Discovery Box2 Chronicles 2:1
Context2:1 (1:18) 1 Solomon ordered a temple to be built to honor the Lord, as well as a royal palace for himself. 2
2 Chronicles 18:1-34
Context18:1 Jehoshaphat was very wealthy and greatly respected. He made an alliance by marriage with Ahab, 18:2 and after several years 3 went down to visit 4 Ahab in Samaria. 5 Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle to honor Jehoshaphat and those who came with him. 6 He persuaded him to join in an attack 7 against Ramoth Gilead. 18:3 King Ahab of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to attack Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “I will support you; my army is at your disposal and will support you in battle.” 8 18:4 Then Jehoshaphat added, 9 “First seek an oracle from the Lord.” 10 18:5 So the king of Israel assembled 400 prophets and asked them, “Should we attack Ramoth Gilead or not?” 11 They said, “Attack! God 12 will hand it over to the king.” 18:6 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord still here, that we may ask him?” 18:7 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can seek the Lord’s will. 13 But I despise 14 him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but always 15 disaster. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah. 16 Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not say such things!” 18:8 The king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Quickly bring Micaiah son of Imlah.”
18:9 Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were sitting on their respective thrones, dressed in their royal robes, at the threshing floor at 17 the entrance of the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were prophesying before them. 18:10 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah made iron horns and said, “This is what the Lord says, ‘With these you will gore Syria until they are destroyed!’” 18:11 All the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Attack Ramoth Gilead! You will succeed; the Lord will hand it over to the king!” 18:12 Now the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the prophets are in complete agreement that the king will succeed. 18 Your words must agree with theirs; you must predict success!” 19 18:13 But Micaiah said, “As certainly as the Lord lives, I will say what my God tells me to say!”
18:14 Micaiah 20 came before the king and the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth Gilead or not?” He answered him, “Attack! You will succeed; they will be handed over to you.” 21 18:15 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you solemnly promise in 22 the name of the Lord to tell me only the truth?” 18:16 Micaiah 23 replied, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd. Then the Lord said, ‘They have no master. They should go home in peace.’” 18:17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster?” 18:18 Micaiah 24 said, “That being the case, hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, with all the heavenly assembly standing on his right and on his left. 18:19 The Lord said, ‘Who will deceive King Ahab of Israel, so he will attack Ramoth Gilead and die there?’ One said this and another that. 18:20 Then a spirit 25 stepped forward and stood before the Lord. He said, ‘I will deceive him.’ The Lord asked him, ‘How?’ 18:21 He replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The Lord 26 said, ‘Deceive and overpower him. 27 Go out and do as you have proposed.’ 18:22 So now, look, the Lord has placed a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours; but the Lord has decreed disaster for you.” 18:23 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah approached, hit Micaiah on the jaw, and said, “Which way did the Lord’s spirit go when he went from me to speak to you?” 18:24 Micaiah replied, “Look, you will see in the day when you go into an inner room to hide.” 18:25 Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the city official and Joash the king’s son. 18:26 Say, ‘This is what the king says: “Put this man in prison. Give him only a little bread and water 28 until I return safely.”’” 18:27 Micaiah said, “If you really do return safely, then the Lord has not spoken through me!” Then he added, “Take note, 29 all you people.”
18:28 The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah attacked Ramoth Gilead. 18:29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and then enter 30 the battle; but you wear your royal attire.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and they entered the battle. 18:30 Now the king of Syria had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight common soldiers or high ranking officers; 31 fight only the king of Israel!” 18:31 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “He must be the king of Israel!” So they turned and attacked him, but Jehoshaphat cried out. The Lord helped him; God lured them away from him. 18:32 When the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of Israel, they turned away from him. 18:33 Now an archer shot an arrow at random 32 and it struck the king of Israel between the plates of his armor. The king 33 ordered his charioteer, “Turn around and take me from the battle line, 34 for I am wounded.” 18:34 While the battle raged throughout the day, the king stood propped up in his chariot opposite the Syrians. He died in the evening as the sun was setting.
2 Chronicles 21:1-20
Context21:1 Jehoshaphat passed away 35 and was buried with his ancestors 36 in the City of David. 37 His son Jehoram 38 replaced him as king.
21:2 His brothers, Jehoshaphat’s sons, were Azariah, Jechiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. All of these were sons of King Jehoshaphat of Israel. 39 21:3 Their father gave them many presents, including silver, gold, and other precious items, along with fortified cities in Judah. But he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.
