And: the logical connection conveyed by the conjunction here is more like “So” (Good News Translation, New International Version, and New Century Version), “Thereupon” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), or “Then” (New American Bible).

The repetition of the name David in this verse may be unnatural in the receptor language. On the other hand the use of the pronoun them for the Philistines may make the translation unclear. In that case the name “Philistines” should be used.

Broken through … bursting: the verb and the noun used here have the same consonantal root in Hebrew. These consonants (p, r, ts) are also the same as in the name that follows. This constitutes a kind of wordplay that will probably be rather difficult to include in translation. An idea of the impact on these words on the original readers or hearers may be derived from the following literal rendering:

• … “The LORD has burst through my enemies before me like a burst of water.” So the name of the place is called “Lord of Bursts.”

Therefore: this shows that the words that precede provide information about the meaning of the name that follows. Some languages may say “This is why the name of that place is….”

Baal-perazim: mentioned only here and in the parallel passage in 1 Chr 14.11. It means “the Lord rushed over” or “the Lord bursts through.” While Moffatt transliterates the letters of the Hebrew in both occurrences, the second time he adds in parentheses “or ‘lord of bursts.’ ” It will be a good idea for translators to give the readers some idea of the meaning of this term either in the text or in a footnote, since the whole point of what is said here is to give an explanation of the meaning of the name. Fox, who translates as “Baal-Peratzim/Master of Bursting-Forth,” provides one model for making the meaning clear. The footnote in Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje may be a useful model: “ ‘Baal’ means ‘Lord,’ and Perazim comes from the verb ‘paraz’ that means ‘to open a breach/breakthrough.’ ” See also the comments on the name “Perez-uzzah” in 6.8.

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 .