The garrison: as in verse 3.

Become odious: the root of the word translated odious has to do with emitting an unpleasant aroma, or smelling bad. New International Version reflects this by translating “Israel has become a stench to the Philistines.” But here the expression is used figuratively for being offensive. The same Hebrew verb is, in fact, translated “made … offensive” by Revised Standard Version in Exo 5.21. As in 2 Sam 10.6, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates “incurred the wrath of.” This same verb is found in 27.12; 2 Sam 10.6; 16.21.

New American Bible renders the Hebrew verb “[that Israel] had brought disgrace upon [the Philistines],” and New Jerusalem Bible says “and now Israel has antagonized the Philistines.” It is not clear whether these translations are free renderings of the Hebrew or whether they represent an alternate text.

And the people were called out to join Saul: as elsewhere in 1 and 2 Samuel, the people does not refer to all the people but to those able to become soldiers. New American Bible says “and the soldiers were called up to Saul.” In those languages where the passive form of this verb presents a problem, the meaning may be conveyed by saying “Saul sent messengers to command the army to join him at Gilgal.” The implied information is that the fighting force did indeed meet Saul at Gilgal. This is made explicit by the Good News Translation rendering.

Gilgal: see the comment on 7.16. Samuel had instructed Saul to go to Gilgal and to wait for him (10.8).

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 .