OET interlinear 2 SAM 8:2

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / events

וַֽ⁠יְמַדְּדֵ֤⁠ם בַּ⁠חֶ֨בֶל֙ הַשְׁכֵּ֣ב אוֹתָ֣⁠ם אַ֔רְצָ⁠ה

(Some words not found in UHB: and,he_defeated DOM Mōʼāⱱites and,he,measured_them_off with,measuring-line lie_down ,them towards=land and,he_measured_off two_of lengths to,put_to_death and,the_fullness_of of_(the),measuring-line to,let_live and=it_became Mōʼāⱱites of,David (into),subjects brought_of donation/offering )

The author is describing one event, David measuring these enemy soldiers with a rope, before describing another event that preceded it, David making them lie on the ground. If it would be helpful your language, you may wish to relate these events in the order in which they happened, as in the UST. Alternate translation: [and he made them lie on the ground and measured them with a rope]

Note 2 topic: writing-pronouns

וַֽ⁠יְמַדְּדֵ֤⁠ם

(Some words not found in UHB: and,he_defeated DOM Mōʼāⱱites and,he,measured_them_off with,measuring-line lie_down ,them towards=land and,he_measured_off two_of lengths to,put_to_death and,the_fullness_of of_(the),measuring-line to,let_live and=it_became Mōʼāⱱites of,David (into),subjects brought_of donation/offering )

The pronoun them refers to the Moabite soldiers. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: [the Moabite soldiers]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וַ⁠יְמַדֵּ֤ד שְׁנֵֽי־חֲבָלִים֙ לְ⁠הָמִ֔ית וּ⁠מְלֹ֥א הַ⁠חֶ֖בֶל לְ⁠הַחֲי֑וֹת

(Some words not found in UHB: and,he_defeated DOM Mōʼāⱱites and,he,measured_them_off with,measuring-line lie_down ,them towards=land and,he_measured_off two_of lengths to,put_to_death and,the_fullness_of of_(the),measuring-line to,let_live and=it_became Mōʼāⱱites of,David (into),subjects brought_of donation/offering )

The implication is that David used a rope divided into three equal parts to measure groups of Moabite soldiers. He killed those who were lying under the first two parts but let those under the third part live. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [He used a rope divided into three equal parts. He stretched it out and killed the soldiers lying under the first two parts, but he let the soldiers lying under the rest of the rope live]

Note 4 topic: grammar-collectivenouns

אֶת־מוֹאָ֗ב

DOM Mōʼāⱱites

In this verse, the word Moab is singular in form, but it refers to all the Moabite people as a group. If it would be helpful in your language, you could refer to these people by using a plural form. Alternate translation: [the Moabites]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

נֹשְׂאֵ֥י מִנְחָֽה

(Some words not found in UHB: and,he_defeated DOM Mōʼāⱱites and,he,measured_them_off with,measuring-line lie_down ,them towards=land and,he_measured_off two_of lengths to,put_to_death and,the_fullness_of of_(the),measuring-line to,let_live and=it_became Mōʼāⱱites of,David (into),subjects brought_of donation/offering )

The author is using the first thing that subject peoples would do to deliver tribute, lift it onto the backs of animals that would transport it, to represent the entire action of paying tribute. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your culture or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [bringers of tribute] or [vassals]