The messenger said to David: in this context it may be unnecessary or unnatural to repeat the two nouns in this clause. In some languages to do so would unnecessarily change the focus from the messenger to David.

The words The men refer to the enemy forces of the Ammonites. It will be wise to clarify this in translation. One may say, for example, “the opposing army.” Revised English Bible and Knox have “the enemy,” while New Century Version renders this term “the men of Ammon.”

Gained an advantage over us: that is, the Ammonites were winning the battle against the Israelites.

Came out: what is implied here, of course, is that the Ammonite forces left the confines of their walled city and began to fight in the open field.

If the direct quotation of the messenger is transformed to an indirect statement, it may read something like this:

• He told David that the enemy soldiers came out of the city to fight the Israelite soldiers and began to beat them. But then the Israelites forced them to go back to the city gate.

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 .