Blessed be the LORD: see the comments at verse 32.

The insult I received at the hand of Nabal: see verses 10-11. It is quite clear that the word hand is being used figuratively here. A literal rendering will therefore be inappropriate in many languages. The words avenged the insult I received are literally “pleaded the case [or, lawsuit] of my disgrace,” that is, “the disgrace done to me.”

David refers to himself as his (Yahweh’s) servant, but in most languages this will be better translated by a pronoun (“me”) or by an expression that includes this pronoun, as in Good News Translation. Otherwise readers may think David is talking about someone other than himself.

Upon his own head: the word head, like the word hand earlier in this verse, is not to be understood literally. This expression means simply “on him.”

Wooed Abigail: literally “spoke for Abigail.” Wooed renders the Hebrew verb commonly translated “to speak” or “to talk.” In the context of a marriage proposal, Revised Standard Version uses the technical term “to woo [someone].” The verb sent does not have a direct object, but the next verse makes clear that David sent some of his servants. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates this last sentence as “David sent messengers to propose marriage to Abigail, to take her as his wife.”

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 .