On the eighth day: If translators follow the Masoretic Text in verse 65, then the eighth day in this verse will refer to the day after the fourteen days of celebration, which is also the eighth day from the beginning of the Festival of Shelters. This may be translated “on the eighth day of the second seven-day feast.” La Bible du Semeur and Parole de Vie translate “the eighth day of the second week.” A simpler rendering is “the following day” (New International Version).

He sent the people is a literal rendering of the Hebrew. Good News Translation substitutes the proper name “Solomon” for the pronoun. Good News Translation has also added the word “home” after the verb “sent.” Revised Standard Version adds the word away for the same reason, since it would be strange English style to say that Solomon “sent the people” without indicating where he sent them. Other English translations use a verb that does not require a qualifier; for example, “he dismissed the people” (Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible).

They blessed the king: In many languages this cannot be translated literally because only God can bless. The meaning is either that “they expressed their thanks to the king” or that “they told the king goodbye” (similarly New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). Since the Hebrew verb “to bless” is used in the context of farewells, the sense here may be simply that the people said goodbye to the king.

Homes is literally “tents” and designates their dwelling places. Even after the Hebrew people began living in houses instead of tents, the Hebrew word for “tent” was sometimes still used to refer to someone’s house or home.

Joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness of the LORD …: A more literal rendering of the Hebrew is “joyful and good of heart for all the goodness that the LORD….” Some more common language models for the phrase joyful and glad of heart are “very happy” (Contemporary English Version) and “rejoicing with full hearts” (Knox).

His servant … his people refers to God’s servant and God’s people.

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 .