Sent a message: the subject of this verb is still “the LORD” mentioned in the previous verse. Nathan, who had been the bearer of bad news to David earlier, now comes with good news.
He called his name: it is not clear to whom he refers. It can be the LORD, or Nathan (New Jerusalem Bible, Maredsous, Nueva Biblia Española, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje), or possibly even David (so Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). Many versions are quite vague, but the preferred solution seems to be to use an ambiguous form like the passive, “that he should be given the name” (Revised English Bible) or “he was named” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). In some languages this will mean using an indefinite form such as “they will call his name.”
Jedidiah: the meaning of this name in Hebrew is “Loved by the LORD.” This information may have to be given to readers in a footnote if they are to understand fully the relationship between the name and the fact that God loved the newborn child. Instead of using a footnote, translators may choose to place the meaning of the name within the text itself, as in Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (“who gave him the name Jedidiah, which means ‘Loved by the LORD’ ”) or inParola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente (“to give him the name Jedidiah—which means ‘Loved by the LORD’— …”). The same solution is in Bible en français courant. Fox provides another model for making the relationship clear between the name and the explanation of the name: “he called his name Yedidya/Beloved of YHWH.”
Because of the LORD: these words are interpreted in a variety of ways. Some scholars think it means that it is “on account of the LORD” that the child is to be called Jedidiah. New Jerusalem Bible thus translates this part of the verse “as Yahweh had instructed”; and Nueva Biblia Española says “by order of the LORD.” Others, however, think it means that the child will be called Jedidiah “because the LORD loves him” (see Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje). Another way to state the problem is that the words because of the LORD either tell that the name was given because God wanted the child to have this name (so New Jerusalem Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Nueva Biblia Española,Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente), or they tell why that particular name was given (because the LORD loved the child, so Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje).
Some may prefer to follow the structure of Contemporary English Version, saying “… sent Nathan the prophet to tell David, ‘The LORD will call him Jedidiah.’ ” Moffatt presents the following model, which has the same essential meaning: “As the Eternal loved him, he sent a message by the prophet Nathan, and, by order of the Eternal, the child was called Jedidiah, or ‘Loved by the Eternal.’ ”
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 .