Instead of saying simply their names, as in Revised Standard Version, it may be wise to remind the reader that this refers to the names of the twelve regional officers, as Good News Translation and certain other versions have done at the beginning of this list.

With verse 8 the location of the twelve administrative districts begins. The first seven districts (verses 8-14) are mentioned roughly in the order of a clockwise circle. The final five districts (verses 15-19) are mentioned roughly in a counterclockwise outer circle moving from north to south. These districts do not correspond to the territories that were allotted to the twelve tribes. The number twelve apparently was determined not on the basis of the twelve tribes but rather on the basis of twelve months in a year. Precise boundaries between the districts are not indicated, but the Harper Collins Study Bible, based on the New Revised Standard Version text, has a helpful map entitled “Solomon’s Twelve Administrative Districts.”

Ben-hur: In Hebrew the word Ben means “son.” For this reason some translations say “son of Hur” (New American Bible, Contemporary English Version, Anchor Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant) here. Similarly in verses 9, 10, 11, and 13, “Ben” is translated “son of.” Ben-hur was in charge of the first administrative district.

Since five persons are named only as “son of…” without their own name given in the first part of this list of names, this has led many scholars to think that an early manuscript had full names but that the right-hand side of the manuscript was broken off, and the names were lost. Compare the translation by Gray, based on this suggestion:

• And these are their names: ( ) the son of Hur in the hill-country of Ephraim. ( ) the son of Deker in Makaz and in Shaalbim and Bethshemesh and Aijalon and Beth-hanan. ( ) the son of Hesed in Arubboth … ( ) the son of Abinadab … ( ) the son of Geber in Ramoth….

Such a translation is not based on any manuscript evidence, however, and is not recommended.

The hill country of Ephraim refers to the central mountainous area of Palestine where the tribe of Ephraim had settled (see Josh 17.15). Since expressions where two nouns are joined by the word “of” are subject to many different interpretations, it will be necessary in certain languages to say something like “the mountainous area belonging to the tribe of Ephraim” or “the region of hills where Ephraimites lived.”

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 .