Four Syrian cities located to the north and east of Palestine are mentioned in this verse. Beth-rehob was located north of Mount Hermon, and Zobah (see 8.3) was north of Bethrehob. Tob was located about 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of Ramoth-gilead in the region of Gilead. Maacah was a small Syrian kingdom east of the Jordan River and south of Mount Hermon. The translations in both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation may incorrectly suggest that only the soldiers from Bethrehob and Zobah were Syrians. Some translators may wish to indicate in a footnote or possibly in translation that all four of the geographical names (Maacah and Tob as well as the first two) refer to places in Syria.

Saw: this is not to be taken literally as referring to physical seeing, but rather that they became aware of something. A number of English versions in addition to Good News Translation use the verb “realized” (New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New International Version). New American Bible says “in view of the offense they had given to David….”

Become odious: the root of the word translated odious has to do with emitting an unpleasant aroma or smelling bad. New International Version reflects this by translating “had become a stench in David’s nostrils.” But here the expression is used figuratively for being offensive. As in 1 Sam 13.4, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates “incurred the wrath of.”

The structure of this verse has been slightly modified by Good News Translation to make it flow more naturally in English. Also, while the noun the Ammonites is found twice in the base text, the second occurrence will be better translated by the third person plural pronoun in many languages. The double occurrence of Syrians may also be reduced in the receptor language for the sake of naturalness.

Sent and hired: New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh supplies what seems to be missing in this expression, “sent agents and hired….” Something similar to this will have to be done in many other languages.

Syrians: reference is made to the Syrians thirteen times in this chapter. Many English versions prefer the transliterated name “Aramean” (New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, New American Bible, New Century Version). See the comments at 8.5 and 6.

With a thousand men: this is omitted by Anderson, but this omission is not justified on the grounds of the textual evidence, according to most textual experts.

Men of Tob: literally “a man of Tob.” In the Dead Sea Scrolls and the ancient Greek translation, the words translated men of Tob are taken as a name “Ishtob” or “Istob” (Knox). But most modern versions adopt the same idea as found in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, understanding this to refer to the place mentioned in Judges 11.3-5.

In some translations it may be helpful to use a special format for this verse in order to make the meaning clear. The following is suggested:

• The Ammonites came to know that they had made David very angry, so they prepared for war by hiring the following groups of soldiers.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .