complete verse (1 Chronicles 3:15)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 3:15:

  • Kupsabiny: “Josiah had four sons. His firstborn was called Johanan, and the follower was Jehoiakim. And the third was Zedekiah and the fourth was Shallum.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The sons of Josiah were: the eldest Johanan, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah and the youngest Shallum.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “These were the children of Josai: The eldest was Johanan, the second was Jehoyakim, the third was Zedekia, and the fourth was Shalum.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 3:15

Following Josiah, only four more kings ruled in Judah: (1) Shallum, also known as Joahaz/Jehoahaz (609 B.C.), (2) Jehoiakim (609–598 B.C.), (3) Jeconiah/Jehoiachin (598 B.C.), the son of Jehoiakim, (4) and Zedekiah (598–587 B.C.).

The sons of Josiah: Johanan the first-born, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum: Good News Translation only lists the four sons of Josiah without indicating that they are listed in the order of their birth, even the Hebrew includes this information. In English and many other languages it may be included by saying “In order of their birth, Josiah’s four sons were….” This verse is difficult to harmonize with statements in 2 Kings regarding Josiah’s sons. According to 2 Kings, Josiah had only three sons in the following order: (1) Jehoiakim, (2) Jehoahaz, and (3) Zedekiah.

Johanan the first-born is not mentioned in 2 Kings and did not become king. Nothing more is known of him. Perhaps he died at an early age. Some scholars identify Johanan with Joahaz/Jehoahaz, the first son to rule after Josiah in 2 Kings. One version of the Septuagint, in fact, reads “Joahaz” instead of Johanan here. But this is not possible, since Joahaz must be identified with Shallum (see the comments below).

Jehoiakim was also named Eliakim, but Pharaoh Neco changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim (see 2 Kgs 23.34). Names beginning with Je- or Jeho- and El- are frequently interchangeable in the Old Testament since these are prefixes related to the Hebrew names of God (Yahweh and El).

According to 2 Kgs 24.17, Josiah’s third son was named Mattaniah, but King Nebuchadnezzar changed his name to Zedekiah and made him king of Judah after Nebuchadnezzar had taken Zedekiah’s nephew Jehoiachin into exile in Babylon. However, according to 2 Chr 36.10, the Zedekiah who became king after Jehoiachin was the brother of Jehoiachin and not the uncle of Jehoiachin as in 2 Kings. According to verse 16 and 2 Chr 36.10, the Zedekiah who became king was Josiah’s grandson, a son of Josiah’s second son, Jehoiakim, and a brother of Jehoiachin. Since the account here in chapter 3 is consistent with that in 2 Chr 36, translators should not attempt to harmonize the information in 2 Kings with that in 1–2 Chronicles.

Josiah’s fourth son is called Shallum here and in Jer 22.11. Elsewhere he is called “Jehoahaz” (2 Kgs 23.30-34). Shallum was possibly his personal name, and Jehoahaz, meaning “Yahweh has seized” in Hebrew, was the name he took when he became king. The king of Israel from 814 to 798 B.C. was also called “Jehoahaz.” Instead of using the name Shallum, Good News Translation uses the better-known form of the name and shortens it to “Joahaz” (also Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje). Good News Translation consistently uses the shortened form of the name for the king of Judah and the longer form, “Jehoahaz,” for the earlier king of Israel. Contemporary English Version and New Living Translation say “Jehoahaz” here.

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 .