On the way to its own land: Good News Translation has omitted these words, perhaps considering them unnecessary, since the name Beth-shemesh follows immediately, but the phrase should be translated. Some versions say “towards its own territory” (Revised English Bible, New American Bible). See “to its own place” in 5.11.
Beth-shemesh: in the Old Testament four different towns are referred to by this name. Two are in the territory of the northern tribes of Issachar (Josh 19.22) and Naphtali (Josh 19.38), and the third is in Egypt (Jer 43.13; called “Heliopolis” in Revised Standard Version). The Beth-shemesh mentioned here was a border town just inside Israelite territory on the northwest border of Judah (this town is also mentioned in Josh 15.10; 21.16), about twenty-nine kilometers (eighteen miles) west of Jerusalem and about a dozen kilometers (seven and one-half miles) north of Ekron. The name Beth-shemesh means “house of sun.” Nueva Biblia Española translates the name here and elsewhere as “Casasol,” that is, “Sun-house.” Whether the name is transliterated or translated, translators would do well to add the classifier term “town” so that the readers and hearers may know that it is not a mountain, a region, or some other geographical place.
It is he, that is, “Yahweh” or “the God of the Israelites.” In many languages it will be essential to make this information explicit, as in many modern versions (New International Version, New Century Version, Revised English Bible, Knox). It is not acceptable to try to communicate this information by simply capitalizing the initial letter of the pronoun (“It was He”), as in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, since people hearing the Scripture read will not be aware of the difference.
His hand that struck us: for the metaphorical use of hand, see the comments on 4.8. In languages that have inclusive and exclusive forms of the first person plural pronouns, the inclusive forms should be used in this verse.
The translation of the idea by chance may be difficult in certain languages. The same term is found in 20.26 and occurs frequently in the book of Ecclesiastes (2.14, 15; 3.19; 9.2, 3). Several versions indicate that “it was only an accident” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Anchor Bible and New American Bible are similar. Instead of saying it happened … by chance, the same meaning may be conveyed in some languages by saying “it just came to us” or “it just happened by itself.”
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 .