1 Samuel 1:1--24:22
Konteks1:1 There was a man from Ramathaim Zophim, 1 from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah. He was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 1:2 He had two wives; the name of the first was Hannah and the name of the second was Peninnah. Now Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.
1:3 Year after year 2 this man would go up from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh. It was there that the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, served as the Lord’s priests. 1:4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he used to give meat portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 1:5 But he would give a double 3 portion to Hannah, because he especially loved her. 4 Now the Lord had not enabled her to have children. 5 1:6 Her rival wife used to upset her and make her worry, 6 for the Lord had not enabled her to have children. 1:7 Peninnah 7 would behave this way year after year. Whenever Hannah 8 went up to the Lord’s house, Peninnah 9 would upset her so that she would weep and refuse to eat. 1:8 Finally her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep and not eat? Why are you so sad? 10 Am I not better to you than ten 11 sons?”
1:9 On one occasion in Shiloh, after they had finished eating and drinking, Hannah got up. 12 (Now at the time Eli the priest was sitting in his chair 13 by the doorpost of the Lord’s temple.) 1:10 She was very upset 14 as she prayed to the Lord, and she was weeping uncontrollably. 15 1:11 She made a vow saying, “O Lord of hosts, if you will look with compassion 16 on the suffering of your female servant, 17 remembering me and not forgetting your servant, and give a male child 18 to your servant, then I will dedicate him to the Lord all the days of his life. His hair will never be cut.” 19
1:12 As she continued praying to 20 the Lord, Eli was watching her mouth. 1:13 Now Hannah was speaking from her heart. Although her lips were moving, her voice was inaudible. Eli therefore thought she was drunk. 1:14 So he 21 said to her, “How often do you intend to get drunk? Put away your wine!”
1:15 But Hannah replied, “That’s not the way it is, 22 my lord! I am under a great deal of stress. 23 I have drunk neither wine nor beer. Rather, I have poured out my soul to 24 the Lord. 1:16 Don’t consider your servant a wicked woman, 25 for until now I have spoken from my deep pain and anguish.”
1:17 Eli replied, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the request that you have asked of him.” 1:18 She said, “May I, your servant, find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and got something to eat. 26 Her face no longer looked sad.
1:19 They got up early the next morning and after worshiping the Lord, they returned to their home at Ramah. Elkanah had marital relations with 27 his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered 28 her. 1:20 After some time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, thinking, “I asked the Lord for him. 29
1:21 This man Elkanah went up with all his family to make the yearly sacrifice to the Lord and to keep his vow, 1:22 but Hannah did not go up with them. 30 Instead she told her husband, “Once the boy is weaned, I will bring him and appear before the Lord, and he will remain there from then on.”
1:23 So her husband Elkanah said to her, “Do what you think best. 31 Stay until you have weaned him. May the Lord fulfill his promise.” 32
So the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him. 1:24 Once she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with three bulls, an ephah 33 of flour, and a container 34 of wine. She brought him to the Lord’s house at Shiloh, even though he was young. 35 1:25 Once the bull had been slaughtered, they brought the boy to Eli. 1:26 She said, “Just as surely as you are alive, my lord, I am the woman who previously stood here with you in order to pray to the Lord. 1:27 I prayed for this boy, and the Lord has given me the request that I asked of him. 1:28 Now I dedicate him to the Lord. From this time on he is dedicated to the Lord.” Then they 36 worshiped the Lord there.
“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
my horn 38 is exalted high because of the Lord.
I loudly denounce 39 my enemies,
for I am happy that you delivered me. 40
2:2 No one is holy 41 like the Lord!
There is no one other than you!
There is no rock 42 like our God!
2:3 Don’t keep speaking so arrogantly, 43
letting proud talk come out of your mouth!
For the Lord is a God who knows;
he 44 evaluates what people do.
2:4 The bows of warriors are shattered,
but those who stumble find their strength reinforced.
