1 Samuel 1-19

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. 1 Samuel 1:1 tc The translation follows the MT. The LXX reads “a man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite”; this is followed by a number of recent English translations. It is possible the MT reading צוֹפִים (tsofim) arose from dittography of the מ (mem) at the beginning of the following word.
2. 1 Samuel 1:2 sn We do not know how Elkanah came to have two wives. A man whose brother had died without leaving children had, by custom, to marry his sister-in-law to raise up a son in his brother’s name (Deut 25:5). Childlessness, more than one wife, and rivalry are recurrent themes in the stories of Genesis. Sarai gave her servant Hagar to Abraham in an arrangement that would consider the child to be Sarai’s (Gen 16:2). Jacob was tricked into marrying Leah, but then also married Rachel, who initially could not have children (Gen 29:23-25; 30:1). This situation recalls the stories from Genesis and the dysfunction of the Patriarchs’ families.
3. 1 Samuel 1:3 tn Heb “from days to days.” In this phrase “days” idiomatically means a year, as a set of days.
4. 1 Samuel 1:3 sn From the book of Judges we know that Israel often struggled with idolatry during this time period. This introduction to Elkanah portrays him as a faithful worshiper of the Lord (whatever his faults may have been) at a time when “each man did what he considered to be right” (Judg 17:6; 21:25).
5. 1 Samuel 1:3 tc LXX “Eli and his two sons.”
6. 1 Samuel 1:4 tn The word “now” does not appear in the Hebrew. It is used here to signal that the narrator makes an aside. This begins an extended parenthetic remark which extends to the end of verse 7. sn The narrator supplies background information about the behavior patterns in this family which would routinely occur when they went to the tabernacle to worship on holy days.
7. 1 Samuel 1:5 tn The exact sense of the Hebrew word אַפָּיִם (ʾappayim, “two nostrils” or “face”) is not certain here. The form is dual and is most likely used with the preceding expression (“one portion of two faces”) to mean a portion double than normally received. Although evidence for this use of the word derives primarily from Aramaic rather than from Hebrew usage, it provides an understanding that fits the context here better than other suggestions for the word do. The meaning “double” is therefore adopted in the present translation. Other possibilities for the meaning of the word include the following: “heavily” (cf. Vulg., tristis) and “worthy” or “choice” (cf. KJV and Targum). Some scholars have followed the LXX here, emending the word to אֶפֶס (ʾefes) and translating it as “but” or “however.” This seems unnecessary. The translators of the LXX may simply have been struggling to make sense of the word rather than following a Hebrew text that was different from the MT here.
8. 1 Samuel 1:5 tn Heb “because Hannah he loved.” The Hebrew places the direct object, “Hannah,” first as a means of emphasis (topicalization). The emphasis on Hannah shows she was his favorite and may leave the audience wondering whether or how much he loves Peninnah. In turn this may typologically recall the ancestral story of Jacob loving Rachel more than Leah (Gen 29:30, 32), whom he was tricked into marrying.
9. 1 Samuel 1:5 tn Or “and [because] the Lord had closed her womb.” So also in v. 6.” The conjunction, commonly “and,” could represent a second reason for giving her a double portion. Or because it is a noun first clause, it simply provides background information to be read in light of the statement that he loved her.sn The act of giving Hannah a double portion portrays Elkanah as having compassion on Hannah but also demonstrating favoritism. Exod 21:10 forbids diminishing the food of a second wife. This act is not the same as diminishing Peninnah’s food, but surely contributes to the tension between the women. While the extra food for Hannah may seem insignificant for the pain of childlessness, it was probably significant to Peninnah.
10. 1 Samuel 1:6 tn The Hebrew construction is infrequent, employing גַּם (gam; “also”) and the noun כַּעַס (kaʿas; “grief, vexation, provocation”), which is a cognate to the verb (Hifil of כָּעַס; kaʿas, “to give grief, to provoke, to offend”). Both גַּם (gam; “also”) and use of the cognate noun strengthen the idea of aggravating her. A similar but negated construction appears in Jer 8:12. It suggests that this syntax speaks of attaining the notion in the verb to a significant level, in this case to the point of provocation or exasperation.
11. 1 Samuel 1:6 tn Heb “for the purpose of troubling her.” The word “just” has been added for English idiom. The Hiphil form of the verb רָעַם (raʿam) may mean to disturb, humiliate, or provoke to anger. The picture seems to be that Peninnah would deliberately choose ways to irritate Hannah, for no other purpose except to see her provoked, humiliated, or depressed.
12. 1 Samuel 1:7 tc The MT has a Qal masculine imperfect form of the verb here (יַעֲשֶׂה; yaʿaseh) “thus he used to do.” The imperfect form gives past habitual meaning and is modified by כֵּן (ken, “thus, so”). The subject would presumably be Elkanah, but this is an abrupt change of subject during a description of how Peninnah would aggravate Hannah. One approach is emend the first consonant and read the feminine form (תַּעֲשֶׂה; taʿaseh) “she used to do so.” The approach taken here is to retain the consonants and revocalize as a Niphal (i.e., יֵעָשֶׂה, yeʿaseh) “thus it would be done.” Cf. Gen 29:26.
13. 1 Samuel 1:7 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Peninnah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
14. 1 Samuel 1:7 tn This concludes the background material of what used to happen. The next two verbs are preterites, which resume the main action line of the story from verse 4. Preterite verbs (also called vayyiqtol, or waw consecutive with imperfect) move the main line of actions forward in a story. The verbs in the main clauses from “he used to give” in vs. 4 to this point are perfect consecutives (also called veqatal or waw consecutive plus perfect) and second position imperfects used for past habitual actions. This is confirmed by the modifiers “year after year” and “as often as.” The story must at some point switch from telling what would happen on many occasions to what did happen on one occasion. Though the background statement is lengthy, it seems best to divide the habitual pattern from the particular occasion based on the known values of the verb forms.
15. 1 Samuel 1:8 tn Heb “why is your heart displeased?” Here the heart (לֵבָב; levav) represents the emotions. The verb (רָעַע; raʿaʿ) can refer broadly to something bad or harmful and in this context may mean to be displeased, sad, or resentful. Presumably Hannah’s behavior was in opposition to the behavior expected at the worship festival.
16. 1 Samuel 1:8 sn Like the number seven (cf. Ruth 4:15), the number ten is sometimes used in the OT as an ideal number (see, for example, Dan 1:20, Zech 8:23).
17. 1 Samuel 1:9 tn Heb “after eating in Shiloh, and after drinking.” Since Hannah had refused to eat, it must refer to the others. The Hebrew also sets off the phrase “and after drinking” probably to prepare the reader for Eli’s mistaken assumption that Hannah had had too much too drink.tc The LXX adds “and stood before the Lord.” This is probably a textual expansion due to the terseness of the statement in the Hebrew text, but we do know from context that she went up to the tabernacle.
18. 1 Samuel 1:9 tn The words “at the time” come from the syntax. As a noun clause (instead of having a preterite verb) it does not advance the time line of the story. It provides background information which is true at the same time as another event or, as in this case, is part of the setting for a new scene.
19. 1 Samuel 1:9 tn Or perhaps, “on his throne.” See Joüon 2:506-7 §137.f.
20. 1 Samuel 1:9 tn The term הֵיכָל (hekhal) often refers to the temple (so ASV, KJV, ESV, NASB, NIV), however, this story happens well before Solomon built the temple. The Sumerian word “E.GAL” means “big house” and came into Akkadian as “ekallu” referring to a “palace,” “temple” (the god’s palace), or the main room of a private house (CAD E, 52). The term later came into Hebrew as “palace” or “temple.” Considering it’s origin, it is appropriate for the tabernacle which is pictured as God’s dwelling. “Sanctuary” is preferred over “temple” to avoid confusion with Solomon’s temple.
21. 1 Samuel 1:10 tn Heb “she was bitter [in] soul.” Here “soul” (נֶפֶשׁ; nefesh) represents “the center and transmitter of feelings and perceptions” (HALOT, s.v. נֶפֶשׁ). Elsewhere (Isa 38:15; Ezek 27:31) the phrase refers to heartache. The noun first clause is making a contrast between her and Eli as part of the new setting before starting the main line of action in the following preterite verbs.
22. 1 Samuel 1:10 tn Heb “and weeping, she was weeping.” A paronomastic infinitive absolute (from the same root as the verb it precedes) highlights the modality of the main verb. In this case the indicative mood is emphasized because this weeping was unexpected at the religious festival (see Brian L. Webster, The Cambridge Introduction to Biblical Hebrew, 288). Another view is that for indicative verbs the infinitive absolute emphasizes the lexical meaning of the verb, such as “weeping greatly.” The imperfect verbal form emphasizes the continuation of the action in past time.
23. 1 Samuel 1:11 tn Heb “looking you look.” The expression can refer, as here, to looking favorably upon another, in this case with compassion. The paronomastic infinitive absolute, emphasizing the modality of the verb is rendered here as “truly.”
24. 1 Samuel 1:11 tn Heb “handmaid.” The use of this term (translated two more times in this verse and once each in vv. 16, 17 simply as “servant” for stylistic reasons) is an expression of humility.
25. 1 Samuel 1:11 tn The verbs זָכַר (zakar) and שָׁכַח (shakhakh) are often translated “remember” and “forget.” But their meaning is not as narrow as the English terms. Hannah is not concerned with God’s memory capacity but about keeping her in mind to grant her request. tc The LXX omits “and not neglect your servant.”
26. 1 Samuel 1:11 tn Heb “seed of men.”
27. 1 Samuel 1:11 tc The LXX adds “wine and strong drink he will not drink.”tn Heb “a razor will not go up upon his head.”sn This alludes to the vow of the נָזִיר (nazir) in Num 6:5. A Nazirite, or consecrated person, would make a vow for a time or for a lifetime. Among the outer signs of consecration were abstinence from alcohol and not cutting the hair for the duration of the vow. Sampson was also dedicated as a Nazirite from birth (Judg 13:7).
28. 1 Samuel 1:12 tn This verb form, waw plus Qal perfect of הָיָה (hayah; “to be”), is rare in narrative. Most often this appears in direct speech indicating a future event or a purpose (as types of propositional or event modality respectively). However, the form can also convey other modal meanings and here probably indicates result (a type of event modality). For other cases of this syntax see Judg 19:30; 1 Sam 10:9; 13:22.
29. 1 Samuel 1:12 tn Heb “she made numerous to pray.” The Hiphil from of the verb רָבָה (ravah; “to be many”) means to “make numerous, plentiful, or continuous” (HALOT s.v. 1 רָבָה)
30. 1 Samuel 1:12 tn The noun first syntax of this clause means that it indicates circumstances that are simultaneous to other actions in the story. The adverb “meanwhile” was chosen to represent this syntax. It shows that Eli was watching her, apparently mumbling, for some time during her praying before he approached her.
31. 1 Samuel 1:13 tn The Hebrew word לֵב (lev) can refer to the seat of the emotions, will, and intellect and may be translated as “heart” or “mind.”
32. 1 Samuel 1:13 tn The Hebrew term שִׁכּוֹר (shikkor) can refer to being drunk or being a drunkard. Slurred speech is a symptom of drunkenness, but because there is no audible speech Eli may be inferring confusion associated with alcoholic dementia, a result of long term drinking.
33. 1 Samuel 1:14 tn Heb “Eli.” The pronoun (“he”) has been used in the translation in keeping with contemporary English style.tc LXX “Eli’s servant.”
34. 1 Samuel 1:14 tc The LXX adds “And go away from the Lord’s face (i.e., presence).”
35. 1 Samuel 1:15 tn The idiom קְשַׁת רוּחַ (q^eshat ruakh) is unique to this passage. The adjective קְשַׁת (q^eshat) may mean “hard, difficult, or distressed” and the noun רוּחַ (ruakh) may mean “spirit, or breath.” It could possibly refer to a “distressed spirit” (NIV, ESV “troubled;” NASB “oppressed;” KJV “sorrowful”) or “difficult of breath.” An appeal to some sort of shortness of breath could fit the context. The LXX has “for whom the day is difficult,” either mistaking the Hebrew word “day” יוֹם (yom) for “spirit” or choosing a way to communicate stress. The phrase has also been compared to “hard of face,” “hard of heart,” and “hard of neck” and understood to mean “obstinate” (Graeme Auld, I & II Samuel [Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011] 31). Claiming to be obstinate seems an unlikely defense to present the high priest, but if this latter suggestion is on the right track, perhaps the idiom could be bland enough to mean “determined.”
36. 1 Samuel 1:16 tn Heb “daughter of worthlessness.”
37. 1 Samuel 1:16 tn Heb “for” or “indeed.” The English “It’s just that” is a colloquial expression that can express a reason.
38. 1 Samuel 1:16 tn The term שִׂיחַ (siakh) can also refer to a lament or complaint.
39. 1 Samuel 1:16 tn It is also possible for the term כַּעַס (kaʿas) to refer to provocation or anger.
40. 1 Samuel 1:18 tc The LXX reads as an affirmation: “Your servant [has] found favor in your sight.”
41. 1 Samuel 1:18 tc Several medieval Hebrew mss and the Syriac Peshitta lack the words “and got something to eat.” The LXX reads: “went her way. She entered her guest room. She ate with her husband, and drank.”
42. 1 Samuel 1:18 tc NET follows the LXX: “her face was no longer fallen.” The MT reads: “her face, it did not belong to her any more.” The Hebrew is difficult to interpret; we may wonder if it is idiomatic for her expression having changed.
43. 1 Samuel 1:19 tn Or “bowed before the Lord.” The posture of bowing often represents the act of worshiping.
44. 1 Samuel 1:19 tc Heb “to Ramah;” LXX “Ramathaim.” Ramathaim, used in verse 1, is the dual form of Ramah.
