Took … to heart: literally “put [or, placed] in his heart.” This is a common Hebrew idiom, though expressed in slightly different forms in Hebrew (see 2 Sam 13.20, 33), meaning “to pay attention to,” “to lay to heart.” The sense of this idiom may be expressed in various ways: “These comments were not lost on David” (Revised English Bible), “these words worried David” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), “David took note of these remarks” (New American Bible), and “David pondered on these words” (New Jerusalem Bible). On the place of the heart in Hebrew thinking, see the comments on 1.8.

And was much afraid: the relationship between David’s consideration of the words of the people of Gath and his becoming afraid of King Achish leaves a great deal to the imagination of the reader. Contemporary English Version makes it somewhat clearer by saying “David thought about what they were saying, and it made him afraid of Achish.” That is, the quoting of the song about David implied that he was therefore a threat to Achish, but since he was all alone, he was afraid that he might be killed in order to do away with the threat.

Achish the king of Gath: Good News Translation has omitted the words of Gath in the interest of English style, since Achish was already identified as king of Gath in verse 10.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .