regard. Another possible model is found in New Living Translation, which makes two separate sentences of this verse as follows: “They cried out to God during the battle, and he answered their prayer because they trusted in him. So the Hagrites and all their allies were defeated.” International Children’s Bible is more explicit and uses five sentences, saying “The men from the tribes of Manasseh, Reuben and Gad prayed to God in the war. They asked God to help them. So he helped them because they trusted in him. He allowed them to defeat the Hagrites. And they also defeated all those who were with the Hagrites.”

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 .

As in verse 23 above, the name Ebiasaph (verse 37) is written “Abiasaph” in Bible en français courant and Parole de Vie to harmonize with the spelling of the name elsewhere in the Old Testament.

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 77-81 expand on verse 63.

To the rest of the Merarites were allotted out of the tribe of Zebulun …: The Merarites were descendants of Levi’s son Merari (verse 1). Once again the passive verb were allotted (which is not actually in the Hebrew text) may be better translated “received” (New International Version, New Century Version, New American Bible).

Following the Septuagint, Revised English Bible reads “Rimmon” (also New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible) instead of Rimmono, and indicates in a footnote that the Hebrew has “his Rimmon.” But most translations follow the Masoretic Text at this point. In either case the same place is intended. The parallel text in Josh 21.35 has the name “Dimnah,” which is probably a scribal error for “Rimmon.” On the basis Josh 19.13; 21.35, and this verse in 1 Chronicles, Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament finds evidence that an ancient form of the name was “Rimmonah,” which is another acceptable spelling here. However, nearly all translations have “Rimmon” or “Rimmono.”

In Josh 21.34 the place names “Jokne-am” and “Kartah” occur before the name “Dimnah [or, Rimmon].” Some manuscripts of the Septuagint here in 1 Chronicles also includes these two names. This is the basis for their addition in several translations here (so New Living Translation, New American Bible, Einheitsübersetzung). But apart from the Septuagint, the textual evidence for this reading is very weak.

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 .

Japhlet was the son of Heber (verse 32) and the great-grandson of Asher.

These are the sons of Japhlet: The repetition of this information as a separate sentence at the end of the verse may seem unnecessary in some languages. If this is the case, Good News Translation may be a good model.

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 .