Ten cheeses: literally “ten slices [or, pieces] of milk.” This is called “cream-cheeses” in Revised English Bible. The translation of both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation sounds as if it may have been ten different kinds of cheese. But this is certainly not the intended meaning. Contemporary English Version sounds much more natural in English (“ten large chunks of cheese”), since the exact amount is not certain. So perhaps the best alternative in English is Klein’s “ten slices of cheese” or Anchor Bible‘s “ten cuts of cheese.” In some languages people speak of a “round” of cheese or a “ball” of cheese.

The commander of their thousand: the number thousand is probably not intended as a precise term. In Num 1.16 this term is translated in Revised Standard Version as “clans.” Various terms in English express the correct meaning: “their commanding officer” (Revised English Bible and New Jerusalem Bible), “the field officer” (New American Bible), and “the commander of their regiment” (Moffatt), although New American Bible leaves implicit the idea contained in the pronoun their.

Bring some token from them, that is, bring something back from them to show that they received the food and to show that they are well. Some have suggested that this means that David should bring home their pay, but this seems much less likely than the generally accepted meaning of anything that would prove that David’s brothers were well.

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 .