Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 9:3

Verses 3-9 list non-Levitical clans who returned to live in Jerusalem.

And: The common Hebrew conjunction at the beginning of this verse is usually not translated in most modern versions (so Good News Translation, New International Version, New Century Version, Revised English Bible) although it is retained in some (so Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version). Naturalness in the receptor language should be the determining factor in whether or not the Hebrew conjunction is translated here.

Some of the people of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh dwelt in Jerusalem: The wording of the text makes it clear that it was not all of the people in the tribes named who settled in Jerusalem. According to Neh 11.1, the people drew lots to choose one family out of every ten to go and live in the capital city.

Judah and Benjamin formed the southern kingdom of Judah; Ephraim and Manasseh had been the two most important tribes in the northern kingdom of Israel, and here they probably stand for the entire northern kingdom. Throughout 1 Chronicles the writer emphasizes God’s intention for the unity of “all” Israel (see 11.1-9; 12.1-40; 13.1-14). The parallel text in Neh 11.4 omits the reference to Ephraim and Manasseh. In the lists that follow in this chapter, there is no further mention of people from Ephraim and Manasseh.

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 .

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 9:44

For this verse see the comments on the parallel text of 1 Chr 8.38. The same textual difficulties that are found there with regard to the name Bocheru also occur here. Whichever decision is taken at that point should also be adopted in this case.

These were the sons of Azel: As in 8.38, Good News Translation omits this repetitive sentence for naturalness in English.

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 .

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 11:19

Far be it from me before my God that I should do this: Far be it from me is a strong form of denial (see also 1 Sam 2.30; 12.23; 20.9; 2 Sam 20.20). In other languages expressions of denial may have a very different form. Some may say “Never in my life” or “Not at all,” or they may use a threefold repetition of the word “no/never.” Several versions use an exclamation mark in an attempt to show how strong the whole denial is (so Good News Translation). Some alternative ways of wording it are “There is no way that I will do this” and “I cannot possibly drink this.” Revised English Bible retains the reference to God by saying “God forbid that I should do such a thing!” (similarly New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). New Jerusalem Bible is quite similar with “God preserve me … from doing such a thing!” New Century Version translates in such a way as to make it explicit what the demonstrative pronoun this refers to by saying “May God keep me from drinking this water!”

Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men? For at the risk of their lives they brought it: When David asks the question Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men? he is really making another extremely strong statement of something that he could not do. But even if the question is changed into an affirmative statement, there is still the matter of its figurative language that may be very misleading to some readers. David is not talking about literally drinking blood, but about drinking water that men had risked their lives to bring to him. Some translators may prefer to make the question into a comparison by saying “It would be like drinking the blood of these men which I cannot do.” Probably David poured out the water as a drink offering to God, but it is also possible that he understood the water as being like their blood, which the Law did not permit him to drink (Lev 17.10-14; Deut 12.16, 23-24).

Therefore he would not drink it: Therefore translates the common Hebrew conjunction, but such a rendering is appropriate in this context.

These things did the three mighty men: This last sentence of the verse is a summary statement about the three famous soldiers. For this reason some versions make it a separate paragraph (so Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, Bible en français courant). These things refers not only to the immediately preceding account of the captured water, but also to the earlier mentioned events of verses 11-14. The idea is probably that these deeds were representative of the kinds of things that these men did. For this reason New American Bible translates this whole sentence as “Such deeds as these the Three warriors performed.” In this context things may be rendered “exploits” (New International Version, New Living Translation, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “brave deeds” (Good News Translation, 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 .

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 12:4

Ishmaiah … a mighty man among the thirty and a leader over the thirty (verse 4): For the thirty, see the introductory comments on 1 Chr 11.10-47. Nearly all translations say that Ishmaiah was included among the Thirty and was a leader of the Thirty, and this seems to be the meaning of the Hebrew. However, New American Bible says he was “a warrior on the level of the Thirty,” which seems to suggest that he was not included among the Thirty.

Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad of Gederah (verse 4): This last part of verse 4 is numbered as verse 5 in New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and most non-English versions because it is so numbered in the Hebrew text. This means that from this point to the end of the chapter there is a difference of one number between the Hebrew, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh on the one hand and the majority of English versions on the other hand (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation). Of Gederah is literally “the Gederathite.” Jozabad was from the town of Gederah in southern Judah (see 1 Chr 4.23).

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 .

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 14:3

And David took more wives in Jerusalem means that David married other women, not that he took other men’s wives. Several modern versions use the verb “married” (Good News Translation, New Living Translation, New Century Version, Revised English Bible) instead of took. Just as international recognition by Hiram of Tyre was a sign that God was blessing David, so also having many wives and children were a sign of his blessing.

