Now: another translation of the common Hebrew conjunction, which may just as well be left untranslated in this context.

Spread out: here and in verse 22 the verb used has the idea of expansion and indicates that they covered the entire territory. Revised English Bible and New American Bible use the verb “overrun.” Translators should be careful to avoid translating this verb in such a way as to give the impression that the troops dispersed in fear. The idea is rather that they took up their positions all over the valley, not that they separated from each other in disarray. Several modern versions use the technical military term “deployed” (New Jerusalem Bible, La Bible du Semeur, Bible en français courant).

The valley of Rephaim: this broad valley or plain is located about five kilometers to the southwest of Jerusalem. Since the word Rephaim means “giants” in some contexts (see, for example, Deut 2.10-11; 2 Sam 21.16), this is sometimes translated “Valley of Giants” (King James Version margin, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje). If translators choose to translate the meaning of the Hebrew rephaim as in Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje, they should be consistent and use the same translation in verse 22 and in 23.13.

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 .

Inquired of the LORD: that is, asked the LORD. Compare Judges 1.1 and 1 Sam 22.10.

Go up against the Philistines: the verb used here gives the idea of a military attack. The use of the same verb in the response is a clear affirmative answer, an emphatic “Yes!”

Wilt thou…? In keeping with the principle of Revised Standard Version, archaic language is used when biblical characters speak directly to God in prayer. This, however, has been dropped by New Revised Standard Version, and in other languages the normal verb forms and pronouns should be used for when one is speaking to God.

I will certainly give: literally “giving I will give.” This is stronger than saying simply “I will give.” The Hebrew construction is used to emphasize the certainty of Yahweh doing this. New American Bible says “I will surely deliver…,” and Anchor Bible has “I shall indeed hand them over.”

Into my hand … your hand: the word hand is often used in the Old Testament in the sense of “power.” The idea is that of delivering the enemy into the power of David. New International Version, like Anchor Bible, retains the word “hand” by using the common English expression “hand them over….” But in many languages it will not be possible to keep this image while using natural language. In those cases it will be better to say something like “cause me to be victorious over them.” And in the response of Yahweh translators may say “cause you to be victorious over them.”

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 .

And: the logical connection conveyed by the conjunction here is more like “So” (Good News Translation, New International Version, and New Century Version), “Thereupon” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), or “Then” (New American Bible).

The repetition of the name David in this verse may be unnatural in the receptor language. On the other hand the use of the pronoun them for the Philistines may make the translation unclear. In that case the name “Philistines” should be used.

Broken through … bursting: the verb and the noun used here have the same consonantal root in Hebrew. These consonants (p, r, ts) are also the same as in the name that follows. This constitutes a kind of wordplay that will probably be rather difficult to include in translation. An idea of the impact on these words on the original readers or hearers may be derived from the following literal rendering:

• … “The LORD has burst through my enemies before me like a burst of water.” So the name of the place is called “Lord of Bursts.”

Therefore: this shows that the words that precede provide information about the meaning of the name that follows. Some languages may say “This is why the name of that place is….”

Baal-perazim: mentioned only here and in the parallel passage in 1 Chr 14.11. It means “the Lord rushed over” or “the Lord bursts through.” While Moffatt transliterates the letters of the Hebrew in both occurrences, the second time he adds in parentheses “or ‘lord of bursts.’ ” It will be a good idea for translators to give the readers some idea of the meaning of this term either in the text or in a footnote, since the whole point of what is said here is to give an explanation of the meaning of the name. Fox, who translates as “Baal-Peratzim/Master of Bursting-Forth,” provides one model for making the meaning clear. The footnote in Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje may be a useful model: “ ‘Baal’ means ‘Lord,’ and Perazim comes from the verb ‘paraz’ that means ‘to open a breach/breakthrough.’ ” See also the comments on the name “Perez-uzzah” in 6.8.

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 .