21:4 Jehoram took control of his father’s kingdom and became powerful. 40 Then he killed all his brothers, 41 as well as some of the officials of Israel. 21:5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem. 42 21:6 He followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel, just as Ahab’s dynasty had done, for he married Ahab’s daughter. 43 He did evil in the sight of 44 the Lord. 21:7 But the Lord was unwilling to destroy David’s dynasty 45 because of the promise 46 he had made to give David a perpetual dynasty. 47
21:8 During Jehoram’s 48 reign Edom freed themselves from Judah’s control and set up their own king. 49 21:9 Jehoram crossed over to Zair with his officers and all his chariots. The Edomites, who had surrounded him, attacked at night and defeated him and his chariot officers. 50 21:10 So Edom has remained free from Judah’s control to this very day. 51 At that same time Libnah also rebelled and freed themselves from Judah’s control 52 because Jehoram 53 rejected the Lord God of his ancestors. 21:11 He also built high places on the hills of Judah; he encouraged the residents of Jerusalem to be unfaithful to the Lord 54 and led Judah away from the Lord. 55
21:12 Jehoram 56 received this letter from Elijah the prophet: “This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: ‘You 57 have not followed in the footsteps 58 of your father Jehoshaphat and of 59 King Asa of Judah, 21:13 but have instead followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel. You encouraged the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem to be unfaithful to the Lord, just as the family of Ahab does in Israel. 60 You also killed your brothers, members of your father’s family, 61 who were better than you. 21:14 So look, the Lord is about to severely afflict 62 your people, your sons, your wives, and all you own. 21:15 And you will get a serious, chronic intestinal disease which will cause your intestines to come out.” 63
21:16 The Lord stirred up against Jehoram the Philistines 64 and the Arabs who lived beside the Cushites. 21:17 They attacked Judah and swept through it. 65 They carried off everything they found in the royal palace, 66 including his sons and wives. None of his sons was left, except for his youngest, Ahaziah. 21:18 After all this happened, the Lord afflicted him with an incurable intestinal disease. 67 21:19 After about two years his intestines came out because of the disease, so that he died a very painful death. 68 His people did not make a bonfire to honor him, as they had done for his ancestors. 69
21:20 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. No one regretted his death; 70 he was buried in the City of David, 71 but not in the royal tombs.
2 Chronicles 27:1-9
Context27:1 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. 72 His mother was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. 27:2 He did what the Lord approved, just as his father Uzziah had done. 73 (He did not, however, have the audacity to enter the temple.) 74 Yet the people were still sinning.
27:3 He built the Upper Gate to the Lord’s temple and did a lot of work on the wall in the area known as Ophel. 75 27:4 He built cities in the hill country of Judah and fortresses and towers in the forests.
27:5 He launched a military campaign 76 against the king of the Ammonites and defeated them. That year the Ammonites paid him 100 talents 77 of silver, 10,000 kors 78 of wheat, and 10,000 kors 79 of barley. The Ammonites also paid this same amount of annual tribute the next two years. 80
27:6 Jotham grew powerful because he was determined to please the Lord his God. 81 27:7 The rest of the events of Jotham’s reign, including all his military campaigns and his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll of the kings of Israel and Judah. 82 27:8 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. 27:9 Jotham passed away 83 and was buried in the City of David. 84 His son Ahaz replaced him as king.
2 Chronicles 30:1-27
Context30:1 Hezekiah sent messages throughout Israel and Judah; he even wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, summoning them to come to the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem 85 and observe a Passover celebration for the Lord God of Israel. 30:2 The king, his officials, and the entire assembly in Jerusalem decided to observe the Passover in the second month. 30:3 They were unable to observe it at the regular 86 time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem. 30:4 The proposal seemed appropriate to 87 the king and the entire assembly. 30:5 So they sent an edict 88 throughout Israel from Beer Sheba to Dan, summoning the people 89 to come and observe a Passover for the Lord God of Israel in Jerusalem, for they had not observed it on a nationwide scale as prescribed in the law. 90 30:6 Messengers 91 delivered the letters from the king and his officials throughout Israel and Judah.
This royal edict read: 92 “O Israelites, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so he may return 93 to you who have been spared from the kings of Assyria. 94 30:7 Don’t be like your fathers and brothers who were unfaithful to the Lord God of their ancestors, 95 provoking him to destroy them, 96 as you can see. 30:8 Now, don’t be stubborn 97 like your fathers! Submit 98 to the Lord and come to his sanctuary which he has permanently consecrated. Serve the Lord your God so that he might relent from his raging anger. 99 30:9 For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and sons will be shown mercy by their captors and return to this land. The Lord your God is merciful and compassionate; he will not reject you 100 if you return to him.”
30:10 The messengers journeyed from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but people mocked and ridiculed them. 101 30:11 But some men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 30:12 In Judah God moved the people to unite and carry out the edict the king and the officers had issued at the Lord’s command. 102 30:13 A huge crowd assembled in Jerusalem to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month. 103 30:14 They removed the altars in Jerusalem; they also removed all the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley. 104
30:15 They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and Levites were ashamed, so they consecrated themselves and brought burnt sacrifices to the Lord’s temple. 30:16 They stood at their posts according to the regulations outlined in the law of Moses, the man of God. The priests were splashing the blood as the Levites handed it to them. 105 30:17 Because many in the assembly had not consecrated themselves, the Levites slaughtered 106 the Passover lambs of all who were ceremonially unclean and could not consecrate their sacrifice to the Lord. 107 30:18 The majority of the many people from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun were ceremonially unclean, yet they ate the Passover in violation of what is prescribed in the law. 108 For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying: “May the Lord, who is good, forgive 109 30:19 everyone who has determined to follow God, 110 the Lord God of his ancestors, even if he is not ceremonially clean according to the standards of the temple.” 111 30:20 The Lord responded favorably 112 to Hezekiah and forgave 113 the people.
30:21 The Israelites who were in Jerusalem observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. The Levites and priests were praising the Lord every day with all their might. 114 30:22 Hezekiah expressed his appreciation to all the Levites, 115 who demonstrated great skill in serving the Lord. 116 They feasted for the seven days of the festival, 117 and were making peace offerings and giving thanks to the Lord God of their ancestors.
30:23 The entire assembly then decided to celebrate for seven more days; so they joyfully celebrated for seven more days. 30:24 King Hezekiah of Judah supplied 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep 118 for the assembly, while the officials supplied them 119 with 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. Many priests consecrated themselves. 30:25 The celebration included 120 the entire assembly of Judah, the priests, the Levites, the entire assembly of those who came from Israel, the resident foreigners who came from the land of Israel, and the residents of Judah. 30:26 There was a great celebration in Jerusalem, unlike anything that had occurred in Jerusalem since the time of King Solomon son of David of Israel. 121 30:27 The priests and Levites got up and pronounced blessings on the people. The Lord responded favorably to them 122 as their prayers reached his holy dwelling place in heaven.
2 Chronicles 33:1-25
Context33:1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 123 33:2 He did evil in the sight of 124 the Lord and committed the same horrible sins practiced by the nations 125 whom the Lord drove out ahead of the Israelites. 33:3 He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he set up altars for the Baals and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky 126 and worshiped 127 them. 33:4 He built altars in the Lord’s temple, about which the Lord had said, “Jerusalem will be my permanent home.” 128 33:5 In the two courtyards of the Lord’s temple he built altars for all the stars in the sky. 33:6 He passed his sons through the fire 129 in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom and practiced divination, omen reading, and sorcery. He set up a ritual pit to conjure up underworld spirits and appointed magicians to supervise it. 130 He did a great amount of evil in the sight of the Lord and angered him. 131 33:7 He put an idolatrous image he had made in God’s temple, about which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, “This temple in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will be my permanent home. 132 33:8 I will not make Israel again leave the land I gave to their ancestors, 133 provided that they carefully obey all I commanded them, the whole law, the rules and regulations given to Moses.” 33:9 But Manasseh misled the people of 134 Judah and the residents of Jerusalem so that they sinned more than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed ahead of the Israelites.
33:10 The Lord confronted 135 Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. 33:11 So the Lord brought against them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria. They seized Manasseh, put hooks in his nose, 136 bound him with bronze chains, and carried him away to Babylon. 33:12 In his pain 137 Manasseh 138 asked the Lord his God for mercy 139 and truly 140 humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. 141 33:13 When he prayed to the Lord, 142 the Lord 143 responded to him 144 and answered favorably 145 his cry for mercy. The Lord 146 brought him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh realized that the Lord is the true God.
33:14 After this Manasseh 147 built up the outer wall of the City of David 148 on the west side of the Gihon in the valley to the entrance of the Fish Gate and all around the terrace; he made it much higher. He placed army officers in all the fortified cities in Judah.
33:15 He removed the foreign gods and images from the Lord’s temple and all the altars he had built on the hill of the Lord’s temple and in Jerusalem; he threw them outside the city. 33:16 He erected the altar of the Lord and offered on it peace offerings and thank offerings. He told the people of 149 Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. 33:17 The people continued to offer sacrifices at the high places, but only to the Lord their God.
33:18 The rest of the events of Manasseh’s reign, including his prayer to his God and the words the prophets 150 spoke to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, are recorded 151 in the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 33:19 The Annals of the Prophets include his prayer, give an account of how the Lord responded to it, record all his sins and unfaithful acts, and identify the sites where he built high places and erected Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself. 152 33:20 Manasseh passed away 153 and was buried in his palace. His son Amon replaced him as king.
33:21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for two years in Jerusalem. 154 33:22 He did evil in the sight of 155 the Lord, just like his father Manasseh had done. He offered sacrifices to all the idols his father Manasseh had made, and worshiped 156 them. 33:23 He did not humble himself before the Lord as his father Manasseh had done. 157 Amon was guilty of great sin. 158 33:24 His servants conspired against him and killed him in his palace. 33:25 The people of the land executed all who had conspired against King Amon, and they 159 made his son Josiah king in his place.
2 Chronicles 35:1-27
Context35:1 Josiah observed a Passover festival for the Lord in Jerusalem. 160 They slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the first month. 35:2 He appointed the priests to fulfill their duties and encouraged them to carry out their service in the Lord’s temple. 35:3 He told the Levites, who instructed all Israel about things consecrated to the Lord, “Place the holy ark in the temple which King Solomon son of David of Israel built. Don’t carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel! 35:4 Prepare yourselves by your families according to your divisions, as instructed 161 by King David of Israel and his son Solomon. 35:5 Stand in the sanctuary and, together with the Levites, represent the family divisions of your countrymen. 162 35:6 Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves, and make preparations for your countrymen to do what the Lord commanded through Moses.” 163
35:7 From his own royal flocks and herds, Josiah supplied the people with 30,000 lambs and goats for the Passover sacrifice, as well as 3,000 cattle. 164 35:8 His officials also willingly contributed to the people, priests, and Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the leaders of God’s temple, supplied 2,600 Passover sacrifices and 300 cattle. 35:9 Konaniah and his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, along with Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, the officials of the Levites, supplied the Levites with 5,000 Passover sacrifices and 500 cattle. 35:10 Preparations were made, 165 and the priests stood at their posts and the Levites in their divisions as prescribed by the king. 35:11 They slaughtered the Passover lambs and the priests splashed the blood, 166 while the Levites skinned the animals. 35:12 They reserved the burnt offerings and the cattle for the family divisions of the people to present to the Lord, as prescribed in the scroll of Moses. 167 35:13 They cooked the Passover sacrifices over the open fire as prescribed and cooked the consecrated offerings in pots, kettles, and pans. They quickly served them to all the people. 35:14 Afterward they made preparations for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were offering burnt sacrifices and fat portions until evening. The Levites made preparations for themselves and for the priests, the descendants of Aaron. 35:15 The musicians, the descendants of Asaph, manned their posts, as prescribed by David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s prophet. 168 The guards at the various gates did not need to leave their posts, for their fellow Levites made preparations for them. 35:16 So all the preparations for the Lord’s service were made that day, as the Passover was observed and the burnt sacrifices were offered on the altar of the Lord, as prescribed by King Josiah. 35:17 So the Israelites who were present observed the Passover at that time, as well as the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days. 35:18 A Passover like this had not been observed in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel had observed a Passover like the one celebrated by Josiah, the priests, the Levites, all the people of Judah and Israel who were there, and the residents of Jerusalem. 35:19 This Passover was observed in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign.
