OET interlinear 2 SAM 3:8

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

וַ⁠יִּחַר֩ לְ⁠אַבְנֵ֨ר מְאֹ֜ד

(Some words not found in UHB: and=it_glowed/burnt to,Abner very on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in words_of (a)_man -bshet and=he/it_said [the],head?_of dog's I which/who [belongs]_to,Judah the=day show loyalty with house_of Shāʼūl/(Saul) I_will_show=you(ms) to/towards brothers_of,his and=near/to friend[s]_of,his_close and=not I,have_delivered_you in,the_hand_of Dāvid and,you_have_visited on,me crime_of the=woman the=day )

The author is describing Abner becoming extremely angry by association with the way a person’s skin may become hot when he is angry. Your culture may also associate anger with heat, and if so, you could use its characteristic expression in your translation. You could also use plain language. Alternate translation: [And Abner became steaming mad] or [And Abner became extremely angry]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

דִּבְרֵ֣י אִֽישׁ־בֹּ֗שֶׁת

(Some words not found in UHB: and=it_glowed/burnt to,Abner very on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in words_of (a)_man -bshet and=he/it_said [the],head?_of dog's I which/who [belongs]_to,Judah the=day show loyalty with house_of Shāʼūl/(Saul) I_will_show=you(ms) to/towards brothers_of,his and=near/to friend[s]_of,his_close and=not I,have_delivered_you in,the_hand_of Dāvid and,you_have_visited on,me crime_of the=woman the=day )

The author is using the term words to represent what Ishbosheth said by using words. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [what Ishbosheth had said to him]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

הֲ⁠רֹ֨אשׁ כֶּ֥לֶב אָנֹ֘כִי֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לִֽ⁠יהוּדָה֒

[the],head?_of (Some words not found in UHB: and=it_glowed/burnt to,Abner very on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in words_of (a)_man -bshet and=he/it_said [the],head?_of dog's I which/who [belongs]_to,Judah the=day show loyalty with house_of Shāʼūl/(Saul) I_will_show=you(ms) to/towards brothers_of,his and=near/to friend[s]_of,his_close and=not I,have_delivered_you in,the_hand_of Dāvid and,you_have_visited on,me crime_of the=woman the=day )

Abner is using one part of a dog, his head, to mean an entire dog. He may be doing this to make his statement more elaborate and emphatic. Your language may have its own way of doing this. Alternate translation: [Am I some kind of dog that is to Judah]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

הֲ⁠רֹ֨אשׁ כֶּ֥לֶב אָנֹ֘כִי֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לִֽ⁠יהוּדָה֒

[the],head?_of (Some words not found in UHB: and=it_glowed/burnt to,Abner very on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in words_of (a)_man -bshet and=he/it_said [the],head?_of dog's I which/who [belongs]_to,Judah the=day show loyalty with house_of Shāʼūl/(Saul) I_will_show=you(ms) to/towards brothers_of,his and=near/to friend[s]_of,his_close and=not I,have_delivered_you in,the_hand_of Dāvid and,you_have_visited on,me crime_of the=woman the=day )

Abner is using the question form to express anger and deny that he is worthless. If a speaker of your language would not use the question form for those purposes, you could translate this as a statement or as an exclamation. Alternate translation: [I am not the head of a dog that is to Judah!] or [I am not some kind of dog that is to Judah!]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

הֲ⁠רֹ֨אשׁ כֶּ֥לֶב אָנֹ֘כִי֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לִֽ⁠יהוּדָה֒

[the],head?_of (Some words not found in UHB: and=it_glowed/burnt to,Abner very on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in words_of (a)_man -bshet and=he/it_said [the],head?_of dog's I which/who [belongs]_to,Judah the=day show loyalty with house_of Shāʼūl/(Saul) I_will_show=you(ms) to/towards brothers_of,his and=near/to friend[s]_of,his_close and=not I,have_delivered_you in,the_hand_of Dāvid and,you_have_visited on,me crime_of the=woman the=day )

In this culture, people considered wild dogs dirty and regarded them with contempt. Abner is suggesting that the Judeans are contemptible for not supporting Saul’s son as their next king. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [I am not some contemptible Judean!]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

הַ⁠יּ֨וֹם אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־חֶ֜סֶד עִם־בֵּ֣ית ׀ שָׁא֣וּל אָבִ֗י⁠ךָ אֶל־אֶחָי⁠ו֙ וְ⁠אֶל־מֵ֣רֵעֵ֔⁠הוּ

the=day (Some words not found in UHB: and=it_glowed/burnt to,Abner very on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in words_of (a)_man -bshet and=he/it_said [the],head?_of dog's I which/who [belongs]_to,Judah the=day show loyalty with house_of Shāʼūl/(Saul) I_will_show=you(ms) to/towards brothers_of,his and=near/to friend[s]_of,his_close and=not I,have_delivered_you in,the_hand_of Dāvid and,you_have_visited on,me crime_of the=woman the=day )

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of kindness, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [I am treating your father Saul’s descendants, brothers, and friends kindly] or [I am remaining loyal to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

וְ⁠לֹ֥א הִמְצִיתִ֖⁠ךָ בְּ⁠יַד־דָּוִ֑ד

and=not I,have_delivered_you (Some words not found in UHB: and=it_glowed/burnt to,Abner very on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in words_of (a)_man -bshet and=he/it_said [the],head?_of dog's I which/who [belongs]_to,Judah the=day show loyalty with house_of Shāʼūl/(Saul) I_will_show=you(ms) to/towards brothers_of,his and=near/to friend[s]_of,his_close and=not I,have_delivered_you in,the_hand_of Dāvid and,you_have_visited on,me crime_of the=woman the=day )

Here, hand represents the capability of a person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [and I have not delivered you into David’s power] or [and I have not allowed David to overpower you]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

וַ⁠תִּפְקֹ֥ד עָלַ֛⁠י עֲוֺ֥ן הָ⁠אִשָּׁ֖ה

(Some words not found in UHB: and=it_glowed/burnt to,Abner very on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in words_of (a)_man -bshet and=he/it_said [the],head?_of dog's I which/who [belongs]_to,Judah the=day show loyalty with house_of Shāʼūl/(Saul) I_will_show=you(ms) to/towards brothers_of,his and=near/to friend[s]_of,his_close and=not I,have_delivered_you in,the_hand_of Dāvid and,you_have_visited on,me crime_of the=woman the=day )

Abner is using this possessive form to mean iniquity committed against a woman. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: [you charge me with committing iniquity against a woman]

Note 9 topic: translate-symaction

וַ⁠תִּפְקֹ֥ד עָלַ֛⁠י עֲוֺ֥ן הָ⁠אִשָּׁ֖ה

(Some words not found in UHB: and=it_glowed/burnt to,Abner very on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in words_of (a)_man -bshet and=he/it_said [the],head?_of dog's I which/who [belongs]_to,Judah the=day show loyalty with house_of Shāʼūl/(Saul) I_will_show=you(ms) to/towards brothers_of,his and=near/to friend[s]_of,his_close and=not I,have_delivered_you in,the_hand_of Dāvid and,you_have_visited on,me crime_of the=woman the=day )

See the discussion in the Introduction to this chapter of how, if Abner had actually had sexual relations with Rizpah, that would have been a symbolic action asserting a claim to be the king.