The Be-erothites: that is, the people who had inhabited the town of Beeroth before the Benjaminites arrived. In some languages the most natural translation will be “the people who had lived there before.”

Gittaim: this town is mentioned only here and in Neh 11.33. Its exact location is uncertain. Most languages will require the addition of the classifier term “town” or “village.”

Sojourners: that is, they did not have the same legal rights as Israelite citizens. New American Bible and New Revised Standard Version translate the sense correctly, “resident aliens.” Some languages may translate this idea “live as foreigners” or “live without full citizen’s rights.” See 1.13.

To this day: see 1 Sam 5.5.

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 .

The introduction of Mephibosheth at this place in the story interrupts the narrative and points forward to 9.1-13, where David’s goodness is shown, in contrast with Mephibosheth’s alleged cowardly treason (see also 16.1-4; 19.24-30). Even though Ishbosheth will be killed, Saul has one more descendant who remains alive.

The structure of Good News Translation is rather different from Revised Standard Version in this verse. The name is introduced earlier, in accordance with the normal way of telling such a story in English. Other adjustments have also been made in Good News Translation, but translators should follow the normal structure of their own language.

Crippled in his feet: the term rendered crippled here and in 9.3 is not often used in the Old Testament. It is found elsewhere only in Isa 66.2, where it is accompanied by the word for “heart” and is therefore translated “contrite.” Some languages may have a single word that translates the idea of being crippled in the feet or legs (as opposed to the arms or some other part of the body). Such a word would certainly be appropriate here.

The term lame later in this verse focuses on the resulting behavior of being crippled, that is, stumbling or walking with a limp. It may be translated “became unable to walk properly” or “was disabled.”

When the news … came: in some languages it will not be considered normal to make the news the subject of the sentence. The idea is “when someone brought the news….” It may be helpful to state explicitly, as Good News Translation does, that the news about Saul and Jonathan was about their deaths or that they had been killed in battle (see 1 Sam 29.1, 11; 31.6).

His nurse: the word so translated has no particular medical connotations as may be imagined by some readers of the English term. The root meaning is that of “faithfulness.” So a nurse was a person that could be counted on for support and help. Some have suggested the translation “foster mother” or “caregiver.” The same word is found in Ruth 4.16, where it is used to describe Naomi’s relationship to Obed, the son of Ruth. In some languages this word will have to be translated by a longer phrase like “the person who watched over [took care of] him” or something similar.

Mephibosheth: Some manuscripts of the ancient Greek version have “Mephibaal” at this point. And this reading is recommended by Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, which gives a {B} rating to it. This same person is called “Meribaal” in 1 Chr 8.34 and 9.40. See 2.8 on names that include “baal” and “bosheth.”

As noted at the beginning of this verse, Good News Translation has slightly restructured the order of some parts of this verse. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente provides a different model, with more extensive restructuring:

• There was another descendant of Saul, one of his grandsons, a son of Jonathan, whose name was Mephibaal. He had both of his feet crippled from the time when he was five years old. Indeed his nurse had dropped him because of the haste of fleeing when the news of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan had arrived from Jezreel.

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 .

Good News Translation has dropped the redundant information found in the beginning of this verse in Revised Standard Version. It has already been stated in verse 2 that Rechab and Baanah were the sons of Rimmon and that he was from Beeroth.

Set out: that is, started out on their journey. Some may wish to translate “started going [to Ishbosheth’s house].”

The heat of the day: as seen in 1 Sam 11.11, this expression refers to the time of day when the sun is strongest—at approximately noon. Compare also Gen 18.1.

The Masoretic Text has the name Ish-bosheth in this verse and the name “Mephibosheth” in the previous verse. Though some manuscripts of the Septuagint read “Mephibosheth” in both of these verses, Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives an {A} rating to the Masoretic Text here.

His noonday rest: An American Translation has “his mid-day siesta.” In some cultures there is a special term for the rest taken in the middle of the day.

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 .

