So: the common conjunction here may be taken as a logical connector and translated as in Revised Standard Version. But several versions take it as being sequential and translate “Then” (New American Bible, Moffatt, An American Translation) or leave it untranslated (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Revised English Bible, New International Version).

Army: literally “people” as in verses 1-5 above. Good News Translation makes the reference more precise by saying “David’s army.” This may be a better model for certain other languages.

The field: in the context of this passage, the word used here refers to unpopulated areas as opposed to areas where there were towns. The remainder of the verse indicates that the region contained a forest.

The battle was fought: in languages where this passive form is not used, it will be much more natural to say “the armies fought each other” or something similar.

The forest of Ephraim: some Greek manuscripts have “the forest of Mahanaim” (New American Bible translates “the forest near Mahanaim”), but it is unlikely that this was the original reading, even though it may be considered more logical. Since the battle was fought on the east side of the Jordan River, as 17.24 and 19.15 make clear, it seems strange that the forest was named after Ephraim, but some scholars feel that the area may have been settled at some time by people from the tribe of Ephraim. According to 1 Maccabees 5.46, there was a village named “Ephron” east of the Jordan River in Gilead. Since this name is spelled similar to “Ephraim,” some interpreters correct the text to read “the forest of Ephron” (Revised English Bible). Hebrew Old Testament Text Project gives no advice on this textual problem and therefore implicitly recommends the reading followed by Revised Standard Version and 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 .