Pray: the particle of entreaty following the verb forgive in the Hebrew of this verse is rightly rendered “Please” by Good News Translation.

If translators have used the same word for “Yahweh” and for “lord” or “master,” there may be confusion for the listener in distinguishing between LORD and lord in this verse. The words my lord refer, of course, to David and may be translated by using second person singular pronouns.

Forgive the trespass of your handmaid: if Abigail’s words in verse 24 requesting that the blame be hers are a standardized way of speaking to one’s superior, then these words in verse 28 may be understood as a request for permission to continue speaking. Once again the third person reference, your handmaid, will be better translated as a first person singular pronoun in many languages.

A sure house: see the same idiom in 2.35. Good News Translation expresses the meaning clearly in English, as does New American Bible: “for the LORD shall certainly establish a lasting dynasty for my lord.”

The expression fighting the battles of the LORD refers to the battles that the Israelites fight against other nations, such as the Philistines (18.17), who are understood to be opposing God when they oppose the Israelites.

And evil shall not be found in you: as the footnote in Good News Translation indicates, these words may be understood two different ways: (1) David will not do anything evil (so Good News Translation) or (2) no one will do anything evil against David. The first interpretation is found in Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Good News Translation, and New Jerusalem Bible. The second interpretation is found in Revised English Bible, which says “No calamity will overtake you as long as you live.”

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 .