David also commanded all the leaders of Israel: Also renders the common Hebrew conjunction. Here it may be better translated as a temporal connector such as “then” (Contemporary English Version, New International Version, New Century Version, New Jerusalem Bible), or it may be left untranslated (so Good News Translation, Revised English Bible). Leaders renders the Hebrew word often translated “princes” (King James Version), but this is not to be taken in the literal sense of the English word. It has also been translated “chiefs” (Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), “officers” (Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), and “ministers” (Nouvelle version Segond révisée).

To help Solomon his son, saying: Since Solomon has already been identified in this chapter as David’s son (see verses 5 and 11), Good News Translation omits this information here for reasons of English style. The word saying is not in the Hebrew text. Revised Standard Version has added it in order to introduce David’s words in verses 18-19.

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 .