This is the thing that you shall do: The strategy outlined by Jehoiada begins with these words and continues through the end of verse 7. Instead of the future tense as in Revised Standard Version, it may be more natural in many languages to translate these words as “This is what I want you to do” or “This is what you must do” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).

Of you priests and Levites who come off duty on the sabbath is literally “of you who come in the Sabbath to the priests and to the Levites.” There is considerable uncertainty among scholars about the meaning of this clause in Hebrew. The sense may be that the priests and Levites who were coming off duty on the Sabbath were to stay at the Temple and join those who were coming on duty (so Revised Standard Version). But more likely the intended meaning is just the opposite of Revised Standard Version. Good News Translation says “When the priests and Levites come on duty on the Sabbath” (similarly New Revised Standard Version, Anchor Bible, Moffatt, Bible en français courant, Dillard). For sabbath see the comments on 1 Chr 9.32.

One third shall be gatekeepers: One third of the priests and Levites were to guard the Temple gates. The idea of one third may be expressed in some languages by saying “one of every three of you.” Others may have to restructure the whole passage and say first “You must divide yourselves into three equal groups.” Following that, translators may speak simply of “the first group,” “the second group,” and “the third group.” The verb shall be is supplied by Revised Standard Version here and two times in the next verse, but it does not reflect anything in the Hebrew text. This verb is better rendered “must be” since Jehoiada is giving instructions here. For gatekeepers see the comments on 1 Chr 9.17. Good News Translation and Bible en français courant make it explicit that “the Temple gates” are in view here.

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 they buried him in the city of David among the kings: The pronoun they is indefinite, but the implied referent is probably “his people.” Some versions translate buried as a passive verb since the agent for this action is unknown (so Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible). Jehoiada was buried among the kings, but King Joash himself was not buried in the royal tombs (verse 25) because he turned away from serving God after the death of Jehoiada. For the city of David, see the comments on 1 Chr 11.5 and 2 Chr 5.2.

Because he had done good in Israel, and toward God and his house: The Hebrew conjunction rendered because introduces why Jehoiada was allowed to be buried with the kings in spite of the fact that he was not himself a king. It was because he had done good things, such as encouraging King Joash to obey the LORD. This is another context where the word Israel is used for the southern kingdom of Judah. The Hebrew expression rendered in Israel may be understood two different ways. It may mean “in the country of Israel” or “for the people of Israel” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje). According to Good News Translation, Jehoiada did good for his people, God, and the Temple. An American Translation expresses the same sense by rendering this whole clause as “because he had done good to Israel and toward God and his house.” However, others interpret the Hebrew to mean that Jehoiada did good for God and the Temple in the country of Israel, not for the people of Israel. New International Version, for example, says “because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple” (similarly New Century Version). The renderings of Good News Translation and An American Translation seem to express best the sense of the Hebrew grammar here. His house refers to the house of God, the Temple, and not to Jehoiada’s own house.

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 seized all the gold and silver is literally “and all the gold and silver.” Revised Standard Version has supplied the words he seized as the context requires. Revised English Bible similarly adds “He took,” in agreement with the parallel text of 2 Kgs 14.14.

And all the vessels that were found in the house of God: The Hebrew word for vessels is a general term that may be translated “equipment” (Good News Translation), “utensils” (New Century Version), or “articles” (New International Version) in this context. Here it refers to items or objects for use in the Temple (see the comments on 1 Chr 28.13). The passive expression that were found may be translated actively by saying “that he found” or “that his soldiers found.”

And Obed-edom with them: Regarding Obed-edom, see 1 Chr 13.13-14. According to the rendering in Revised Standard Version (also New Revised Standard Version), which follows the interpretation of the Septuagint, Jehoash captured Obed-edom as well as the valuable items in the Temple. But this gives the impression that Obed-edom was an individual, which is probably not the case if this interpretation is followed. Rather, the meaning is “the descendants of Obed Edom,” so Moffatt renders this whole phrase as “carried off the household of Obed-edom.” The Hebrew may also be translated “that had been in the care of Obed Edom” (New International Version; similarly Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Bible en français courant). Since Obed Edom lived in the time of King David some two hundred years earlier, the Good News Translation rendering assumes that the reference must be to the descendants of Obed Edom. However, it is also possible that this verse refers to a descendant of Obed Edom who had the same name as his ancestor.

He seized also the treasuries of the king’s house, and hostages …: Plundering the wealth of an enemy’s temple and palace was quite common in warfare at that time. But taking hostages was less common. Hostages is literally “sons of the guarantees,” which is not found elsewhere in the Old Testament except in the parallel account of 2 Kgs 14.14. The Hebrew noun for “guarantees” comes from a root verb that means “to take as a pledge” or “to give in exchange.” In some languages the idea of hostages may be very difficult to express. Some may have to say “persons kept while waiting for an agreement to be fulfilled” or simply “people that he had captured.” The latter rendering would not be very different from “prisoners,” but if the hostage concept is to be retained, the idea is probably that these were children of noble families who would be held as a guarantee of commitment and obedience on the part of the conquered masses and their local rulers. One African language uses a circumlocution stating that “they captured important people and made them live in Samaria so that the king of Judah would not try to go to war again.”