45. 1 Samuel 1:19 tn Heb “Elkanah knew his wife.” The Hebrew expression is a euphemism for sexual relations.
46. 1 Samuel 1:19 tn The verbs זָכַר (zakar) is often translated “remember.” It does not simply mean the ability to recall (as “forgetting” does not simply mean the inability to recall). It means the decision to recall or to bear in mind, here with regard to her previous request. The Hebrew verb is often used in the OT for considering the needs or desires of people with favor and kindness.
47. 1 Samuel 1:20 tc The translation follows the sequence of the LXX. The MT says: “It happened at the turning of the days. Hannah conceived. And she gave birth to a son.” The phrase “at the turning of the days” might refer to the new year or to end of the term of pregnancy.
48. 1 Samuel 1:20 tn Heb “because from the Lord I asked him.” The name “Samuel” sounds like the Hebrew verb translated “asked.” The explanation of the meaning of the name “Samuel” that is provided in v. 20 is not a strict etymology. It seems to suggest that the first part of the name is derived from the Hebrew root שָׁאַל (shaʾal, “to ask”), but the consonants do not support this. Nor is it likely that the name comes from the root שָׁמַע (shamaʿ, “to hear”), for the same reason. It more probably derives from שֶׁם (shem, “name”), so that “Samuel” means “name of God.” Verse 20 therefore does not set forth a linguistic explanation of the meaning of the name, but rather draws a parallel between similar sounds. This figure of speech is known as paronomasia.
49. 1 Samuel 1:21 tn Heb “sacrifice of days.” The plural “days” often refers to a set of days, commonly a year, thus an annual sacrifice (cf. 1 Sam 2:29; 20:6).
50. 1 Samuel 1:21 tn The Hebrew suffix could be “his vow” or “its vow,” referring to his household’s vow. sn The only vow that has been mentioned so far is Hannah’s. This either implies an additional vow not made known to us, or implies Elkanah’s affirmation of her vow. According to Num 30:6-8 a husband could nullify his wife’s vow, or allow it to stand. tc The LXX adds “and all the tithes of his land.”
51. 1 Samuel 1:22 tn The disjunctive clause is contrastive here. The words “with them” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
52. 1 Samuel 1:22 tn The perfect conjugation, used with a dynamic root, may be be past or past perfect. In a כִּי (ki) clause in narrative, it typically refers to a reason that occurred prior to the event in the main timeline. Most translations, however, render it as simple past (KJV, NRSV, NASB, NIV, ESV, Holman). sn According to this understanding, she and Elkanah have already discussed the issue. Her concern to not give the baby up while Samuel is nursing is most sensible; at the same time she affirms her long term commitment to her vow.
53. 1 Samuel 1:22 tn Heb “until the boy is weaned.” The word “not” is implied and provided for clarity.
54. 1 Samuel 1:22 tn Heb “until forever.”
55. 1 Samuel 1:23 tn Heb “what is good in your eyes.”sn A similar phrase is a negative characterization in Judges, that “each would do what was right in his [own] eyes” (Judg 17:6; 21:25, cf. Prov 12:15; 21:2). However the phrase “in one’s own eyes” does not have to have a negative connotation (1 Chron 13:4; 30:4). As Hannah had done, Elkanah affirms the long term commitment to the vow.
56. 1 Samuel 1:23 tc LXX and Qumran “establish what is coming out of your mouth.” MT “establish his word.”sn By reading “his word” (i.e., his promise) the MT is consistent with other passages that deal with establishing God’s word. But what it refers to is unclear. If Eli’s earlier response (v. 17) implies a promise, it has already been fulfilled in the birth. Other have suggested a connection to Deut 18:15, 18 and the promise to raise up a prophet like Moses. The reading preserved in the Greek text and at Qumran may well be the original. In this case Elkanah is affirming the conclusion of Hannah’s vow. Perhaps there is even an underlying admonition in the affirmation. Auld suggests it is possible that readers should discern in Elkanah an affirmation of the prophetic word through Hannah (Graeme Auld, I & II Samuel [Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011] 33).
57. 1 Samuel 1:24 tc LXX “she went up with him to Shiloh.”
58. 1 Samuel 1:24 tc LXX “with a three year old bull and loaves.”
59. 1 Samuel 1:24 sn The ephah was a standard dry measure in OT times; it was the equivalent of one-tenth of the OT measure known as a homer. The ephah was equal to approximately one-half to two-thirds of a bushel.
60. 1 Samuel 1:24 tn The Hebrew term translated “container” may denote either a clay storage jar (cf. CEV “a clay jar full of wine”) or a leather container (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV “a skin of wine”; NCV “a leather bag filled with [full of TEV] wine”).
61. 1 Samuel 1:24 tc The translation follows the LXX. Although “with her” can be conjectured instead of “with them,” the context of the LXX assumes the presence of Elkanah as well as Hannah. The MT has the unusual structure “and the boy was a boy,” possibly the result of dittography. If the MT is correct, perhaps we are to understand two different meanings of the same noun, e.g. “the boy was a servant.” The noun נַעַר (naʿar) is commonly understood to refer to a young man or a servant (HALOT s.v. נַעַר), however, it refers to the infant Moses (Exod 2:6) and to Benjamin when he may be well past adolescence (Gen 43:8). Further those called נַעַר (naʿar) may not simply be servants, but someone in line to receive a position of rank. Samuel does become a servant, or apprentice, and turns out to be in line to replace Eli. Yet since he has not yet been given to Eli, this seems like an odd place to remark on his being an apprentice.
62. 1 Samuel 1:25 tc The LXX is longer, reading: “They brought [him] before the Lord and his father slaughtered the sacrifice which he would bring to the Lord from time to time. And he brought the child and slaughtered the calf. And Hannah, the child’s mother, brought him to Eli.”
63. 1 Samuel 1:28 tn The Hiphil of שָׁאַל (shaʾal) might mean “to loan,” or “to treat as requested” (see HALOT s.v. שָׁאַל).
64. 1 Samuel 1:28 tn Heb “all the days which he lives.”
65. 1 Samuel 1:28 tc The MT is singular, apparently referring to Samuel (but cf. CEV “Elkanah”). A few medieval manuscripts and some ancient versions take the verb as plural (cf. TEV, NLT).
66. 1 Samuel 1:28 sn This Hebrew verb, the Hishtaphel of חָוָה (havah), means “to bow down” or “to prostrate oneself.” When bowing to the Lord it is a gesture of worship. In this context, if Samuel is the subject (see the previous tc note), he demonstrates reverence to the Lord regarding his mother’s vow.
67. 1 Samuel 2:1 tn Heb “prayed and said.” This is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation.
68. 1 Samuel 2:1 tn The verb עָלַץ (ʿalats) is a fientive verb. (Some emotion verbs in Hebrew are stative and some are fientive.) The Qal perfect form of a fientive verb is past or perfective (past action with a result that continues into the present). The LXX renders “my heart was strengthened.”
69. 1 Samuel 2:1 sn Horns of animals have always functioned as both offensive and defensive weapons for them. As a figure of speech the horn is therefore often used in the Bible as a symbol of human strength (see also in v. 10). The allusion in v. 1 to the horn being lifted high suggests a picture of an animal elevating its head in a display of strength or virility.
70. 1 Samuel 2:1 tn Heb “my mouth has opened wide against.”
71. 1 Samuel 2:2 sn In this context God’s holiness refers primarily to his sovereignty and incomparability. He is unique and distinct from all other so-called gods.
72. 1 Samuel 2:2 tn The LXX has “and there is none righteous like our God.” The Hebrew term translated “rock” refers to a rocky cliff where one can seek refuge from enemies. Here the metaphor depicts God as a protector of his people. Cf. TEV “no protector like our God”; CEV “We’re safer with you than on a high mountain.”
73. 1 Samuel 2:3 tn Heb “Do not do a lot; do [not] speak.” The two verbs are understood together to refer to abundant speaking.
74. 1 Samuel 2:3 tn Heb “proudly, proudly.” If MT is original, the repetition of the word is for emphasis, stressing the arrogance of those addressed. However, a few medieval Hebrew manuscripts and some other textual witnesses do not reflect the repetition, suggesting that the Hebrew text may be dittographic.
75. 1 Samuel 2:3 tn The negative element, “not,” is understood to reapply from the first sentence through the poetic technique of ellipsis and double duty.
76. 1 Samuel 2:3 tc The translation assumes the reading of the Qere וְלוֹ (v^elo, “and by him”), which is supported by many medieval Hebrew mss, is correct, rather than the reading of the Kethib וְלוֹא (v^eloʾ, “and not”).tn HALOT cites three possibilities for the phrase. Reading the Niphal verb as passive to the Qal meaning (“to examine, check”) and reading the Qere וְלוֹ (v^elo, “and by him”): “actions [are] tested by him.” Taking the Niphal verb to mean “to measure up, be in order, be correct” (cf. Ezek 18:25, 29; 33:17, 20) and reading the Qere וְלוֹ (v^elo): “his [God’s] actions are in order.” Taking the verb as in the previous case but reading the Kethiv וְלֹא (v^eloʾ) and taking the noun עֲלִלוֹת (ʿalilot) as a pejorative: “[disgraceful] actions have no place.” (HALOT s.v. תכן). The translation agrees with the first option and translates the verb with active instead of passive voice.
77. 1 Samuel 2:4 tn Heb “stumblers have put on strength.” Because of the contrast between the prior and current condition, the participle has been translated with past tense. The Hebrew metaphor is a picture of getting dressed with (“putting on”) strength like clothing.
78. 1 Samuel 2:5 tn By implication these lines refer to those formerly well-fed and those formerly hungry.
79. 1 Samuel 2:5 tc Against BHS but with the MT, the preposition (עַד, ʿad) should be taken with what follows rather than with what precedes. For this sense of the preposition see Job 25:5.
80. 1 Samuel 2:5 sn The number seven is used here in an ideal sense. Elsewhere in the OT having seven children is evidence of fertility as a result of God’s blessing on the family. See, for example, Jer 15:9, Ruth 4:15.
81. 1 Samuel 2:5 tn Or “languished.”
82. 1 Samuel 2:6 tn Heb “Sheol”; NAB “the nether world”; CEV “the world of the dead.”
83. 1 Samuel 2:6 tn The first three verbs are participles; the last is a preterite which is normally past consecutive. It is rare, even in poetry, for a preterite verb to follow a participle. The English translations all render the last verb as a participle. They either reason that the preterite continues the force of the participle or assume that it should be repointed as a simple vav plus imperfect (which can be habitual present). If the participles are understood as substantival, then the latter half might mean “the Lord…is one who brings down to [the point of] the grave and then raised up.”
84. 1 Samuel 2:8 tn Or “lowly”; Heb “insignificant.”
85. 1 Samuel 2:8 tn The imperfect verbal form, which is parallel to the participle in the preceding line, is best understood here as indicating what typically happens.
86. 1 Samuel 2:8 tn Heb “he makes them inherit a seat of honor.”
87. 1 Samuel 2:9 tn Heb “guards the feet of.” The expression means that God watches over and protects the godly in all of their activities and movements. The imperfect verbal forms in v. 9 are understood as indicating what is typically true. Another option is to translate them with the future tense. See v. 10b.
88. 1 Samuel 2:9 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading the plural (“his holy ones”) rather than the singular (“his holy one”) of the Kethib.
89. 1 Samuel 2:9 tc The LXX begins the verse differently, “granting the prayer to the one who prays; he blessed the years of the righteous.”
90. 1 Samuel 2:9 tn Heb “For not by strength a person prevails.” Since the Lord’s strength is apparent in the context, the translation adds “one’s own” for clarity.
91. 1 Samuel 2:10 tn The imperfect verbal forms in this line and in the next two lines are understood as indicating what is typically true. Another option is to translate them with the future tense. See v. 10b.
92. 1 Samuel 2:10 tc The present translation follows the Qere, many medieval Hebrew manuscripts, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Vulgate in reading the plural (“his adversaries,” similarly many other English versions) rather than the singular (“his adversary”) of the Kethib. The LXX adds material very similar to Jer 9:23-24. “the Lord is holy. Let not the wise boast in his wisdom, and let not let the strong boast in his strength, and let not let the rich boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this: to understand and know the Lord, and to practice justice and righteousness in the midst of the land.” The Greek text of Jeremiah uses different words for “wise” and “strong” and closes by referring to the Lord as one who performs justice, etc. and whose will is in these things.
93. 1 Samuel 2:10 tn The Hebrew preposition here has the sense of “from within.”
94. 1 Samuel 2:10 tn The imperfect verbal forms in this and the next line are understood as indicating what is anticipated and translated with the future tense, because at the time of Hannah’s prayer Israel did not yet have a king.
95. 1 Samuel 2:10 tn Heb “the horn,” here a metaphor for power or strength. Cf. NCV “make his appointed king strong”; NLT “increases the might of his anointed one.”
96. 1 Samuel 2:10 tc The LXX greatly expands v. 10 with an addition that seems to be taken from Jer 9:23-24.sn The anointed one is the anticipated king of Israel, as the preceding line makes clear.
97. 1 Samuel 2:11 tn The term נַעַר (naʿar), here translated “boy,” often refers to a servant or apprentice in line for a position of authority.
98. 1 Samuel 2:11 tn The name “Samuel” has been supplied here for clarity.
99. 1 Samuel 2:11 tn Heb “with [or “before”] the face of.” Possibly “under the supervision of.” Cf. 1 Sam 2:18 and 1 Kgs 13:6 where the face represents favor.
