But: the translation of the transition word here will depend on how the following phrase Absalom fled is understood. If it is considered a separate statement of the narrator, a connecting word like “In the meantime” (Good News Translation) or “Meanwhile” (New International Version, New American Bible, and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) will be appropriate. But if it is taken as a continuation of the quotation of what Jonadab says in the previous verses (so New Jerusalem Bible,Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente), then a simple “and” will be better. Both interpretations of the Hebrew are equally possible, so translators may follow either.

Absalom fled: these words present several problems to translators. They have been omitted by Anchor Bible and Nueva Biblia Española, which consider them out of place here. Certain other scholars (Wellhausen, for example) also reject them as being a repetition from verses 37 and 38, where the same expression is used. As already indicated, a number of versions and commentaries (New Jerusalem Bible, Contemporary English Version, Bible en français courant,Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, and Anderson) take this as a part of the quotation of verses 32 and 33. This seems to be a slightly better solution than making it a separate statement of the narrator, as has been done by Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation.

Young man who kept the watch: there is no need to emphasize the youth of the watchman. Other versions have rendered this as “the man standing watch” (New International Version); “the sentry on duty” (Revised English Bible); “One of the guards” (Contemporary English Version); or “a guard standing on the city wall” (New Century Version).

Lifted up his eyes: on the use of this expression, see 1 Sam 6.13.

Behold: this is an indication of the sudden nature of what is described here. Some translations may wish to shift this element to a point earlier in the sentence and begin with something like “suddenly” (Bible en français courant) or “just then” (Anchor Bible).

Horonaim road: the traditional Hebrew text as it stands means “the road behind him” (New American Standard Bible,Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Fox), which may also be rendered “the road west of him” (New International Version). The majority of modern scholars, however, alter the Hebrew preposition “behind” and take this word to refer to a place named Horonaim. Horonaim was a city in the southern part of Moab that is mentioned by both Isaiah (15.5) and Jeremiah (48.3), but this Horonaim in Moab is not the city referred to here. New Jerusalem Bible alters the Hebrew text to read “the Bahurim road.” New American Bible adopts a solution similar to that of New Jerusalem Bible, but such a solution is not recommended. To complicate matters further Knox has “an unfrequented path.”

In spite of all this confusion, the most likely reading is the one recommended by Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, “the Horonaim road.” Horonaim is the plural form of Horon. Since there were twin cities in the mountains of Judah called Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-horon (Josh 16.3 and 5; 2 Chr 8.5), the name Horonaim here refers to these two cities. Moffatt therefore correctly speaks of “the Beth-Horon road,” since this is another name for Horonaim. This may be rendered “the road from the town of Horonaim,” or perhaps better, “the road leading down from [the towns of] Beth-horon” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Beth-horon is mentioned also in 1 Sam 13.18.

By the side of the mountain: this has been taken to mean “on the side of the hill” (New International Version), “from the other side of the hill” (New Century Version), and “coming down the mountainside” (New American Bible). The latter seems more likely.

At this point the ancient Greek translation has additional words that are not in the traditional Hebrew text but are reflected in the Good News Translation rendering, “He went to the king and reported what he had seen.” But this is a rather summary version of the extra text, which literally reads “and the watchman came and informed the king; he said ‘I saw men from the Horonaim road, from the mountainside.’ ” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recommends this longer addition, giving it an {A} rating, but in translation the repetition may prove to be cumbersome. In such a case it can be summarized as in Good News Translation for the sake of naturalness.

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 .