The sons of Joel …: The relationship of verse 4 to the previous verse is not clear, and none of the names in verses 4-6 is found elsewhere in the Old Testament as a member of the tribe of Reuben. Among the various interpretations of verse 4 are the following: (1) It is possible that the existing Hebrew text contains a scribal error and that something has accidentally been omitted at the beginning of this verse. (2) Translators may understand the text by following the Septuagint manuscripts that begin with “His son Joel…” (so New American Bible). This makes a clear connection with verse 3, but is probably not the original reading. The ancient Syriac, which reads “Joel, son of Carmi…,” is similar. (3) Other translations make a connection between verses 3 and 4 by interpreting the Masoretic Text to mean “From one of his descendants named Joel…” (so Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

The meaning of the Hebrew word translated sons in this context is clearly “descendants” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation, Bible en français courant, La Bible du Semeur). Another way of avoiding the problem of the plural sons here is to use the singular “son” since only one son is mentioned by name. New American Bible, for example, begins verse 4 by saying “His [that is, Carmi’s] son was Joel, whose son was Shemaiah….” Most versions make a chain of some form or another in verses 4-6. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, for example, says “From one of his [Reuben’s] descendants named Joel descended Shemaiah. From him [Shemaiah] there descended in direct line: Gog, Shimei, Micah….” Good News Translation provides another possible model using the words “from generation to generation” in the introduction and then giving only a list of the names. However, Good News Translation does not make explicit that all of the persons are males, that is, sons. Instead of “descendants of Joel,” Parole de Vie speaks of “Men of the family of Joel.”

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 .