Gray follows some of the Septuagint manuscripts that read “Eliab the son of Joab” instead of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. But this is not recommended.

Was in command of the army is literally “over the army.” Moffatt uses the technical English title “commander-in-chief.”

Since the second part of this verse contradicts the statements in verse 2 and in 1 Kgs 2.26-27, some interpreters regard this verse to be a later scribal addition to the text. For this reason Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch and Peregrino omit the words Zadok and Abiathar were priests. Moffatt, similarly, places square brackets around the second half of this verse in order to indicate that these words are a later addition to the text. Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia suggests in a note that these words are an addition to the original text.

As will be noted below in the discussion on verse 6, some interpreters think that the first part of this verse regarding Benaiah is also a later addition. It does not appear in one important manuscript of the Septuagint. For this reason New American Bible places the entire verse within square brackets and New Jerusalem Bible and De Vries place it within parentheses. Translators are encouraged to translate this entire verse as it is found in the Masoretic Text, but because of the contradiction with other verses in 1 Kings, they may wish to state in a footnote that some interpreters consider all or part of this verse to be a later addition.

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 .