Verses 24-25 present another situation in which God’s people may turn to him in prayer. Such a situation does, in fact, occur in 2 Kgs 19.14-19 at the time of King Hezekiah. Solomon’s words reflect the curse of Deut 28.25, in which Israelite disobedience to God would result in defeat by their enemies. Among the Israelites, defeat in war was regarded as punishment for sin (Josh 7.11-12). These verses form a conditional sentence like the previous two verses. Verse 24 is the “if” part of this conditional sentence, and verse 25 is the “then” part of the sentence.

If thy people Israel are defeated before the enemy: The passive verb are defeated may be easily made active since the subject is clearly the enemy. In languages where passive forms are difficult, translators may say “When enemies defeat your people of Israel.” The enemy (literally “an enemy”) does not refer to a specific enemy, but rather to any nation that may act as an enemy toward Israel.

Because they have sinned against you: The text makes it clear that the reason for the defeat of the Israelites is their sin against Yahweh, and this should be made clear in translation.

When they turn again: The Hebrew verb here is the same one translated “repent” in other contexts (see verses 37-38), which is a possible translation in this context. The idea is that of turning back to God after having turned away from him.

In this context acknowledge thy name means more than merely citing the name of God. The sense is rather to “confess your name” (New International Version), “own thee openly” (Moffatt), or “renew their allegiance to you” ( NET Bible).

And pray and make supplication to thee in this house: The use of the nearly synonymous verbs pray and make supplication serves to reinforce the sincerity and humility of the repentant people’s approach to God. The Hebrew verb for pray comes from the same root as the word rendered “prayer” in verse 19. The Hebrew verb translated make supplication means “to plead for grace or favor” and comes from the same root as the word rendered “supplication” in verse 19.

A possible model for restructuring this verse is offered by Parole de Vie, which reads:

• It may happen that the Israelites disobey you and lose the battle against their enemies. But afterwards they will perhaps return to you, they will sing your praise, they will pray to you and implore you in this temple.

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 .

Now may be rendered “From now on” (Nouvelle version Segond révisée, La Bible du Semeur; similarly Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie). Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version omit this adverb, but translators should keep it.

My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to …: These two figurative expressions indicate God’s awareness of what his people are doing in the Temple and his willingness to listen to their prayers to him. This verse is clearly intended to echo the words of 2 Chr 6.20, where Solomon prays that God’s eyes and ears would be open to the prayers offered in the Temple. If the use of eyes and ears is not appropriate when speaking of God, then it will be possible to translate the sense by saying “I will look carefully and listen attentively…” or “I will listen attentively and consider favorably…” (La Bible du Semeur).

The prayer that is made in this place: The prayer has a collective sense, so it may be rendered “prayers” (Good News Translation). In this place may be translated “here in this Temple.”

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 .

Blessed be the LORD your God: See the comments on 1 Chr 16.36. Your God occurs three times in this verse and is significant because the queen of Sheba did not worship the same God as Solomon. But the visiting queen also names the God of Solomon. The Hebrew word translated LORD appears twice in the queen’s statement, and it represents the name Yahweh. This shows the queen’s awareness of the Israelite religion.

Who has delighted in you and set you on his throne as king: Revised Standard Version has two separate actions here. But the Hebrew is better rendered “who has delighted in you by placing you on his throne as king” (so Good News Translation, Osty-Trinquet). Traduction œcuménique de la Bible says “who has indeed wished to place you on his throne,” and New American Bible has “who has been so pleased with you as to place you on his throne as king.” Instead of his throne, the parallel text in 1 Kgs 10.9 says “the throne of Israel.” However, in 1-2 Chronicles both the kingdom and the throne are said to be God’s (see 1 Chr 17.14; 28.5; 29.23; 2 Chr 13.8).

The words for the LORD your God show that God remains the king of Israel. Good News Translation translates this phrase as “to rule in his name.”

Because your God loved Israel and would establish them for ever: The Hebrew here should not be understood to mean that God used to love Israel in the past but does not love Israel anymore. Good News Translation correctly indicates that God’s love for his people Israel continues. New Living Translation also does by saying “Because God loves Israel and desires this kingdom to last forever.”

He has made you king over them, that you may execute justice and righteousness: For the Hebrew words rendered justice and righteousness, see the comments on 1 Chr 18.14, where the same words are translated “justice” and “equity.”

Some languages may prefer to reverse the order of the last sentence in this verse by saying “He has made you their king, so that you can maintain true justice, because he loves his people Israel and wants to preserve them forever.”

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 .

This verse is a continuation of what the young men advised Rehoboam to respond to the people who had requested him to make their lives easier. Some interpreters think that the form of the Hebrew text here is poetical and may reflect its use in oral tradition. For this reason Peregrino places these words in poetic format when they are repeated in verse 14.

And now, whereas my father laid upon you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: The word whereas introduces the contrast that Rehoboam is making between Solomon’s actions and his own. In the Hebrew text the pronoun for I is emphatic as an independent pronoun. It is emphatic again in the clause but I will chastise you with scorpions. These pronouns give a stronger contrast in Hebrew than in Revised Standard Version between what Solomon did and what Rehoboam says that he will do. I will add to your yoke means “I shall make it heavier still” (New Jerusalem Bible). The figurative language based on the image of the yoke may be quite difficult in languages where the yoke is unknown. In languages where this is the case, Good News Translation‘s translation of this whole sentence may be helpful. Compare also Contemporary English Version, which says “He made you work hard, but I’ll make you work even harder.”

My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions: The verb chastise is used twice. The basic meaning of the Hebrew verb here is “admonish” or “discipline” (New Revised Standard Version), and it is sometimes used in the sense of “punish.” However, in the present context its meaning is clearly “beat” or “whip” with the intent to teach a lesson to the people being whipped. Whips may have to be translated by a descriptive expression in some languages. A “whip” is an instrument of punishment with a handle and a flexible lash. For a good description of a whip, see WTH, pages 7-8|fig:WTH.Whip, scourge.7-8.html.

In several Old Testament passages the Hebrew word rendered scorpions refers to insects that have a poisonous sting. It is possible that the word is used here in a figurative way to say that Rehoboam’s treatment of the Israelite people will be far worse than his father’s treatment. But the parallelism with whips leads most interpreters to think that scorpions is a reference to leather whips that had metal spikes on them. In the New Testament period the term “scorpion” referred to whips weighted with sand-filled leather bags fitted with spikes. However, there is no clear evidence that such whips existed in the Old Testament period. Translations include “spiked lash” (New Jerusalem Bible), “whips that have sharp points” (New Century Version), “bullwhips” (Good News Translation), and “whips with pieces of sharp metal” (Contemporary English 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 .

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia: This expression is ambiguous. Cyrus began ruling over Persia in 559 B.C.; but as the Good News Translation footnote indicates, he took control of Babylon only in 539 B.C. So the meaning here seems to be “In the first year that King Cyrus of Persia ruled over the whole empire, including Babylonia.” God’s Word says “in Cyrus’ first year as king of Persia,” which is not correct. The first year does not refer to his first year as king of Persia, but to his first year as emperor of the Babylonian Empire. A helpful model for this whole phrase is “In the first year that Cyrus of Persia was emperor of Babylonia” (similarly Good News Translation).

That the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled: God wanted his prophecy through Jeremiah to take place. Before the exile of the Jews to Babylonia, Jeremiah had announced that they would return to Judah from Babylonia after 70 years (see er 29.10; 2 Chr 36.21). For by the mouth of Jeremiah, see the comments on the previous verse. For this whole clause New Century Version has “This happened so that the LORD’s message spoken by Jeremiah would come true.”

The LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus: The LORD acted within the spirit of Cyrus in such a way that the king acted as God wanted him to act. For stirred up the spirit, see the comments on \jmp 1 Chr 5.26. Some other ways of expressing this clause are “the LORD inspired King Cyrus” (New American Bible) and “the LORD moved King Cyrus” ( NET Bible).

So that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: Cyrus made a proclamation is literally “caused to pass over a voice.” In the Persian Empire royal messages were communicated through heralds who proclaimed the messages orally to the people. In addition, Cyrus’s message was put in writing. This was an official royal document. It was probably written in Aramaic, the official language of the Persian Empire. Revised Standard Version supplies the verb put; it is not in the Hebrew text.

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 .