Come down: that is, come down from the hill country. See verse 19.

The vocative, O king, will be more naturally rendered by a term of respect such as “sir” or “Your Majesty” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) in certain languages.

Heart: Hebrew, nefesh. This is the same word as rendered “life” in verse 15. The overall expression all your heart’s desire may be rendered “whenever you wish” (New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible) or “whenever it pleases you to do so” (New International Version).

Into the king’s hand: see verse 4. On the shift from direct to indirect address in speaking to the king, see page 12 and following. It will be more natural for most languages to say “into your hand,” or simply “to you,” in this context.

The Revised Standard Version translation of this verse is based on the Masoretic Text, to which Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {C} rating. The Septuagint and a manuscript from Qumran read as follows: “And now according to all the king’s desire to come down, let him come down to us; they have shut him up into the hands of the king.” Translators should follow the MT here, as nearly all translations do.

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 .