Every one of them brought his present …: Every one of them refers to all those kings who came from other parts of the world to have an audience with Solomon. The Hebrew noun rendered present sometimes refers to offerings or sacrifices. Revised Standard Version translates this same noun as “cereal offering” in 1 Chr 21.23. In non-religious contexts it may refers to tribute imposed on other rulers (see 1 Chr 18.2). In this context the noun seems to refer to gifts that were voluntarily given.

The Hebrew word translated articles is the same one rendered “vessels” in verse 20. Here it has a very general meaning.

The Hebrew word rendered garments technically refers to articles of outer clothing rather than to clothing in general. For this reason several versions translate “robes” (Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Moffatt).

Myrrh was a sweet-smelling powder that was considered of great value. It was used in perfumes, served as a medicine, and was used in preparing bodies for burial. Information about such items may be given in a footnote or explained in a glossary. There is some question regarding the meaning of the Hebrew noun translated myrrh. It most likely means “weapons” (Good News Translation, New International Version, New Living Translation, New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Moffatt), “weaponry” (New Revised Standard Version), “arms” (Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie, Nouvelle Bible Segond, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy), or “armour” (New Jerusalem Bible). However, some interpreters think the noun comes from an Arabic root with the same consonants, meaning “to smell.” The Septuagint translated it as “myrrh” (so Revised Standard Version), and some modern versions say “perfumes” (Revised English Bible).

Spices: See the comments on 2Chr 9.1.

Mules: See the comments on 1 Chr 12.40.

So much year by year: These gifts were presented annually. New American Bible moves this phrase to the beginning of the verse, saying “Year in and year out.”

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 put shields and spears in all the cities, and made them very strong: Revised Standard Version inserts the words he put as the context requires. But it will also be possible in some languages to structure the previous verse in such a way as to avoid the need to add a verb here (so Good News Translation). Rehoboam supplied the fortified cities with shields and spears to be used by the people to defend the cities. The Hebrew noun for shields refers to “large shields” (New Revised Standard Version, Anchor Bible, Nouvelle Bible Segond). See the comments on 2 Chr 9.15. For spears see 1 Chr 11.11.

So he held Judah and Benjamin is literally “and was to him Judah and Benjamin.” Rehoboam was able to keep control of Judah and Benjamin because of the fortified cities. The common Hebrew conjunction here may be translated So, “Thus” (Revised English Bible, New American Bible), or “In this way” (Good News Translation) to introduce this clause as a result. For the whole clause Revised English Bible has “Thus he retained possession of Judah and Benjamin,” and New American Bible says simply “Thus Judah and Benjamin remained his.”

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 now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David: For you think to withstand, Good News Translation has “you propose to fight against,” which is a bit weak. Better models are “you think you are strong enough to defeat,” “you are planning to resist” (Dillard), and “you think you are a match for” (similarly New American Bible). The kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David refers to the fact that Yahweh had given divine authority to the descendants of David to rule in a theocracy. The notion of trying to withstand this kingdom was seen as the equivalent of resisting God himself. The word sons refers to “descendants.” In the Old Testament hand is used often as an image for power. NET Bible provides a useful model for this whole clause, saying “Now you are declaring that you will resist the LORD’s rule through the Davidic dynasty.”

Because you are a great multitude: In this context a great multitude refers specifically to “a huge army” (Good News Translation, NET Bible).

And have with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods: For the golden calves, see 1 Kgs 12.28-30 and 2 Chr 11.15. These golden calves were important for the proposed battle because every army had its own god or gods. Since Jeroboam almost certainly did not make these gods himself, the verb made may be rendered “had made” (Bible en français courant) in the sense of “caused [others] to make.”

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 .

For a long time Israel was …: The precise meaning of this verse is not clear since it does not have a verb in Hebrew. Does it refer to the past or the future? If it is the past, as in most translations, then perhaps the reference is to the time of the judges when the people of Israel “forgot the LORD and what he had done for Israel” (Jdg 2.10b in Good News Translation). BCI has a footnote here, stating “Verses 3-6 seem to be a reference to the period of the judges (Jdg 2.1-23).” A similar footnote may be helpful in other languages if this interpretation is followed. Alternatively, the Aramaic Targum clearly takes this verse as referring to the time of Jeroboam when the northern kingdom separated from Judah.

However, some interpreters take verses 3-6 as referring to the future, as does the Septuagint. La Bible Pléiade, for example, begins verse 3 with “For a long time Israel will be…,” continuing with the future tense through verse 6 (so also La Bible de Jérusalem: Nouvelle édition revue et corrigée, La Biblia Latinoamerica).

For a long time is literally “for many days” (NASB), but the word “days” is often used in the Old Testament for longer time periods. So Revised Standard Version is correct here in not taking this word literally.

Israel refers to “the people of Israel” (Contemporary English Version). If translators understand verses 3-6 to refer to the past, then Israel may be rendered “our Israelite ancestors” (Parole de Vie) or simply “our ancestors.”

Without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law: The word without is used three times to reflect the triple negation in the Hebrew text. Without the true God means the Israelites did not worship Yahweh, the true God. The true God may be rendered “the only one who is really God.”

Without a teaching priest means there were no priests who could teach the people what they should do. Priest is used in a collective sense here, so it may be rendered “priests” (Good News Translation). Another way of expressing this whole phrase is “without a priest who taught correctly” (God’s Word) or “no priests to teach them” (Parole de Vie).

Without law may be understood either as general lawlessness or as specific disobedience of God’s Law. Good News Translation seems to take the first interpretation by rendering law as “a law,” but others favor the latter sense by saying “God’s law” (New Living Translation, Moffatt), “Moses’ Teachings” (God’s Word), or “the law” (New International Version). BCI capitalizes the word for law to show that God’s Law is intended, but the use of capital letters alone as a way of showing meaning is not recommended.

An alternative model for this verse is:

• For a long time the people of Israel did not worship the true God, they did not have priests to teach them, and they did not obey the Law [of 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 .

But sought the God of his father: The Hebrew conjunction here is correctly rendered but since there is a contrast between the rejection of Baal in verse 3 and the worship of the true God in this verse. The verb sought may be rendered “worshiped” (Contemporary English Version) or “served” (Good News Translation).

And walked in his commandments: The verb walked has the same figurative meaning as in the previous verse. But here it is said that Jehoshaphat walked in his commandments (that is, the commandments of God) rather than “in the … ways of his father.” For this reason the translation may be slightly different in some languages. New Century Version, for example, translates the expression in the previous verse as “lived as his ancestor David had lived,” but here it has “obeyed God’s commandments.”

And not according to the ways of Israel: To whom does Israel refer here? Is the reference to the people of the northern kingdom or more specifically to the kings of the northern kingdom? For versions that follow the Hebrew literally in saying “Israel” (for example, Revised Standard Version, New International Version, Revised English Bible, La Bible de Jérusalem: Nouvelle édition revue et corrigée, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), it is not clear which interpretation the translators followed. Although the Hebrew does not mention the kings of Israel in this verse, the implied contrast may be between Jehoshaphat, who was king of Judah, and “the kings of Israel” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). For the Chronicler the kings of Israel were evil without exception (see 2 Chr 21.6, 13; 28.2). However, it is more likely that the name Israel here refers to people of the northern kingdom and is not limited to their leaders. New Century Version follows this sense by saying “the people of Israel.”

Contemporary English Version restructures verses 3 and 4 and combines them as follows:

• When Jehoshaphat’s father had first become king of Judah, he was faithful to the LORD and refused to worship the god Baal as the kings of Israel did. Jehoshaphat followed his father’s example and obeyed and worshiped the LORD. And so the LORD blessed Jehoshaphat.

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 Micaiah said is literally “And he said.” Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation (as well as most other versions) insert the proper name Micaiah, since the pronoun “he” would incorrectly seem to refer to either Ahab or Jehoshaphat in verse 17. The verb said may be rendered “continued” (New American Bible) or “went on” (Good News Translation) since Micaiah speaks again. His words begin in verse 18 and continue through verse 22. Within his words are the words of God and a heavenly being. Translators need to be sure that it is clear who is speaking throughout these five verses.

Therefore hear the word of the LORD: Therefore translates a Hebrew preposition joined to an adverb. This form functions to introduce a conclusion or anticipated response to certain conditions. So it ties in with what Micaiah has already said in verse 16. Languages have different ways of making this kind of connection after a different speaker has intervened. Both Good News Translation and New Jerusalem Bible begin with the word “Now.” The Hebrew verb translated hear is plural, whereas it is singular in the parallel text of 1 Kgs 22.19. Here the prophet is speaking not just to Ahab, but also to Jehoshaphat.

I saw is translated “I had a vision” by Moffatt. See the comments on verse 16.

The LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left: For the image of God sitting on his heavenly throne surrounded by heavenly beings, see also Job 1.6 and Isa 6.1. The host of heaven refers to heavenly beings, as the following verses make clear. Because the Hebrew word translated host is also used of military forces, some versions say “his heavenly army” (New Century Version) or “the armies of heaven” (New Living Translation). Good News Translation has “his angels” since it views the heavenly army as made up of angels. However, here the host of heaven is more likely a reference to God’s heavenly council, who served to execute his will. Good News Translation does not translate explicitly the words on his right hand and on his left, but rather leaves them implicit. Translators will have to decide whether making this information explicit in their own language makes for good style or not. These words may be rendered “on his right [side] and on his left.”

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 .

Didst thou not…?: This verse is another negative rhetorical question that has the intent of making a strong affirmation. Jehoshaphat declares that God drove out the original inhabitants of the land of Israel and gave it to the descendants of Abraham forever.

O our God renders a Hebrew expression that may be considered an affirmation of faith, so it may be translated as a separate sentence as in Good News Translation, which says “You are our God.” But this expression may also be understood as emphasizing the one who took action on behalf of Israel (so Revised Standard Version and many other versions).

Drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel: God’s expulsion of the people who lived in the Promised Land before Israel is described in Deut 9.5. This land refers to the land of Israel. Since Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah considered themselves to be a part of the people of God on whose behalf God acted long before, some languages may find it necessary to render thy people Israel as “us, your people Israel.”

And give it for ever to the descendants of Abraham thy friend: God gave the land of Israel to Abraham and his descendants forever (see 1 Chr 16.15-18). The descendants of Abraham refer to the same people as thy people Israel. Abraham is also referred to as the friend of God in Isa 41.8 and James 2.23

Good News Translation renders the rhetorical question in this verse as a statement. Another model that does this is:

• Our God, you are the one who drove out the people who lived in this land as your people Israel came in, and you gave it to them, the descendants of your friend Abraham, 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 .