Bethuel was located on the west of the Dead Sea, and it is called “Bethul” in Josh 19.4. Most English versions maintain the difference in spelling in the two passages.

Hormah is the Hebrew word for “destruction,” but it is obviously the name of a city here. It was located on the eastern border of Judah near Edom. It was first allocated to Judah (Josh 15.30), but later it was considered a part of the territory of Simeon (Josh 19.4).

Ziklag came under the control of the Philistines during the reign of King Saul. Achish, the Philistine ruler of Gath, gave this town to David and his men, and it became their base for attacking towns in southern Judah (see 1 Sam 27).

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 .