6:1 David again assembled 1 all the best 2 men in Israel, thirty thousand in number.
8:13 David became famous 3 when he returned from defeating the Arameans 4 in the Valley of Salt, he defeated 5 18,000 in all.
1 tn The translation understands the verb to be a defective spelling of וַיְּאֱסֹף (vayyÿ’esof) due to quiescence of the letter א (alef). The root therefore is אסף (’sf, “to gather”). The Masoretes, however, pointed the verb as וַיֹּסֶף (vayyosef), understanding it to be a form of יָסַף (yasaf, “to add”). This does not fit the context, which calls for a verb of gathering.
2 tn Or “chosen.”
3 tn Heb “made a name.”
4 tn So NASB, NCV; NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “Edomites” (see the note on “Aram” in v. 12).
5 tn The words “he defeated” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.