100. 1 Samuel 2:11 tc The transition between the end of the song and the next portion of the narrative varies in the ancient witnesses. At Qumran, vs 11 is entirely omitted from 4QSam^a. The MT refers to Elkanah returning to Ramah, then Samuel serving the Lord “with the face” of Eli. The LXX focuses initially on Hannah. According to Graeme Auld (I & II Samuel [Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011] 40 and 43) the first scribe of Codex B wrote “And she left him there facing Yahweh. And she went to Ramathaim. And the lad was serving in face of Yahweh, facing Eli the priest.” The Lucianic Greek text differs as to the beginning, “And they left him before Yahweh there, and did homage to Yahweh, and departed for Ramah for their home.” Thus the MT and the early Greek text focus on the different spouses, while the Lucianic tradition blends them together with a plural verb. The omission from Qumran and variation among the other texts suggests that this verse was either damaged in a very early copy or added to smooth out the transition between topics. If the MT is accepted, the principal question remaining is where to divide the paragraphs. Does Samuel’s service to the Lord function primarily as contrast to his parent’s return trip or as contrast to Eli’s dishonorable sons? The syntactic structure for both options is the same, vav plus noun first, and therefore not decisive. That the next section starts at 2:18 with nearly identical phrasing argues to begin a paragraph here with the statement about Samuel.
101. 1 Samuel 2:12 tn Heb “sons of worthlessness.”
102. 1 Samuel 2:12 tn Heb “they did not know the Lord.” The verb here has the semantic nuance “acknowledge [the authority of].” Eli’s sons obviously knew who the Lord was; they served in his sanctuary. But they did not acknowledge his moral authority.
103. 1 Samuel 2:13 tc The LXX reads “As to the right of the priests from the people, [from] anyone sacrificing.”
104. 1 Samuel 2:13 sn The Hebrew word occurs only twice in the OT, here and again in v. 14. Its exact meaning is not entirely clear, although from the context it appears to be a sacrificial tool used for retrieving things from boiling water.
105. 1 Samuel 2:14 tn Heb “everyone of Israel.”
106. 1 Samuel 2:14 tc The LXX reads “who came to sacrifice at Shiloh.”
107. 1 Samuel 2:15 tc LXX “I.”
108. 1 Samuel 2:15 tn Heb “living.”
109. 1 Samuel 2:16 tn The Hebrew has a preterite verb, normally “and then he said.” In this case it gives the next event in a sequence that is modal and describes something typical in past time. Most English translations add “if” because this is a possible and common scenario rather than a specific incident only.
110. 1 Samuel 2:16 tc The construction is a Piel infinitive absolute followed by a Hiphil imperfect, the only case of such syntax. Normally the infinitive absolute agrees with the verbal stem of the main verb, or sometimes is Qal when the main verb is not. The LXX renders in the passive voice, “the fat should be burned,” probably interpreting the consonants of these verbs as Pual forms.
111. 1 Samuel 2:16 tc The LXX adds “from any.”
112. 1 Samuel 2:16 tn Heb “whatever your soul desires.”
113. 1 Samuel 2:16 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss (“no”) rather than the MT’s Kethib, which reads “to him.”
114. 1 Samuel 2:16 tc The Qumran text, 4QSam^a, reads “you must give and I will take by force.” 4QSam^a continues with a text similar to vss 13-14, in which the priest’s servant describes stabbing the trident into the pot to take whatever would come up. Either this repetition was original and the MT and LXX eliminated the redundancy, or the tradition behind the Qumran scroll may have read these elements in a different order than the MT and LXX and then added the material to the earlier location (matching the MT and LXX) resulting in the repetition. See Graeme Auld, I & II Samuel (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011) 44-45.
115. 1 Samuel 2:17 tn The term נַעַר (naʿar), here translated “young men,” often refers to a servant or apprentice in line for a position of authority. The same term describes Samuel in vs 11 and 18. The repetition helps establish the contrast between Samuel and Eli’s sons.
116. 1 Samuel 2:17 tc Heb “the men,” which is absent from one medieval Hebrew ms, a Qumran ms, and the LXX.
117. 1 Samuel 2:18 tn The word “now” does not appear in the Hebrew but was added as part of beginning a new topic in a new paragraph. Verse 11b begins similarly.
118. 1 Samuel 2:18 tn Heb “with [or “before”] the face of.” Cf. 1 Sam 2:11 and 1 Kgs 13:6 where the face represents favor.
119. 1 Samuel 2:18 tn The term נַעַר (naʿar), here translated “boy,” often refers to a servant or apprentice in line for a position of authority. The same term describes Samuel in vs 11 and Eli’s sons in vs 17. The repetition helps establish the contrast between Samuel and Eli’s sons.
120. 1 Samuel 2:20 tn The Hebrew verb שִׂים (sim) means “to position, to set down, to set up, to install.”
121. 1 Samuel 2:20 tn Heb “seed.”
122. 1 Samuel 2:20 tc The MT reads “in place of the request which he asked of the Lord.” The LXX reads “in place of the loan which you lent to the Lord.” At Qumran 4QSam^a has the Hiphil form of שָׁאַל (shaʾal), “which she loaned (or entrusted) to the Lord” (cf. 1:28). The masculine verb in the MT is odd, since the context expects Hannah to be the subject. A masculine form would need to be read impersonally or repointed as a passive. The translation most closely follows 4QSam^a and understands the “request” to be Samuel, the requested one. A longer English translation would be “in place of the one which was requested which she dedicated to the Lord.”
123. 1 Samuel 2:20 tc LXX “the man.”
124. 1 Samuel 2:20 tn Heb “his.”
125. 1 Samuel 2:21 tn The core component of Hebrew verb פָּקַד (paqad) is “to take note of.” But it also carries the implication of acting accordingly with what is noted. When the syntax combines the Qal of פָּקַד (paqad) plus a direct object which is a person, plus contextually stated benefits, the verb regularly describes assisting or providing for someone (Brian Webster, The Cambridge Introduction to Biblical Hebrew [New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009] 230). The same verb is used to describe enabling Sara to have Isaac in Gen 21:1.
126. 1 Samuel 2:21 tn Presumably in successive pregnancies, not as quintuplets.
127. 1 Samuel 2:21 tn The term נַעַר (naʿar), here translated “boy,” often refers to a servant or apprentice in line for a position of authority. tc At Qumran 4QSam^a omits “the boy” and reads “he grew up there.” The Hebrew word “there” (שָׁם; sham) consists of the first two letters of Samuel’s name.
128. 1 Samuel 2:21 tc The MT reads “with the Lord.” The LXX and 4QSam^a read “before the Lord.” The Hebrew phrasing “with (עִם; ʾim) the Lord” or “with God” is uncommon and varies in significance. The preposition indicates generally that the action in the verb is done in association with the preposition’s object. From context we understand that Samuel’s religious duties are specially in the Lord’s presence, hence the NAB and TEV “in the service of the Lord”; or the CEV “at the Lord’s house in Shiloh.” The NIV, NRSV, and NLT follow the LXX “in the presence of the Lord.”
129. 1 Samuel 2:22 tn Heb “to all Israel.”
130. 1 Samuel 2:22 tc The latter half of the verse is absent in the LXX. It also appears to be absent from 4QSam^a, as judged by the lack of adequate space between the remaining text.
131. 1 Samuel 2:22 tn Heb “lie down with,” a euphemism for sexual relations.
132. 1 Samuel 2:23 tn The MT reads, “Why do you act according to these things which I am hearing—evil things—from all these people?”tc The LXX ends “from all the people of the Lord” (κυρίου, kuriou). Perhaps the final phrase of v. 24 (“the people of the Lord”) influenced the LXX. Somewhat less likely is the view that the MT reading is due to a distorted dittography of the first word of v. 24. The Vulgate lacks the word.
133. 1 Samuel 2:24 tn The verb is a Hiphil participle from עָבַר (ʿabar). The Concise Dictionary of Classical Hebrew (p. 309) understands it to mean “spread[ing] about” in this context. The term can also mean “causing to transgress.”tc The LXX reads “the report…is not good, so that the people do not serve God.”
134. 1 Samuel 2:25 tc MT “God may arbitrate [for] him.” LXX “they shall pray for him to the Lord.” Auld suggests that אֶל יהוה (ʾel YHWH; “to the Lord”), attested in 4QSam^a, may have been corrupted into אֱלֹהִים (ʾelohim; “God”) (Graeme Auld, I & II Samuel [Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011] 46).
135. 1 Samuel 2:25 tn Heb “they”; the referent (Eli’s sons) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
136. 1 Samuel 2:25 tn Heb “the voice of their father.”
137. 1 Samuel 2:25 tn Or “Indeed.”
138. 1 Samuel 2:25 tn Heb “desired” or “had become willing to.”
139. 1 Samuel 2:26 tn The term נַעַר (naʿar), here translated “boy,” often refers to a servant or apprentice in line for a position of authority. A decade or more has probably passed since Hannah brought him to Eli.
140. 1 Samuel 2:26 sn This is a parenthetic remark in which Samuel is again contrasted with Hophni and Phinehas (cf. 2:11b-12; 2:17-18).
141. 1 Samuel 2:27 tn Or “certainly.” The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb to emphasize its modality, here the indicative mode.
142. 1 Samuel 2:27 tc The MT poses as a question “Did I actually reveal myself…?” The LXX records as a statement “I revealed myself…” The syntax of the Hebrew can either ask for information that is not known or be used as a rhetorical question which expects the answer “no.” In this context the expected answer would be “yes.” One approach is to leave the question as in the Hebrew, probably expecting the reader to still think the answer should be “yes,” even though it is the not the syntax for it (ESV, KJV). Another is to add a missing negative “did I not reveal myself…” so that the question expects the answer “yes” (NIV, NAS, NKJV). More likely the interrogative הֲ (ha) is a case of dittography, as the previous word ends with the same letter ה (he) (NRSV, NLT).
143. 1 Samuel 2:27 tc Reading with 4QSam^a and the LXX “when they were in the land of Egypt, slaves to the house of Pharaoh.” The MT omits “slaves,” probably lost due to homoioteleuton.
144. 1 Samuel 2:28 tn Heb “even choosing.” The finite verb shortens the sentence for better English style.
145. 1 Samuel 2:28 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Eli’s ancestor, i.e., Aaron) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
146. 1 Samuel 2:28 tn The verb נָשָׁא (nasaʾ) normally means “to carry” or “to bear” and refers to an ephod three times. The issue is whether the context here views the ephod more as a piece of clothing or as a cultic object. Exodus 28:4 classifies the ephod as a garment, which is made of linen (Exod 39:2). But a different verb is used in 1 Sam 2:18 and elsewhere to describe wearing an ephod. The ephod also includes stones with cultic significance as a memorial (Exod 28:12; 39:7). An ephod is associated with or appears as a cultic object (Judg 8:27 and possibly 17:5 and 18:14-20) and can be “in the hand” (1 Sam 23:6) or brought as an object (1 Sam 30:7). David uses an ephod, brought by Abiathar the priest, to consult the Lord’s will (1 Sam 23:9-10; 30:7-8). In keeping with the other infinitives in this verse that refer to priestly activities and functions, the translation “bear the ephod” reflects carrying the ephod which was used for divine consultation.
147. 1 Samuel 2:29 tc The MT has a plural “you” here, but the LXX and a Qumran ms have the singular. The singular may be the correct reading; the verb “you have honored” later in the verse is singular even in the MT. However, it is more probable that the Lord here refers to Eli and his sons. Note the plural in the second half of the verse (“you have made yourselves fat”).
148. 1 Samuel 2:29 tn Heb “which I commanded, dwelling place.” The noun is functioning as an adverbial accusative in relation to the verb. Since God’s dwelling place/sanctuary is in view, the pronoun “my” is supplied in the translation.tc The LXX reads “Why did you look at my incense and my sacrifice with a shameless eye?” The LXX may have read the first verb as being from the root נָבַט (nabat) “to look at” rather than the rare בָּעַט (baʿat) “to kick.” And the final consonants of מָעוֹן (maʿon) are easily confused with עַיִן (ʿayin). But the rest of the variation appears inexplicable as a copying error from either direction.
149. 1 Samuel 2:30 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
150. 1 Samuel 2:30 tn Heb “walk about before.”
151. 1 Samuel 2:30 tn Heb “may it be far removed from me.”
152. 1 Samuel 2:31 tn Heb “chop off your arm.” The arm here symbolizes strength and activity.
153. 1 Samuel 2:31 tn Heb “arm.”
154. 1 Samuel 2:32 tn Heb “you will see [the] trouble of [the] dwelling place.” Since God’s dwelling place/sanctuary is in view, the pronoun is supplied in the translation (see v. 29).
155. 1 Samuel 2:32 tn Heb “in all which he does good with Israel.”
156. 1 Samuel 2:32 tc The LXX and a Qumran manuscript have the first person pronoun “my” here.
157. 1 Samuel 2:32 tn Heb “all the days.”
158. 1 Samuel 2:33 tc The MT reads “your eyes.” The LXX, a Qumran ms, and a few old Latin mss read “his eyes.”
159. 1 Samuel 2:33 tn Heb “to cause your eyes to fail.” Elsewhere this verb, when used of eyes, refers to bloodshot eyes resulting from weeping, prolonged staring, or illness (see Lev 26:16; Pss 69:3; 119:82; Lam 2:11; 4:17).
160. 1 Samuel 2:33 tn The MT reads “and to cause your soul grief.” The LXX, a Qumran ms, and a few old Latin mss read “his soul.”
161. 1 Samuel 2:33 tn Heb “and all the increase of your house.”
162. 1 Samuel 2:33 tc The MT says “all the increase of your house will die men.” The LXX and a Qumran ms, read “all…will die by the sword of men.” This reading (cf. ESV, NAB, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT) makes sense syntactically. Some translations take “men” adverbially, “die as men,” and then understand it to mean something like “all…will die in the prime of life” (cf. NASB, NIV, KJV). However, the proposed syntax is very odd and such an adverbial function for “men” is otherwise unattested.
