All the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites …: Good News Translation has restructured verses 7 and 8 by combining them and by placing the list of peoples near the end of the combined verses instead of at the beginning as in the Hebrew text (so also Parole de Vie). Similar lists of these peoples appear frequently in the Old Testament and usually include the Canaanites also (for example, Exo 3.8, 17; 23.23; Josh 11.3; Jdg 3.5). Good News Translation also makes it explicit that the peoples listed were “the descendants of the people of Canaan.” Others provide this information in a footnote.

All the people who were left implies that these people were not eliminated by the Israelites when they took control of the land. As verse 8 makes clear, it is actually the descendants of the original inhabitants who were not killed that are referred to here. Revised English Bible uses the term “survivors,” which is one way to avoid the passive expression here. Another way is to say “people who remained in the land.”

Who were not of Israel is left implied by Good News Translation. New Living Translation keeps this clause by placing it before the list of peoples for naturalness in English, saying “who were not Israelites, including the Hittites….” Another possible rendering is simply “non-Israelites” (similarly NET Bible).

From their descendants who were left after them in the land, whom the people of Israel had not destroyed: As noted above, the descendants of the people not killed by the Israelites are in view here. The land refers to the land of Israel. Contemporary English Version makes this clear by saying “Israel.”

These Solomon made a forced levy: Forced levy translates the a Hebrew noun that Revised Standard Version usually renders “forced labor” (see, for example, 2 Chr 10.18). New Revised Standard Version uses “forced labor” here also. These non-Israelites were required to do the work whether they wanted to or not. For this whole clause New Century Version has “Solomon forced them to be slave workers,” and New Living Translation says “Solomon conscripted them for his labor force.”

And so they are to this day: For to this day, see the comments on 1 Chr 4.41.

New Living Translation provides a helpful model for verses 7-8, saying:

• 7 There were still some people living in the land who were not Israelites, including Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 8 These were descendants of the nations that Israel had not completely destroyed. So Solomon conscripted them for his labor force, and they serve in the labor force to this day.

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 .