The Be-erothites: that is, the people who had inhabited the town of Beeroth before the Benjaminites arrived. In some languages the most natural translation will be “the people who had lived there before.”

Gittaim: this town is mentioned only here and in Neh 11.33. Its exact location is uncertain. Most languages will require the addition of the classifier term “town” or “village.”

Sojourners: that is, they did not have the same legal rights as Israelite citizens. New American Bible and New Revised Standard Version translate the sense correctly, “resident aliens.” Some languages may translate this idea “live as foreigners” or “live without full citizen’s rights.” See 1.13.

To this day: see 1 Sam 5.5.

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 .