35:20 After Josiah had done all this for the temple, 169 King Necho of Egypt marched up to do battle at Carchemish on the Euphrates River. 170 Josiah marched out to oppose him. 35:21 Necho 171 sent messengers to him, saying, “Why are you opposing me, O king of Judah? 172 I am not attacking you today, but the kingdom with which I am at war. 173 God told me to hurry. Stop opposing God, who is with me, or else he will destroy you.” 174 35:22 But Josiah did not turn back from him; 175 he disguised himself for battle. He did not take seriously 176 the words of Necho which he had received from God; he went to fight him in the Plain of Megiddo. 177 35:23 Archers shot King Josiah; the king ordered his servants, “Take me out of this chariot, 178 for I am seriously wounded.” 35:24 So his servants took him out of the chariot, put him in another chariot that he owned, and brought him to Jerusalem, 179 where he died. He was buried in the tombs of his ancestors; 180 all the people of Judah and Jerusalem mourned Josiah. 35:25 Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah which all the male and female singers use to mourn Josiah to this very day. It has become customary in Israel to sing these; they are recorded in the Book of Laments.
35:26 The rest of the events of Josiah’s reign, including the faithful acts he did in obedience to what is written in the law of the Lord 181 35:27 and his accomplishments, from start to finish, are recorded 182 in the Scroll of the Kings of Israel and Judah.
2 Chronicles 1:1
Context1:1 Solomon son of David solidified his royal authority, 183 for 184 the Lord his God was with him and magnified him greatly.
[2:1] 1 sn Beginning with 2:1, the verse numbers through 2:18 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 2:1 ET = 1:18 HT, 2:2 ET = 2:1 HT, 2:3 ET = 2:2 HT, etc., through 2:18 ET = 2:17 HT. Beginning with 3:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
[2:1] 2 tn Heb “and Solomon said to build a house for the name of the
[18:2] 3 tn Heb “at the end of years.”
[18:2] 4 tn The word “visit” is supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[18:2] 5 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[18:2] 6 tn Heb “and Ahab slaughtered for him sheep and cattle in abundance, and for the people who were with him.”
[18:3] 5 tn Heb “Like me, like you; and like your people, my people; and with you in battle.”
[18:4] 7 tn Heb “and Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel.”
[18:4] 8 tn Heb “the word of the
[18:5] 9 tn Heb “Should we go against Ramoth Gilead for war or should I refrain?”
[18:5] 10 tn Though Jehoshaphat had requested an oracle from “the
[18:7] 11 tn Heb “to seek the
[18:7] 13 tn Heb “all his days.”
[18:7] 14 tn The words “his name is” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[18:9] 13 tn Heb “at,” which in this case probably means “near.”
[18:12] 15 tn Heb “the words of the prophets are [with] one mouth good for the king.”
[18:12] 16 tn Heb “let your words be like one of them and speak good.”
[18:14] 17 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Micaiah) has been specified in the translation both for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[18:14] 18 sn One does not expect Micaiah, having just vowed to speak only what the
[18:15] 19 tn Or “swear an oath by.”
[18:16] 21 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Micaiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:18] 23 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Micaiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:20] 25 tn Heb “the spirit.” The significance of the article prefixed to רוּחַ (ruakh) is uncertain, but it could contain a clue as to this spirit’s identity, especially when interpreted in light of verse 23. It is certainly possible, and probably even likely, that the article is used in a generic or dramatic sense and should be translated, “a spirit.” In the latter case it would show that this spirit was vivid and definite in the mind of Micaiah the storyteller. However, if one insists that the article indicates a well-known or universally known spirit, the following context provides a likely referent. Verse 23 tells how Zedekiah slapped Micaiah in the face and then asked sarcastically, “Which way did the spirit from the
[18:21] 27 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
[18:21] 28 tn The Hebrew text has two imperfects connected by וְגַם (vÿgam). These verbs could be translated as specific futures, “you will deceive and also you will prevail,” in which case the
[18:26] 29 tn Heb “the bread of affliction and the water of affliction.”
[18:29] 33 tn The Hebrew verbal forms could be imperatives (“Disguise yourself and enter”), but this would make no sense in light of the immediately following context. The forms are better interpreted as infinitives absolute functioning as cohortatives (see IBHS 594 §35.5.2a). Some prefer to emend the forms to imperfects.
[18:30] 35 tn Heb “small or great.”
[18:33] 37 tn Heb “now a man drew a bow in his innocence” (i.e., with no specific target in mind, or at least without realizing his target was the king of Israel).
[18:33] 38 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:1] 39 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[21:1] 40 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 10, 12, 19).
