But the word of the LORD came to me, saying …: In this verse Good News Translation turns the direct quotation of God’s words to David into indirect speech (see the comments on the previous verse). But translates the common Hebrew conjunction. This verse expresses the fact that God did not agree with David’s wish, so a conjunction such as “But” or “However” (Bible en français courant) is an appropriate translation. In certain languages the contradictory nature of the message may be conveyed or augmented by the choice of the verb here. Revised English Bible, for example, uses “forbade.” The word of the LORD came is a common expression in the Old Testament (see 1 Chr 17.3), but in some languages it will be more natural to say “the LORD spoke” or “the LORD told” (Good News Translation). Others may prefer to render the word of the LORD came to me as “I received a message from the LORD.”

You have shed much blood and have waged great wars: In the Masoretic Text the word order here is different from the English translations of Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. The focus of the Hebrew is better shown in the following rendering: “Much blood you have shed and great wars you have waged” (Knoppers). It should be clear that the pronoun You (singular) refers to David and not to Solomon. You have shed much blood (literally “Blood in abundance you have poured out”) means simply that he “had killed too many people” (Good News Translation, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). David was ritually unclean because of this (see Num 35.33). No one who was unclean could approach the Temple (2 Chr 23.19). The use of the conjunction and may give the mistaken impression that have shed much blood and have waged great wars are two totally different events. But the sense is rather that a great deal of blood was shed during the numerous wars over which David presided. For this reason a better model for these two clauses is “You have caused much blood to be spilled during the great wars that you led” (Bible en français courant).

You shall not build a house to my name: Compare the previous verse. In Hebrew thought a person’s name revealed the person’s true identity and character (see, for example, Gen 27.36; 1 Sam 25.25). A person’s name was very closely related to what that person was. For this reason translations such as “where people will come to worship me” (Bible en français courant) and “in my honor” (La Bible du Semeur) correctly express the meaning of the Hebrew phrase for to my name.

Because you have shed so much blood before me upon the earth: Good News Translation does not translate the words upon the earth, leaving this information implied in English.

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 .