He made him king: the use of the two pronouns may make it unclear which of the two characters is made king and which is the kingmaker. We know, of course, that it was Abner who made Ishbosheth king, so this may be made clear in translation, as has been done in Good News Translation.

Gilead: readers are unlikely to know whether this term refers to a town, a region, or some other geographical entity. For this reason it may be necessary for translators to add a classifier term showing that it was a region. It was located in the country that is now called Jordan, and the borders were the Yarmuk and the Arnon rivers. Note that Good News Translation indicates that Gilead was one of several territories.

Ashurites: the meaning of the name here is uncertain. This uncertainty is reflected in the variety of renderings in English versions. New Revised Standard Version retains the reading of Revised Standard Version, which possibly refers to the Assyrians; but Moffatt, New Jerusalem Bible, and Revised English Bible have “Asherites,” that is, members of the tribe of Asher (see Judges 1.32). This second understanding follows the ancient Jewish Targum. The same meaning is conveyed by Good News Translation‘s “Asher.” New International Version has “Ashuri” in the text, with a footnote saying “Or Asher.”

Anchor Bible and Fox read “Geshurites,” and similarly Knox has “Gessuri,” while Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has “Gesuri.” This reading comes from the Syriac and Vulgate and is justified on the basis that Geshur would be more logical in a geographical list between the names Gilead and Jezreel. The majority of modern versions, however, seem to prefer “Asher.”

Jezreel: while the name Jezreel refers to a town as in verse 2, it is also used to include the surrounding territory between Galilee and Samaria. It is this sense that is intended here.

Ephraim and Benjamin: these were originally names of individuals, but in this context the terms are used to refer to the geographical territory where the descendants of these individuals lived. This should be made clear in translation by saying something like “the territories of Ephraim and Benjamin” or by using other grammatical devices showing that they are not the names of individuals but of geographical areas.

And all Israel: this is not intended as another name in the list, as if to say “the remainder of Israel.” Rather it is a comprehensive expression referring to the places already mentioned. Good News Translation reflects this by adding the word “indeed” or “that is to say.” Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente says “in short, of all Israel.” The name Israel is sometimes used to refer to the ten northern tribes but excluding the tribes of Simeon and Judah. This more restricted meaning is almost certainly what is intended here (see the comments on section head title at the beginning of verse 1).

Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch offers a possible model for restructuring the verse as a whole in other languages: “There he made him king over Israel. His rule extended to the regions of Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim and Benjamin.”

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 .