Then Asa took all the silver and the gold: This verse begins in Hebrew with the common conjunction. Revised Standard Version understands the connection with the previous verse to be primarily temporal (Then), but Good News Translation shows Asa’s actions to be a result (“So”) of the blockade by Baasha of Israel. Either translation is possible and both make good sense in this context. Compare also “Asa responded by taking all the silver and gold” (New Living Translation).
That were left in the treasures of the house of the LORD and … the king’s house: The words that were left point back to 1 Kgs 14.25-26, which says that King Shishak of Egypt took away the treasures from the Temple and the palace in Jerusalem. These words should be translated and not left out as Contemporary English Version has done.
Servants here means “officials,” as it often does in 1-2 Samuel and 1–2 Kings.
Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria: This refers to Benhadad I, who was the king of Syria early in the ninth century B.C. He is referred to again in the parallel text in 2 Chr 16.1-6. Contemporary English Version omits the words the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion and places them in a footnote, but there seems to be no good reason for doing so. Such a full identification serves to distinguish Benhadad I from Benhadad II, the son of Hazael, who ruled later, at the end of the ninth century during the reign of King Joash of Judah. Benhadad II is mentioned in 2 Kgs 13.3-7, 22-25. Hezion was the grandfather of Ben-hadad.
The words who dwelt in Damascus may mean simply that this is where his capital city was. Who dwelt may also mean “who was at that moment at home.” Translators may wish to make explicit that Damascus was the capital city. Compare “whose capital was Damascus” (Revised English Bible).
The Hebrew expression translated saying may have to be rendered as a separate sentence in some languages. The simplest way to do this is to follow the model of New American Bible: “He said.” Others may prefer to say more explicitly “Asa sent the following message.”
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 .