2:5 Those who are well-fed hire themselves out to earn food,
but the hungry no longer lack.
Even 45 the barren woman gives birth to seven, 46
but the one with many children withers away. 47
2:6 The Lord both kills and gives life;
he brings down to the grave 48 and raises up.
2:7 The Lord impoverishes and makes wealthy;
he humbles and he exalts.
2:8 He lifts the weak 49 from the dust;
he raises 50 the poor from the ash heap
to seat them with princes
and to bestow on them an honored position. 51
The foundations of the earth belong to the Lord,
and he has placed the world on them.
2:9 He watches over 52 his holy ones, 53
but the wicked are made speechless in the darkness,
for it is not by one’s own strength that one prevails.
2:10 The Lord shatters 54 his adversaries; 55
he thunders against them from 56 the heavens.
The Lord executes judgment to the ends of the earth.
He will strengthen 57 his king
and exalt the power 58 of his anointed one.” 59
2:11 Then Elkanah went back home to Ramah. But the boy was serving the Lord under the supervision of 60 Eli the priest.
2:12 The sons of Eli were wicked men. 61 They did not recognize the Lord’s authority. 62 2:13 Now the priests would always treat the people in the following way: 63 Whenever anyone was making a sacrifice, while the meat was boiling, the priest’s attendant would come with a three-pronged fork 64 in his hand. 2:14 He would jab it into the basin, kettle, caldron, or pot, and everything that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they used to do to all the Israelites 65 when they came there to Shiloh.
2:15 Even before they burned the fat, the priest’s attendant would come and say to the person who was making the sacrifice, “Hand over some meat for the priest to roast! He won’t take boiled meat from you, but only raw.” 66 2:16 If the individual said to him, “First let the fat be burned away, and then take for yourself whatever you wish,” he would say, “No! 67 Hand it over right now! If you don’t, I will take it forcibly!”
2:17 The sin of these young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they 68 treated the Lord’s offering with contempt.
2:18 Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord. The boy was dressed in a linen ephod. 2:19 His mother used to make him a small robe and bring it up to him at regular intervals when she would go up with her husband to make the annual sacrifice. 2:20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife saying, “May the Lord raise up for you descendants 69 from this woman to replace the one that she 70 dedicated to the Lord.” Then they would go to their 71 home. 2:21 So the Lord graciously attended to Hannah, and she was able to conceive and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. The boy Samuel grew up at the Lord’s sanctuary. 72
2:22 Now Eli was very old when he heard about everything that his sons used to do to all the people of Israel 73 and how they used to have sex with 74 the women who were stationed at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 2:23 He said to them, “Why do you behave in this way? For I hear about these evil things from all these 75 people. 2:24 This ought not to be, 76 my sons! For the report that I hear circulating among the Lord’s people is not good. 2:25 If a man sins against a man, one may appeal to God on his behalf. But if a man sins against the Lord, who then will intercede for him?” But Eli’s sons 77 would not listen to their father, for the Lord had decided 78 to kill them.
2:26 Now the boy Samuel was growing up and finding favor both with the Lord and with people.
2:27 A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Did I not plainly 79 reveal myself to your ancestor’s 80 house when they were in Egypt in the house of Pharaoh? 2:28 I chose your ancestor 81 from all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifice on my altar, to burn incense, and to bear the ephod before me. I gave to your ancestor’s house all the fire offerings made by the Israelites. 2:29 Why are you 82 scorning my sacrifice and my offering that I commanded for my dwelling place? 83 You have honored your sons more than you have me by having made yourselves fat from the best parts of all the offerings of my people Israel.’
