OET interlinear 1 KI 16:21

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

אָ֧ז יֵחָלֵ֛ק הָ⁠עָ֥ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לַ⁠חֵ֑צִי חֲצִ֨י הָ⁠עָ֜ם

then divided the,people (Some words not found in UHB: then divided the,people Yisrael into,half half_of of,the_people it_became after Tiⱱnī son_of Ginnat to,make,him_king and,(the),half after ˊĀmərī )

See how you translated the similar expression in 16:15. Alternate translation: [Then the army of Israel was divided in half. Half of the soldiers]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

אָ֧ז יֵחָלֵ֛ק הָ⁠עָ֥ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לַ⁠חֵ֑צִי

then divided the,people (Some words not found in UHB: then divided the,people Yisrael into,half half_of of,the_people it_became after Tiⱱnī son_of Ginnat to,make,him_king and,(the),half after ˊĀmərī )

The expression were divided is a passive verbal form. If your language would not use that form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [This divided the people of Israel in half] or [Then the Israelite soldiers took two sides]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

חֲצִ֨י הָ⁠עָ֜ם הָ֠יָה אַחֲרֵ֨י תִבְנִ֤י & וְ⁠הַ⁠חֲצִ֖י אַחֲרֵ֥י עָמְרִֽי

half_of of,the_people it_became after Tiⱱnī & and,(the),half after ˊĀmərī

See how you translated the similar expression “helped after Adonijah” in 1:7. Alternate translation: [Half of the soldiers supported Tibni … and half supported Omri]