The Levites shall surround the king: Since the previous verses indicate other duties for some Levites, Bible en français courant renders The Levites as “The other Levites.” Good News Translation makes explicit why the Levites surround their king by using the verb “stand guard.” Contemporary English Version is similar with “protect,” and so is New Living Translation with “form a bodyguard around.” The king refers to Joash, which Contemporary English Version makes explicit by saying “King Joash.”

Each with his weapons in his hand: The weapons were most likely “swords” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). Swords are normally kept in their sheathes when there is no immediate danger. But the extreme threat to the safety of Joash in the situation foreseen here requires that the swords be drawn and ready for action. According to Contemporary English Version, the swords must be “ready to kill.”

And whoever enters the house shall be slain: The house refers to the Temple. The passive verb shall be slain may be easily transformed into an active one since it is quite clear who the agents are. It is the protective guard of Levites who are to kill any intruder. So this whole clause may be rendered “The guards [or, Levites] must kill anyone who enters the Temple” or simply “They must kill any person who comes into the Temple.”

Be with the king when he comes in, and when he goes out: The Levite guards are to stay with the king all the time. When he comes in, and when he goes out is a common Hebrew idiom meaning “wherever he goes” (Good News Translation, New International Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, Knox) and should probably not be translated literally in most languages.

The long quotation in verses 3b-7 may be made into indirect speech in those languages where direct discourse is not acceptable here. A possible model for this is as follows:

• Jehoiada told them that the son of King Ahaziah who had died must now be their ruler, just as the LORD had promised concerning the descendants of David. 4 Then he gave them the following rules: A third of the priests and Levites who go on duty on the Day of Rest must guard the Temple gates, 5 a third of them must guard the royal palace, and a third must guard the Foundation Gate; and all the other people must gather in the courtyards of the Temple. 6 No one should enter the Temple except the priests and the Levites on duty; they may enter because they are ceremonially pure, but all the others must observe the LORD’s command not to enter the Temple. 7 The Levites must stand guard around the king, each one with his weapons ready. They must stay close to the king wherever he goes. Anyone who enters the Temple must be put to death.

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 common Hebrew conjunction rendered Yet may signal contrast between the misconduct of the people of Judah and the gracious action of the LORD in spite of this (so Revised Standard Version). On the other hand, some versions take it as looking forward and showing contrast between God’s action and the inaction of the Judeans to whom he sent prophets (so New Century Version with “Even though” and New International Version with “Although”).

He sent prophets among them to bring them back to the LORD is a literal rendering of the Hebrew. But such a translation may suggest incorrectly that the pronoun he refers to someone other than the LORD. Good News Translation restates this sentence by saying that “the LORD sent prophets to warn them to return to him” (similarly New International Version, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje), and Revised English Bible has “The LORD sent prophets to bring them back to himself.”

These testified against them: The demonstrative pronoun these refers to the prophets. Testified against them means “denounced them” (Revised English Bible) or “put the case against them” (New Jerusalem Bible) by telling about the people’s sins.

But they would not give heed means the people of Judah would not listen.

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 .

From the time when he turned away from the LORD: See verses 14 and 20. The Hebrew literally says “From the time when Amazyahu turned away from the LORD,” but both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation have replaced the name “Amazyahu” with the pronoun he for reasons of English style.

They made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem is literally “they conspired a conspiracy….” The Hebrew word translated conspiracy is the same one rendered “treason” in 2 Chr 23.13 (see the comments there). The subject of the Hebrew verb here is indefinite. In languages that use passive forms, the meaning of this clause may be expressed as “a conspiracy was formed against him” (Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Where the passive is not possible, the following model of Contemporary English Version might be helpful: “some people in Jerusalem plotted against Amaziah.”

And he fled to Lachish: Lachish was an important city, strategically located about 45 kilometers (28 miles) southwest of Jerusalem (see the comments on 2 Chr 11.9). It would have been a possible place of refuge for the king in the face of an uprising against him in his capital city. It will be important in most languages to add a classifier word like “city.”

