Following the structural changes suggested above, a translation model making the questions indirect quotations in the first part of the verse may read as follows:

• He might also ask whether we did not remember who killed Abimelech … and how that woman threw a stone down from the wall … He may want to know why we went so close to the wall.

The question Who killed Abimelech…? does not refer to someone killed in the siege of Rabbah but to an event in the history of the people of Israel that David may have drawn on to strengthen an argument against going too close to the wall of any city. For this reason Good News Translation (also La Bible du Semeur, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, and Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje) has rightly introduced the question with the words “Don’t you remember…?” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy provides another model for indicating that the event referred to in verse 21 happened in the past: “just as when in Thebez a woman killed Abimelech….”

Jerubbesheth: textual evidence leads many scholars, including Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, to conclude that the original reading here was “Jerubbaal” (New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New Revised Standard Version, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy) rather than Jerubbesheth (La Bible du Semeur, New International Version, and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). But since these are both lesser known names for Gideon, it may be wiser to use the better known name in translation, as Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version have done. If not, a footnote will certainly be required. Regarding the change from “baal” to “bosheth” in names, see the comments on 2.8. Here the word “bosheth” was written “besheth.”

An upper millstone: New Century Version attempts to clarify the meaning with “a large stone for grinding grain.” Millstones consisted of two halves between which grain was ground into small pieces. The Hebrew text actually says “a piece of a millstone” (compare Judges 9.53). New Jerusalem Bible and New American Bible say simply “a millstone.” But since the purpose for which the stone was normally used is unimportant to the story, it is possible to translate as in Contemporary English Version, which says simply “a large rock.”

At Thebez: this refers to the place where Abimelech was killed by the stone that the woman dropped from the city wall. This story is recorded in Judges 9.50-55.

Then you shall say …: the instructions of Joab finally reach the point where the messenger is commanded to do something. Up to this point the message centers on the possible reaction of David and the questions he might ask after hearing the general outline of the battle news.

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 .