As in the previous verse, the words my lord the king and to him (rather than the more direct “to you”) are a way of addressing David with respect. But translators should show respect in a way that is natural, as in verse 21.

Take: in the context of verse 23, this indicates that the threshing floor is offered to David as a gift, for no payment. What follows shows that Araunah is also willing to provide everything else that was needed to make the sacrifice.

Offer up what seems good to him: literally “offer up the good in his eyes.” What is implied here is offering to Yahweh anything David might consider suitable. But the fact that the offering would be to Yahweh is not explicitly stated. The ancient Greek version, however, adds “to the LORD.” This addition may be made in the receptor language if needed for translation reasons, even though the textual evidence for these words is not very strong.

Burnt offering: see the comments on 1 Sam 6.14.

Threshing sledges were heavy boards that were used in the process of separating the husks from grain. They were normally dragged across the stone floor on which the grain had been spread out. A yoke was a wooden bar or collar used to bind one or two animals to something heavy they had to pull, such as a wagon or a plow. Since the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen were made of wood, they were offered to David to provide fuel for burning the sacrifices. Since these items will not be known to many readers, the translation may have to fill in a certain amount of detail. Contemporary English Version has “You can use the threshing-boards and the wooden yokes for the fire.” Some translators may even have to resort to a rather general statement like “here are some things made of wood that you can use for the fire.”

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 .