And David begot more sons and daughters: The writer assumes the readers know sons were born to David earlier in Hebron (1 Chr 3.1-4). The Hebrew text repeats the name David here, but it will be more natural in many languages to replace the name with a pronoun. The verb begot indicates that David fathered more children in Jerusalem. New American Bible translates this whole clause as “and became the father of more sons and daughters” (similarly New Revised Standard Version). Revised English Bible says “and more sons and daughters were born to him.”

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 .

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 16:31 - 16:32

In verses 31-32 the whole universe is called upon to praise God: heavens, earth, sea, and field, together with all the living beings that inhabit the seas and the fields. Four verbs are used synonymously: be glad, rejoice, roar, and exult. In some languages it may be difficult to determine how to address elements of nature such as these and whether to use such verbs as be glad or rejoice with them. But this is a feature of Hebrew poetry and there seems to be no way of avoiding doing so in the receptor language. However, an explanatory footnote may be necessary to explain that in Hebrew natural phenomena are frequently addressed directly as if they were human. In some languages it will be extremely difficult to imitate the form used in Revised Standard Version to address the elements of nature. The use of the direct imperative form in Good News Translation will be considered much more natural.

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: Regarding the translation of heavens, see the comments above on verse 26. The two clauses of this line are parallel. Good News Translation reduces them to a single statement, saying “Be glad, earth and sky!” In languages in which inanimate objects do not express human emotions, it may be necessary to use a simile; for example, “Earth and sky be glad as people are glad.” The same is true for the other elements of nature that follow.

And let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!”: Most likely the sense here is that the Israelites are to say among the peoples of other nations that the LORD is king. But the Hebrew may also be understood to mean that the people of other nations are to say this. Compare “Let the nations say, ‘The LORD reigns!’ ” ( NET Bible). For nations see the comments on verse 20. The verb reigns may be translated “rules as king” (God’s Word) or simply “is king” (Good News Translation). Almost all versions use a direct quotation in this line, but Good News Translation, New Living Translation, and La Bible du Semeur change it to indirect discourse.

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it: In certain languages it may not be a good idea to translate the verb roar by the same word as used for the noise made by a lion or some other animal. Revised English Bible and New American Bible translate “resound,” and New Jerusalem Bible uses the English verb “thunder.” New Century Version has “shout,” and New Living Translation uses the same verb but makes more explicit the purpose of the action by saying “shout his praise.”

Let the field exult, and everything in it!: Exult means essentially the same thing as the verbs be glad and rejoice. If the receptor language has insufficient synonyms, it may be necessary to repeat one of them. For this whole line International Children’s Bible has “Let the fields and everything in them show their joy.”

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 .

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 17:24

And thy name will be established and magnified for ever: This verse begins in Hebrew with the common conjunction, which Revised Standard Version translates and. New Revised Standard Version says “Thus,” which better expresses the relationship of this verse to the preceding one. As earlier in this chapter, name here refers to reputation, so Good News Translation says “fame,” and Moffatt has “renown.” The Hebrew verbs translated will be established and magnified are understood by some scholars as expressing a simple future tense (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation). But the form of these Hebrew verbs may also be understood as expressing a wish or desire; for example, New Living Translation renders this whole clause as “And may your name be established and honored forever” (similarly Revised English Bible, Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie, Nouvelle version Segond révisée, La Bible du Semeur, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Either interpretation is possible and either fits the context.

Saying, ‘The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God’: Revised Standard Version follows the Hebrew by not having a subject for the verb saying, but it may be better in many languages to translate “as people say.” For The LORD of hosts, see the comments on 1 Chr 11.9. Instead of the direct quotation within the larger quotation, some languages may prefer to render this one indirectly. This may be done by saying something like “and people will forever affirm/recognize that you, LORD of hosts, are the God of the people of Israel.”

And the house of thy servant David will be established before thee: In some languages the house of thy servant David may be better translated “the dynasty of me, your servant” or “I, your servant, my dynasty.”

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 .

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 19:12

And he said: The pronoun he refers to Joab, who was still talking to his brother, Abishai. And in some languages it will be necessary to state clearly to whom he was speaking. Compare “Joab said to his brother” (Bible en français courant) and “Joab said to Abishai” (New Century Version).

If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will help you: If the enemy forces started to take the upper hand in the battle on either front, the stronger of the two Israelite forces would send some of its men to help the weaker force. In some languages it will be more natural to render If the Syrians are too strong for me as “If the Syrians begin to win the fight” or “If we start losing ground to the Syrians.” Similar language may be used for if the Ammonites are too strong for you. Revised Standard Version uses the contrasting conjunction but to join the two hypothetical situations described. Good News Translation has “and” (also Contemporary English Version, Revised English Bible). Others leave the common Hebrew conjunction here untranslated. Translators should use whatever transition seems most natural in the receptor language. You shall help me is literally “you shall be a salvation to me.” The pronouns for you are singular in Hebrew. Grammatically, they clearly refer to the military leaders Joab and Abishai. But all the troops serving under Joab or Abishai would naturally provide help.

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 .