OET interlinear 2 SAM 2:17

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

וַ⁠יִּנָּ֤גֶף אַבְנֵר֙ וְ⁠אַנְשֵׁ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לִ⁠פְנֵ֖י עַבְדֵ֥י דָוִֽד

(Some words not found in UHB: and=it_became the,battle fierce until very in_the=day (the)=that and,he_was_defeated ʼAⱱnēr and,the_men_of Yisrael to=(the)_face_of/in_front_of/before servants_of Dāvid )

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [And the servants of David struck Abner and the men of Israel to their faces]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

וַ⁠יִּנָּ֤גֶף & לִ⁠פְנֵ֖י עַבְדֵ֥י דָוִֽד

(Some words not found in UHB: and=it_became the,battle fierce until very in_the=day (the)=that and,he_was_defeated ʼAⱱnēr and,the_men_of Yisrael to=(the)_face_of/in_front_of/before servants_of Dāvid )

The author is using the term face by association to mean that Abner and the men of Israel were in front of the servants of David. The expression indicates agency. It means that David’s soldiers struck Abner and his soldiers as they engaged them in battle. See the discussion of this phrase in the Introduction to 2 Samuel. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [were struck by the servants of David] or [were struck as they opposed the servants of David]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וַ⁠יִּנָּ֤גֶף & לִ⁠פְנֵ֖י עַבְדֵ֥י דָוִֽד

(Some words not found in UHB: and=it_became the,battle fierce until very in_the=day (the)=that and,he_was_defeated ʼAⱱnēr and,the_men_of Yisrael to=(the)_face_of/in_front_of/before servants_of Dāvid )

By were struck, the author means that Abner and the men of Israel “were defeated” in battle. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. See the discussion of the term “struck” in the Introduction to 2 Samuel. Alternate translation: [were defeated to the face of the servants of David] or [were defeated by the servants of David]