He walked in all the sins which his father did before him: The verb walked is a literal rendering of the Hebrew, but it may sound quite unnatural in this context in certain languages. The idea is that Abijah “imitated” (New American Bible) the sins of his father. New Jerusalem Bible says “In everything he followed the sinful example of his father before him.” All the sins of his father Rehoboam are listed in 1 Kgs 14.22-24. The Hebrew word translated before him is often used in a spatial sense, meaning “in front of,” but here it is used with a temporal sense.

His heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God: See the comments on 1 Kgs 8.61.

David his father: David was the great-grandfather of Abijah. As often in the Old Testament, father is used here in the wider sense of “ancestor.” In those languages where a literal rendering is likely to be misunderstood, translators should be sure to translate the broader meaning.

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