His servants: that is, his court officials. Some interpreters, however, understand the words which follow to be in apposition to his servants. According to this alternate understanding of the Hebrew, the conjunction translated and in Revised Standard Version will be understood to mean “even” or “that is.” Fox, for example, says “Now all his servants were crossing over next to him, that is, all the Kerethites…” (similarly Bible en français courant, Segond, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).
Passed by him: Good News Translation (“stood next to him”) is based on a proposed modification of the Hebrew text, which consists of changing two letters in the participle “passing.” New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, and Osty-Trinquet do essentially the same thing with the text. But the majority of versions stick with the traditional Hebrew text, which is also given an {A} rating by Hebrew Old Testament Text Project. This will imply a kind of “passing in review before the king” (New American Bible) of those who were still loyal to David.
All the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites: as in 8.18, these two groups were the bodyguards of King David recruited while he was in Ziklag (1 Sam 27–31). Contemporary English Version proposes to translate simply “his bodyguards,” giving the more literal rendering only in a footnote. As in 8.18 and 1 Sam 30.14, Bible en français courant speaks of “Cretans” here rather than of Cherethites.
Six hundred Gittites: these were Philistine soldiers who had come to Jerusalem with David and remained loyal to him. In some languages it will be unnecessarily repetitious to use the term Gittites and the expression from Gath, since they have the same meaning. Good News Translation and New Century Version, for example, have only “from Gath.”
Some modern versions follow a suggested correction of the Hebrew text to include the name of Ittai in this verse. New Jerusalem Bible, for example, has “with Ittai and all six hundred Gittites.” Revised English Bible is similar to New Jerusalem Bible. But few other versions accept this addition, and it is not recommended by Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, since there is no manuscript evidence for the change. If the Hebrew text is followed, then the pronoun him in the phrase who had followed him refers to David. Ittai is introduced in the following verse.
The text does not state explicitly why the troops passed by David, but the sense seems to be that they passed by to march in front of David as the advance guard.
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 .