Your sons: while the term so translated may be used to refer to children in general, in this context the focus seems to be on male children.

Till the land: the verb used here is a very general one meaning “to serve” or “to work.” It has the same root as the word for “servants” later in this verse. To “work the land” (Anchor Bible and Anderson) means doing all those things necessary to make it produce crops. The English verb till may therefore be a bit too limited. New International Version and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh as well as Good News Translation use the verb “farm.”

Bring in the produce: the noun produce does not translate anything explicit in the text. It is rather implied in the verb having the general meaning bring in. The text does not specify the place to which the produce is to be brought. Some interpreters take the Hebrew verb bring in to mean “gather” or “harvest” in this context. It is the logical next step after cultivating the land. Others understand the verb to mean “bring in to Jerusalem [from the farmland owned by Saul’s family].”

Your master’s son: this phrase occurs twice in this verse in the Masoretic Text, but in the first occurrence of these words, some Hebrew manuscripts and one form of the ancient Greek translation have “your master’s house.” This reading of the Septuagint is the basis for “your master’s household” (Revised English Bible and Anderson) and “your master’s family” (New Jerusalem Bible). The reading of the Septuagint is recommended by Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, which gives it a {B} rating. The difference between the Hebrew text, as represented by Revised Standard Version, and the form of the Greek text, followed by Good News Translation, is this: the Hebrew text seems to say that food is to be “brought in” to Jerusalem to feed Mephibosheth [ your master’s son] in Jerusalem, where he will eat at David’s table (so New Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). The Greek text says that the food is to be brought into the house where Saul’s descendants live in order to feed them, while David himself will feed Mephibosheth (so Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible).

Whichever text is followed, it may be wise to remind the reader who the master is. Good News Translation follows the recommended reading but uses a more dynamic rendering.

The second occurrence of your master’s son may be considered unnecessary, since this information has already been given (see verses 6 and 9).

Bread: as frequently elsewhere in the Bible, the word bread is used as a substitute for “food” in general. In very many languages it will be more natural and more easily understood if translators say “food” (New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, and New Century Version) or “things to eat.”

Eat at my table: see remarks on this expression in verse 7.

Fifteen sons and twenty servants: this is an editorial remark indicating that Ziba had the necessary workers to accomplish what David had ordered him to do. This information is placed in parentheses in a number of English versions (New International Version, New Century Version, and Anchor Bible), but in others it becomes a relative clause modifying Ziba, the subject of the following sentence (New American Bible, Revised English Bible).

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 .