[21:1] 41 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[21:1] 42 tn The parallel account in 2 Kgs 8:16-24 has the variant spelling “Jehoram.”
[21:2] 41 sn A number of times in 2 Chronicles “Israel” is used instead of the more specific “Judah”; see 2 Chr 12:6; 23:2). In the interest of consistency some translations (e.g., NAB, NRSV) substitute “Judah” for “Israel” here.
[21:4] 43 tn Heb “and Jehoram arose over the kingdom of his father and strengthened himself.”
[21:4] 44 tn Heb “and he killed all his brothers with the sword.”
[21:5] 45 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[21:6] 47 tn Heb “he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab did, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife.”
[21:6] 48 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[21:7] 51 tn Heb “which he made to David, just as he had promised to give him and his sons a lamp all the days.” Here “lamp” is metaphorical, symbolizing the Davidic dynasty.
[21:8] 51 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Jehoram) has been specified in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[21:8] 52 tn Heb “in his days Edom rebelled from under the hand of Judah and enthroned a king over them.”
[21:9] 53 tc Heb “and he arose at night and defeated Edom, who had surrounded him, and the chariot officers.” The Hebrew text as it stands gives the impression that Jehoram was surrounded and launched a victorious nighttime counterattack. Yet v. 10 goes on to state that the Edomite revolt was successful. The translation above assumes an emendation of the Hebrew text. Adding a third masculine singular pronominal suffix to the accusative sign before Edom (reading אֹתוֹ [’oto, “him”] instead of just אֶת [’et]) and taking Edom as the subject of verbs allows one to translate the verse in a way that is more consistent with the context, which depicts an Israelite defeat, not victory. See also 2 Kgs 8:21.
[21:10] 55 tn Heb “and Edom rebelled from under the hand of Judah until this day.”
[21:10] 56 tn Or “from Jehoram’s control”; Heb “from under his hand.” The pronominal suffix may refer to Judah in general or, more specifically, to Jehoram.
[21:10] 57 tn Heb “he.” This pronoun could refer to Judah, but the context focuses on Jehoram’s misdeeds. See especially v. 11.
[21:11] 57 tn Heb “and he caused the residents of Jerusalem to commit adultery.” In this context spiritual unfaithfulness to the
[21:11] 58 tn Heb “and drove Judah away.”
[21:12] 59 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jehoram) has been specified in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[21:12] 60 tn Heb “Because you…” In the Hebrew text this lengthy sentence is completed in vv. 14-15. Because of its length and complexity (and the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences), the translation has divided it up into several English sentences.
[21:12] 61 tn Heb “walked in the ways.”
[21:12] 62 tn Heb “in the ways of.”
[21:13] 61 tn Heb “and you walked in the way of the kings of Israel and caused Judah and the residents of Jerusalem to commit adultery, like the house of Ahab causes to commit adultery.”
[21:13] 62 tn Heb “the house of your father.”
[21:14] 63 tn Heb “to strike with a great striking.”
[21:15] 65 tn Heb “and you [will have] a serious illness, an illness of the intestines until your intestines come out because of the illness days upon days.”
[21:16] 67 tn Heb “the spirit of the Philistines.”
[21:17] 69 tn Heb “broke it up.”
[21:17] 70 tn Heb “all the property which was found in the house of the king.”
[21:18] 71 tn Heb “in his intestines with an illness [for which] there was no healer.”
[21:19] 73 tn Heb “and it was to days from days, and about the time of the going out of the end for the days, two, his intestines came out with his illness and he died in severe illness.”
[21:19] 74 tn Heb “and his people did not make for him a fire, like the fire of his fathers.”
[21:20] 75 tn Heb “and he went without desire.”
[21:20] 76 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[27:1] 77 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[27:2] 79 tn Heb “he did what was proper in the eyes of the
[27:2] 80 tn Heb “except he did not enter the house of the
[27:3] 81 tn Heb “wall of Ophel.” See HALOT 861 s.v. II עֹפֶל.
[27:5] 83 tn Heb “he fought with.”
[27:5] 84 tn The Hebrew word כִּכַּר (kikar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the “talent” weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the “light” standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the weight of the silver was 6,730 lbs. (3,060 kg).
[27:5] 85 sn As a unit of dry measure a kor was roughly equivalent to six bushels (about 220 liters).