163. 1 Samuel 2:34 tn Heb “and this to you [is] the sign which will come to both of your sons.”
164. 1 Samuel 2:35 tn Heb “house.”
165. 1 Samuel 2:35 tn Heb “and he will walk about before my anointed one all the days.”
166. 1 Samuel 2:36 tn Heb “a piece of silver” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
167. 1 Samuel 3:1 tn Heb “before Eli.”
168. 1 Samuel 3:5 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
169. 1 Samuel 3:6 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
170. 1 Samuel 3:11 tn The Hebrew text adds “so that” here, formally connecting this clause with the next.
171. 1 Samuel 3:12 tn Or “fulfill.”
172. 1 Samuel 3:13 tc The MT has וְהִגַּדְתִּי לוֹ (v^ehiggadti lo). The verb is Hiphil perfect first person common singular, and apparently the conjunction should be understood as vav consecutive (“I will say to him”). But the future reference makes more sense if Samuel is the subject. This would require dropping the final י (yod) and reading the second person masculine singular וְהִגַּדְתָּ (v^ehiggadta). Although there is no external evidence to support it, this reading has been adopted in the present translation. The alternative is to understand the MT to mean “I said to him,” but for this we would expect the preterite with vav consecutive.
173. 1 Samuel 3:13 tn The translation understands the preposition to have a causal sense. However, the preposition could also be understood as the beth pretii, indicating in a broad sense the price attached to this action. So GKC 380 §119.p.
174. 1 Samuel 3:13 tc The translation follows the LXX θεόν (theon, “God”) rather than the MT לָהֶם (lahem, “to them”). The MT seems to mean “they were bringing a curse on themselves” (cf. ASV, NASB). But this meaning is problematic in part because the verb קָלַל (qalal) means “to curse,” not “to bring a curse on,” and in part because it takes an accusative object rather than the equivalent of a dative. This is one of the so-called tiqqune sopherim, or “emendations of the scribes.” Why would the ancient copyists alter the original statement about Eli’s sons cursing God to the less objectionable statement that they brought a curse on themselves? Some argue that the scribes were concerned that such a direct and blasphemous affront against God could occur without an immediate response of judgment from God. Therefore they changed the text by deleting two letters א and י (alef and yod) from the word for “God,” with the result that the text then read “to them.” If this ancient scribal claim is accepted as accurate, it implies that the MT here is secondary. The present translation follows the LXX (κακολογοῦντες θεόν, kakologountes theon) and a few mss of the Old Latin in reading “God” rather than the MT “to them.” Cf. also NAB, NRSV, NLT.
175. 1 Samuel 3:17 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
176. 1 Samuel 3:17 tn Heb “So God will do to you and thus he will add.” The verbal forms in this pronouncement are imperfects, not jussives, but the statement has the force of a curse or warning. One could translate, “May God do to you and thus may he add.”
177. 1 Samuel 3:18 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
178. 1 Samuel 3:18 tn Heb “what is good in his eyes.”
179. 1 Samuel 3:19 tn Heb “and he did not cause to fall from all his words to the ground.”
180. 1 Samuel 3:21 tc The LXX has a lengthy addition here: “And Samuel was acknowledged to be a prophet of the Lord in all Israel, from one end to the other. Eli was very old and, as for his sons, their way kept getting worse and worse before the Lord.” The Hebraic nature of the Greek syntax used here suggests that the LXX translator was accurately rendering a Hebrew variant and not simply expanding the text on his own initiative.
181. 1 Samuel 3:21 tn The chapter division at this point is inappropriate. 1 Sam 4:1a is best understood as the conclusion to chap. 3 rather than the beginning of chap. 4.
182. 1 Samuel 4:1 tn Heb “and the word of Samuel was.” The present translation understands Samuel to be the speaker of the divine word (“Samuel” is a subjective genitive in this case), although the statement could mean that he was the recipient of the divine word (“Samuel” is an objective genitive in this case) who in turn reported it to Israel.
183. 1 Samuel 4:1 tn Heb “and Israel went out to meet the Philistines for battle.”
184. 1 Samuel 4:1 tn Heb “the stone, the help.” The second noun is in apposition to the first one and apparently is the name by which the stone was known. Contrast the expression used in 5:1 and 7:12, where the first word lacks the definite article, unlike 4:1.
185. 1 Samuel 4:2 tn Heb “to meet.”
186. 1 Samuel 4:2 tn The MT has וַתִּטֹּשׁ (vattittosh), from the root נָטַשׁ (natash). This verb normally means “to leave,” “to forsake,” or “to permit,” but such an idea does not fit this context very well. Many scholars have suspected that the text originally read either וַתֵּט (vattet, “and it spread out”), from the root נָטָה (natah), or וַתִּקֶשׁ (vattiqesh, “and it grew fierce”), from the root קָשַׂה (qasah). The former suggestion is apparently supported by the LXX ἔκλινεν (eklinen, “it inclined”) and is adopted in the translation.
187. 1 Samuel 4:2 tn Heb “before.”
188. 1 Samuel 4:2 tn Heb “the Philistines, and they killed.” The pronoun “they” has been translated as a relative pronoun (“who”) to make it clear to the English reader that the Philistines were the ones who did the killing.
189. 1 Samuel 4:3 tn Or “people.”
190. 1 Samuel 4:3 tn Heb “before.”
191. 1 Samuel 4:3 tn Heb “and it will come in our midst and it will save.” After the cohortative (see “let’s take”), the prefixed verbal forms with the prefixed conjunction indicate purpose or result. The translation understands the ark to be the subject of the third masculine singular verbs, although it is possible to understand the Lord as the subject. In the latter case, one should translate, “when he is with us, he will save us.”
192. 1 Samuel 4:4 tn Or “people.”
193. 1 Samuel 4:5 tn Heb “shouted [with] a great shout.”
194. 1 Samuel 4:7 tn The Hebrew text has a direct quote, “because they said, ‘Gods have come to the camp.’” Even though the verb translated “have come” is singular, the following subject should be taken as plural (“gods”), as v. 8 indicates. Some emend the verb to a plural form.
195. 1 Samuel 4:10 tn Heb “and they fled, each to his tents.”
196. 1 Samuel 4:12 tn Or perhaps, “the same day.” On this use of the demonstrative pronoun see Joüon 2:532 §143.f.
197. 1 Samuel 4:13 tn The Qal of this verb, צָפָה (tsafah), means “to look.” (The more common word for “to see” is רָאָה, raʾah). Here the ptc. is Piel, which means “to be on the lookout for, look” (HALOT 1045 s.v. I צָפָה). Since we are told later that Eli could not see (which may mean that his eyesight was poor), the important part of using this verb is that Eli positioned himself to get the news as soon as it arrived.
198. 1 Samuel 4:13 tc Read with many medieval Hebrew mss, the Qere, and much versional evidence יַד (yad, “hand”) rather than MT יַךְ (yakh).
199. 1 Samuel 4:13 tn Heb “his heart was trembling.”
200. 1 Samuel 4:13 tn Heb “and the man came to report in the city.”
201. 1 Samuel 4:14 tn Heb “the sound of the cry.”
202. 1 Samuel 4:14 tn Heb “the sound of this commotion.”
203. 1 Samuel 4:15 tn Heb “were set” or “were fixed,” i.e., without vision.
204. 1 Samuel 4:16 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
205. 1 Samuel 4:17 tn Heb “before.”
206. 1 Samuel 4:18 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
207. 1 Samuel 4:18 tn Heb “the man.”
208. 1 Samuel 4:20 tn Heb “and she did not set her heart.”
209. 1 Samuel 4:21 sn The name Ichabod (אִי־כָבוֹד) may mean, “Where is the glory?”
210. 1 Samuel 5:3 tc The LXX adds “they entered the temple of Dagon and saw.”
211. 1 Samuel 5:4 tc Heb “only Dagon was left.” We should probably read the word גֵּו (gev, “back”) before Dagon, understanding it to have the sense of the similar word גְּוִיָּה (g^eviyyah, “body”). This variant is supported by the following evidence: The LXX has ἡ ῥάχις (hē hrachis, “the back” or “trunk”); the Syriac Peshitta has wegusmeh (“and the body of”); the Targum has gupyeh (“the body of”); the Vulgate has truncus (“the trunk of,” cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV, NLT). On the strength of this evidence the present translation employs the phrase “Dagon’s body.”
212. 1 Samuel 5:6 tn Heb “the hand of the Lord was heavy upon.”
213. 1 Samuel 5:6 tn The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
214. 1 Samuel 5:6 tc The LXX and Vulgate add the following: “And mice multiplied in their land, and the terror of death was throughout the entire city.”tn Or “tumors” (so ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “growths on their skin”; KJV “emerods”; NAB “hemorrhoids.”
215. 1 Samuel 5:7 tn Heb “men.”
216. 1 Samuel 5:7 tn Heb “for his hand is severe upon.”
217. 1 Samuel 5:8 tn Heb “and they sent and gathered.”
218. 1 Samuel 5:9 tn Heb “the hand of the Lord was against the city.”
219. 1 Samuel 5:9 tn Heb “and he struck the men of the city from small and to great.”
220. 1 Samuel 5:9 tn See the note on this term in v. 6. Cf. KJV “and they had emerods in their secret parts.”
221. 1 Samuel 5:10 tn Heb “to me.”
222. 1 Samuel 5:10 tn Heb “my.”
223. 1 Samuel 5:11 tn Heb “and they sent and gathered.”
224. 1 Samuel 5:11 tn Heb “me.”
225. 1 Samuel 5:11 tn Heb “my.”
226. 1 Samuel 5:11 tn Or “panic.”
227. 1 Samuel 5:11 tn Heb “the hand of God was very heavy there.”
228. 1 Samuel 5:12 tn Heb “men.”
229. 1 Samuel 6:1 tn Heb “field.”
230. 1 Samuel 6:1 tc The LXX adds “and their land swarmed with mice.”
231. 1 Samuel 6:3 tc The LXX and a Qumran ms add “the covenant of the Lord.”
232. 1 Samuel 6:5 tn Heb “your mice.” A Qumran ms has simply “the mice.”
233. 1 Samuel 6:5 tn Heb “Perhaps he will lighten his hand from upon you and from upon your gods and from upon your land.”
234. 1 Samuel 6:6 tn Heb “like Egypt and Pharaoh hardened their heart.”
235. 1 Samuel 6:6 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
236. 1 Samuel 6:6 tn Heb “and they sent them away and they went.”
237. 1 Samuel 6:10 tn Heb “and the men did so.”
238. 1 Samuel 6:12 tn Most translations have “low” (ASV, ESV, KJV, NASB, NIV, NLV, Amplified, etc.), or “moo” (CEV, CEB). The verb גָּעָה (gaʿah) is rare (only here and Job 6:5) but cognate languages suggest a loud sound (e.g. Syriac “to scream” Ugaritic “to roar,” see HALOT 199). sn The behavior of the cows demonstrates God’s sovereignty. If the cows are “mooing” contentedly, it suggests that God essentially took over their wills or brains, and they walked along, forgetting their calves entirely, and focused on their new and unaccustomed task as if long trained for it. If they are “bellowing,” the picture suggests that they know they are leaving their calves and are protesting in discontent. But they are divinely driven (by unseen angelic cattle prods?) against their wills.
239. 1 Samuel 6:12 tn The Hebrew has two infinitive absolutes ‏הָלֹךְ וְגָעוֹ (halok v^egaʿo) walking and bellowing. In such a pairing, the infinitive ‏הָלֹךְ (halok) often indicates going on more and more (increasing) in the activity mentioned by the other infinitive. Cf. Gen 26:13; 1 Sam 14:19).
240. 1 Samuel 6:18 tc A few Hebrew mss and the LXX read “villages; the large rock…[is witness] until this very day.”
241. 1 Samuel 6:19 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
242. 1 Samuel 6:19 tc The number 50,070 is surprisingly large, although it finds almost unanimous textual support in the MT and in the ancient versions. Only a few medieval Hebrew mss lack “50,000,” reading simply “70” instead. However, there does not seem to be sufficient external evidence to warrant reading 70 rather than 50,070, although that is done by a number of recent translations (e.g., NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). The present translation (reluctantly) follows the MT and the ancient versions here.
243. 1 Samuel 6:20 tn Heb “he” or “it”; the referent here (the ark) has been specified in the translation for clarity (cf. also NIV, CEV, NLT). Others, however, take the referent to be the Lord himself.
244. 1 Samuel 7:1 tn Heb “men.”
245. 1 Samuel 7:2 tn Heb “house” (also in the following verse).
246. 1 Samuel 7:2 tn Heb “mourned after”; NIV “mourned and sought after”; KJV, NRSV “lamented after”; NAB “turned to”; NCV “began to follow…again.”
247. 1 Samuel 7:3 tn Heb “the Ashtarot” (plural; also in the following verse). The words “images of” are supplied for clarity.sn The Semitic goddess Astarte was associated with love and war in the ancient Near East. The presence of Ashtarot in Israel is a sign of pervasive pagan and idolatrous influences; hence Samuel calls for their removal. See 1 Sam 31:10, where the Philistines deposit the armor of the deceased Saul in the temple of the Ashtarot, and 1 Kgs 11:5, 33; 2 Kgs 23:13, where Solomon is faulted for worshiping the Ashtarot.
248. 1 Samuel 7:3 tn Following imperatives, the jussive verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.
249. 1 Samuel 7:4 tn Heb “the sons of Israel.”
250. 1 Samuel 7:6 tn Heb “said.”
251. 1 Samuel 7:6 tn Heb “judged”; NAB “began to judge”; TEV “settled disputes among.”
