So: The common Hebrew conjunction here provides a logical transition moving the story along to the next step.

The king of Edom: While the writer goes to great pains to describe the entrance of Judah into this battle, the presence of Edom is very casually introduced and almost seems to be taken for granted. The Edomites were related to the Israelites since they were the descendants of Esau, the brother of Jacob/Israel (Gen 36). At this time the Edomites were still vassals to the southern kingdom of Judah.

When they had made a circuitous march; that is, after they had taken the route to the south of the Dead Sea and then turned back north toward Moab. The detail of their circling around is left out of Good News Translation, but there is no convincing reason for this omission. New American Bible translates “After their roundabout journey.” Revised English Bible speaks of an “indirect route,” and New Jerusalem Bible refers to “a flanking movement.”

There was no water: The southern part of Judah and the country of Edom were very dry regions.

The beasts which followed them is literally “the animals that [were] at their feet.” This expression is normally used of those following closely behind a leader (compare 1 Kgs 20.10). These animals were, in fact, being led by some of the soldiers and were carrying food and other supplies for the soldiers. Hobbs translates “the animals who accompanied the foot soldiers” while Revised English Bible, similar to Good News Translation, refers to “their pack-animals.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .