Moffatt takes verse 13 as a late addition and encloses it in double brackets. Verse 14 is then taken as a continuation of the thought of verse 12, and the pronouns are plural, referring to the dynasty rather than to an individual: “When they go astray, I will punish them….” This, however, is not recommended to translators.

As noted on the previous verse, the pronoun He in verse 13 is emphatic in the Hebrew. This emphatic pronoun contrasts with the emphatic pronoun I at the beginning of verse 14. Fox shows the emphatic character of the Hebrew by translating verses 13 and 14 as follows: “He will build a house to my name… I will be to him as a father….” In languages that have independent emphatic pronouns, translators should use them in this case, but the use of italics to convey meaning is discouraged.

Since God is speaking, the image of father and son may not be appropriate in some languages if translated literally. It will become necessary to say “I will be like a father to him and he will be like my son.” However, in many languages the imagery will be understood even when translated literally. Translators will recall that very similar wording is found in Heb 1.5.

Commits iniquity: this is a rather high level of language, meaning simply “make crooked,” “pervert,” or “make an error.” New International Version, Revised English Bible, and New Jerusalem Bible, like Good News Translation, say more plainly “does wrong,” which fits this context very well.

Chasten: the idea here is one of punishing with a view to correction and improvement of character. It will perhaps be better to use a verb like “punish” (New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version), “discipline” (Anchor Bible), or “correct” (New American Bible, Contemporary English Version).

With the rod of men: the meaning here is most probably that Yahweh will use the normal means of correction commonly applied by human beings. Other interpreters, however, take it to mean that, although he is divine, he will use human beings as instruments of his punishment. New Century Version, for example, says “When he sins, I will use other people to punish him. They will be my whips” (New Century Version). While the possibility of using human instruments is not excluded, this does not seem to be the emphasis of the text.

With the stripes of the sons of men: this expression is in parallel with the previous one, with the rod of men, and has the same essential meaning. The stripes are the result of beating with the rod. And the expression the sons of men is another way of talking about men or “human beings.” If it is natural to retain the parallelism, this better reflects the form of the original. But in those languages where such repetition of the same idea is awkward, the idea may be translated only once.

A good model for translating the second half of this verse is:

• When he does wrong, I shall punish him as any father might, and not spare the rod (Revised English Bible).

Or:

• When he does wrong, I’ll see that he is corrected, just as children are corrected by their parents (Contemporary English Version).

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 .