Then Asa was angry with the seer: Asa became angry with the prophet because of his message of condemnation. The common Hebrew conjunction rendered Then may be taken as a temporal connector (so Revised Standard Version) or as a logical one (“So”). But many modern versions omit it altogether in this context (so Good News Translation).

And put him in stocks, in prison is literally “and he put him in the house of stocks.” Hanani was placed in stocks within a prison. The meaning of the Hebrew word translated stocks is uncertain. It comes from a verb that means “to turn over.” It may refer to iron chains placed around ankles. Some interpreters think the Hebrew word refers to a very small space in which a prisoner would be kept in a cramped position. Several modern versions simply refer to imprisonment without any further detail (so Contemporary English Version, Nouvelle version Segond révisée). In any case, the sense seems to be that Asa was immobilized in some way.

For he was in a rage with him because of this: He was in a rage with him is synonymous with Asa was angry with the seer. This clause emphasizes just how upset Asa was with the prophet. Where possible, it is a good idea to retain both clauses. It may be clearer to render because of this as “because of what he had said” (New Century Version) or “because of this intervention” (La Bible du Semeur). Parole de Vie reflects the emphasis here by rendering this whole clause as “Indeed, he was very angry because of the words of Hanani.”

And Asa inflicted cruelties upon some of the people at the same time: Inflicted cruelties translates a Hebrew verb whose root meaning is “to crush.” Here, as in Job 20.19, the word is used figuratively. It may be rendered “ill-treated” (New Jerusalem Bible), “brutally oppressed” (New International Version), or “treated cruelly.” Knox says “put … to death,” but this rendering is too strong. The phrase at the same time may be shifted to the beginning of this sentence (so Good News Translation). It was at the same time that Hanani was put in prison that Asa started to oppress some of his own people.

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 .