Hebrew style allows for the repeated use of the name Shimei, but in English, pronouns are more natural. For this reason Good News Translation says “he” in place of the name Shimei.

Arose: The Hebrew verb for “arise” is often used to indicate the beginning of some action, especially the action of traveling. In such cases the verb does not necessarily mean that the person had been sitting or lying down (see 1 Kgs 1.50). For this reason Good News Translation leaves the verb arose untranslated. Revised English Bible attempts to reflect it with the idea of immediate action by stating that the donkey was saddled “at once.”

An ass is literally “his ass [or, donkey].” The Hebrew qualifies the word ass with the third person possessive pronoun “his.” But in English the use of this pronoun, as in Good News Translation, may suggest that this was the only ass that he had. The Hebrew may be understood either way. In order to avoid misunderstanding, it is possible to translate “one of his donkeys.”

Ass is not common language in American English. Good News Translation consistently uses the more common word “donkey” (also New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). In addition, the word ass in English is more often used today in a crude way to refer to a part of a person’s body (the buttocks). For that reason also, “donkey” is preferable. Translators in other languages will not have the same problem here that English has, but they need to be aware constantly of how words will sound when they are read.

The Hebrew verb translated saddled means “to tie up,” “to twist,” “to bind.” It sometimes means “to saddle” an animal, and that is a common translation in this context (so Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, and most other translations). At that time saddles usually consisted of pieces of cloth or leather thrown over the animal’s back.

The Hebrew says only that Shimei brought his slaves, without stating the destination. Good News Translation says “brought them back home” and Contemporary English Version (similarly New Living Translation, Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie) says “brought them back to Jerusalem” since this is clearly what is implied.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .