The box: see the comments on verse 8.

Unlike verse 5, which refers to the “images of mice,” this verse says simply the golden mice. It may be wise to repeat here that these are golden images of mice, although in some languages the fact that the mice (or rats) are made of gold makes it quite clear that they were models and not real rodents.

On the translation of tumors see 5.6.

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 .