The word for house is again contrasted with the idea of a tent, but some languages use the same word for the two and simply qualify them in different ways. A house may be something like “a dwelling made of wood,” or “a dwelling made of stone,” or “a permanent dwelling.” A tent, however, is “a dwelling made of animal skin,” “a dwelling made of cloth,” or “a temporary dwelling.” In the context of this passage it may be better to translate “a house made of wood” and “a house made of cloth [or, skin].”

Brought up: literally this is the causative form of the verb “ascend,” so that the overall meaning is “cause to go up.” But in many languages a verb like “save,” “deliver,” or “liberate” (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente) will be more natural in this context. The reference is to the time of the exodus from Egypt, when Moses led the Israelites out of slavery.

To this day: that is, up to the time that the LORD was talking with David in this story. Note that Good News Translation translates “until now.” Note also that Revised English Bible restructures the verse so that this part comes first: “Down to this day I have never dwelt in a house….” This order may be a better model for some languages.

Moving about in a tent: translators should ensure that this is not rendered in such a way as to imply movement within a tent. The idea is rather one of movement from place to place while using a temporary dwelling for lodging.

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 .