Your servant: this way of Absalom’s referring to himself will be better translated by the first person singular pronoun in most languages, especially since the pronoun is used later in this verse. But some will find other ways to add the element of respect that this expression indicates.

Vowed a vow: see 1 Sam 1.11.

Aram: this is another way of referring to the country of Syria. But since Syria is the better-known term and is much more frequently used in the New Testament, that form should probably be used in translation here. Compare 8.6.

The actual promise is given as a direct quotation indicating what Absalom supposedly said at the time. Since this is framed within another direct quotation, this may be better translated indirectly as Good News Translation has done.

Offer worship to the LORD: the verb translated offer worship here is actually more often translated “serve” (King James Version, An American Translation, New American Standard Bible). It is not the same as the expression “worship the LORD” in 1 Sam 15.25 but rather the same as “serve the LORD” in 1 Sam 12.20. Nevertheless in this context it has more the idea of worshiping than of working. It will be a mistake, therefore, to attempt to translate “serve” in the sense of “work.”

“In Hebron” (Good News Translation): these words are found in some manuscripts of the ancient Greek version at this point, but they are not in any known Hebrew manuscripts. Some scholars think that they were dropped out of the Hebrew text by a copyist, while others think that they were added here by copying from the previous verse. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project and Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament give a {C} rating to the Hebrew text. Since, however, this meaning is implied from the context, these words may be added for translation reasons even if they were not found in the original.

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 .