[27:5] 86 tn Heb “10,000 kors of wheat and 10,000 of barley.” The unit of measure of the barley is omitted in the Hebrew text, but is understood to be “kors,” the same as the measures of wheat.
[27:5] 87 tn Heb “This the sons of Ammon brought to him, and in the second year and the third.”
[27:6] 85 tn Heb “because he established his ways before the
[27:7] 87 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Jotham, and his battles and his ways, look, they are written on the scroll of the kings of Israel and Judah.”
[27:9] 89 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[27:9] 90 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[30:1] 91 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[30:3] 93 tn Heb “at that time.”
[30:4] 95 tn Heb “and the thing was proper in the eyes of.”
[30:5] 97 tn Heb “and they caused to stand a word to cause a voice to pass through.”
[30:5] 98 tn The words “summoning the people” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[30:5] 99 tn Heb “because not for abundance had they done as written.”
[30:6] 99 tn Heb “the runners.”
[30:6] 100 tn Heb “and according to the command of the king, saying.”
[30:6] 101 tn The jussive with vav conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[30:6] 102 tn Heb “to the survivors who are left to you from the palm of the kings of Assyria.”
[30:7] 101 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 19, 22).
[30:7] 102 tn Heb “and he made them a devastation” (or, perhaps, “an object of horror”).
[30:8] 103 tn Heb “don’t stiffen your neck” (a Hebrew idiom for being stubborn).
[30:8] 104 tn Heb “give a hand.” On the meaning of the idiom here, see HALOT 387 s.v. I יָד 2.
[30:8] 105 tn Heb “so that the rage of his anger might turn from you.” The jussive with vav conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[30:9] 105 tn Heb “turn [his] face from you.”
[30:10] 107 tn Heb “and they were mocking them and ridiculing them.”
[30:12] 109 tn Heb “also in Judah the hand of God was to give to them one heart to do the command of the king and the officials by the word of the
[30:13] 111 tn The Hebrew text adds here, “a very large assembly.” This has not been translated to avoid redundancy with the expression “a huge crowd” at the beginning of the verse.
[30:14] 113 tn Heb “and they arose and removed the altars which were in Jerusalem, and all the incense altars they removed and threw into the Kidron Valley.”
[30:16] 115 tn Heb “from the hand of the Levites.”
[30:17] 117 tn Heb “were over the slaughter of.”
[30:17] 118 tn Heb “of everyone not pure to consecrate to the
[30:18] 119 tn Heb “without what is written.”
[30:18] 120 tn Heb “make atonement for.”
[30:19] 121 tn Heb “everyone [who] has prepared his heart to seek God.”
[30:19] 122 tn Heb “and not according to the purification of the holy place.”
[30:20] 123 tn Heb “listened.”
[30:21] 125 tn Heb “and they were praising the
[30:22] 127 tn Heb “and Hezekiah spoke to the heart of all the Levites.” On the meaning of the idiom “speak to the heart of” here, see HALOT 210 s.v. II דבר 8.d.
[30:22] 128 tn Heb “who demonstrated skill [with] good skill for the
[30:22] 129 tn Heb “and they ate [during] the appointed time [for] seven days.” מוֹעֵד (mo’ed, “appointed time”) is probably an adverbial accusative of time referring to the festival. However, some understand it as metonymically referring to the food eaten during the festival. See BDB 417 s.v.
[30:24] 129 tn The Hebrew term צֹאן (ts’on, translated “sheep” twice in this verse) denotes smaller livestock in general; depending on context it can refer to sheep only or goats only, but their is nothing in the immediate context here to specify one or the other.
[30:24] 130 tn Heb “the assembly.” The pronoun “them” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy.
[30:25] 131 tn Heb “they rejoiced.”
[30:26] 133 tn Heb “and there was great joy in Jerusalem, for from the days of Solomon son of David, king of Israel, there was nothing like this in Jerusalem.”
[30:27] 135 tn Heb “and it was heard with their voice.” BDB 1034 s.v. שָׁמַע Niph.4 interprets this to mean “hearing was granted to their voice.” It is possible that the name יְהוָה (yÿhvah, “the
[33:1] 137 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[33:2] 139 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[33:2] 140 tn Heb “like the abominable practices of the nations.”
