OET interlinear 2 SAM 4:12

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: translate-symaction

וַ⁠יִּתְל֥וּ עַל־הַ⁠בְּרֵכָ֖ה בְּ⁠חֶבְר֑וֹן & בְּ⁠חֶבְרֽוֹן

(Some words not found in UHB: and=he/it_commanded Dāvid DOM the_young,men and,they,killed_them and,they_cut_off DOM hands_of,their and=DOM feet_of,their and,they_hanged_[them] on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in the,pool in,Hebron and=DOM head (a)_man -bshet took and,they_buried_[it] in,the_tomb_of ʼAⱱnēr at,Hebron )

This could mean: (1) that David’s soldiers hung up the hands and feet of Rechab and Baanah beside the pool. This would have been a symbolic action, exposing to disgrace in a public location the hands that these men had used to murder Ishbosheth and the feet that they had used to flee with his head. By this action, David would have been repudiating their deed and warning others against doing anything similar. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could explain the significance of this action. Alternate translation: [and they hung their murderous hands and fugitive feet in disgrace beside the pool in Hebron]; (2) that David’s soldiers hung the bodies of Rechab and Baanah beside the pool. This too would have disgraced them as murderers, repudiated their deed, and warned others. However, it would have been a violation of [Deuteronomy 21:23](../../deu/21/23.md), which required the Israelites to bury the body of an executed person on the same day on which he was executed. So this is less likely. Alternate translation: [and they hung their bodies in disgrace beside the pool in Hebron]