Instead of the thirty, some texts have “the heroes.” The same is true of the following verse. But “thirty” is recommended in both cases by Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament. If translators read “thirty” in the previous verse, it is possible to use the pronoun “them” in this case.

Renowned: while this is similar in Hebrew to the statement in verse 19, Revised Standard Version does not use the superlative expression here.

But he did not attain to the three: see verse 19.

Set him over his bodyguard: in some languages it will be more natural to say “made him chief…” or “named him as leader….” On the word bodyguard see 1 Sam 28.2. It is not clear whether this refers to the Cherethites and Pelethites (8.18; 15.18; 20.7, 23; and compare also 1 Sam 30.14) or to a different group. But translators will be well advised to use a more general term or expression here. Some may say “the group of soldiers who guarded him [King David].”

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 .