So now is literally “And now.” Solomon’s request here is a logical result of his desire to build a great Temple. Another possible logical connector is “therefore” (New International Version). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch says “And now my request” since what follows constitutes the actual request of Solomon as opposed to the introductory remarks that precede it.

Send me a man skilled to work: Solomon wants Hiram to send him a craftsman. New American Bible says “send me men skilled at work.” However, the Hebrew word for man is singular not plural, and King Hiram’s reply in verse 13 favors understanding the singular here in verse 7 as referring to one person who will oversee the project, rather than taking the Hebrew as a collective, that is, singular in form but plural in meaning. The Hebrew word translated skilled has a wide range of meaning. It may refer to someone who has skill in technical matters or to someone who has wisdom gained from experience and is therefore clever or shrewd. For a man skilled to work, King James Version says “a man cunning to work,” but such a translation may incorrectly suggest in modern English that the person is to be sly or tricky. Translations that more accurately express the correct meaning in this context are “an artisan skilled to work” (New Revised Standard Version), “a craftsman to work” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), “a man skilled at working” (New Jerusalem Bible), and “a skilled craftsman, one who is able to work” (Revised English Bible). Some languages have to translate this idea by saying something like “a man who knows well the work,” adding the kind of work the person is skilled at.

For bronze see the comments on 1 Chr 15.19 and 2 Chr 1.5.

In purple, crimson, and blue fabrics: The sense is either (a) that he is a craftsman who knows how to sew and work with yarn and cloth of these colors (so Bible en français courant) or (b) that he is skilled in knowing how to make the dyes used in coloring cloth (so Beaumont). Some translations clearly follow the second interpretation; for example, Moffatt says “in handling purple, crimson, and blue dyes,” and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente has “a capable dyer of cloth in colors violet, crimson and purple” (similarly La Bible du Semeur). Similar is “someone who is expert at dyeing purple, scarlet, and blue cloth” (New Living Translation). It is not clear whether Good News Translation means that he is to weave together cloth that is already dyed or whether he is to make the different colored dyes. Since 2 Chr 3.14 says that the curtain in front of the Most Holy Place was made of blue, purple, and crimson fabrics and fine linen, the sense here in verse 7 may well be that the person should know how to make designs out of cloth of these colors rather than know how to make the different colored dyes.

Purple, crimson, and blue were very expensive colors to make. The purple and blue dyes were made from secretions produced by several snails from the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The dye was made by boiling parts of the mollusk, or shellfish, in a salt solution for about three days. Twelve thousand shells produced only about two grams (.07 ounces) of dye, so the process was very expensive. Since it was so costly to make this dye, reference to purple in the Old Testament usually indicates wealth and luxury. Crimson dye was made by drying and crushing a certain tiny insect. Seventy thousand insects were needed to produce one-half kilo (one pound) of dye. Contemporary English Version translates purple, crimson, and blue fabrics as “brightly colored cloth,” but such a reduction is not recommended since the Hebrew specifies certain colors. Yet in languages where such detailed color distinctions are not made, it may well be necessary to follow Contemporary English Version. However, in order to convey the sense of luxury implied in the use of these terms, translators may have to say “expensive cloth that is brightly colored.”

Purple translates an Aramaic noun, which is spelled nearly the same as the Hebrew noun for “purple.” Nearly all versions render the Aramaic noun here as “purple,” but New Jerusalem Bible has “scarlet.” Crimson is deep red. God’s Word says “dark red.” The Hebrew word for blue covers a wide color scope of blue, violet, purple, and even green; and for that reason some translations say “violet” (Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Dillard).

Trained also in engraving is literally “and one who knows to engrave engravings.” In addition to biblical texts, archaeological evidence shows that people in the Old Testament world carved in wood, stone, ivory, clay, bronze, silver, gold, and glass. This clause may be translated “a person who is also skilled in engraving decorations.”

To be with the skilled workers who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided: Before he died, King David provided these skilled craftsmen to help Solomon build the Temple. David also provided materials to be used in the construction of the Temple (see 1 Chr 22.14-16). Skilled workers translates the same Hebrew word rendered skilled earlier in the verse. As there, it refers to someone who has practical experience or who has technical knowledge and skill. It is often translated “skillful.”

The phrase in Judah and Jerusalem should not be translated in such a way as to give the impression that these were two totally different places. Jerusalem was the capital of Judah and located within its bounds. So it will be appropriate to say “in Jerusalem and in all the rest of Judah” or “all of Judah, including its capital, Jerusalem.”

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 .