But a man of God came to him and said: But correctly renders the common Hebrew conjunction. Here it expresses the contrast between the readers expectation that the hired soldiers from the northern kingdom would go to war and the prophet’s prohibition of this strategy. However, some interpreters believe it has a temporal function here, so they use the connector “Then” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). A man of God means “a prophet” (Good News Translation) in this context (see the comments on 2 Chr 11.2).

The vocative O king is “The king” in Hebrew, but some languages may have very different ways of indicating respect for such an authority. In English it is quite natural to say “Your Majesty” (Contemporary English Version, God’s Word). But other languages may say “Sir” or use some other term of respect.

Do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel, with all these Ephraimites: The tribe of Ephraim is used here as a synonym for the entire northern kingdom. Since Israel and all these Ephraimites are parallel in meaning, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh renders the last part of this verse as “with Israel—all these Ephraimites.” Parole de Vie says “with the members of the kingdom of the North, all these people of the family of Ephraim.” Good News Translation collapses the expression by saying “with these people from the Northern Kingdom” (similarly Bible en français courant).

A possible model for translating this verse and the following one as indirect discourse is given at the end of the discussion on verse 8.

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 whole number of the heads of fathers’ houses of mighty men of valor was two thousand six hundred: The army was commanded by 2,600 officers. The whole number is literally “All the number.” Several versions say “The total number” (New International Version, Revised English Bible, Nouvelle Bible Segond). These officers were the heads of fathers’ houses (see the comments on 1 Chr 5.24), which may be rendered “clan leaders” (New Living Translation) or “family leaders” (New International Version, Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). Good News Translation omits this phrase, but it should be kept. For mighty men of valor, see the comments on 1 Chr 12.21. This whole verse may be rendered “There were a total of 2,600 clan leaders who were in charge of the mighty fighting men” or “2,600 chiefs of family groups commanded the valiant warriors” (La Bible du Semeur).

Revised English Bible interprets this verse to mean that the 2,600 family leaders were not actually commanders but rather suppliers of the mighty soldiers. Its translation reads “The total number of heads of families which supplied seasoned warriors was two thousand six hundred.” But the difficulty with the Revised English Bible translation is that verse 13 says the army was under the command of these family leaders.

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 the Philistines had made raids on the cities … and had taken …: Revised Standard Version uses the past perfect tense here to describe events that had taken place previously, but Good News Translation interprets the text to mean that these events were taking place at the same time as the events just reported. Probably the Hebrew verb form here should be understood as indicating a pause in the description of events about sending for help from Assyria in order to supply background information about what the Philistines had done. The past perfect tense in Revised Standard Version (had made raids and had taken) seems preferable to the past tense in Good News Translation. For the Hebrew verb rendered had made raids, see the comments on 1 Chr 14.9.

The Shephelah refers to the western foothills of Judah (see the comments on 1 Chr 27.28 and 2 Chr 1.15).

The Negeb of Judah refers to the southern, dry region of the kingdom of Judah (compare Jdg 1.9; 1 Sam 27.10). Instead of transliterating the term Negeb, it may be better to translate the meaning by rendering the Negeb of Judah as “southern Judah” (Good News Translation, New Century Version) or “the southern region of Judah” (Bible en français courant).

For the city of Beth-shemesh, see the comments on 2 Chr 25.21; for the city of Aijalon, see 2 Chr 11.10.

Gederoth was a city located in the Shephelah (see Josh 15.41). This city is not to be confused with Gederah, another city in the Shephelah (see 1 Chr 4.23).

Soco is the name of three different cities in the Old Testament. The reference here is most likely to the city located in the Shephelah, mentioned in Josh 15.35 and 1 Sam 17.1 (see the comments on 2 Chr 11.7). Another Soco was located in the hill country of Judah (see Josh 15.48).

The city of Timnah, which was located on the northern border of Judah, passed back and forth between Philistine and Israelite control. At the time of Samson the city was occupied by the Philistines (Jdg 14–15). At the time of King Ahaz Timnah was under Judean control. This city was about 6.5 kilometers (4 miles) north of Beth-shemesh. Timnah has been identified as modern-day Tell el-Batashi.

Gimzo was a city located in the lowland region near the Philistine plain. It has been identified with modern Jimzu, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) southeast of Lod (referred to in the Maccabean period and in the New Testament as Lydda) off the Jerusalem road in the Aijalon Valley.

For the Hebrew word rendered villages (literally “daughters”), see the comments on 1 Chr 2.23. Instead of repeating with its villages three times in this verse, many languages will find it more natural to follow the model of Good News Translation which gives the names of the three cities and then mentions their surrounding villages all together.

And they settled there: The Hebrew verb rendered settled means “to sit down” or “to dwell.” The sense here is that the Philistines did more than occupy the towns and villages for a short time. They came and stayed. Good News Translation expresses the meaning well by adding the word “permanently.”

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 whole assembly worshiped: The Hebrew verb rendered worshiped is literally “bowed down” (see the comments on 1 Chr 29.20 and 2 Chr 7.3). Here it may be translated “were on their knees” (Parole de Vie; similarly La Bible Pléiade) or “bowed in worship” (New International Version).

And the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded is literally “and the song was singing and the trumpets were blowing.” The singers refers to the Temple musicians, who were Levites (see 1 Chr 25 and the comments on 1 Chr 6.33). The trumpeters refers to the priests with the responsibility of blowing the trumpets (see verse 26).

All this continued until the burnt offering was finished is literally “the all until to finish the burnt offering.” Revised Standard Version supplies the verb continued. The passive verb was finished will have to be transformed into an active one in some languages; for example, this sentence may be rendered “They continued doing all these things until the priests had finished burning the offerings.”