Idols: compare 1 Sam 31.9 (see also 1 Sam 15.23). These were sacred images carried into battle because it was thought that they would ensure divine help and victory.

There: that is, in the valley where the battle took place.

Carried them away: it was customary for the victorious army to carry away the idols of their enemies to show that their own supernatural help was superior to that of their enemies (see, for example, 1 Sam 5.1-2). In some languages it will be necessary to indicate where they took these idols. One may say “took the idols with them” or “carried them to another place.” The parallel passage in 1 Chr 14.12 indicates that David ordered that these idols be burned (in keeping with what God had long before commanded in Deut 7.5), but the information from 1 Chronicles should not be inserted into the text of 2 Samuel.

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 .

And: in some languages the transition word “But” may be more natural in this context, since people did not normally expect a defeated army to return. In other cases “Then” may be better, indicating the passage of a certain amount of time since the first battle.

Came up yet again: this seems to indicate a completely different battle, but taking place on the same battlefield.

Spread out: see verse 18.

Valley of Rephaim: see the comments on verse 18.

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 .

You shall not go up: the context shows that this was not a categorical prohibition to attack but a matter of tactical advice. The recommendation was to decline a frontal offensive and to attack from the rear. Some manuscripts of the Septuagint add “to meet them,” but Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text. Yet the additional material may be considered implicit information that needs to be made explicit in certain languages for translation reasons.

Balsam trees: mentioned only here and in the parallel account in 1 Chr 14, the exact kind of tree involved is uncertain. New American Bible has “the mastic trees,” and Knox has “pear-trees,” while Revised English Bible speaks of “the aspens.” Both Bible en français courant and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible translate “micocouliers,” which is a kind of elm tree that grows to a height of 25 meters (more than 80 feet). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh avoids the problem of precise identification by transliterating “baca,” and Anchor Bible similarly uses “bachaim.” It will probably be just as meaningful in some languages to say “trees called baca” as any of the other possibilities. Or, since the precise kind of tree is neither important nor certain, translators may consider a more generic “trees” without attempting to identify the specific kind.

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 .

Marching in the tops of the … trees: the meaning of this phrase has long troubled scholars because it is very difficult to understand. Anchor Bible has proposed changing one consonant in the Hebrew word translated marching, which gives the much more satisfactory meaning “the sound of wind in the treetops.” Even those commentators who would leave the Hebrew text unchanged suggest that the “marching sound” in the treetops was “perhaps the rustling sound made by the leaves” (Anderson, page 94). So translators may feel free to translate the idea of wind in the treetops without worrying about changing the original text.

Bestir yourself: this is archaic English. New Revised Standard Version has translated into more common language, “be on the alert,” and New American Bible says “act decisively.” The parallel in 1 Chr 14.15 has what may be considered a free translation of the same idea, “then go out into battle.” Here it may be better to translate something like “look sharp” (Anchor Bible), “then go into action” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), or “then you must act quickly” (New Century Version).

Smite: New Revised Standard Version renders the same verb “strike down,” but this may just as easily be translated “attack” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “defeat” (Good News Translation).

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 .

Smote: see verse 24 above. But the context that follows (from Geba to Gezer) may require a different verb in many languages. Good News Translation uses the expression “drive back,” while Moffatt and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh have “routed.”

Geba: New International Version and New Century Version (as well as La Bible Pléiade and Osty-Trinquet in French) have “Gibeon,” following the ancient Greek version and in harmony with the parallel passage in 1 Chr 14.16. But in Chronicles the writer or scribe may have been influenced by Isa 28.21, where the events described are more than likely related to Josh 10.22. Probably Geba was the original reading, and this should be followed in translation.

To Gezer: Josh 10.33 and Judges 1.29. The Good News Translation rendering “all the way to…” gives the impression that the distance must have been great. In fact it was probably a matter of about 35 kilometers (22 miles) to the west if the first term is taken as Geba, or 19 kilometers (12 miles) if it was originally “Gibeon.”

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 .