Rose: see the comment on this verb at 9.3 and on page 20. There is no need to translate in such a way as to indicate that David had been sitting or lying down prior to the events described in this verse.

The wilderness of Paran: Paran was a region located north of the Sinai Peninsula; it was between Egypt, southern Palestine, and the country of Edom. Since Paran is located so far away, quite a few modern translations follow the Septuagint in reading “the desert of Maon” (New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version, New Century Version, Moffatt, An American Translation, and Stuttgarter Erklärungsbibel). Modern commentaries also prefer this solution (so Anchor Bible, Klein, and Gordon). Smith, however, notes that “the historical improbability of David’s going so far into the wilderness is not a sufficient reason for changing the text” (page 220). Regarding Maon, see the comments on verse 2. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text.

On the translation of the word wilderness, see the comments at 4.8.

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 .