2:30 Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘I really did say 84 that your house and your ancestor’s house would serve 85 me forever.’ But now the Lord says, ‘May it never be! 86 For I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me will be cursed! 2:31 In fact, days are coming when I will remove your strength 87 and the strength 88 of your father’s house. There will not be an old man in your house! 2:32 You will see trouble in my dwelling place! 89 Israel will experience blessings, 90 but there will not be an old man in your 91 house for all time. 92 2:33 Any one of you that I do not cut off from my altar, I will cause your 93 eyes to fail 94 and will cause you grief. 95 All of those born to your family 96 will die in the prime of life. 97 2:34 This will be a confirming sign for you that will be fulfilled through your two sons, 98 Hophni and Phinehas: in a single day they both will die! 2:35 Then I will raise up for myself a faithful priest. He will do what is in my heart and soul. I will build for him a secure dynasty 99 and he will serve my chosen one for all time. 100 2:36 Everyone who remains in your house will come to bow before him for a little money 101 and for a scrap of bread. Each will say, ‘Assign me to a priestly task so I can eat a scrap of bread.’”
3:1 Now the boy Samuel continued serving the Lord under Eli’s supervision. 102 Word from the Lord was rare in those days; revelatory visions were infrequent.
3:2 Eli’s eyes had begun to fail, so that he was unable to see well. At that time he was lying down in his place, 3:3 and the lamp of God had not yet been extinguished. Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord as well; the ark of God was also there. 3:4 The Lord called to Samuel, and he replied, “Here I am!” 3:5 Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli 103 said, “I didn’t call you. Go back and lie down.” So he went back and lay down. 3:6 The Lord again called, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli 104 said, “I didn’t call you, my son. Go back and lie down.”
3:7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord; the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 3:8 Then the Lord called Samuel a third time. So he got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me!” Eli then realized that it was the Lord who was calling the boy. 3:9 So Eli said to Samuel, “Go back and lie down. When he calls you, say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” So Samuel went back and lay down in his place.
3:10 Then the Lord came and stood nearby, calling as he had previously done, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel replied, “Speak, for your servant is listening!” 3:11 The Lord said to Samuel, “Look! I am about to do something in Israel; 105 when anyone hears about it, both of his ears will tingle. 3:12 On that day I will carry out 106 against Eli everything that I spoke about his house – from start to finish! 3:13 You 107 should tell him that I am about to judge his house forever because of 108 the sin that he knew about. For his sons were cursing God, 109 and he did not rebuke them. 3:14 Therefore I swore an oath to the house of Eli, ‘The sin of the house of Eli can never be forgiven by sacrifice or by grain offering.’”
3:15 So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the Lord’s house. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision. 3:16 However, Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!” He replied, “Here I am.” 3:17 Eli 110 said, “What message did he speak to you? Don’t conceal it from me. God will judge you severely 111 if you conceal from me anything that he said to you!”
3:18 So Samuel told him everything. He did not hold back anything from him. Eli 112 said, “The Lord will do what he pleases.” 113 3:19 Samuel continued to grow, and the Lord was with him. None of his prophecies fell to the ground unfulfilled. 114 3:20 All Israel from Dan to Beer Sheba realized that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord. 3:21 Then the Lord again appeared in Shiloh, for it was in Shiloh that the Lord had revealed himself to Samuel 115 through the word of the Lord. 116 4:1 Samuel revealed the word of the Lord 117 to all Israel.
Then the Israelites went out to fight the Philistines. 118 They camped at Ebenezer, 119 and the Philistines camped at Aphek. 4:2 The Philistines arranged their forces to fight 120 Israel. As the battle spread out, 121 Israel was defeated by 122 the Philistines, who 123 killed about four thousand men in the battle line in the field.
4:3 When the army 124 came back to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why did the Lord let us be defeated today by 125 the Philistines? Let’s take with us the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh. When it is with us, it will save us 126 from the hand of our enemies.
4:4 So the army 127 sent to Shiloh, and they took from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts who sits between the cherubim. Now the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 4:5 When the ark of the covenant of the Lord arrived at the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly 128 that the ground shook.
