The oak of Tabor: probably regarded as a sacred tree (Good News Translation), and perhaps the oak near the city of Bethel, under which Rebekah’s nurse had been buried (Gen 35.8). The use of a preposition like “at” (Good News Translation) is preferred in order to show that Tabor is a place and not a person.

The three men on their way to Bethel (first mentioned in 7.16) were carrying animals and food for sacrifices, expressed in Hebrew as going up to God. But since this may be misunderstood if translated literally, some possible alternative models are “going up to Bethel to worship God” (Revised English Bible) and “making a pilgrimage to God at Bethel” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).

The English word kids refers here to young goats and not to small children. Because of the problem of the dual meaning of the word “kid” in English, the Hebrew word is translated “young goats” by several modern versions, including Revised English Bible and New International Version.

A skin of wine: see the comments on 1.24.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .