OET interlinear 1 SAM 6:9

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns

אִם־דֶּ֨רֶךְ גְּבוּל֤⁠וֹ יַֽעֲלֶה֙

if road/way_of its_own_territory_of,of it_ascended

As in the previous verse, the pronoun it refers to the cart that the cows will be pulling, while the pronoun its refers to the Box of Yahweh. If you used plural pronouns in the previous verse to refer to the cows rather than the cart, you can do the same thing here. Alternate translation: [if they go up the way of its border] or [if the cows pull the cart back up to the place where the Box belongs]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicitinfo

אִם & יַֽעֲלֶה֙

if & it_ascended

As the author reports in his own language what the Philistine priests and diviners said, he characteristically marks this travel description for change in elevation by saying up. See the discussion of this in the Introduction to 1 Samuel, and see how you translated the comparable expression in [1:3](../01/03.md). Alternate translation: [if it goes] or [if they go]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

גְּבוּל֤⁠וֹ

its_own_territory_of,of

The priests and diviners are using the term border by association to mean “territory,” since a territory is enclosed by borders. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [its territory]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

וְ⁠אִם־לֹ֗א

and=if not

The priests and diviners are leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You can supply these words from the context if that would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: [But if it does not go up the way of its border] or [But if the cows do not pull the cart back into the territory where the Box belongs]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

לֹ֤א יָד⁠וֹ֙ נָ֣גְעָה בָּ֔⁠נוּ

not his/its=hand struck (in),us

The term hand has the same meaning here as in [6:3](../06/03.md). See how you translated it there. Alternate translation: [he has not been using his power against us]