252. 1 Samuel 7:8 tn Heb “don’t stop.”
253. 1 Samuel 7:8 tc The LXX reads “your God” rather than the MT’s “our God.”
254. 1 Samuel 7:8 tn After the negated jussive, the prefixed verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.
255. 1 Samuel 7:9 tn Heb “a lamb of milk”; NAB “an unweaned lamb”; NIV “a suckling lamb”; NCV “a baby lamb.”
256. 1 Samuel 7:10 tn Heb “approached for battle against Israel.”
257. 1 Samuel 7:10 tn Heb “before.”
258. 1 Samuel 7:12 tn Cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT “Jeshanah.”
259. 1 Samuel 7:12 sn The name Ebenezer (אֶבֶן הָעָזֶר) means “stone of help” in Hebrew (cf. TEV); NLT adds the meaning parenthetically after the name.
260. 1 Samuel 7:14 tn Heb “hand.”
261. 1 Samuel 7:15 tn Heb “judged” (also in v. 17).
262. 1 Samuel 7:17 tn Or perhaps “settled disputes for” (cf. NLT “would hear cases there”; NRSV “administered justice there”).
263. 1 Samuel 8:3 tn Heb “walk in” (also in v. 5).
264. 1 Samuel 8:3 tn Heb “and they turned aside after unjust gain and took bribes and perverted justice.”
265. 1 Samuel 8:5 tn Heb “judge” (also in v. 6).
266. 1 Samuel 8:6 tn Heb “when.”
267. 1 Samuel 8:7 tn Heb “Listen to the voice of the people, to all which they say to you.”
268. 1 Samuel 8:8 tn Heb “according to all the deeds which they have done.”
269. 1 Samuel 8:9 tn Heb “and now, listen to their voice.”
270. 1 Samuel 8:9 tn The infinitive absolute appears before a verb of the same root to emphasize the modality of the verb. Here the imperfect verb expresses obligative modality, prescribing what he should do. So the nuance of the preceding infinitive absolute is “you must,” or “you certainly must.”
271. 1 Samuel 8:9 tn Heb “and tell them the manner of the king who will rule over them.”
272. 1 Samuel 8:12 tc The numbers of v. 12 are confused in the Greek and Syriac versions. For “fifties” the LXX has “hundreds.” The Syriac Peshitta has “heads of thousands and heads of hundreds and heads of fifties and heads of tens,” perhaps reflecting influence from Deut 1:15.
273. 1 Samuel 8:15 tn Or “eunuchs” (so NAB); NIV “officials”; KJV, NASB, NRSV, NLT “officers.”
274. 1 Samuel 8:18 tc The LXX adds “because you have chosen for yourselves a king.”
275. 1 Samuel 8:19 tn Heb “and the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel.”
276. 1 Samuel 8:20 tn Heb “and go out before us.”
277. 1 Samuel 8:21 tn Heb “and Samuel heard all the words of the people and he spoke them into the ears of the Lord.”
278. 1 Samuel 8:22 tn Heb “listen to their voice.”
279. 1 Samuel 9:3 tn Heb “became lost.”
280. 1 Samuel 9:3 tn Heb “and arise, go.”
281. 1 Samuel 9:3 tc The Syriac Peshitta includes the following words: “So Saul arose and went out. He took with him one of the boys and went out to look for his father’s donkeys.”
282. 1 Samuel 9:4 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
283. 1 Samuel 9:6 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the verb for emphasis.
284. 1 Samuel 9:6 tn Heb “our way on which we have gone.”
285. 1 Samuel 9:7 tn Heb “look.”
286. 1 Samuel 9:8 sn A quarter shekel of silver would weigh about a tenth of an ounce (about 3 grams).
287. 1 Samuel 9:8 tn Heb “our way.”
288. 1 Samuel 9:10 tn Heb “your word is good.”
289. 1 Samuel 9:13 tc The MT has “him” (אֹתוֹ, ʾoto) here, in addition to the “him” at the end of the verse. The ancient versions attest to only one occurrence of the pronoun, although it is possible that this is due to translation technique rather than to their having a Hebrew text with the pronoun used only once. The present translation assumes textual duplication in the MT and does not attempt to represent the pronoun twice. However, for a defense of the MT here, with the suggested translation “for him just now—you will find him,” see S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 72-73.
290. 1 Samuel 9:14 tn Heb “to meet them.” This may indicate purpose on Samuel’s part. The next sentence indicates that the meeting was by design, not just an accident.
291. 1 Samuel 9:15 tn Heb “uncovered the ear of.”
292. 1 Samuel 9:16 tn Heb “anoint.”
293. 1 Samuel 9:17 tn Heb “responded.”
294. 1 Samuel 9:19 tn Heb “all that is in your heart.”
295. 1 Samuel 9:20 tn Heb “do not fix your heart.”
296. 1 Samuel 9:20 tn Heb “and all the house of your father.”
297. 1 Samuel 9:22 tn Heb “took and brought.”
298. 1 Samuel 9:24 tn Heb “he” (also in v. 25); the referent (Samuel) has been specified in both places in the translation for clarity.
299. 1 Samuel 9:27 tc This statement is absent in the LXX (with the exception of Origen), an Old Latin ms, and the Syriac Peshitta.
300. 1 Samuel 9:27 tn The words “Samuel then said” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
301. 1 Samuel 10:1 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
302. 1 Samuel 10:1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Samuel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
303. 1 Samuel 10:1 tn Heb “Is it not that the Lord has anointed you?” The question draws attention to the fact and is a rhetorical way of affirming the Lord’s choice of Saul. The translation reflects the rhetorical force of the question.
304. 1 Samuel 10:1 tn That is, “anointed.”
305. 1 Samuel 10:1 tc The MT reads simply “Is it not that the Lord has anointed you over his inheritance for a leader?” The translation follows the LXX. The MT apparently suffers from parablepsis, whereby a scribe’s eye jumped from the first occurrence of the expression “the Lord has anointed you” to the second occurrence of this expression at the end of v. 1. This mistake caused the accidental omission of the intervening material in the LXX, which appears to preserve the original Hebrew text here.
306. 1 Samuel 10:2 sn In the Hebrew text the pronoun you is plural, suggesting that Saul’s father was concerned about his son and the servant who accompanied him.
307. 1 Samuel 10:5 tn Or “sentries.” Some translate “outpost” (NIV) or “garrison” (NAB, NRSV, NLT) here (see 1 Sam 13:3). The noun is plural in the Hebrew text, but the LXX and other ancient witnesses read a singular noun here.
308. 1 Samuel 10:7 sn In light of Saul’s commission to be Israel’s deliverer (see v. 1), it is likely that some type of military action against the Philistines (see v.5) is implied.
309. 1 Samuel 10:9 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
310. 1 Samuel 10:9 tn Heb “turned his shoulder.”
311. 1 Samuel 10:9 tn Heb “God turned for him another heart”; NAB, NRSV “gave him another heart”; NIV, NCV “changed Saul’s heart”; TEV “gave Saul a new nature”; CEV “made Saul feel like a different person.”
312. 1 Samuel 10:10 tc Two medieval Hebrew mss, the LXX, and the Syriac Peshitta have the singular “he” (in which case the referent would be Saul alone).tn Heb “they”; the referents (Saul and his servant) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
313. 1 Samuel 10:10 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
314. 1 Samuel 10:13 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
315. 1 Samuel 10:14 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
316. 1 Samuel 10:14 tn Heb “And we saw that they were not.”
317. 1 Samuel 10:15 tc In the LXX and Vulgate the pronoun “you” is singular, referring specifically to Saul. In the MT it is plural, including Saul’s servant as well.
318. 1 Samuel 10:16 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
319. 1 Samuel 10:18 tn Heb “hand” (also later in this verse).
320. 1 Samuel 10:19 tc The translation follows many medieval Hebrew mss, the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate in reading לֹא (loʾ, “not”) rather than the MT לוֹ (lo; “to him”). Some witnesses combine the variants, resulting in a conflated text. For example, a few medieval Hebrew mss have לֹא לוֹ (lo loʾ; “to him, ‘No.’”). A few others have לֹא לִי (li loʾ; “to me, ‘No.’”).
321. 1 Samuel 10:22 tn Or “baggage” (so many English versions); KJV “stuff”; TEV “supplies.”
322. 1 Samuel 10:25 tn Heb “the regulation of the kingship.” This probably refers to the regulations pertaining to kingship given to Moses (see Deut 17:14-20).
323. 1 Samuel 10:27 tn Heb “sons of worthlessness” (see 2:12).
324. 1 Samuel 10:27 tc In place of the MT (“and it was like one being silent”) the LXX has “after about a month,” taking the expression with the first part of the following chapter rather than with 10:27. Some Hebrew support for this reading appears in the corrected hand of a Qumran ms of Samuel, which has here “about a month.” However, it seems best to stay with the MT here even though it is difficult.
325. 1 Samuel 11:1 tc 4QSam^a and Josephus (Ant. 6.68-71) attest to a longer form of text at this point. The addition explains Nahash’s practice of enemy mutilation, and by so doing provides a smoother transition to the following paragraph than is found in the MT. The NRSV adopts this reading, with the following English translation: “Now Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had been grievously oppressing the Gadites and the Reubenites. He would gouge out the right eye of each of them and would not grant Israel a deliverer. No one was left of the Israelites across the Jordan whose right eye Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had not gouged out. But there were 7,000 men who had escaped from the Ammonites and had entered Jabesh Gilead. About a month later, Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead.” The variations may be explained as scribal errors due to homoioteleuton, in which case the scribe jumps from one word to another word with a similar ending later in the text. If the reading in 4QSam^a is correct, then perhaps the scribe of the MT skipped from the phrase ויהי כמחרישׁ (vay^ehi k^emakharish) at the end of 1 Sam 10:27, which should possibly be ויהי כמו חרשׁ (vay^ehi k^emo kheresh), and picked up after the phrase ויהי כמו חדשׁ (vay^ehi k^emo khodesh, “it happened about a month later…”). Interestingly 4QSam^a itself involves a case of homoioteleuton in this passage. The scribe first skipped from one case of גלעד (Gilʿad, “Gilead”) to another, then inserted the missing 10 words between the lines of the 4QSam^a text. The fact that the scribe made a mistake of this sort and then corrected it supports the idea that he was copying from a source that had these verses in it. Also the 4QSam^a text first introduces Nahash with his full title, which is a better match to normal style See the discussions in E. Tov, Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible, 2nd rev. ed. [Fortress Press, 2001] 342-344, P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 199, and R. W. Klein, 1 Samuel (WBC), 103. Though the external evidence for the additional material is limited, the internal evidence is strong.
326. 1 Samuel 11:1 sn The name “Nahash” means “serpent” in Hebrew.
327. 1 Samuel 11:1 tn Heb “went up and camped”; NIV, NRSV “went up and besieged.”
328. 1 Samuel 11:4 tn Heb “to Gibeah of Saul.”
329. 1 Samuel 11:4 tn Heb “lifted their voice and wept.”
330. 1 Samuel 11:5 tn Or perhaps, “his oxen.” On this use of the definite article see Joüon 2:506-7 §137.f.
331. 1 Samuel 11:5 tn Heb “the matters of.”
332. 1 Samuel 11:7 tn Heb “yoke.”
333. 1 Samuel 11:7 tn Heb “like one man.”
334. 1 Samuel 11:8 tc The LXX and two Old Latin mss read 600,000 here, rather than the MT’s 300,000.
335. 1 Samuel 11:10 tn The second masculine plural forms in this quotation indicate that Nahash and his army are addressed.
336. 1 Samuel 11:10 tn Heb “according to all that is good in your eyes.”
337. 1 Samuel 11:11 tn Heb “Ammon.” By metonymy the name “Ammon” is used collectively for the soldiers in the Ammonite army.
338. 1 Samuel 11:15 tn Heb “and there in Gilgal.”
339. 1 Samuel 12:1 tn Heb “Look, I have listened to your voice.”
340. 1 Samuel 12:1 tn Heb “to all which you said to me.”
341. 1 Samuel 12:1 tn Heb “and I have installed a king over you.”
342. 1 Samuel 12:3 tn Heb “anointed [one].”
343. 1 Samuel 12:3 tn The words “tell me” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
344. 1 Samuel 12:5 tn Heb “anointed [one].”
345. 1 Samuel 12:5 tn Heb “that you have not found anything in my hand.”
346. 1 Samuel 12:6 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 7, 8).
347. 1 Samuel 12:7 tn Heb “and I will enter into judgment with you” (NRSV similar); NAB “and I shall arraign you.”
348. 1 Samuel 12:7 tn Heb “all the just actions which he has done with you and with your fathers.”
349. 1 Samuel 12:9 tn Heb “sold” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “he allowed them to fall into the clutches of Sisera”; NLT “he let them be conquered by Sisera.”
350. 1 Samuel 12:9 tn Heb “captain of the host of Hazor.”
351. 1 Samuel 12:10 tn Heb “and said.”
352. 1 Samuel 12:10 tn Heb “the Ashtarot” (plural). The words “images of” are supplied for clarity.sn The Semitic goddess Astarte was associated with love and war in the ancient Near East. See the note on the same term in 7:3.
353. 1 Samuel 12:10 tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.
354. 1 Samuel 12:11 sn Jerub Baal (יְרֻבַּעַל, “Y^erub Baʿal”) is also known as Gideon (see Judg 6:32). The book of Judges uses both names for him.
355. 1 Samuel 12:11 tc The MT has בְּדָן (B^edan, “Bedan”) here (cf. KJV, NASB, CEV). But a deliverer by this name is not elsewhere mentioned in the OT. The translation follows the LXX and the Syriac Peshitta in reading “Barak.”