As the footnotes in both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation show, there are considerable textual problems in this verse. Like the above base and model, several modern versions follow the Septuagint and mention a woman doorkeeper who became so exhausted by her work of sifting wheat that she fell asleep, allowing the assassins to enter. The Septuagint is followed by Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Osty-Trinquet, Knox, An American Translation, and Moffatt in addition to Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. This reading seems to present events in a more logical order than the Masoretic Text, since verse 7 will repeat much of verse 6, if the Masoretic Text is followed in verse 6.

Others translations, following the Masoretic Text, have no reference to the doorkeeper at all and speak directly of the two men (using the pronoun “they”) going into the house pretending to look for wheat in order to kill Ishbosheth (so New International Version, New Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). This rendering ignores some significant problems, including the fact that the third person plural pronoun, “they,” is feminine, and the lack of coherence of this rendering with the following verse. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives only a {D} rating to the Masoretic Text. New Revised Standard Version follows the Masoretic Text in verse 6 and translates the first verb in verse 7 with a pluperfect (past perfect) verb, “Now they had come into the house while he was lying on his couch…” (so also Fox). Such a translation avoids understanding verse 7 as a repetition of verse 6, and rather treats verse 7 as providing additional information about the events of verse 6. New Revised Standard Version is a possible rendering of the Masoretic Text, but translators are advised that there are fewer problems in following the lead of Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation than in doing otherwise. The comments that follow are based on the assumption that this will be done.

Behold: see 1.2 and 1 Sam 2.31. The first word in the Masoretic Text in this verse may be understood differently, depending on what vowels are written with the consonants. It is possible to read this word as the Hebrew particle often rendered Behold in English translations, and that is how the Septuagint translated the Hebrew word. But the vowels in the Masoretic Text give a different meaning: the word may be an adverb of place, or it may be a third person feminine plural pronoun. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {C} rating to the word in the Masoretic Text, but it is nearly impossible to make sense of the text, if this is a feminine pronoun. It seems advisable here to correct the vowels of the Masoretic Text to read Behold (so Anderson).

The doorkeeper of the house: the word for doorkeeper in Greek is feminine, so it will be perfectly legitimate to speak of “the woman guarding the door.”

Cleaning wheat: in the Greek translation of Isa 28.27, the verb used here seems to refer to threshing. On the translation of the word “wheat,” see 1 Sam 6.13; 12.17; as well as Ruth 2.23. In some languages cleaning wheat may be translated “selecting wheat,” that is, choosing the good wheat and getting rid of the stones and other things that can not be eaten.

Rechab and Baanah his brother: both of these men were first mentioned in verse 2, where the focus was on the fact that they were both sons of Rimmon. Here the focus in on the fact that they were brothers. In many languages it will be necessary to say “his younger brother” or “his older brother.” The Hebrew does not indicate which is the older brother. Baanah is mentioned first in verse 2, so one may think that Baanah is the older; but Rechab is mentioned first in verses 5, 6, and 9. Since the relationship between Rechab and Baanah has been mentioned in verses 2 and 5, it is possible to leave the words his brother implicit in this verse.

Slipped in: the verb used here implies quietly and secretly sneaking past someone in the hope of not being noticed. While some languages may have a special verb to describe this kind of action, others will have to say something like “walked quietly into the house” or “crept in without making any noise.” It should be noted that, if translators follow the Masoretic Text of this verse, the final verb in Hebrew does not mean slipped in but rather “escaped” (New Revised Standard Version; New International Version has “slipped away”).

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 .

If translators have chosen to translate the MT of verse 6, as have New Revised Standard Version and New International Version for example, then it will be necessary to make some adjustments in the way that verse 7 is translated. According to the translation of verses 6 and 7 in the Septuagint, the actions of verse 7 follow in order the actions of verse 6. But in the Masoretic Text, verse 7 repeats the information that the two brothers had come into Ishbosheth’s house, and then adds additional information about how they killed him. Notice how New Revised Standard Version begins verse 7 with the pluperfect in English: “Now they had come into the house….”

He lay on his bed: in order to be perfectly clear about who was in bed in this verse, it may be preferable to replace the pronoun he by the name “Ishbosheth.” This will be especially important in those languages that do not distinguish between masculine and feminine pronouns, since the woman doorkeeper is mentioned as having fallen asleep in the previous verse.

