And the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak: The Avvites refers to “the people of Avvah” (see the comments on verse 24). Revised Standard Version translates the same Hebrew word here as “the Avvim” in Deut 2.23 and Josh 13.3. In this context it is important to show the relationship between this word and the place name in verse 24.

For the verb made, see the comments on the previous verse.

Nibhaz and Tartak are also names that are not found elsewhere in the Bible. But this makes it all the more important to add the classifier term “gods” in order to ensure that the readers know what they are. According to a Jewish tradition, Nibhaz was in the form of a dog and Tartak was in the form of a donkey.

Rather than transliterate these two Hebrew names, some scholars assume that the Masoretic Text contains scribal errors or deliberate distortions of the original Hebrew text. The name Nibhaz, for example, is often considered to be an error for the Hebrew noun “altar” (mizbeach); and Tartak is thought by some scholars to be a corruption of the name Atargatis, a Syrian goddess. Gray, for example, translates “and the people of Avva made the altar (of their god) and Atargatis.” Another solution, which is perhaps more likely to be correct, is that the Avvites should be read as the Elamites, and that these two idols are the Edomite deities Ibnahaza and Dirtaq (see the comments on verse 24).

Burned their children in the fire: Burning children as sacrifices is specifically forbidden to the Israelites in Lev 18.21. Another example of the violation of this rule is found in Ezek 23.39. Compare verse 17 and 2 Kgs 16.3.

Like the names that precede them, Adrammelech and Anammelech also refer to gods that were alien to the people of Israel. The first of these two names occurs also in 2 Kgs 19.37 and Isa 37.38, but in those cases it refers not to the god but rather to one of the sons of the Assyrian king Sennacherib, who killed his father in collaboration with his brother. Various proposals have been made to correct these two names to agree with known deities of Babylon, but since all such corrections are hypothetical, it will be best to transliterate the names as found in the Masoretic Text.

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