The titles of Psa 56 and 34 link those psalms with the incidents in verses 12-13.

So: the common Hebrew conjunction is correctly translated as a logical connector in this context. It was because of his fear of Achish that David pretended to be insane.

The pronouns he and his refer to David. However, since King Achish was the last person mentioned by name in verse 12, use of the pronoun rather than the name “David” may result in initial confusion in some languages.

Before them: that is, when other people were watching, or “in front of Achish and his servants” (making the pronoun them explicit). New Jerusalem Bible conveys the same meaning but without making the pronoun explicit: “when their eyes were on him.” Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente says simply “in public.”

In their hands: these words are subject to various interpretations: “when they held him” (New Jerusalem Bible); “for their benefit” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh); “while in their custody” (Anchor Bible); “as they sought to restrain him” (Klein). Perhaps the latter is a bit more likely.

Made marks on the doors of the gate: on the “gates” of city walls, see the comment on 4.18. The verb translated made marks expresses the sense of scribbling. However, some take the verb to refer to scratching or “clawing” (New Century Version).

The Septuagint reads “drummed,” a translation based on a Hebrew verb similar in appearance to the verb made marks. New American Bible (“drumming on the doors”) and New Jerusalem Bible (“drummed his feet on the doors”) are based on the Septuagint (also Fox, Osty-Trinquet, and La Bible Pléiade).

Anchor Bible accepts the Septuagint reading but considers the Hebrew word behind the Septuagint translation to be related to the word “spitting,” that is, David “spat [upon the doors].” Such a translation certainly fits well with the words that immediately follow. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text and recommends that the verb be translated “he made marks.”

The gate referred to may be either that of the city as a whole or the gate of the royal palace. Probably the city gate is intended, but kings often set up their throne in the open area just inside the city gate to receive visitors. So in either case King Achish would have been aware of David’s bizarre behavior.

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 .