He came near her: or “he approached her.” The pronoun he refers, of course, to Joab, and this should probably be made clear in translation as Good News Translation has done. And in view of the context it may be better to translate the words came near her as “came near to the wall where she was” or possibly, as in New International Version, “went toward her.”

The preliminary exchange is intended to assure the woman that she is really talking with Joab and not some lesser representative. Joab confirms that she is talking to the right person.

Your maidservant: in using this expression of herself, the woman shows great respect for and submission to Joab. Translators should look for their own ways of addressing a powerful person to indicate that they are respected. Good News Translation attempts to do this by adding the word “sir.” It is inadvisable in most cases to translate literally at this point.

It will be possible to translate the whole verse without recourse to direct quotations if this is more natural in the receptor language. The following model is suggested:

• And after Joab approached the woman, she asked if he was really Joab. He assured her that he was [Joab], and then she begged him to listen to what she had to say. He answered that he was listening.

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 .