They told: the pronoun they does not necessarily refer back to any particular group of people. It could be the other officers (servants) with whom Uriah spent the night, but the Dead Sea Scrolls manuscript of 2 Samuel has a different verb form meaning “it was reported.” Nevertheless, in languages that do not have passive forms or would not use one in this context, the most natural rendering may in fact look very much like that of Revised Standard Version. Another possible solution is to follow the Good News Translation model by making David the subject of the verb “heard.” Naturalness in the receptor language should determine how this is said.

Naturalness should also determine whether direct or indirect quotations are used in this verse. Good News Translation makes the first quotation indirect but keeps the second as a direct quote. Other languages may reverse this or make both quotations indirect.

Have you not come from a journey? This is clearly not a question asked in order to obtain information. David knew very well that Uriah had come from the battlefront. The question is asked for the purpose of making an emphatic statement. In many languages it may be better to use an emphatic statement. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh may provide a good model: “you just came from a journey.”

Why did you not go down to your house? This question is of a different kind. It serves to show David’s surprise at the turn of events. He could not understand why Uriah did not go home after he had given him permission to do so following his long absence.

A possible model for the verse as a whole is:

• When David heard that Uriah had not gone home, he asked him why he had not done so, since he had been away at the war for such a long time.

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 .