But Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of the LORD …: But renders the common Hebrew conjunction. Revised Standard Version takes it here as marking contrast between the expected behavior of the priests (allowing the king to do whatever he pleased) and their actual conduct. Most other modern versions ignore this conjunction (so Good News Translation). Azariah the priest is otherwise unknown. Bible en français courant calls him the “high priest” here, bringing this information forward from verse 20.

The Hebrew phrase rendered men of valor (literally “sons of strength”) is often used to describe soldiers (see, for example, 1 Chr 5.18, where it is translated “valiant men”), but here it highlights the bravery of the priests who risked making the king angry by trying to prevent him from committing sacrilege. New Living Translation calls them “brave men,” and God’s Word says “courageous priests.”

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 .