This verse gives the names, occupation, parentage, and village of origin of Baanah and Rechab. The order in which these various elements appear will depend on what is natural in the receptor language, but consideration should be given to which elements are in focus in the original account. It is important that these men were responsible to Ishbosheth, who was Saul’s son.

Saul’s son: the Hebrew text lacks the name of Ishbosheth and focuses again on his father, but it may be more natural in some languages to give the name directly.

Raiding bands: these were groups of men who were ultimately responsible to the king, but their immediate superiors were Baanah and Rechab, their leaders or captains. Such a group would have been similar to that of Joab in Judah (see 3.22, where the same Hebrew term is used). They would probably have been assigned the task of making raids into the surrounding regions to bring back whatever they could take from their enemies.

Be-eroth: the meaning of the Hebrew name is “wells” (the meaning of which is related to the name of the modern capital of Lebanon, Beirut). This was a town located about fifteen kilometers (or about nine miles) north of Jerusalem. It had belonged to the Gibeonites (Josh 9.17-18), but it was considered a part of the territory of the tribe of Benjamin, as the parenthetical statement here indicates. It was reckoned to Benjamin, or, as New Jerusalem Bible puts it, “regarded as belonging to Benjamin.” But translators should ensure that readers understand clearly that Benjamin is not an individual in this case but his tribal descendants.

Rimmon a man of Benjamin from Be-eroth: literally “Rimmon the Beerothite from the sons of Benjamin.” The words “from the sons of Benjamin” may mean that his ancestors were Benjaminites or that he lived among the Benjaminites. This description of Rimmon may be understood in two quite different ways: (1) He was an Israelite from the tribe of Benjamin, and he lived in the town of Beeroth, or (2) he was a Beerothite (see verse 3) and a Gibeonite (see Josh 9.17), who was living among the people of the tribe of Benjamin.

The translation in Revised Standard Version, “a man of Benjamin,” reflects the first interpretation. So also does Traduction œcuménique de la Bible “Rimmon, the Beerothite, from sons of Benjamin,” New Revised Standard Version “Rimmon a Benjaminite from Beeroth,” and most other translations. This interpretation seems most likely and makes good sense of the end of this verse and verse 3. That is, though the Beerothites (Gibeonites) originally lived in Beeroth, they fled to Gittaim, and Beeroth was taken over by Benjaminites, among whom were ancestors of Rimmon.

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 .