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 .

So Jotham became mighty: The common Hebrew conjunction rendered So is rightly left untranslated by Good News Translation and most other English versions. Jotham became mighty refers to his established position as a king and not to his own physical strength.

Because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God: Jotham’s political strength came as a direct result of his faithful following of Yahweh. He ordered his ways may be translated “he kept an unswerving course” (New Jerusalem Bible), “he maintained a steady course of obedience” (Revised English Bible), or “he determined to walk obediently” (Dillard). Good News Translation provides a nonfigurative model, saying “he faithfully obeyed.”

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 lo is literally “And behold.” Lo renders the Hebrew focusing particle. Good News Translation and many other modern versions ignore it, but if the receptor language has an equivalent device to draw attention to what follows, it will be appropriate to use it here.

Our fathers have fallen by the sword: Here the Hebrew word for fathers is taken literally by Good News Translation, but it is more accurately translated “ancestors” (Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, New Jerusalem Bible). Have fallen by the sword is a way of saying “died in combat” (see the comments on 2 Chr 20.9 and 21.4). An alternative model for this whole clause is “our ancestors died in battle.”

And our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this: In some languages it may be more natural to render our sons and our daughters and our wives as “our wives and children” (Good News Translation). For are in captivity, see the comments on 2 Chr 6.37. This phrase and the previous one may be rendered “our enemies have taken away our wives and children into exile.” The demonstrative pronoun this refers to God’s anger. It was because of God’s anger that the people of Judah died in battle and became exiles in other countries (see 2 Chr 28.5-8 for an example). New International Version and Parole de Vie express for this by beginning this verse with “This is why…,” and New Living Translation is similar with “Because of this….”

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 .

So the couriers went from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun: For couriers see the comments on 2Chr 30.6. The country of Ephraim and Manasseh may be rendered “the territory/region belonging to the tribes of Ephraim and West Manasseh.” The tribe of Zebulun lived in the region of Galilee, which was north of the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh. For this reason Good News Translation adds the word “north.”

But they laughed them to scorn and mocked them: These two clauses are synonymous, and in some cases they may have to be translated by a single verbal expression. But where synonyms exist, they should be used since the cumulative effect is important. The referents for the pronouns they and them should be clear in a translation. It was the people of Ephraim, Manasseh, and other northern tribes who laughed at Hezekiah’s messengers. New Jerusalem Bible says “but the people laughed and scoffed at them.” New Living Translation provides a helpful model here, saying “But most of the people just laughed at the messengers and made fun of them.” Compare also “Upon hearing this message, most of the people laughed and made fun of the messengers” (La Biblia: Traducción en Lenguaje Actual).

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 intended meaning of verses 16-19 is not certain. The most likely meaning of verses 16-19 seems to be that in the distribution of food, there were two differences between the priests and the Levites: (1) Priests were registered from the age of three (verse 16), but Levites were not registered until they were twenty (verse 17); and (2) the Levites received their allocation of food only during the times that they were working at the Temple, but the priests received their allocations even when they were at home and it was not their turn to be serving in the Temple. Traduction œcuménique de la Bible follows this interpretation and will be quoted in its entirety at the end of the discussion on verse 19.

Except those enrolled by genealogy …: The very different ways in which the first part of verse 16 has been translated indicate the difficulty in knowing precisely what the intended meaning is. As translated by Revised Standard Version and some other versions, this verse constitutes an exception and indicates that those distributing the food did not give any to those who were on duty in the Temple at the time (and their children). On the other hand, Good News Translation takes the negation with the words by genealogy, which it translates “by clans,” and then begins a new sentence saying that they did distribute food to those who had responsibilities in the Temple. The two renderings are opposite in meaning. Revised English Bible begins with “Irrespective of their registration….” For genealogy see the comments on 1 Chr 5.7.

Males from three years old and upwards: Three years is based on the reading in the Masoretic Text. Some interpreters think the text originally read “thirty years,” the age when duties at the Temple were assigned (see 1 Chr 23.3). If the Masoretic Text is correct, then the sons were enrolled when they were weaned from their mother’s breast. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project gives an {A} rating to the reading with “three,” and since there is no evidence in the Hebrew manuscripts or in the ancient versions for a different reading, Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament does not even mention this as a textual problem. Nevertheless, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, NASB, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, and Anchor Bible consider the reading “thirty” to be more likely. It is noteworthy that when David took the census of the Levites in 1 Chr 23.3, he counted them beginning at the age of thirty. And Moses and Aaron counted the Levites from the age of thirty to fifty (see Num 4.3).

All who entered the house of the LORD as the duty of each day required for their service according to their duties, by their divisions: See the comments on 2 Chr 8.14. Good News Translation says “all … who had daily responsibilities in the Temple in accordance with their positions.”

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 .