Turn aside to your right hand or to your left: see the comments on verse 19. Translators should remember that the context is a breathless chase in the heat of battle. In addition to the model of Good News Translation, translators may consider “Leave me alone!” Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente states “Change direction.”

One of the young men: that is, one of the other soldiers. See 1.15 and verse 14 in this chapter.

Take his spoil: the word translated spoil is not the usual word for booty taken in war (as in 1 Sam 14.30). The noun is based on a root that means “to draw [or, strip] off.” But it is used in Judges 14.19 and refers to what is taken from a person in war—that is, what could be taken off a dead body, whether weapons, garments, or other belongings. The New International Version rendering is perhaps too restricted, “strip him of his weapons.” There may have been other items of value that could have been recovered from an enemy in battle. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “strip off his tunic,” but this also seems too limited. La Bible du Semeur has “his equipment.”

Would not turn aside: this is stated positively in Good News Translation. In other languages it may be more natural to say something like “refused to stop chasing him.”

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 .