356. 1 Samuel 12:11 tc In the ancient versions there is some confusion with regard to these names, both with regard to the particular names selected for mention and with regard to the order in which they are listed. For example, the LXX has “Jerub Baal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel.” But the Targum has “Gideon, Samson, Jephthah, and Samuel,” while the Syriac Peshitta has “Deborah, Barak, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson.”
357. 1 Samuel 12:14 tn Heb “and you listen to his voice.”
358. 1 Samuel 12:14 tn Heb “the mouth of the Lord.” So also in v. 15.
359. 1 Samuel 12:14 tn The words “all will be well” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
360. 1 Samuel 12:15 tn Heb “listen to the voice of.”
361. 1 Samuel 12:15 tc The LXX reads “your king” rather than the MT’s “your fathers.” The latter makes little sense here. Some follow MT, but translate “as it was against your fathers.” See P. K. McCarter, 1 Samuel (AB), 212.
362. 1 Samuel 12:19 tn Heb “for we have added to all our sins an evil [thing] by asking for ourselves a king.”
363. 1 Samuel 12:20 tn Heb “you have done all this evil.”
364. 1 Samuel 12:21 tn Or “useless” (so NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “nothing”; NASB “futile”; TEV “are not real.”
365. 1 Samuel 12:22 tn Heb “on account of his great name.”
366. 1 Samuel 13:1 tc The MT does not have “thirty.” A number appears to have dropped out of the Hebrew text here, since as it stands the MT (literally, “a son of a year”) must mean that Saul was only one year old when he began to reign! The KJV, attempting to resolve this, reads “Saul reigned one year,” but that is not the normal meaning of the Hebrew text represented by the MT. Although most LXX mss lack the entire verse, some Greek mss have “thirty years” here (while others have “one year” like the MT). The Syriac Peshitta has Saul’s age as twenty-one. But this seems impossible to harmonize with the implied age of Saul’s son Jonathan in the following verse. Taking into account the fact that in v. 2 Jonathan was old enough to be a military leader, some scholars prefer to supply in v. 1 the number forty (cf. ASV, NASB). The present translation (“thirty”) is a possible but admittedly uncertain proposal based on a few Greek mss and followed by a number of English versions (e.g., NIV, NCV, NLT). Other English versions simply supply ellipsis marks for the missing number (e.g., NAB, NRSV).
367. 1 Samuel 13:1 tc The MT has “two years” here. If this number is to be accepted as correct, the meaning apparently would be that after a lapse of two years at the beginning of Saul’s reign, he then went about the task of consolidating an army as described in what follows (cf. KJV, ASV, CEV). But if the statement in v. 1 is intended to be a comprehensive report on the length of Saul’s reign, the number is too small. According to Acts 13:21 Saul reigned for forty years. Some English versions (e.g., NIV, NCV, NLT), taking this forty to be a round number, add it to the “two years” of the MT and translate the number here as “forty-two years.” While this is an acceptable option, the present translation instead replaces the MT’s “two” with the figure “forty.” Admittedly the textual evidence for this decision is weak, but the same can be said of any attempt to restore sense to this difficult text (note the ellipsis marks at this point in NAB, NRSV). The Syriac Peshitta lacks this part of v. 1.
368. 1 Samuel 13:2 tn Heb “at Gibeah of Benjamin.” The words “in the territory” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
369. 1 Samuel 13:2 tn Heb “each one to his tents.”
370. 1 Samuel 13:3 tn Or perhaps “struck down the Philistine official.” See the note at 1 Sam 10:5. Cf. TEV “killed the Philistine commander.”
371. 1 Samuel 13:3 tn Heb “blew the ram’s horn in.”
372. 1 Samuel 13:4 tn The words “this message” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
373. 1 Samuel 13:4 tn Heb “stinks.” The figurative language indicates that Israel had become repulsive to the Philistines.
374. 1 Samuel 13:4 tn Heb “were summoned after.”
375. 1 Samuel 13:5 tc The MT omits “they went up against Israel” in a case of homoioteleuton, but these words are preserved in LXX.
376. 1 Samuel 13:5 tc The translation follows the Lucianic Greek rescension and the Syriac. Many English versions follow the MT (e.g., KJV, NASB, NRSV, TEV) reading “30,000” here. One expects there to be more horsemen than chariots, cf. 2 Kgs 13:7; 2 Chr 12:3.
377. 1 Samuel 13:6 tn Or perhaps “vaults.” This rare term also occurs in Judg 9:46, 49. Cf. KJV “high places”; ASV “coverts”; NAB “caverns”; NASB “cellars”; NIV, NCV, TEV “pits”; NRSV, NLT “tombs.”
378. 1 Samuel 13:7 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
379. 1 Samuel 13:8 tn This apparently refers to the instructions given by Samuel in 1 Sam 10:8. If so, several years had passed. On the relationship between chs. 10 and 13, see V. P. Long, The Art of Biblical History (FCI), 201-23.
380. 1 Samuel 13:8 tn Heb “dispersed from upon him”; NAB, NRSV “began to slip away.”
381. 1 Samuel 13:10 tn Heb “to bless him.”
382. 1 Samuel 13:11 tn Heb “dispersed from upon me.”
383. 1 Samuel 13:12 tn Heb “said.”
384. 1 Samuel 13:12 tn Or “I forced myself” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, CEV); NAB “So in my anxiety I offered”; NIV “I felt compelled.”
385. 1 Samuel 13:13 tn Or “kept.”
386. 1 Samuel 13:13 tn Heb “commanded.”
387. 1 Samuel 13:14 tn This verb form, as well as the one that follows (“appointed”), indicates completed action from the standpoint of the speaker. This does not necessarily mean that the Lord had already conducted his search and made his choice, however. The forms may be used for rhetorical effect to emphasize the certainty of the action. The divine search for a new king is as good as done, emphasizing that the days of Saul’s dynasty are numbered.
388. 1 Samuel 13:14 tn Heb “according to his heart.” The idiomatic expression means to be like-minded with another, as its use in 1 Sam 14:7 indicates.
389. 1 Samuel 13:14 tn Heb “commanded.”
390. 1 Samuel 13:15 tc The LXX and two Old Latin mss include the following words here: “on his way. And the rest of the people went up after Saul to meet the warring army. When they arrived from Gilgal….”
391. 1 Samuel 13:15 tn Heb “at Gibeah of Benjamin.” The words “in the territory” are supplied in the translation for clarity (likewise in the following verse).
392. 1 Samuel 13:16 tn The juxtaposition of disjunctive clauses in v. 16 indicates synchronic action.
393. 1 Samuel 13:20 tc The translation follows the LXX (“their sickle”) here, rather than the MT “plowshares,” which is due to dittography from the word earlier in the verse.
394. 1 Samuel 13:21 tn Heb “the price was.” The meaning of the Hebrew word פְּצִירָה (p^etsirah) is uncertain. This is the only place it occurs in the OT. Some propose the meaning “sharpening,” but “price” is a more likely meaning if the following term refers to a weight (see the following note on the word “shekel”). See P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 238.
395. 1 Samuel 13:21 tn This word, which appears only here in the OT, probably refers to a stone weight. Stones marked פִּים (pim) have been found in excavations of Palestinian sites. The average weight of such stones is 0.268 ounces, which is equivalent to about two-thirds of a shekel. This probably refers to the price charged by the Philistines for the services listed. See P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 238; DNWSI 2:910; and G. I. Davies, Ancient Hebrew Inscriptions, 259.
396. 1 Samuel 13:21 tc Heb “and for a third, a pick.” The Hebrew text suffers from haplography at this point. The translation follows the textual reconstruction offered by P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 235.
397. 1 Samuel 14:1 tn Or “the servant who was carrying his military equipment” (likewise in vv. 6, 7, 12, 13, 14).
398. 1 Samuel 14:3 tn Heb “bearing.” Many English versions understand this verb to mean “wearing” (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT). The ephod could be used for consulting the Lord’s will (1 Sam 23:9-10; 30:7-8) and is not always worn (1 Sam 23:6). The significance in this context is probably not that Ahijah was dressed for sacrificial duties or to appear before God at the tabernacle, but rather that the ephod was available for consulting God, given the people’s ignorance about Jonathan’s activities. (Cf. the note at 1 Sam 2:28.)
399. 1 Samuel 14:6 tn Heb “act.”
400. 1 Samuel 14:7 tn Heb “in your heart.”
401. 1 Samuel 14:7 tn Heb “Look, I am with you, according to your heart.” See the note at 13:14.
402. 1 Samuel 14:8 tn Heb “Look!”
403. 1 Samuel 14:9 tn Heb “stand.”
404. 1 Samuel 14:11 tn Heb “the two of them.”
405. 1 Samuel 14:12 tn Heb “a thing.”
406. 1 Samuel 14:12 tn The perfect verbal form is used rhetorically here to express Jonathan’s certitude. As far as he is concerned, the victory is as good as won and can be described as such.
407. 1 Samuel 14:13 tn Heb “and they fell before Jonathan.”
408. 1 Samuel 14:13 tn Heb “and the one carrying his equipment was killing after him.”
409. 1 Samuel 14:15 tn Heb “fell upon.”
410. 1 Samuel 14:15 tn Heb “and it was by the fear of God.” The translation understands this to mean that God was the source or cause of the fear experienced by the Philistines. This seems to be the most straightforward reading of the sentence. It is possible, however, that the word “God” functions here simply to intensify the accompanying word “fear,” in which one might translate “a very great fear” (cf. NAB, NRSV). It is clear that on some occasions that the divine name carries such a superlative nuance. For examples see Joüon 2:525 §141.n.
411. 1 Samuel 14:16 tn Heb “at Gibeah of Benjamin.” The words “in the territory” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
412. 1 Samuel 14:16 tn Heb “saw, and look!”
413. 1 Samuel 14:16 tn Heb “the crowd melted and went, even here.”
414. 1 Samuel 14:17 tn Heb “and they mustered the troops, and look!”
415. 1 Samuel 14:18 tc Heb “the ark of God.” It seems unlikely that Saul would call for the ark, which was several miles away in Kiriath Jearim (see 1 Sam 7:2). The LXX and an Old Latin ms have “ephod” here, a reading which harmonizes better with v. 3 and fits better with the verb “bring near” (see 1 Sam 23:9; 30:7) and with the expression “withdraw your hand” in v. 19. There are also quotations of this reading in rabbinic literature and medieval Jewish literature according to V. Aptowitzer, The Scripture in the Rabbinic Literature and Medieval Jewish Literature, Prolegomena (3 parts, Vindobonae, 1906, 1908, 1911). It is followed in the present translation (cf. NAB, NJB, GWN, TEV, NLT, CEB, BBE).
416. 1 Samuel 14:18 tc Heb “for the ark of God was in that day, and the sons of Israel.” The translation follows the text of some Greek manuscripts. See the previous note.
417. 1 Samuel 14:19 tn Or perhaps “until.”
418. 1 Samuel 14:20 tn Heb “and look, there was.”
419. 1 Samuel 14:20 tn Heb “the sword of a man against his companion, a very great panic.”
420. 1 Samuel 14:21 tn Heb “and the Hebrews were to the Philistines formerly, who went up with them in the camp all around.”
421. 1 Samuel 14:23 tc The LXX includes the following words: “And all the people were with Saul, about ten thousand men. And the battle extended to the entire city on mount Ephraim.”
422. 1 Samuel 14:25 tn Heb “all the land.”
423. 1 Samuel 14:25 tn Heb “the surface of the field.”
424. 1 Samuel 14:26 tn Heb “and the army entered the forest, and look!”
425. 1 Samuel 14:26 tn Heb “and there was no one putting his hand to his mouth.”
426. 1 Samuel 14:27 tn Heb “and he returned his hand to his mouth.”
427. 1 Samuel 14:27 tc The translation follows the Qere and several medieval Hebrew mss in reading “gleamed,” rather than the Kethib, “saw.”
428. 1 Samuel 14:28 tn Heb “your father surely put the army under an oath.” The infinitive absolute is used before the finite verb to emphasize the solemn nature of the oath.
429. 1 Samuel 14:29 tc The LXX reads “saw.” See v. 27.
430. 1 Samuel 14:32 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading “and they rushed greedily upon,” rather than the Kethib, “and they did.”
431. 1 Samuel 14:32 tc The translation reads with the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss הַשָּׁלָל (hashalal, “the spoil”) rather than following the Kethib reading, שָׁלָל (shalal, “spoil”).
432. 1 Samuel 14:33 tn Heb “You have acted deceptively.” In this context the verb refers to violating an agreement, in this case the dietary and sacrificial regulations of the Mosaic law. The verb form is second masculine plural; apparently Saul here addresses those who are eating the animals.
433. 1 Samuel 14:33 tc The translation follows the LXX reading ἐνταῦθα (entautha, “here”) for הֲלֹם (halom, “here”) rather than the MT’s הַיּוֹם (hayyom, “today”).
434. 1 Samuel 14:34 tn Heb “and all the army brought near, each his ox by his hand, and they slaughtered there.”
435. 1 Samuel 14:36 tn Heb “plunder.”
436. 1 Samuel 14:36 tn Heb “until the light of the morning.”
437. 1 Samuel 14:36 tn Heb “and there will not be left among them a man.”
438. 1 Samuel 14:36 tn Heb “all that is good in your eyes.” So also in v. 40.
439. 1 Samuel 14:38 tn Heb “know and see.”
440. 1 Samuel 14:39 tn Heb “and there was no one answering from all the army.”
441. 1 Samuel 14:41 tc Heb “to the Lord God of Israel: ‘Give what is perfect.’” The Hebrew textual tradition has accidentally omitted several words here. The present translation follows the LXX (as do several English versions, cf. NAB, NRSV, TEV). See P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 247-48, and R. W. Klein, 1 Samuel (WBC), 132.sn The Urim and Thummim were used for lot casting in ancient Israel. Their exact identity is uncertain; they may have been specially marked stones drawn from a bag. See Exod 28:30; Lev 8:8, and Deut 33:8, as well as the discussion in R. W. Klein, 1 Samuel (WBC), 140.
