But: the conjunction here is taken as marking something contrary to expectation in the story and is therefore translated in this way.

Lad: this term often refers to a boy up to the age of adolescence, but it is also used of older “young men” such as Absalom (14.21). The underlying Hebrew term is often translated simply “child” (1 Sam 1.24; 2 Sam 12.16), “boy” (1 Sam 2.11), or “young man” (2 Sam 1.5), but sometimes it means “servant” (1 Sam 2.13; 2 Sam 9.9).

Saw them: the pronoun here probably refers to Jonathan and Ahimaaz, but possibly the servant woman was included. In Hebrew the form is third person masculine plural, but the masculine plural may be used of men only or of groups including both men and women. However, since the slave girl had not been banished from the city, it would not have been significant that she was seen. In languages that use different pronoun forms for men, women, and mixed groups, the masculine pronoun should probably be used here. Certainly it is only the two men, without the woman, who go to Bahurim.

The implied information here is that the boy told Absalom what he had seen, and that Jonathan and Ahimaaz somehow learned that Absalom was aware of their activities and that he was looking for them.

Bahurim: according to 16.5 David had only recently passed through this place. It was apparently friendly to David and his men. This town is mentioned also in 3.16.

Well: in some languages the translation of this term may require a longer expression like “a place where people draw water” or something similar.

In his courtyard: this may have to be translated “near his house” in languages that do not have a special word for courtyard.

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 .