The commanders of the Philistines (see the comments on verse 3) are afraid that David and his troops will turn against the Philistines during the battle. By killing Philistine soldiers (with the heads of the men here), David would be able to win back King Saul’s favor.
Were angry with him: that is, angry with King Achish. If there is any danger that readers may understand the pronoun to refer to David, then the name of Achish should be used here.
The commanders of the Philistines said: the Septuagint says simply “they said.” It may be better to follow the example of the Septuagint, not for textual reasons but for reasons of naturalness in translation, since the immediate repetition of this expression may sound unnatural.
The place to which you have assigned him: that is, to the town of Ziklag (see 27.6). See also the comments on the textual problem in verse 10 below.
The precise meaning of go down [with us to battle] is not clear. In fact verse 9 says “to go up.” The Philistines were going up from the coastal plains to the hills of Samaria. Perhaps the sense is “go down into the valley of Jezreel.” Many modern translations simply do not translate the words go down but rather say something like Good News Translation, “Don’t let him go into battle with us.” Other translations may wish to follow this model.
Adversary: this renders the Hebrew word satan, which later came to be considered the name of the devil. As in 2 Sam 19.22 and also Num 22.22, 32; 1 Kgs 11.14, 23, 25, the term refers here to a human adversary.
How could this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Translators should make certain that readers understand this fellow to refer to David, and his lord to King Saul.
Would it not be with … the men here? Good News Translation expresses the basic meaning, that the Philistine commanders are afraid that David and his men may turn against the Philistine troops and kill them. But by omitting a reference to the heads of the Philistines, an aspect of ancient warfare is omitted. Victorious soldiers sometimes cut off the heads of defeated enemy troops (for example, 17.46, 51; 31.9; 2 Sam 4.7; 20.22; 2 Kgs 6.32). See the comment on “bodyguard” at 28.2. A translation such as the following will keep this image: “How could this fellow please his king? Wouldn’t it be by turning against us, killing us, and cutting off our heads?” Or, changing the final rhetorical question into a statement, “He could certainly do it by turning against us and cutting off our heads for his master.”
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 .