442. 1 Samuel 14:41 tn Heb “went out.”
443. 1 Samuel 14:42 tc The LXX includes the following words: “Whomever the Lord will indicate by the lot, let him die! And the people said to Saul, ‘It is not this word.’ But Saul prevailed over the people, and they cast lots between him and between Jonathan his son.”
444. 1 Samuel 14:43 tn Heb “Look, I, I will die.” Apparently Jonathan is acquiescing to his anticipated fate of death. However, the words may be taken as sarcastic (“Here I am about to die!”) or as a question, “Must I now die?” (cf. NAB, NIV, NCV, NLT).
445. 1 Samuel 14:44 tn Heb “So God will do and so he will add, surely you will certainly die, Jonathan.”
446. 1 Samuel 14:45 tn Heb “and he did not die.”
447. 1 Samuel 14:46 tn Heb “to their place.”
448. 1 Samuel 14:47 tn Heb “his,” which could refer to Israel or to Saul.
449. 1 Samuel 14:47 tc The translation follows the LXX (“he was delivered”), rather than the MT, which reads, “he acted wickedly.”
450. 1 Samuel 14:48 tn Heb “plunderers.”
451. 1 Samuel 14:49 sn The list differs from others. In 1 Sam 31:2 (= 1 Chr 10:2), Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua are listed as Saul’s sons, while 1 Chr 8:33 and 9:39 list Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal.
452. 1 Samuel 14:50 sn The word “uncle” can modify either Abner or Ner. See the note on the word “son” in v. 51 for further discussion.
453. 1 Samuel 14:51 tn 1 Chr 9:35-36 indicates that Jeiel (= Abiel?) had two sons (among others) named Ner and Kish (see also 1 Sam 9:1 and 1 Chr 8:30, where some Greek manuscripts include the name Ner, though it is absent in the Hebrew text). If this Kish was the father of Saul and Ner was the father of Abner, then Saul and Abner were cousins. However, according to 1 Chr 8:33 and 9:39, Ner, not Abiel, was the father of Kish. In this case, Kish and Abner were brothers and Abner was Saul’s uncle. The simplest solution to the problem is to see two men named Kish in the genealogy: Abiel (Jeiel) was the father of Ner and Kish I. Ner was the father of Abner and Kish II. Kish II was the father of Saul. The Kish mentioned in 1 Sam 9:1 was the father of Saul (v. 2) and must be identified as Kish II. In this case the genealogy is “gapped,” with Ner being omitted. Abiel was the grandfather of Kish II.
454. 1 Samuel 15:1 tn Heb “to the voice of the words of the Lord” (so KJV).
455. 1 Samuel 15:2 tn Heb “what Amalek did to Israel, how he placed against him.”
456. 1 Samuel 15:2 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Israel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
457. 1 Samuel 15:3 tn Or perhaps “don’t take pity on” (cf. CEV).
458. 1 Samuel 15:4 tn Heb “caused the people to hear.”
459. 1 Samuel 15:4 tn Heb “people.”
460. 1 Samuel 15:5 tc The LXX has the plural here, “cities.”
461. 1 Samuel 15:5 tc The translation follows the LXX and Vulgate which assume a reading וַיָּאָרֶב (vayyaʾarev, “and he set an ambush,” from the root אָרַב [ʾarav] with quiescence of alef) rather than the MT, which has וַיָּרֶב (vayyareb, “and he contended,” from the root רִיב [riv]).
462. 1 Samuel 15:5 tn That is, “the dry stream bed.”
463. 1 Samuel 15:6 tc The translation follows the Syriac Peshitta and Vulgate which assume a reading אֶסְפָךְ (ʾesfak, “I sweep you away,” from the root סָפָה [safah]) rather than the MT אֹסִפְךָ (ʾosif^eka, “I am gathering you,” from the root אָסַף [ʾasaf]).
464. 1 Samuel 15:7 tn Heb “[as] you enter.”
465. 1 Samuel 15:8 tn Heb “all the people.” For clarity “Agag’s” has been supplied in the translation.
466. 1 Samuel 15:9 tn The Hebrew text is difficult here. We should probably read וְהַמַּשְׂמַנִּים (v^ehammasmannim, “the fat ones”) rather than the MT וְהַמִּשְׂנִים (v^ehammisnim, “the second ones”). However, if the MT is retained, the sense may be as the Jewish commentator Kimchi supposed: the second-born young, thought to be better than the firstlings. (For discussion see S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 123-24.)
467. 1 Samuel 15:9 tn Heb “good.”
468. 1 Samuel 15:9 tc The MT has here the very odd form נְמִבְזָה (n^emivzah), but this is apparently due to a scribal error. The translation follows instead the Niphal participle נִבְזָה (nivzah).
469. 1 Samuel 15:12 tn Heb “and look.”
470. 1 Samuel 15:12 tn Heb “and he turned and crossed over.” Some translations assume that the quotation continues and that “he” is Saul. The wording of the LXX, “he went down to Gilgal to Saul” assumes that Samuel is the subject and that the quotation has ended.tc The LXX also has “he returned the chariot” or “the chariot returned” before “he went down.” Again this may or may not be part of the quotation.
471. 1 Samuel 15:12 tc At the end of v. 12 the LXX and one Old Latin ms include the following words not found in the MT: “to Saul. And behold, he was offering as a burnt offering to the Lord the best of the spoils that he had brought from the Amalekites.” The Lucianic Greek translation does not include this text.
472. 1 Samuel 15:13 tn Or “message, word.”
473. 1 Samuel 15:14 tn The words “if that is the case” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
474. 1 Samuel 15:15 tn Heb “they brought them.”
475. 1 Samuel 15:16 tn Or perhaps “be quiet.”
476. 1 Samuel 15:16 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading the singular (“he said”) rather than the plural (“they said”) of the Kethib.tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
477. 1 Samuel 15:17 tn Heb “anointed.”
478. 1 Samuel 15:18 tn Heb “journey.”
479. 1 Samuel 15:18 tc The translation follows the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Targum in reading the second person singular suffix (“you”) rather than the third person plural suffix of the MT (“they”).
480. 1 Samuel 15:19 tn Heb “listened to the voice of the Lord.”
481. 1 Samuel 15:19 tn Heb “you have done what is evil in the eyes of the Lord.”
482. 1 Samuel 15:20 tn Heb “listened to the voice of the Lord.”
483. 1 Samuel 15:20 tn Heb “journey.”
484. 1 Samuel 15:22 tn Heb “as [in] listening to the voice of the Lord.”
485. 1 Samuel 15:22 tn Heb “look.”
486. 1 Samuel 15:22 tn Heb “listening.”
487. 1 Samuel 15:22 tn The expression “is better” is understood here by ellipsis (see the immediately preceding statement).
488. 1 Samuel 15:23 tn Or “message, word.”
489. 1 Samuel 15:24 tn Heb “the mouth of the Lord.”
490. 1 Samuel 15:24 tn Heb “people.”
491. 1 Samuel 15:26 tn Or “message, word.”
492. 1 Samuel 15:27 tn Heb “he,” but Saul is clearly the referent. A Qumran ms and the LXX include the name “Saul” here.
493. 1 Samuel 15:29 tn Heb “splendor,” used here by metonymy as a title for the Lord.
494. 1 Samuel 15:29 tn Or perhaps “does not lie.”
495. 1 Samuel 15:29 sn This observation marks the preceding statement (v. 28) as an unconditional, unalterable decree. When God makes such a decree he will not alter it or change his mind. This does not mean that God never deviates from his stated intentions or changes his mind. On the contrary, several passages describe him as changing his mind. In fact, his willingness to do so is one of his fundamental divine attributes (see Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2). For a fuller discussion see R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “Does God Change His Mind?” BSac 152 (1995): 387-99.
496. 1 Samuel 15:30 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
497. 1 Samuel 15:32 tn The MT reading מַעֲדַנֹּת (maʿadannot, literally, “bonds,” used here adverbially, “in bonds”) is difficult. The word is found only here and in Job 38:31. Part of the problem lies in determining the root of the word. Some scholars have taken it to be from the root עָנַד (ʿanad, “to bind around”), but this assumes a metathesis of two of the letters of the root. Others take it from the root עָדַן (ʿadan) with the meaning “voluptuously,” but this does not seem to fit the context. It seems better to understand the word to be from the root מעד (maʿad, “to totter” or “shake”). In that case it describes the fear that Agag experienced in realizing the mortal danger that he faced as he approached Samuel. This is the way that the LXX translators understood the word, rendering it by the Greek participle τρέμον (tremon, “trembling”).
498. 1 Samuel 15:32 tn Heb “and Agag said.”
499. 1 Samuel 15:32 tc The text is difficult here. With the LXX, two Old Latin mss, and the Syriac Peshitta it is probably preferable to delete סָר (sar, “is past”) of the MT; it looks suspiciously like a dittograph of the following word מַר (mar, “bitter”). This further affects the interpretation of Agag’s comment. In the MT he comes to Samuel confidently assured that the danger is over (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV “Surely the bitterness of death is past,” along with NLT, CEV). However, it seems more likely that Agag realized that his fortunes had suddenly taken a turn for the worse and that the clemency he had enjoyed from Saul would not be his lot from Samuel. The present translation thus understands Agag to approach not confidently but in the stark realization that his death is imminent (“Surely death is bitter!”). Cf. NAB “So it is bitter death!”; NRSV “Surely this is the bitterness of death”; TEV “What a bitter thing it is to die!”
500. 1 Samuel 15:33 tn Heb “bereaved more than [other] women.” The verb שָׁכָל (shakal) is a stative verb in the Qal stem meaning “to be bereaved” (HALOT 1492), that is, to be deprived of a loved one (a child) by death. Stative verbs are typically modified by מִן (min) with its comparative sense. A passive verb can also behave this way; compare Judges 5:24 where Jael is “most blessed of women.” While any woman’s loss of a child is tragic, perhaps from a social perspective because of his high position as king, his mother’s loss is construed as greater.
501. 1 Samuel 15:35 tn That is, Samuel.
502. 1 Samuel 16:1 tc The Lucianic recension of the Old Greek translation includes the following words: “And the Lord said to Samuel.”
503. 1 Samuel 16:1 tn Heb “for I have seen among his sons for me a king.”
504. 1 Samuel 16:2 tn Heb “in your hand.”
505. 1 Samuel 16:3 tn Heb “say”; KJV, NRSV “name”; NIV “indicate.”
506. 1 Samuel 16:4 tn Heb “said.”
507. 1 Samuel 16:4 tc In the MT the verb is singular (“he said”), but the translation follows many medieval Hebrew mss and ancient versions in reading the plural (“they said”).
508. 1 Samuel 16:6 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Samuel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
509. 1 Samuel 16:6 tn Heb “saw.”
510. 1 Samuel 16:6 tn Heb “said”; the words “to himself” are implied, given the secrecy surrounding Samuel’s mission to Bethlehem (v. 2).
511. 1 Samuel 16:6 tn Heb “his anointed one.”
512. 1 Samuel 16:7 tn Heb “don’t look toward.”
513. 1 Samuel 16:7 tn Heb “for not that which the man sees.” The translation follows the LXX, which reads, “for not as man sees does God see.” The MT has suffered from homoioteleuton or homoioarcton. See P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 274.
514. 1 Samuel 16:7 tn Heb “to the eyes.”
515. 1 Samuel 16:8 tn Heb “and caused him to pass before.”
516. 1 Samuel 16:8 tn Heb “he” (also in v. 9); the referent (Samuel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
517. 1 Samuel 16:9 tn Heb “caused to pass by.”
518. 1 Samuel 16:10 tn Heb “caused seven of his sons to pass before Samuel.” This could be taken as referring to seven sons in addition to the three mentioned before this, but 1 Sam 17:12 says Jesse had eight sons, not eleven. 1 Chr 2:13-15 lists only seven sons, including David. However, 1 Chr 27:18 mentions an additional son, named Elihu.
519. 1 Samuel 16:11 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jesse) has been specified in the translation both here and in v. 12 for clarity.
520. 1 Samuel 16:12 tn Heb “and he sent and brought him.”
521. 1 Samuel 16:14 tn Or “an injurious spirit”; cf. NLT “a tormenting spirit.” The phrase need not refer to an evil, demonic spirit. The Hebrew word translated “evil” may refer to the character of the spirit or to its effect upon Saul. If the latter, another translation option might be “a mischief-making spirit.”
522. 1 Samuel 16:16 tn Heb “and he will play with his hand.”
523. 1 Samuel 16:16 tn Heb “and it will be better for you.”
524. 1 Samuel 16:17 tn Heb “see.”
525. 1 Samuel 16:18 tn Heb “answered and said.”
526. 1 Samuel 16:18 tn Heb “mighty man of valor and a man of war.”
527. 1 Samuel 16:18 tn Heb “discerning of word.”
528. 1 Samuel 16:18 tn Heb “a man of form.”
529. 1 Samuel 16:20 tn Heb “a kid of the goats.”
530. 1 Samuel 16:20 tn Heb “by the hand of.”
531. 1 Samuel 16:21 tn Heb “he loved him.”
532. 1 Samuel 16:22 tn Heb “Let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my eyes.”
533. 1 Samuel 16:23 tn Heb “would turn aside from upon him.”
