So: the common conjunction is taken by the majority of English versions as showing a logical connection between the exhortation of the previous verse and the subsequent action of the Philistines. But it may also be taken as a temporal connection as in Revised English Bible (“Then”) or omitted altogether (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New American Bible).

The passive verb was defeated may easily be made active by making the Philistines the subject and the Israelites the object as in Good News Translation.

Home: literally “tent.” The same idiom occurs also in 13.2, but in that case Revised Standard Version translates literally.

The word translated slaughter here is the same as the one rendered “plague” in verse 8 above. As the context clearly indicates, this was a “disastrous defeat” (New American Bible) in which large numbers of people were killed.

Thirty thousand foot soldiers: literally “thirty thousand on foot.” Not until the reign of Solomon did Israel have an army with chariots. Good News Translation calls these men simply “soldiers,” but because it is stated earlier in the verse that the men “went running” to their homes, it is clear that they were foot soldiers.

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 .