A certain man: the person who first saw Absalom in this predicament is not named, but he was apparently on the side of David, since he reported what he had seen to Joab. If it had been one of Absalom’s men, this would not have happened. For this reason Good News Translation says “One of David’s men.” The English translation A certain … may suggest that the writer is referring to a specific individual; but this expression, like the Hebrew that it translates, really means “someone indefinite.”

Told Joab: literally “made known to Joab and said.” Some languages may have to supply something that would be understood from the text, namely that the man went to the place where Joab was. If Joab had been present, there would have been no need for him to be told.

Behold: the focusing particle here directs attention to the importance of what is about to be said. Nothing could have been more important than the vulnerability of the enemy commander. New Jerusalem Bible tries to capture the immediacy of the event by translating “I have just seen….” If the direct quotation is rendered indirectly, this element may have to be dropped or translated by means of an adverb. New American Bible makes it into indirect discourse, translating the whole verse as “Someone saw this and reported to Joab that he had seen Absalom hanging from a terebinth.”

Hanging in an oak: the translation of oak here should correspond with what was done in the previous verse. And even if a specific kind of tree is named in verse 9, the more general term “tree” can be used here.

In some languages the direct quotation at the end of this verse will be more naturally rendered indirectly. A possible model is “told Joab that he had seen Absalom hanging in a big tree.”

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 .