The men of Israel took captive two hundred thousand of their kinsfolk, women, sons, and daughters: The men of Israel (literally “the children/sons of Israel”) refers to the army of the northern kingdom, Israel. Some translate simply “The Israelites” (New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), but it is probably better to specify “The Israelite troops” (Contemporary English Version) or “the soldiers of the northern kingdom” (Bible en français courant). All twelve tribes of Israel were descended from Jacob, so the people of the northern kingdom were kinsfolk (that is, relatives) to the people in the southern kingdom. Good News Translation makes explicit the identity of their kinsfolk (literally “their brothers”) by saying “the Judeans were their own relatives,” and Parole de Vie is similar with “their brothers and sisters of Judah.” The 200,000 relatives they took as prisoners were women, sons, and daughters. In some languages sons, and daughters is more naturally expressed as “children” (Good News Translation). A possible model for this whole clause is “The Israelites soldiers took captive 200,000 women and children from their relatives the Judeans.”

They also took much spoil from them and brought the spoil to Samaria: For the word spoil, see the comments on 1 Chr 20.2 and 2 Chr 15.11. In this context Samaria refers to the capital city of Israel, which Contemporary English Version makes explicit by saying “their capital city of Samaria.”

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 .