So: indicating the continuation of the story and introducing the next in the series of events.

The scene is made more vivid at this point by situating the participants more precisely. Shimei is said to be on the hillside opposite him, that is, across from David. He moves along parallel to the road and continues to curse David and to throw stones and dirt at the group on the road. It is also possible to understand the Hebrew to mean that both David and Shimei were standing on opposing hillsides, with a small valley separating them. This interpretation is reflected in Revised English Bible (“… and hurling stones across the valley at him…”) and New Jerusalem Bible (“kept pace with him along the opposite mountainside…”). Either understanding may be followed by translators.

David and his men went is literally “David went and his men.” The verb, in the third person singular, keeps the focus on David. Similarly the Hebrew text says that Shimei threw stones and dust at him, which again keeps the focus on David. Though some translations say that Shimei threw “at them” (Good News Translation, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Bible en français courant), the Hebrew seems to indicate that the curses, stones, and dirt were all directed toward David.

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 .