But they sent after him to Lachish: The pronoun they refers to the same indefinite enemies as in the beginning of the verse. Revised English Bible has “the conspirators” as the subject of this clause. For they sent after him, Good News Translation has “his enemies followed him,” and New American Bible says “they pursued him.” Other possible renderings are “he was pursued” and “he was followed” if the passive form is a realistic option. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “they sent men after him,” indicating that the leaders of the coup did not make the journey themselves, but rather sent their subordinates. To Lachish may be rendered “there” (Good News Translation) since this city has just been mentioned.

And slew him there: The archaic verb slew is replaced by “killed” in New Revised Standard 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 .

The account of Jotham’s reign is concluded by the common formula used to summarize the reign of most of the kings of Israel and Judah. It refers to his death, burial, and successor.

For slept with his fathers, see the comments on 2 Chr 9.31.

For the city of David: see the comments on 1 Chr 11.5 and 2 Chr 5.2.

For reigned in his stead, see the comments on 1 Chr 19.1 and 2 Chr 9.31.

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 set to work and removed … is literally “And they arose and they removed…” (NASB). The subject of these verbs is the many people mentioned in the previous verse. The verb “arose,” when used with another verb, often signifies undertaking a significant task. Revised English Bible expresses its sense well by beginning this verse with “They began by removing….”

The altars that were in Jerusalem were the altars that had been built for worship of foreign gods (see 2 Chr 28.24). These altars were not the same as all the altars for burning incense. The first Hebrew noun translated altars comes from a root meaning “to sacrifice” and refers to altars that were used for offering sacrifices. The Hebrew word rendered altars for burning incense comes from the same root as the word for “incense.” These other altars were used for burning incense. Good News Translation keeps the distinction between the two types of altar by saying “the altars that had been used in Jerusalem for offering sacrifices and burning incense.”

For Kidron valley, see the comments on 2 Chr 15.16.

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 for the sons of Aaron, the priests: The sons of Aaron is a common expression to refer to the priests, but here both are used. In this context it will be better to translate the sons of Aaron as “the descendants of Aaron” (New International Version; similarly Good News Translation)

Who were in the fields of common land belonging to their cities: The fields of common land refers to the farmland belonging to the Levitical cities. Some of the priests lived inside the city walls and others lived outside in the countryside that was attached to those cities.

There were men in the several cities who were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to every one among the Levites who was enrolled: The passive verb were designated may be made active by specifying Hezekiah as the agent. It was he who actually appointed those who would take food and supplies to the priests and Levites.

The meaning of this verse is not clear. According to the interpretation followed by Good News Translation, the priests and Levites received their portions regardless of where they lived, whether they lived in one of the Levitical cities or whether they lived in the pastureland attached to one of these cities. If this interpretation is followed, this verse may be broken into three separate sentences as follows:

• Some of Aaron’s descendants, the priests, lived on the farmlands near the towns assigned to them and others lived in the towns. Hezekiah named some men living in these cities to take food and supplies to them. All the males and those named in the family histories of the Levites received part of the collection.

According to another interpretation, followed by Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, this verse states that the priests received their portions regardless of whether they were on duty at the Temple or off duty in their homes, unlike the Levites who received their portion only during the times that they were on duty at the Temple. The interpretation followed by Traduction œcuménique de la Bible for verses 16-19 seems to make the best sense. This interpretation is recommended, and the translation is quoted here:

• 16 moreover, the men already enrolled, from the age of three and up, all those who came to the House of the LORD received each day something for their function in their groups according to their classes. 17 The enrollment of priests was done according to their paternal houses, and that of the Levites, from the age of twenty and up, by groups and by classes. 18 The enrollment was valid for all the family: wives, sons and daughters; it was valid for all the assembly, on the condition that they be faithful and in a state of holiness, 19 and for the priests, the sons of Aaron, living in the country in the territory of each of their villages. Some people designated by name distributed portions to all the men among the priests and to all those enrolled among the Levites.

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 .