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 .

Then renders the common Hebrew conjunction. It may be taken as a temporal connector here (so Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), but it may also be omitted (so Good News Translation, New International Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). La Bible du Semeur has “Finally,” which introduces this verse as a conclusion to the section.

The priests and the Levites arose and blessed the people: The priests and the Levites is literally “the priests the Levites” (compare 2 Chr 23.18). The Masoretic Text does not have the conjunction and. In addition, the accents in the Masoretic Text indicate that the later scribes did not understand the text to be referring to two separate groups. Compare “the priests-Levites” (Bible en français courant), and “The Levitical priests” (Moffatt; similarly New Jerusalem Bible). The priests, like the Levites, were descendants of Levi. Here Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives an {A} rating to the text that reads “the Levitical priests.” But many modern versions follow some Hebrew manuscripts as well as the Vulgate and the ancient Syriac, which say “the priests and the Levites” (so Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Revised English Bible).

As is often the case, the verb arose is not intended to imply that the religious leaders were seated or lying down before blessing the people. Rather, it indicates that they set themselves to the task of benediction. See the comments on verse 14, where even Revised Standard Version avoids a literal rendering of this verb in a similar context. According to Num 6.23-27, it was the priests who were to bless the people.

And their voice was heard: This passive expression will have to be made active in some languages. The meaning is clearly “and God heard their voices.” New Century Version says “and God heard them.”

And their prayer came to his holy habitation in heaven: The pronoun his refers to God, which several versions make explicit (so Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New American Bible). The Hebrew word for habitation refers to the place where a person lives. The place where God lives is qualified in two ways: (1) it is holy, that is, set apart from the ordinary; and (2) it is located in heaven. In some languages it may be more natural to render this whole clause as “God, who was in his own special home in heaven, heard their prayers.”

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 .

Has not this same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars…?: This verse is another rhetorical question, but this time it is a negative one. Has not this same Hezekiah…? is a way of saying “Hezekiah certainly has….” For high places, see the comments on 1 Chr 16.39 and 2 Chr 1.3. The removal of the high places and altars apparently refers to the destruction of local shrines where Yahweh himself was worshiped since these expressions are followed in Hebrew by the possessive pronoun rendered his.

Before one altar you shall worship, and upon it you shall burn your sacrifices: This is another embedded quotation since Sennacherib is quoting Hezekiah again. One altar refers to the altar of Yahweh in the Temple at Jerusalem. Hezekiah had abolished all other places of worship, but the Assyrian king could not understand how a single, central place of worship could be pleasing to God since the Assyrians believed in multiple places of worship all over their land. The Hebrew verb rendered shall burn your sacrifices means “to let [a sacrifice] go up in smoke.” It can refer to the burning of animal or vegetable offerings or to the burning of incense (see the comments on 1 Chr 6.49 and 23.13). Either interpretation is acceptable here.

In order to avoid the problems of the negative rhetorical question and the embedded quotation, this whole verse may be translated as follows:

• Hezekiah is the one who removed the LORD’s places of worship and altars. He told you people of Jerusalem and the rest of Judah that you had to worship and burn incense at only one altar.

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 took away the foreign gods …: Instead of foreign gods, Knox speaks of “false gods.” All gods other than Yahweh were considered false and alien to the people of Judah.

For the idol that was in the Temple, see 2Chr 33.7.

All the altars that he had built on the mountain of the house of the LORD and in Jerusalem: See verses 3-5. The mountain of the house of the LORD is a literal translation of the Hebrew. Revised English Bible states the meaning more clearly as “the temple mount.” Others may have to translate “the mountain on which the Temple was built.”

And he threw them outside of the city: The basic meaning of the Hebrew verb here is “to throw.” Moffatt says “flung,” An American Translation has “cast,” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh uses “dumped.” But what is important is that these foreign gods and pagan altars were thrown outside the city of Jerusalem where they would no longer defile the proper worship of Yahweh.

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 sentence that begins at the start of this verse continues through the end of the following verse in Revised Standard Version. This structure is much too long and complex to be easily understood. For this reason many translators will want to break it down into two or more shorter sentences in order to make the meaning more understandable (so Good News Translation).

But to the king of Judah …: The common Hebrew conjunction rendered But marks the contrast between the LORD’s approach to King Josiah and his treatment of the other people of Judah and Israel.

Who sent you to inquire of the LORD: See verse 21.

Thus shall you say to him: This quote frame introduces what Huldah wants Josiah’s delegation to say to him.

Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: See verse 23. In many languages this embedded quotation and the previous clause may be better expressed as “The LORD, the God of Israel, wants you to say this to King Josiah.”

Regarding the words which you have heard is literally “the words which you have heard.” Revised Standard Version has added the word Regarding as the sense seems to require. Some interpreters consider the structure here to be too difficult to explain. They assume that the writer broke off his sentence at the end of the verse without finishing his thought. New Jerusalem Bible and Osty-Trinquet, for example, end the verse with three dots (an ellipsis), saying “The words you have heard….” Following the Vulgate, La Bible Pléiade adds “in the book” in square brackets, saying “You have heard the words that are [in the book].”

Words is translated “threats” in New American Bible because the words of judgment communicated through the book of the Law were perceived as warnings. However, most versions leave this implicit, translating words literally. The context demonstrates that what is meant by you have heard is more than mere passive hearing. Attentive and sympathetic listening is intended. Here and in the following verse, the Hebrew pronouns rendered you and “your” are singular, referring to King Josiah.

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 .