Since this verse constitutes a summary statement about the three Philistine giants detailed in verses 4-7, it should probably stand as a separate paragraph. Some languages may have a special term that is used to introduce such summary accounts.

These were descended from the giants in Gath: It may be helpful in many languages to be more precise by identifying These as “These giants” (Revised English Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy), “these three men” (Contemporary English Version), “These three” (Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje), “These Philistines” (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente), or “These Philistine soldiers” (Bible en français courant). For the giants, see the comments on 1 Chr 20.4. The whole clause may be rendered “These three men were descendants of the giants at Gath.” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy says “These giants were descendants of Rephah from Gath.”

And they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants: The euphemistic verb fell may be replaced by a more direct statement in most languages. Many translators will say simply “died.” Or it may be possible to turn the whole sentence around and say “David and his men killed them.” The Hebrew word translated hand is used twice in this verse in the sense of “power,” but it will probably be more natural to avoid a literal rendering here. In this context the word hand implies the instrument through which the action was done and represents the whole person or persons. If the sentence is turned around to make David and his soldiers the subject of the sentence, then the meaning is clearly communicated. As elsewhere in such contexts, his servants may be translated “his soldiers” (Contemporary English Version, Bible en français courant), “his warriors” (New Living Translation), “his officers” (Moffatt), “his officials” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Nueva Versión Internacional, Peregrino, or “his men” (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .