David smote them: though the writer mentions only David, the sense is that David and his troops attacked and defeated them, since his troops are explicitly mentioned in verse 20 (see the comments on 19.8).

From twilight: the word so translated may be understood as referring to the time of day when there is imperfect light, just before sunrise or just after sunset. The English word “twilight” usually refers more specifically to the time just after sunset, and this is the usual sense of this word in the Old Testament. According to the Revised Standard Version (and New Revised Standard Version) rendering, readers will therefore have the impression that the battle began just after sunset one day and continued until the evening of the next day (literally “their next day”). The majority of versions, however, take this term to refer to the time just before sunrise. The fighting would therefore have lasted throughout the daylight hours of a single day (Good News Translation, New American Bible, Contemporary English Version, Nueva Biblia Española), or possibly “from before dawn until the evening of the next day” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh; similarly Bible en français courant and New Jerusalem Bible). Since a new day began for the Israelites at sunset, the evening of the next day will refer to the evening after the battle of that day. That evening is the beginning of the next day for the Israelites. The only question is whether the battle began early that morning or the previous evening. The recommendation of this handbook is to translate “from dawn….”

Escaped: see the comments on 19.10.

Camels (see also 15.3 and 27.9) are unknown in some parts of the world. In languages that do not have a word for camels, it may be necessary to borrow the word from a major language known to speakers of the receptor language and to say “they mounted on animals called camels and fled.”

Some interpreters propose that the Hebrew text should be changed to read “From dawn to sundown David attacked them, putting them under the ban so that none escaped…” (New American Bible and early editions of Bible de Jérusalem). This proposed change is not widely accepted, and Hebrew Old Testament Text Project gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament does not even discuss this problem since this is not a textual problem. New American Bible and the other translations mentioned are based on conjectures about what the Hebrew text probably read.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The verbs translated recovered and rescued in this verse represent the same Hebrew verb. It will therefore be possible to translate them by a single verb in some languages.

The word all seems to include material goods as well as the women and children taken by the Amalekites. This is defined in more detail in the following verse.

Regarding David’s two wives see verse 5.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Small or great: see the comments on verse 2. Contemporary English Version has “No one was missing—young or old, sons or daughters.”

Spoil: see the comments at verse 16.

The conjunction or is not intended to indicate that there is a clear difference in meaning between spoil and anything that had been taken. The two expressions refer to essentially the same objects, with the words anything that had been taken emphasizing that everything was recovered. The Hebrew is more literally “… spoil, up to everything that they had taken.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The verb translated captured (literally “took”) by Revised Standard Version is taken to mean “recovered” by Good News Translation (also Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Nueva Biblia Española), giving the impression that this was a matter of taking back livestock that had previously belonged to David and his men. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy says “all his sheep and cows.” Others, however, take this to refer to animals that had belonged to the Amalekites. Bible en français courant, for example, says quite clearly “he also took the herds of sheep and cattle of the Amalekites.” It seems logical that the Amalekites had taken spoils from places other than Ziklag during their raids, so this probably refers to animals in addition to those that had previously belonged to David and his men. So David’s personal reward for the successful campaign would have been all those other animals. See the comments on the New Revised Standard Version translation below on this verse.

Flocks and herds: the two Hebrew words refer to small animals (including sheep and goats) and to larger animals (such oxen and cattle). New Century Version says “all the sheep and cattle.” Other languages have general terms for small and large livestock that will be appropriate here. See also 2 Sam 12.2.

The people: as in verses 4 and 6 above, the word people refers specifically to the men who traveled with him.

As the footnotes in both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation indicate, the Hebrew text is unclear in the middle of this verse. It says “And they drove before that cattle.” Revised Standard Version (so also Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, and Osty-Trinquet), following the Septuagint, makes one small change in the Hebrew to read that his men drove the cattle in front of David. Good News Translation corrects the text to say that the men drove the animals in front of themselves. It is possible, however, to make sense of the Hebrew without changing the text. New Revised Standard Version probably expresses correctly the intended meaning: “David also captured all the flocks and herds, which were driven ahead of the other cattle.”

This is David’s spoil: New Century Version says “They are David’s prize.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Regarding the two hundred men … who had been left at the brook Besor, see verses 9-10. Since David had left these men there, Good News Translation correctly says that he “went back.” Revised English Bible says that he “returned.”

The brook Besor: see the comments on verse 9.

The people who were with him: that is, the troops that had followed him. See the comments on verse 4 above.

He saluted them: see 10.4; 17.22; 25.5, where the same expression occurs. The word “salute” has very definite military connotations in English, but the meaning here is rather more general and should be translated “greeted.” Some versions depart from the Masoretic Text here, following the Septuagint. Klein, for example, says “As David approached with the troops, they greeted them,” following the Septuagint in making the subject of the verb plural.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Base fellows: literally “[men of] Belial.” See the comments on 1.16.

Because they did not go with us: literally “Because they did not go with me” (so Fox). It is not clear whether Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation are following the Septuagint and those Hebrew manuscripts that read us, or whether they read the plural for translation reasons. Hebrew uses the singular pronoun “me” here to indicate or underline the fact that this viewpoint is that of each of the wicked and base fellows. Compare Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, “Since they didn’t come with me, we won’t give them any of the spoil that we have taken.” The following verbs (give and recovered), however, are first person plural. Although Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives an {A} rating to the singular pronoun of the Masoretic Text, in many languages it will be natural to say “with us.”

New Century Version says “These 200 men didn’t go with us,” making it quite clear to whom the pronoun they refers.

In those languages where indirect discourse is preferred, the following model is suggested for this verse:

• But some of the men who had gone with David were worthless troublemakers; they insisted that, since those other men didn’t go along on the raid, they should not get any of the loot. They wanted them to just take their wives and children and go away.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

David said: it will be more natural in some languages to say that David “replied” or “answered.” In David’s understanding, the credit for the victory over the Amalekites belongs to God and not to him or to the four hundred men with him. That being the case, even the two hundred who remained at the brook of Besor deserve to receive a full share of the loot.

My brothers, with what the LORD has given us: the Septuagint, which lacks the words my brothers, is the basis for the Revised English Bible translation: “ ‘That,’ said David, ‘you must not do, considering what the LORD has given us.’ ” Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} evaluation to the Masoretic Text, suggesting that the Greek translator misread the Hebrew text.

Into our hand: see the comments on 4.8.

The band refers, of course, to the group of Amalekite raiders (as in verses 8 and 15).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The question Who would listen to you in this matter? is rhetorical and is intended to make a strong statement to the effect that no one would pay attention to what these men were saying. Bible en français courant says “No one can approve your proposition.”

The transition word rendered For is intended to show the reason why the idea of the good-for-nothing men should not be approved. In some languages it may be translated “because.” Fox translates this “Indeed” rather than “for” (see the comments on 8.7).

The baggage: or rather “the supplies” (Good News Translation), or “the stores” (Revised English Bible). Compare 10.22; 17.22; 25.13.

They shall share alike: in this decision David is following the law as found in Num 31.25-54. See also Josh 22.8. This application of the general principle is shifted forward in Good News Translation to precede the declaration of the principle. The general principal is set off in poetic format in New Jerusalem Bible, thus showing that this was almost like a proverbial statement that would have been well known to all Israelites.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .