The elders: see the comment on 4.3.

Give us seven days respite: the meaning of the verb “give respite” is “relax” or “withdraw.” Some may prefer to translate “Leave us alone for seven days.” Knox provides a good model using indirect speech in place of the direct quotation of the text: “asked for a truce of seven days.”

We will give ourselves up to you: the Hebrew verb has the basic meaning of “to come out” or “to come forth.” It is sometimes used as a military term, meaning “to march out [to fight].” In this context, however, the sense clearly seems to be not that they will come out to fight, but that they will come forth to surrender. Knox translates “they would open the gates to him.” See also verse 10 below.

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 .