Instead of saying that the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom …, it may be more natural in some languages to say that “David left the ark of the LORD….”

In the house of Obed-edom the Gittite: the repetition of all this information already given at the end of the previous verse will be unnatural in many languages and may be omitted.

Blessed: this general term gives no clue as to how Obed Edom was blessed, but certainly it included the fact that there were no additional misfortunes like the one that occurred when Uzzah took hold of the ark along the way to Jerusalem. The blessing may have included the fact that he had eight sons during his lifetime (see 1 Chr 26.4-5).

And all his household: literally “all his house.” This refers to the members of his family and possibly also to any servants he may have had. It is possible to translate in this context “everyone in his house,” as New Century Version does the same expression in 15.16.

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 .