4:6 When the Philistines heard the sound of the shout, they said, “What is this loud shout in the camp of the Hebrews?” Then they realized that the ark of the Lord had arrived at the camp. 4:7 The Philistines were scared because they thought that gods had come to the camp. 129 They said, “Too bad for 130 us! We’ve never seen anything like this! 4:8 Too bad for us! Who can deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all sorts of plagues in the desert! 4:9 Be strong and act like men, you Philistines, or else you will wind up serving the Hebrews the way they have served you! Act like men and fight!”
4:10 So the Philistines fought. Israel was defeated; they all ran home. 131 The slaughter was very great; thirty thousand foot soldiers fell in battle. 4:11 The ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, were killed.
4:12 On that day 132 a Benjaminite ran from the battle lines and came to Shiloh. His clothes were torn and dirt was on his head. 4:13 When he arrived in Shiloh, Eli was sitting in his chair watching by the side of 133 the road, for he was very worried 134 about the ark of God. As the man entered the city to give his report, 135 the whole city cried out.
4:14 When Eli heard the outcry, 136 he said, “What is this commotion?” 137 The man quickly came and told Eli. 4:15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes looked straight ahead; 138 he was unable to see.
4:16 The man said to Eli, “I am the one who came from the battle lines! Just today I fled from the battle lines!” Eli 139 asked, “How did things go, my son?” 4:17 The messenger replied, “Israel has fled from 140 the Philistines! The army has suffered a great defeat! Your two sons, Hophni and Phineas, are dead! The ark of God has been captured!”
4:18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli 141 fell backward from his chair beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he 142 was old and heavy. He had judged Israel for forty years.
4:19 His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phineas, was pregnant and close to giving birth. When she heard that the ark of God was captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she doubled over and gave birth. But her labor pains were too much for her. 4:20 As she was dying, the women who were there with her said, “Don’t be afraid! You have given birth to a son!” But she did not reply or pay any attention. 143
4:21 She named the boy Ichabod, 144 saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” referring to the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. 4:22 She said, “The glory has departed from Israel, because the ark of God has been captured.”
5:1 Now the Philistines had captured the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 5:2 The Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the temple of Dagon, where they positioned it beside Dagon. 5:3 When the residents of Ashdod got up early the next day, 145 Dagon was lying on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him back in his place. 5:4 But when they got up early the following day, Dagon was again lying on the ground before the ark of the Lord. The head of Dagon and his two hands were sheared off and were lying at the threshold. Only Dagon’s body was left intact. 146 5:5 (For this reason, to this very day, neither Dagon’s priests nor anyone else who enters Dagon’s temple step on Dagon’s threshold in Ashdod.)
5:6 The Lord attacked 147 the residents of Ashdod severely, bringing devastation on them. He struck the people of 148 both Ashdod and the surrounding area with sores. 149 5:7 When the people 150 of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel should not remain with us, for he has attacked 151 both us and our god Dagon!”
5:8 So they assembled 152 all the leaders of the Philistines and asked, “What should we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They replied, “The ark of the God of Israel should be moved to Gath.” So they moved the ark of the God of Israel.
5:9 But after it had been moved the Lord attacked 153 that city as well, causing a great deal of panic. He struck all the people of that city 154 with sores. 155 5:10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron.
But when the ark of God arrived at Ekron, the residents of Ekron cried out saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel here 156 to kill our 157 people!” 5:11 So they assembled 158 all the leaders of the Philistines and said, “Get the ark of the God of Israel out of here! Let it go back to its own place so that it won’t kill us 159 and our 160 people!” The terror 161 of death was throughout the entire city; God was attacking them very severely there. 162 5:12 The people 163 who did not die were struck with sores; the city’s cry for help went all the way up to heaven.
6:1 When the ark of the Lord had been in the land 164 of the Philistines for seven months, 165 6:2 the Philistines called the priests and the omen readers, saying, “What should we do with the ark of the Lord? Advise us as to how we should send it back to its place.”
6:3 They replied, “If you are going to send the ark of 166 the God of Israel back, don’t send it away empty. Be sure to return it with a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and you will understand why his hand is not removed from you.” 6:4 They inquired, “What is the guilt offering that we should send to him?”
