Marching in the tops of the … trees: the meaning of this phrase has long troubled scholars because it is very difficult to understand. Anchor Bible has proposed changing one consonant in the Hebrew word translated marching, which gives the much more satisfactory meaning “the sound of wind in the treetops.” Even those commentators who would leave the Hebrew text unchanged suggest that the “marching sound” in the treetops was “perhaps the rustling sound made by the leaves” (Anderson, page 94). So translators may feel free to translate the idea of wind in the treetops without worrying about changing the original text.

Bestir yourself: this is archaic English. New Revised Standard Version has translated into more common language, “be on the alert,” and New American Bible says “act decisively.” The parallel in 1 Chr 14.15 has what may be considered a free translation of the same idea, “then go out into battle.” Here it may be better to translate something like “look sharp” (Anchor Bible), “then go into action” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), or “then you must act quickly” (New Century Version).

Smite: New Revised Standard Version renders the same verb “strike down,” but this may just as easily be translated “attack” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “defeat” (Good News Translation).

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 .