They were a wall to us: this is figurative language, meaning that David and his men provided protection for Nabal’s young men. See the same imagery in Zech 2.5. This may be translated by changing the Hebrew image into nonfigurative language, as Good News Translation has done, or by making the comparison more evident: “they were like a protecting wall around us” (Bible en français courant). Contemporary English Version has these men say “With them around day or night, we were as safe as we would have been inside a walled city.”

Both by night and by day: in some languages this expression may be more naturally translated by an adverb like “constantly” or “continuously.” It really serves only to emphasize all the while.

Sheep: a more general term is preferable here, since it is quite probable that this refers not only to sheep but also to goats, though in 25.2 this same term clearly refers to sheep only. See the comments at 8.17.

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 .