Israel and Absalom: this does not refer to two individuals, as some readers may think. It is rather Absalom and his fighting force of Israelite soldiers. This should be made clear in translation.

Encamped: in some languages this may be best translated “set up their tents and spent the night.”

The land of Gilead: this was a mountainous region on the east side of the Jordan River, between the Arnon and Yarmuk Rivers. Instead of using the ambiguous word “of” in this expression, it will be better in most languages to say something like “the territory named Gilead.”

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 .