And Hadad died. The chiefs of Edom were …: Good News Translation and Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje leave the clause And Hadad died implied, but it should probably be expressed in translation. The Hebrew text does not make clear the time relationship between the rule of the kings and the rule of the chiefs. Revised Standard Version reflects the structure of the Hebrew in saying simply And Hadad died. Good News Translation and Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje may give the impression that the Edomites were divided into tribes while the various kings ruled over them. Other versions show a clear time sequence in which the chiefs began to rule only after the last king had died; for example, Bible en français courant says “After the death of King Hadad, Edom was ruled by heads of clans…” (similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Nueva Versión Internacional, Osty-Trinquet).

The Hebrew noun rendered chiefs is generally considered to be related to another word for “tribe” or “clan.” For this reason translations such as “heads of clans” (Bible en français courant), “leaders of the family groups” (New Century Version) and “clan leaders” (New Living Translation) express the intended meaning. Where distinctions are made between “tribes” and smaller “clans” within tribes, the word for “clan” should be used here. Scholars used to think that the Hebrew noun was related to the word meaning “one thousand.” Since that word is sometimes used in military contexts to refer to leaders of a division of soldiers, it was thought that these persons mentioned in verses 51-54 were military leaders. King James Version says “dukes,” who are leaders of a thousand. But this understanding is no longer considered likely and should not be followed in other languages.

The Hebrew text repeats the word “chief” before each name in verses 51-54, and this is reflected in New Jerusalem Bible: “Chief Timna, Chief Aliah, Chief Jetheth…” (also An American Translation, American Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, La Bible Pléiade, Braun, La Sainte Bible: La version Etablie par les moines de Maredsous, Osty-Trinquet).

The identification of Timna is uncertain. If the Timna in verse 36 is a grandson of Esau, then the same person may be intended here. Or perhaps Eliphaz was married to a woman named Timna, and they had a son named Timna, who was one of the Edomite chiefs.

Instead of Aliah, the parallel text in Gen 36.40 has “Alvah.” Some versions harmonize and read “Alvah” here also (so New Living Translation, La Bible du Semeur, Nueva Versión Internacional, Reina-Valera revisada). As with the name Alian in verse 40, the different spellings are due to the similarity in Hebrew of the letters yod and waw.

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 .