OET interlinear 2 SAM 18:18

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-background

וְ⁠אַבְשָׁלֹ֣ם לָקַ֗ח וַ⁠יַּצֶּב־ל֤⁠וֹ בְחַיָּיו֙ אֶת־מַצֶּ֨בֶת֙

(Some words not found in UHB: and,Absalom he/it_had_taken and,he_had_set_up to=him/it in,life_of,his DOM pillar which/who [is]_in,the_valley_of the=king that/for/because/then/when he/it_had_said not to=me son in=account_of keep_~_inremembrance name_of,my and=he/it_called (to),pillar on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in his/its=name and,it_has_been_called to/for=her/it monument_of ʼAⱱīshālōm's until the=day (the),this )

The author is providing background information to help readers appreciate the irony of Absalom wanting to have a high monument that would make people remember him. His monument turned out to be the shameful pile of stones, not the one described here. In your translation, introduce this information in a way that would be natural in your own language and culture.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

אֵֽין־לִ֣⁠י בֵ֔ן

not to=me son

The author says in [14:27](../14/27.md) that Absalom had three sons, so they had all apparently died by the time Absalom set up this pillar. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. The UST models one way to do that.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

וַ⁠יִּקָּ֤רֵא לָ⁠הּ֙

(Some words not found in UHB: and,Absalom he/it_had_taken and,he_had_set_up to=him/it in,life_of,his DOM pillar which/who [is]_in,the_valley_of the=king that/for/because/then/when he/it_had_said not to=me son in=account_of keep_~_inremembrance name_of,my and=he/it_called (to),pillar on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in his/its=name and,it_has_been_called to/for=her/it monument_of ʼAⱱīshālōm's until the=day (the),this )

The expression it is called is a passive verbal form. If your language would not use that form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [and people call it]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

עַ֖ד הַ⁠יּ֥וֹם הַ⁠זֶּֽה

until the=day (Some words not found in UHB: and,Absalom he/it_had_taken and,he_had_set_up to=him/it in,life_of,his DOM pillar which/who [is]_in,the_valley_of the=king that/for/because/then/when he/it_had_said not to=me son in=account_of keep_~_inremembrance name_of,my and=he/it_called (to),pillar on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in his/its=name and,it_has_been_called to/for=her/it monument_of ʼAⱱīshālōm's until the=day (the),this )

See how you translated the similar expression in [4:3](../04/03.md). Alternate translation: [as of the time of this writing]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

יַ֣ד אַבְשָׁלֹ֔ם

monument_of (Some words not found in UHB: and,Absalom he/it_had_taken and,he_had_set_up to=him/it in,life_of,his DOM pillar which/who [is]_in,the_valley_of the=king that/for/because/then/when he/it_had_said not to=me son in=account_of keep_~_inremembrance name_of,my and=he/it_called (to),pillar on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in his/its=name and,it_has_been_called to/for=her/it monument_of ʼAⱱīshālōm's until the=day (the),this )

In this culture, people used the term Hand to mean a monument. They may have done this because ancient monuments may have had an image of a hand engraved or sculpted on them as a symbol of power and strength, or because monuments called attention to an achievement, as a gesturing hand would do. If you have already translated the book of 1 Samuel, see how you translated the similar expression in [1 Samuel 15:12](../../1sa/15/12.md). Alternate translation, as in the UST: [Absalom’s Monument]