The Jairite: while Good News Translation seems to suggest that Jair was a town, it may be that this term is used to describe the ancestry of Ira. Bible en français courant translates, perhaps more accurately, “descendant of Jair.” It is quite possible that this is the intended meaning. Jair was a son of Manasseh (compare Num 32.41; Deut 3.14; 1 Kgs 4.13).

David’s priest: as the Hebrew adverb translated also indicates, David had more than one priest. Abiathar and Zadok were certainly considered priests in his service. For this reason it may be better in many languages to follow the model of Good News Translation in translating “one of David’s priests” in this case. On the word for priest see 8.17 and 1 Sam 1.3.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .