Then: what happens next is the result of the advice given in the previous verse. The common conjunction therefore serves as a logical connector. Revised English Bible and New Jerusalem Bible, like Good News Translation, begin the sentence with “So….”

The use of the verb form in the singular, arose, followed by mention of the additional subject, all the people who were with him, is common in Hebrew, but such word order may be very awkward in other languages. The meaning is clearly that David and all his men acted together, but the focus is on David. As has been noted elsewhere, the verb arose does not mean they were necessarily sitting or lying down. The sense if that they started doing something.

By daybreak: literally “until the light of morning.” Contemporary English Version translates “By sunrise,” while New Jerusalem Bible and New Century Version have “by dawn.”

Not one was left who had not crossed the Jordan: the two negatives in this statement cancel each other so that the meaning is positive and rather emphatic. This may be better translated in a positive way in certain languages. It will be possible, for example, to say “every single one of them had crossed the Jordan” or something similar.

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 .