[33:3] 141 tn The phrase כָל צְבָא הֲַשָּׁמַיִם (khol tsÿva’ hashamayim), traditionally translated “all the host of heaven,” refers to the heavenly lights, including stars and planets. In 1 Kgs 22:19 these heavenly bodies are pictured as members of the Lord’s royal court or assembly, but many other texts view them as the illegitimate objects of pagan and Israelite worship.
[33:4] 143 tn Heb “In Jerusalem my name will be permanently.”
[33:6] 145 tn Or “he sacrificed his sons in the fire.” This may refer to child sacrifice, though some interpret it as a less drastic cultic practice (NEB, NASV “made his sons pass through the fire”; NIV “sacrificed his sons in the fire”; NRSV “made his sons pass through fire”). For discussion see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 266-67.
[33:6] 146 tn Heb “and he set up a ritual pit, along with a conjurer.” Hebrew אוֹב (’ov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. In 1 Sam 28:7 the witch of Endor is called a בַּעֲלַת אוֹב (ba’alat ’ov, “owner of a ritual pit”). See H. Hoffner, “Second Millennium Antecedents to the Hebrew ’OñBù,” JBL 86 (1967): 385-401.
[33:6] 147 tn Heb “and he multiplied doing what is evil in the eyes of the
[33:7] 147 tn Heb “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I chose from all the tribes of Israel, I will place my name permanently” (or perhaps “forever”).
[33:8] 149 tn Heb “I will not again make the feet of Israel wander from the land which I established for their fathers.”
[33:9] 151 tn Heb “misled Judah.” The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” here by metonymy for the people of Judah.
[33:10] 153 tn Heb “spoke to.”
[33:11] 155 tn Heb “and they seized him with hooks.”
[33:12] 158 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Manasseh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:12] 159 tn Heb “appeased the face of the
[33:13] 159 tn Heb “him”; the referent (the
[33:13] 160 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
[33:13] 161 tn Heb “was entreated by him,” or “allowed himself to be entreated by him.”
[33:13] 163 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
[33:14] 161 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Manasseh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:14] 162 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[33:16] 163 tn Heb “told Judah.” The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” here by metonymy for the people of Judah.
[33:18] 166 tn Heb “look, they are.”
[33:19] 167 tn Heb “and his prayer and being entreated by him, and all his sin and his unfaithfulness and the places where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself – behold, they are written on the words of his seers.”
[33:20] 169 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[33:21] 171 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[33:22] 173 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[33:23] 175 tn Heb “as Manasseh his father had humbled himself.”
[33:23] 176 tn Heb “for he, Amon, multiplied guilt.”
[33:25] 177 tn Heb “and the people of the land.”
[35:1] 179 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[35:5] 183 tn Heb “and stand in the sanctuary by the divisions of the house of the fathers for your brothers, the sons of the people, and a division of the house of a father for the Levites.”
[35:6] 185 tn Heb “according to the word of the
[35:7] 187 tn Heb “and Josiah supplied for the sons of the people sheep, lambs and sons of goats, the whole for the Passover sacrifices for everyone who was found according to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand cattle. These were from the property of the king.”
[35:10] 189 tn Heb “and the service was prepared.”
[35:11] 191 tn Heb “from their hand.”
[35:12] 193 tn Heb “and they put aside the burnt offering[s] to give them to the divisions of the house of the fathers for the sons of the people to bring near to the
[35:20] 197 tn Heb “After all this, [by] which Josiah prepared the temple.”
[35:20] 198 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[35:21] 199 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Neco) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[35:21] 200 tn Heb “What to me and to you, king of Judah?”
[35:21] 201 tn Heb “Not against you, you, today, but against the house of my battle.”
[35:21] 202 tn Heb “Stop yourself from [opposing] God who is with me and let him not destroy you.”
[35:22] 201 tn Heb “and Josiah did not turn his face from him.”
[35:22] 202 tn Heb “listen to.”
[35:22] 203 map For location see Map1 D4; Map2 C1; Map4 C2; Map5 F2; Map7 B1.
[35:23] 203 tn Heb “carry me away.”
[35:24] 205 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[35:26] 207 tn Heb “and his faithful acts according to what is written in the law of the
[35:27] 209 tn Heb “look, they are written.”
[1:1] 211 tn Heb “and Solomon son of David strengthened himself over his kingdom.”
[1:1] 212 tn The disjunctive clause (note the vav [ו] + subject pattern) probably has a causal nuance here.
