Stretched forth his hand: as indicated elsewhere the word hand is often used to refer to power. The idea of the expression here is that the angel began to exercise his power to destroy the city of Jerusalem. Some may prefer to translate “turned his attention to the destruction [of Jerusalem]” or simply “began to destroy….”

The LORD repented of the evil: in 1 Sam 15.35 the writer indicates that “the LORD repented” that he had made Saul king. But he does not say clearly that making him king was evil. In this case, as in Exo 32.14, the word evil is actually used. While this may present theological problems for some translators, it is clearly what the text says and must therefore be translated. Here the death of the people of Israel is seen as an evil that the LORD originally intended but eventually regretted. In some languages it will be fitting to make clear what this evil was by translating as Good News Translation has done, “punishing the people.” Some other translations of the evil are “the calamity” (New American Bible and New Jerusalem Bible) and “the terrible things that had happened” (New Century Version). The word translated evil does not refer to a moral wrong but rather has more the meaning of “harm.” The verb itself carries the idea of feeling sorry or regretting a course of action taken or about to be taken. Knox translates it “was moved with pity.” A good translation of the overall expression is New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, “renounced further punishment.”

It is enough: the word so translated is literally “many,” but it is sometimes used to express the idea of “enough.” This provides the reason for the command that follows but is at the same time an order to stop. In some languages it will be best translated “Stop!”

Now stay your hand: this is a command to the angel to stop what he was doing (compare the similar expression in Dan 4.35). Once again the word hand is used in the sense of power. Good News Translation, like some other versions, reverses the order of the two elements in the direct quotation so that the command to cease comes first and then the reason is given. This order may be more natural in some other languages.

In some languages it will be more appropriate to make the direct quote indirect in this verse. Translators may prefer to say “told the angel who was killing the people to stop because enough had already died.”

Threshing floor: see discussion under 6.6 and 1 Sam 23.1. Compare also Gen 50.10-11 and Ruth 3.2-14.

Araunah the Jebusite: the parallel in 1 Chr 21.15-25 has “Ornan the Jebusite.” New International Version, Good News Translation, and New Century Version harmonize the two accounts, using the name Araunah in both, since these were probably two alternate forms of the same name. The spelling Araunah is based on the corrected form in the margin of the Masoretic Text. The text itself has “Awarnah.” Nearly all interpreters consider Araunah to be a name, though some have suggested that this word was a title, perhaps meaning “ruler.” Regarding the Jebusites, who were non-Israelite natives of Jerusalem, see the comments on 5.6.

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 .