And David said …: The conjunction And simply indicates the continuation of the story and may be left untranslated in many languages, as in a number of modern English versions. There is no indication in the text as to whether the following quote was something David said to himself or to another person. Some versions here take it as a thought that David had (so New International Version, God’s Word, Bible en français courant). But in those languages that require an object here, it may be best to add “to those around him” or “to some people.” Even if this quote began as a thought, David must have eventually spoken it to others.

I will deal loyally with Hanun the son of Nahash, for his father dealt loyally with me: These two clauses (having to do with both future and past actions) involve the same Hebrew expression rendered deal/dealt loyally with (compare 1 Sam 15.6; 20.8, 14; 2 Sam 2.5-6; 3.8; 9.1, 3, 7). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “keep faith with.” Other possible models are “show kindness to” (New International Version, King James Version, New American Bible), “express my loyalty to” ( NET Bible), and “keep up the same loyal friendship with” (Revised English Bible). The text does not say here or elsewhere in the Old Testament what acts of kindness or loyal friendship Nahash had shown David, although latter Jewish traditions developed to explain what Nahash had done.

So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father: So translates the common Hebrew conjunction. It was as a result of David’s thought about the kindness shown to him by Nahash that he took the action that follows. Bible en français courant shows this logical relationship by using the connector “therefore.” The Hebrew word rendered messengers has also been translated “envoys” (New American Bible), “a delegation” (New International Version, Bible en français courant), “representatives” (New Jerusalem Bible), “a mission” (Revised English Bible), and “some officials” (Contemporary English Version). These representatives sent to communicate the condolences of one king to another would not have been simple messengers.

And David’s servants came to Hanun in the land of the Ammonites, to console him: David’s servants refers to the messengers mentioned in the previous sentence. This phrase is better rendered “David’s representatives” (New Jerusalem Bible) or “David’s officials” (Contemporary English Version) in this context. They were not menial domestic workers. The structure of this sentence has been altered by Good News Translation, which begins a new paragraph with a temporal clause introducing the events described in verse 3. Revised English Bible adopts a very similar structure. This may prove to be a helpful model for some other languages.

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 .