534. 1 Samuel 17:1 tc The content of 1 Sam 17-18, which includes the David and Goliath story, differs considerably in the LXX as compared to the MT, suggesting that this story circulated in ancient times in more than one form. The LXX for chs. 17-18 is much shorter than the MT, lacking almost half of the material (39 of a total of 88 verses). Many scholars (e.g., McCarter, Klein) think that the shorter text of the LXX is preferable to the MT, which in their view has been expanded by incorporation of later material. Other scholars (e.g., Wellhausen, Driver) conclude that the shorter Greek text (or the Hebrew text that underlies it) reflects an attempt to harmonize certain alleged inconsistencies that appear in the longer version of the story. Given the translation characteristics of the LXX elsewhere in this section, it does not seem likely that these differences are due to deliberate omission of these verses on the part of the translator. It seems more likely that the Greek translator has faithfully rendered here a Hebrew text that itself was much shorter than the MT in these chapters. Whether or not the shorter text represented by the LXX is to be preferred over the MT in 1 Sam 17-18 is a matter over which textual scholars are divided. For a helpful discussion of the major textual issues in this unit see D. Barthélemy, D. W. Gooding, J. Lust, and E. Tov, The Story of David and Goliath (OBO). Overall it seems preferable to stay with the MT, at least for the most part. However, the major textual differences between the LXX and the MT will be mentioned in the notes that accompany the translation so that the reader may be alert to the major problem passages.
535. 1 Samuel 17:1 tn Heb “camps.”
536. 1 Samuel 17:2 tn Heb “the men of Israel” (so KJV, NASB); NAB, NIV, NRSV “the Israelites.”
537. 1 Samuel 17:2 tn Heb “to meet.”
538. 1 Samuel 17:3 tn Heb “Israel.”
539. 1 Samuel 17:4 tn Heb “the man of the space between the two [armies].” See v. 23.
540. 1 Samuel 17:4 tc Heb “his height was six cubits and a span.” The LXX, a Qumran manuscript of 1 Samuel, and Josephus read “four cubits and a span.” A cubit was approximately 17.5 inches, a span half that. So the Masoretic text places Goliath at about 9½ feet tall (cf. NIV, CEV, NLT “over nine feet”; NCV “nine feet, four inches”; TEV “nearly 3 metres” while the other textual witnesses place him at about 6 feet, 7 inches (cf. NAB “six and a half feet”). Note, too, that the cubit was adjusted through history, also attested in Babylon (NIDOTTE 421-424 s.v. אַמָּה). If the cubits measuring Goliath were reckoned as the cubit of Moses, his height at 6 cubits and a span would be approximately 7 feet 9 inches tall. This is one of many places in Samuel where the LXX and Qumran evidence seems superior to the Masoretic text. It is possible that the scribe’s eye skipped briefly to the number 6 a few lines below in a similar environment of letters. The average Israelite male of the time was about 5 feet 3 inches, so a man 6 feet 7 inches would be a very impressive height. Saul, being head and shoulder above most Israelites, would have been nearly 6 feet tall. That is still shorter than Goliath, even at “four cubits and a span,” and makes a sharper contrast between David and Saul. There would have been a greater expectation that a 6 foot tall Saul would confront a 6 feet 7 inches Goliath, placing Saul in a bad light while still positioning David as a hero of faith, which is fitting to the context.
541. 1 Samuel 17:5 sn Although the exact weight of Goliath’s defensive body armor is difficult to estimate in terms of modern equivalency, it was obviously quite heavy. Driver, following Kennedy, suggests a modern equivalent of about 220 pounds (100 kg); see S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 139. Klein, taking the shekel to be equal to .403 ounces, arrives at a somewhat smaller weight of about 126 pounds (57 kg); see R. W. Klein, 1 Samuel (WBC), 175. But by any estimate it is clear that Goliath presented himself as a formidable foe indeed.
542. 1 Samuel 17:6 sn Or “greaves.” These were coverings (probably lined for comfort) that extended from about the knee to the ankle, affording protection for the shins of a warrior.
543. 1 Samuel 17:7 tn The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading “wood,” rather than the “arrow” (the reading of the Kethib).
544. 1 Samuel 17:7 sn That is, about fifteen or sixteen pounds.
545. 1 Samuel 17:8 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Goliath) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
546. 1 Samuel 17:8 tn The Hebrew text adds “and said to them.”
547. 1 Samuel 17:8 tc The translation follows the ancient versions in reading “choose,” (from the root בָּחַר, bakhar), rather than the MT. The verb in MT (בָּרָה, barah) elsewhere means “to eat food”; the sense of “to choose,” required here by the context, is not attested for this root. The MT apparently reflects an early scribal error.
548. 1 Samuel 17:8 tn Following the imperative, the prefixed verbal form (either an imperfect or jussive) with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result here.
549. 1 Samuel 17:10 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative verbal form indicates purpose/result here.
550. 1 Samuel 17:11 tn Heb “all Israel.”
551. 1 Samuel 17:12 tc Some mss of the LXX lack vv. 12-31.
552. 1 Samuel 17:12 tc The translation follows the Lucianic recension of the LXX and the Syriac Peshitta in reading “in years,” rather than MT “among men.”
553. 1 Samuel 17:13 tn Heb “his.”
554. 1 Samuel 17:15 tn Heb “was going and returning.”
555. 1 Samuel 17:17 tn Heb “run.”
556. 1 Samuel 17:18 tn Heb “officer of the thousand.”
557. 1 Samuel 17:18 tn Heb “and your brothers, observe with respect to welfare.”
558. 1 Samuel 17:18 tn Heb “and their pledge take.” This probably refers to some type of confirmation that the goods arrived safely. See R. W. Klein, 1 Samuel (WBC), 177. Cf. NIV “bring back some assurance”; NCV “some proof to show me they are all right”; NLT “bring me back a letter from them.”
559. 1 Samuel 17:19 tn Heb “all the men of Israel.”
560. 1 Samuel 17:20 tn Heb “to a guard”; KJV, NASB, NRSV “with a keeper”; NIV “with a shepherd.” Since in contemporary English “guard” sounds like someone at a military installation or a prison, the present translation uses “to someone else who would watch over it.”
561. 1 Samuel 17:20 tn Or “entrenchment.”
562. 1 Samuel 17:22 tn Heb “the guard of the equipment.”
563. 1 Samuel 17:23 tn Heb “according to these words.”
564. 1 Samuel 17:24 tn Or “fled.”
565. 1 Samuel 17:25 tn Heb “he is coming up.”
566. 1 Samuel 17:26 tn Heb “and turns aside humiliation from upon Israel.”
567. 1 Samuel 17:27 tn Heb “people.”
568. 1 Samuel 17:27 tn Heb “according to this word, saying.”
569. 1 Samuel 17:28 tn Heb “his”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
570. 1 Samuel 17:28 tn Heb “the anger of Eliab became hot.”
571. 1 Samuel 17:28 tn Heb “the wickedness of your heart.”
572. 1 Samuel 17:29 tn Heb “Is it not [just] a word?”
573. 1 Samuel 17:30 tn Heb “and spoke according to this word.”
574. 1 Samuel 17:30 tn Heb “the people.”
575. 1 Samuel 17:31 tn Heb “he took him.”
576. 1 Samuel 17:32 tn Heb “Let not the heart of a man fall upon him.” The LXX reads “my lord,” instead of “a man.”
577. 1 Samuel 17:36 tc The LXX includes here the following words not found in the MT: “Should I not go and smite him, and remove today reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised one?”
578. 1 Samuel 17:37 tn Or “Go, and may the Lord be with you” (so NASB, NCV, NRSV).
579. 1 Samuel 17:39 tn Heb “he had not tested.”
580. 1 Samuel 17:40 tn This Hebrew word occurs only here and its exact meaning is not entirely clear. It refers to a receptacle of some sort and apparently was a common part of a shepherd’s equipment. Here it serves as a depository for the stones that David will use in his sling.
581. 1 Samuel 17:41 tc Most LXX mss lack v. 41.
582. 1 Samuel 17:43 sn Sticks is a pejorative reference to David’s staff (v. 40); the same Hebrew word (מַקֵּל, maqqel) is used for both.
583. 1 Samuel 17:44 tc Many medieval Hebrew mss have “the earth” here, instead of the MT’s “the field.”
584. 1 Samuel 17:48 tc Most LXX mss lack the second half of v. 48.
585. 1 Samuel 17:50 tc Most LXX mss lack v. 50.
586. 1 Samuel 17:50 tn Verse 50 is a summary statement; v. 51 gives a more detailed account of how David killed the Philistine.
587. 1 Samuel 17:51 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Goliath) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
588. 1 Samuel 17:51 tc Most LXX mss lack the words “drew it from its sheath.”
589. 1 Samuel 17:52 tn Heb “arose and cried out.”
590. 1 Samuel 17:52 tc Most of the LXX ms tradition has here “Gath.”
591. 1 Samuel 17:54 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Goliath) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
592. 1 Samuel 17:55 tc Most LXX mss lack 17:55-18:5.
593. 1 Samuel 18:1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
594. 1 Samuel 18:1 tn Heb “the soul of Jonathan was bound with the soul of David.”
595. 1 Samuel 18:1 tn Heb “like his [own] soul.”sn On the nature of Jonathan’s love for David, see J. A. Thompson, “The Significance of the Verb Love in the David-Jonathan Narratives in 1 Samuel,” VT 24 (1974): 334-38.
596. 1 Samuel 18:2 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
597. 1 Samuel 18:3 tn Heb “like his [own] soul.”
598. 1 Samuel 18:5 tn Heb “it was good in the eyes of all the people and also in the eyes of the servants of Saul.”
599. 1 Samuel 18:6 tn Heb “them.” The masculine plural pronoun apparently refers to the returning soldiers.
600. 1 Samuel 18:6 tn Heb “with tambourines, with joy, and with three-stringed instruments.”
601. 1 Samuel 18:8 tn Heb “said.” So also in vv. 11, 17.
602. 1 Samuel 18:10 tn Or “he raved.” This same construction appears in 1 Sam 10:10 “the spirit of God rushed upon him and then he prophesied in their midst.” It is important to consider the agent affecting Saul, the verb describing his actions, and the broader cultural background. The phrase רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים (ruakh ʾelohim) could mean “a divine wind/spirit,” “a spirit from God,” or “the spirit of God.” Unlike 1 Sam 10:10, this case involves a harmful, or evil, spirit. The range of meaning of רָעָה (raʿah) can mean either harm or evil, and here indicates that this spirit’s purpose is to afflict Saul. The verb וַיִּתְנַבֵּא (vayyitnabbeʾ) is a Hitpael of the root נָבָא (nabaʾ) which means “to prophesy” in both the Niphal and the Hitpael. The difference may well be that the Niphal refers primarily to acting as a spokesman, while the Hitpael reflects an accompanying ecstatic experience on the part of the prophet (cf. 1 Sam 10:6; 19:24). 1 Kgs 18:29 also describes the antics of the prophets of Baal with the Hitpael of the root נָבָא (nabaʾ). Ecstatic experiences or expressions were sometimes associated with prophecy in the broader West Semitic culture as well as in the Israel. Some translations focus on the presumed outward effects of the afflicting spirit on Saul and render the verb “he raged” or “he raved” (NASB, ESV, NLT, NRSV). Although most biblical references to Israel’s prophets do not involve ecstatic experiences, the original audience would probably not have made a distinction here, that is, “raving” and “prophesying” would not have been considered alternatives.
603. 1 Samuel 18:10 tn The Hebrew text adds here “with his hand.”
604. 1 Samuel 18:13 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
605. 1 Samuel 18:13 tn Heb “an officer of a thousand.”
606. 1 Samuel 18:13 tn Heb “and he went out and came in before the people.” See v. 16.
607. 1 Samuel 18:14 tn Heb “in all his ways.”
608. 1 Samuel 18:17 tc Much of the ms evidence for the LXX lacks vv. 17-19.
609. 1 Samuel 18:17 tn Heb “son of valor.”
610. 1 Samuel 18:18 tn Heb “Who are my relatives, the clan of my father?” The term חַי (khay), traditionally understood as “my life,” is here a rare word meaning “family, kinfolk” (see HALOT 309 s.v. III חַי). The phrase “clan of my father” may be a scribal gloss explaining the referent of this rare word.
611. 1 Samuel 18:20 tn Heb “the matter.”
612. 1 Samuel 18:21 tc The final sentence of v. 21 is absent in most LXX mss.
613. 1 Samuel 18:23 tn Heb “in the ears of.”
614. 1 Samuel 18:25 tn Heb “the king’s.”
615. 1 Samuel 18:26 tn Heb “and it was acceptable in the eyes of David.”
616. 1 Samuel 18:26 tn Heb “the days were not fulfilled.”
617. 1 Samuel 18:27 tn Heb “arose and went.”
618. 1 Samuel 18:28 tn Heb “saw and knew.”
619. 1 Samuel 18:28 tn Heb “Saul’s.” In the translation the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun for stylistic reasons.
620. 1 Samuel 18:28 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
621. 1 Samuel 18:29 tn Heb “of David.” In the translation the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun for stylistic reasons.
622. 1 Samuel 18:29 tc The final sentence of v. 29 is absent in most LXX mss.tn Heb “all the days.”
623. 1 Samuel 18:30 tc Verse 30 is absent in most LXX mss.
624. 1 Samuel 19:1 tn Heb “delighted greatly in David.”
625. 1 Samuel 19:2 tn Heb “seeking.”
626. 1 Samuel 19:2 tn Heb “stay in.”
627. 1 Samuel 19:2 tn Heb “and hide yourself.”
628. 1 Samuel 19:3 tn Heb “when I see.”
629. 1 Samuel 19:4 tn Heb “spoke good with respect to David.”
630. 1 Samuel 19:4 tn Heb “good.”
631. 1 Samuel 19:5 tn Heb “and he put his life into his hand.”
632. 1 Samuel 19:6 tn Heb “and Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan.”