They also shut the doors of the vestibule: This is a direct reference to the action of King Ahaz in 2 Chr 28.24. But the subject pronoun here is plural (They), referring to the ancestors (“fathers”) mentioned in the previous verse. The vestibule refers to “the porch” (Revised English Bible) of the Temple (see the comments on 2 Chr 3.4).

And put out the lamps: For the requirement that the lamps in God’s house were to burn every day from evening until morning, see Exo 27.20-21 and Lev 24.1-4 (see also 2 Chr 13.11). Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version render this clause as “let the lamps go out.” But the form of the Hebrew verb here is better translated with a more active verb, such as “snuffed out” (New Living Translation) or “extinguished” (Revised English Bible). For the lamps, see the comments on 1 Chr 28.15.

And have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel: The Hebrew noun for incense comes from the same root as the verb translated burned (see the comments on 2 Chr 2.4). The Hebrew noun for burnt offerings comes from the same root as the verb translated offered (see the comments on 1 Chr 16.1). In this context the holy place refers to the whole Temple complex, so Good News Translation says “the Temple.” This is another context where the word Israel is used for the southern kingdom of Judah as the true Israel.

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 .