They sent and called him: The pronoun they may be translated as indefinite (Bible en français courant, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible) or with a passive expression (Knox “he, too, was summoned to meet them”). But it may also be taken to refer to “all Israel” (verse 1) and translated “the people of the northern tribes” (Good News Translation).

Although the Hebrew uses two verbs for sent and called, only one action is intended, so many modern versions say simply “sent for him” (Good News Translation; for the use of the verb “send” with another verb, see the discussion on Hebrew serial verbs in “Translating 1–2 Kings,” pages 15-16). In an effort to communicate the immediacy of the action, certain versions say “now sent for him” (New Jerusalem Bible; similarly Revised English Bible). It may be necessary in some languages to make explicit the fact that Jeroboam actually came back home to northern Israel. Compare Bible en français courant, which says “some people were sent there to get him; then Jeroboam returned” (similarly Parole de Vie).

New Jerusalem Bible has a footnote here stating that the words all the assembly of Israel as well as the words “all Israel” that occur frequently in the historical texts mean the northern tribes as distinct from the tribe of Judah.

The Hebrew noun rendered assembly is the same as the one in 1 Kgs 8.14. In verse 20 a different Hebrew noun is also translated “assembly” and is the same noun as that translated “congregation” in 1 Kgs 8.5 in Revised Standard Version. See the discussion of these two Hebrew nouns in 8.14.

And said to Rehoboam is literally “and they said to Rehoboam saying.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .