The pronoun they may refer to Joab’s ten bodyguards who dealt the death blows to Absalom, or it may be an indefinite pronoun that is sometimes used as a substitute for a passive form. If a more definite subject is required, it is possible to say “Joab’s men” (New Century Version) without identifying them further.
A great pit: that is, a deep hole. There is no indication that they had to dig out the hole. It was probably already there. But they did cover the body with a very great heap of stones.
And all Israel fled …: in some languages this may begin a new paragraph, since it shifts the scene back to what was left of Absalom’s army. In order to avoid giving the impression that all Israel refers to the fighting men on both sides of the battle, some may choose to translate “all the soldiers loyal to Absalom.” In keeping with the interpretation that Israel refers to the people of the northern tribes only, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente says “All the men of the north fled toward their land.”
Every one to his own home: the word for home is actually “tents” (New American Bible), but this refers to the tents in which their nomadic ancestors had lived and not tents of war. By this time in Israel’s history, people did not generally live in tents. The Hebrew expression remained in use long after people began living in houses (for example, 1 Sam 4.10; 13.2; 1 Kgs 8.66; 12.16).
Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch restructures the order of events in verses 16-17 in a way that may be helpful in other languages also:
• The troops of Israel were in full flight. With a trumpet signal, Joab called his troops back from their pursuit. The Israelite troops disbanded and each went to his home. Joab’s men threw the corpse of Absalom into a deep pit in the forest and piled up big heaps of stones on it.
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 .