And Jokim …: In the Masoretic Text this list continues the names of Shelah’s descendants from verse 21. Some translations make this relationship to verse 21 more explicit by beginning with “Shelah was also the ancestor of Jokim…” (Bible en français courant) or “To the descendants of Shelah belonged also Jokim…” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

And the men of Cozeba may refer to all the inhabitants of the town of Cozeba (so New Living Translation with “the people of…”) or possibly just to the males, as Revised Standard Version would seem to imply. New Revised Standard Version retains the word “men,” perhaps because the Hebrew verb that follows, translated ruled, is taken to mean “marry” in NRSV.

And Joash, and Saraph, who ruled in Moab: The subject of the plural Hebrew verb translated ruled is not clear. There are three possibilities:

• (1) It may be the entire list including Jokim, the men of Cozeba, Joash, and Saraph.

• (2) It may be just Joash and Saraph (so Good News Translation). Contemporary English Version restructures the verse entirely and makes it clear that only these two men married Moabite women. The punctuation of New American Bible seems to imply this interpretation, and the restructuring of New Century Version certainly suggests this meaning. In favor of this understanding, it would be strange to refer to people who returned from Moab to live in Bethlehem (or, Lehem) and include people who lived in the town of Cozeba among the people who lived in Bethlehem!

• (3) It may be the men of Cozeba, who are identified here as Joash and Saraph. Nouvelle Bible Segond follows this understanding by saying “the men of Cozeba, Joash and Saraph, who ruled over Moab.”

Most versions are ambiguous but seem to imply that the entire list of names should be taken as the subject of the verb.

The Hebrew verb rendered ruled comes from the root meaning “lord.” Depending on the context, the Hebrew verb may mean “to rule over” (so Revised Standard Version, Peregrino, “to hold property” (so New American Bible), or “to marry” (so Good News Translation). In the ancient Israelite culture, men were considered to be the “lord” or “owner” of their wives. A number of versions render ruled in Moab as “married Moabite women” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente; similarly New Revised Standard Version, Holman Christian Standard Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Revised English Bible understands the verb here to mean “fell out with [Moab],” but this is not recommended. The most probable meaning in this context is “married.”

And returned to Lehem: This clause in Masoretic Text is “and Jashubi Lehem.” Some translations take the Hebrew words Jashubi Lehem as the name of a man (so New International Version, New Century Version, King James Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Nouvelle version Segond révisée, Nouvelle Bible Segond), who is another descendant of Shelah. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, however, recommends a slight change in the spelling of Jashubi so that this name becomes a third person plural verb meaning “they returned” (so Revised Standard Version). Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {C} rating to this correction, which is supported by both the Targums and the Vulgate. Since Lehem (also New Revised Standard Version, Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente) here probably refers to Bethlehem, it is better to use the well-known name (so Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Osty-Trinquet).

Now the records are ancient is literally “and the words [or, matters] [are] old.” The Hebrew adjective translated ancient occurs also in Isa 28.9, where it means “removed [from the breast]”; that is, weaned. Here it describes a list that has been moved on from generation to generation. These records were apparently already old by the time the book of 1 Chronicles was written. The precise meaning of this statement is not clear, but it probably refers to the records about the people who married Moabite women (or, ruled over Moab). Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation take this statement as a parenthesis (also New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). In those languages where this kind of punctuation is used for a remark that departs from the main theme of the discourse, this statement should probably be enclosed in parentheses.

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 .