Smote … slew … beheaded: the first of these verbs may be translated “attacked” (New Revised Standard Version) or “stabbed” (New International Version). The result of this attack was that their victim was killed. Then they went a step further and cut off their victim’s head. Unless it is unnatural to do so, all three verbs should be represented in the receptor language rendering.

Arabah: that is, the Jordan Valley. See 2.29 and 1 Sam 23.24. The trip from Mahanaim, where Ishbosheth lived (see 2.8), to Hebron, where David lived, was about 130 kilometers (80 miles) and lasted all night.

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 .

The Masoretic Text has the name Ish-bosheth twice in this verse. Some manuscripts of the Septuagint read “Mephibosheth,” but Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives an {A} rating to the names in the Masoretic Text. The name used in the receptor language should be consistent with previous choices of the name used (see the comments on verses 4 and 5).

Who sought your life: it should be made clear in the receptor language that it was not Ishbosheth but Saul who was the enemy of David and who had tried to kill him.

Has avenged: literally “has given revenge.” The same expression is rendered “gave [me] vengeance” in 22.48. It includes the idea of punishment or repayment for a wrong. The whole phrase may be translated “has repaid Saul and his descendants for what they did to you, our master and king.”

My lord the king: since the two men are speaking directly to King David, it will be more natural in many languages to say something like “[avenged] you, our master and our king.” See 3.21. Although these words come in the middle of the discourse of the two men, in some languages the very first words a person says to a king are extremely important. So these men would have to begin with “Your Majesty” or some other formal title, since their approach may be considered impertinent and too direct otherwise.

On Saul and on his offspring: the term translated offspring involves not only the children of Saul, but all his descendants. New American Bible uses the word “posterity.”

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 .

But: Revised Standard Version is perhaps correct in translating the Hebrew conjunction in this way, because David’s reply is contrary to what Rechab and Baanah would have expected. New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh also introduce this verse with the conjunction “But.”

Rechab and Baanah his brother: it may be more natural in many cases to substitute the pronoun “them,” as has been done in Good News Translation. The repetition of the names (already mentioned in verses 2, 5, and 6) may be unnecessary.

The sons of Rimmon the Be-erothite: this information is also a repetition of what is given in verses 2 and 5 and so may be eliminated here as redundant if it is considered awkward in the receptor language.

As the LORD lives: literally “on the life of the LORD.” This expression is used frequently in 1 Samuel (see 1 Sam 14.39 for the first occurrence) and is found also in Judges 8.19 and Ruth 3.13. It constitutes a very strong oath or promise that David would actually do what he says in the following verses.

My life: a more literal translation of the term used here is “my soul” (King James Version), but the sense may be easily rendered by the first person singular pronoun, “me,” in this context.

Adversity: the basic meaning of the word is “restriction” or “tightness.” Here it clearly refers to the troubles or hardships that David had experienced. The same word in 1 Sam 26.24 is translated in Revised Standard Version as “tribulation.”

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 .

One: this refers to the Amalekite messenger who came to David at Ziklag with the news of the death of Saul and Jonathan (see 1.2). Note that Good News Translation shifts the geographical reference to Ziklag forward in the verse. Note also that the direct quotation within the larger discourse of David may be better rendered as indirect speech in many languages. Good News Translation has “told me of Saul’s death.”

Behold: see verse 8 and 1.2.

Thought: literally “he was in his own eyes.”

Good news: the messenger was under the false impression that the news he brought would make David happy.

Slew: the Hebrew verb means “to kill, slay.” The meaning in some contexts seems to be “to cause to kill.” Here Revised Standard Version says I … slew him. But since 1.15 says that David had one of the young men kill the Amalekite, the translation in Good News Translation (also Bible en français courant) is better: “I had him put to death.”

Reward: the word on which this translation is based is a very general term having to do with something “given.” In English the word “reward” is usually thought of as something positive—something good given in return for a good deed. But it is used ironically by Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation translators in this context. It may be better translated in other languages as “punishment” or “recompense.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh captures the idea by rendering the last part of this verse as “But instead of rewarding him for the news, I seized him and killed him.”

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 .