The order of the various elements in this verse is changed by certain ancient translations, including the Septuagint, and by one manuscript of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Good News Translation follows that order rather than the traditional Hebrew text (reflected by Revised Standard Version). Good News Translation places at the beginning of the verse the part about David learning the news of what the Israelites were saying, and this is the more logical position. This order is also adopted by New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Revised English Bible, Contemporary English Version, Anchor Bible, and Anderson, although in some cases the element under discussion is made a part of the previous verse. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives an {A} rating to the order of the Masoretic Text, but even if this restructuring is not done on the basis of textual information, it can be done for translational reasons, since the fact that David learned the news of the discussion in Israel must have preceded his sending word to Zadok and Abiathar.

Another problem in this verse is the fact that one direct quotation is placed within a larger quotation, and such a construction is often difficult in certain languages. The solution is to make one of the quotations indirect, as has been done in Good News Translation.

Sent this message: literally “sent … saying.” A number of modern translations say “sent word to….”

The elders: see the comments on 1 Sam 4.3. The Hebrew text leaves implicit that these two priests must first call the elders together before they can speak to them. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch makes this explicit, saying “Call the elders of the tribe of Judah together and….”

The last: both New Century Version and Contemporary English Version make it clear that this refers to “the last tribe” to consider the restoration of David as king.

Bring the king back: the return of David to Jerusalem would be certain confirmation that he was again considered king of all Israel and Judah. New American Bible translates “to restore the king to his palace.” The reference to his house here is clearly to the palace in Jerusalem, from which David had fled to get away from Absalom (see 15.14-16). If this is a direct quotation from David himself, it will be unnatural in many languages for him to refer to himself as the king. In most cases the best translation will be the first person singular object pronoun, “me,” as Good News Translation does in the following verse. Or perhaps it is better to say “me as your king” in this case.

All Israel may be rendered “the northern tribes” (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente) in this context, as in 18.17.

After the words has come to the king, the Masoretic Text has the words “to his house” (New American Standard Bible). Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament suggests that these additional words are an error in the Masoretic Text and should not be translated, giving a {C} rating to the Septuagint, which omits them.

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 .