But when they rose early on the next morning: Good News Translation leaves implicit the information that the Philistines got up, but in some languages it may be natural to state this. It may also be important to include the contrasting conjunction But, as in Revised Standard Version, because it may be considered somewhat surprising to the reader that the same thing happened again.
Behold: see the comments on this focusing particle in the preceding verse.
Dagon had fallen: see the comments on previous verse. Since the preceding verse shows that the statue of Dagon had already fallen once before, Good News Translation adds that the statue had fallen “again.” To show that what happened to the statue was different this second time that it fell, Good News Translation inserts the words “this time.” For the same reason Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente says “In addition [the head and the hands…].”
Both his hands: literally “two of palms of his hands.” Though some translations follow the Hebrew literally (Reina-Valera revisada, Fox), it will make no sense in some languages to state that only the palms of his hands were cut off, not the rest of the hands as well.
Were lying cut off upon the threshold: literally “being cut off on the threshold.” Though Good News Translation uses the verb “broken off,” the Hebrew says that the hands were cut off (so New Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). A number of other versions also have “broken off” (Revised English Bible, New American Bible, Contemporary English Version), while still others (New Jerusalem Bible and Knox) use the general term “severed.” But “broken off” fails to capture the sense that Dagon has been defeated by Yahweh, who cuts his head off, just as David will cut off Goliath’s head (17.51) and the Philistines will cut off Saul’s head (31.9). In languages where passive verbs are not used, it may be necessary to make the agent explicit and say “head … hands which God had cut off were lying separately.”
Usually the word threshold refers to a flat stone or wooden plank that lies under a door. In this context, however, the exact meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain. Most understand it in the usual sense of the word threshold or “doorway” (Contemporary English Version, Knox), but some presume it to mean a podium or platform on which an idol sat. This second understanding is the basis for the Revised English Bible translation: “with his head and his two hands lying broken off beside his platform; only Dagon’s body remained on it.” The idea of the “doorway” or “threshold” is, however, more likely the correct understanding of the text.
Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him: literally “only Dagon was left on him [or, it].” A literal translation of the Hebrew will be meaningless in most languages. Probably a noun meaning “his body [or, trunk]” has accidentally been omitted from the Masoretic Text. Nearly all translations supply the necessary noun, either following the Septuagint or following translation principles that require the addition of the implied information. Other models include “only the trunk was left intact” (Anchor Bible, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente) or “only the trunk of Dagon was left in its place” (New Jerusalem Bible). Also possible, but less likely, the pronoun him may refer to the ark, and the clause may be translated “only the trunk of Dagon was left by it [the ark].”
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 .