The sons of Merari: of Ja-aziah, Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri: For the translation of this verse and its relationship to verse 26, see the comments on the previous verse. It is not clear why the words The sons of Merari are repeated from the previous verse. In the Masoretic Text the common conjunction meaning “and” is prefaced to the last three names, which may suggest that the Hebrew word beno is a name as in Revised Standard Version (also New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, Revised English Bible) and not the word meaning “his son.” However, a number of translations read the Hebrew word beno as “his son”; for example, El libro del Pueblo de Dios renders this verse as “Sons of Merari by the line of his son Jaaziah: Shoham, Zaccur and Ibri.” Likewise Nouvelle Bible Segond, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, and La Bible Pléiade say “Sons of Merari by his son Jaaziah: Shoham, Zaccur and Ibri” (similarly New Jerusalem Bible). Parole de Vie attempts to translate this meaning in a more natural way by saying “Grandsons of Merari by his son Jaaziah: Shoham, Zaccur and Ibri.”

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 .