Each: this refers to each one of the twenty-four fighters, that is, all the men on both sides. In some languages the most natural way of translating this verse will involve the use of reciprocal verb forms showing that the fighters each did the same to his adversary.

By the head: it will probably be more natural in some languages to say “by the hair on his head” or simply “by the hair.”

Thrust his sword in his opponent’s side: the Hebrew lacks a verb, leaving the action implicit (thrust). Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, as well as virtually all other versions including King James Version, have supplied a verb according to the sense of the passage. Such a verb will almost certainly be required in other languages.

They fell down together: the pronoun refers to all twenty-four of the fighting men. If there is any danger that the reader will think it refers only to one group or the other, then it should probably be spelled out clearly as in Good News Translation. And the verb fell down is meant to imply more than a mere fall to the ground from which they could recover. It is important that the reader understand that all these men died as a result of the battle.

Therefore: this shows the reader that the preceding story gives the reason why the field was given the name that follows.

Helkath-hazzurim: this difficult name, which is made up of two Hebrew words, has a meaning that can be translated into most languages, so there is no reason to retain the transliteration of Revised Standard Version, even though New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, and certain other versions have done so. The meaning, however, is problematic, and the relationship between the name and the terminology used in the story is not as clear as it is in most stories of this kind in the Old Testament. In addition to the rendering of Good News Translation, the following have been proposed: “Field of Sharp Knives” (New Century Version); “Field of Blades” (Revised English Bible); “Flints’ Field” (Anchor Bible); “Field of Champions” (Knox); “Portion of Ground of the Sides” (An American Translation); and “The Field of Sides” (Moffatt). There is general agreement that Helkath means field, but the meaning of hazzurim is less certain. However, the most likely possibility is that it is related to the word for “flints” or “blades.” This explains why the majority of those versions seeking to translate the meaning of the name have something related to a fighting instrument.

Another possible solution may be to retain the transliteration and put the meaning in parentheses immediately following, as does Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch. Similar is Fox, who translates “Helkat ha-Tzurim/Field of the Sword-Edges.” But it is probably better simply to translate in common language.

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 .