They replied, “The Philistine leaders number five. So send five gold sores and five gold mice, for it is the same plague that has afflicted both you and your leaders. 6:5 You should make images of the sores and images of the mice 167 that are destroying the land. You should honor the God of Israel. Perhaps he will release his grip on you, your gods, and your land. 168 6:6 Why harden your hearts like the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? 169 When God 170 treated them harshly, didn’t the Egyptians send the Israelites on their way? 171 6:7 So now go and make a new cart. Get two cows that have calves and that have never had a yoke placed on them. Harness the cows to the cart and take their calves from them back to their stalls. 6:8 Then take the ark of the Lord and place it on the cart, and put in a chest beside it the gold objects you are sending to him as a guilt offering. You should then send it on its way. 6:9 But keep an eye on it. If it should go up by the way of its own border to Beth Shemesh, then he has brought this great calamity on us. But if that is not the case, then we will know that it was not his hand that struck us; rather, it just happened to us by accident.”
6:10 So the men did as instructed. 172 They took two cows that had calves and harnessed them to a cart; they also removed their calves to their stalls. 6:11 They put the ark of the Lord on the cart, along with the chest, the gold mice, and the images of the sores. 6:12 Then the cows went directly on the road to Beth Shemesh. They went along, mooing as they went; they turned neither to the right nor to the left. The leaders of the Philistines were walking along behind them all the way to the border of Beth Shemesh.
6:13 Now the residents of Beth Shemesh were harvesting wheat in the valley. When they looked up and saw the ark, they were pleased at the sight. 6:14 The cart was coming to the field of Joshua, who was from Beth Shemesh. It paused there near a big stone. Then they cut up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. 6:15 The Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the chest that was with it, which contained the gold objects. They placed them near the big stone. At that time the people of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the Lord. 6:16 The five leaders of the Philistines watched what was happening and then returned to Ekron on the same day.
6:17 These are the gold sores that the Philistines brought as a guilt offering to the Lord – one for each of the following cities: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. 6:18 The gold mice corresponded in number to all the Philistine cities of the five leaders, from the fortified cities to hamlet villages, to greater Abel, 173 where they positioned the ark of the Lord until this very day in the field of Joshua who was from Beth Shemesh.
6:19 But the Lord 174 struck down some of the people of Beth Shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the Lord; he struck down 50,070 175 of the men. The people grieved because the Lord had struck the people with a hard blow. 6:20 The residents of Beth Shemesh asked, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? To whom will the ark 176 go up from here?”
6:21 So they sent messengers to the residents of Kiriath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down here and take it back home with you.”
7:1 Then the people 177 of Kiriath Jearim came and took the ark of the Lord; they brought it to the house of Abinadab located on the hill. They consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the Lord.
7:2 It was quite a long time – some twenty years in all – that the ark stayed at Kiriath Jearim. All the people 178 of Israel longed for 179 the Lord. 7:3 Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you are really turning to the Lord with all your hearts, remove from among you the foreign gods and the images of Ashtoreth. 180 Give your hearts to the Lord and serve only him. Then he will deliver you 181 from the hand of the Philistines.” 7:4 So the Israelites 182 removed the Baals and images of Ashtoreth. They served only the Lord.
7:5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord on your behalf.” 7:6 After they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. They fasted on that day, and they confessed 183 there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” So Samuel led 184 the people of Israel at Mizpah.
7:7 When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, the leaders of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the Israelites heard about this, they were afraid of the Philistines. 7:8 The Israelites said to Samuel, “Keep 185 crying out to the Lord our 186 God so that he may save us 187 from the hand of the Philistines!” 7:9 So Samuel took a nursing lamb 188 and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Samuel cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.
7:10 As Samuel was offering burnt offerings, the Philistines approached to do battle with Israel. 189 But on that day the Lord thundered loudly against the Philistines. He caused them to panic, and they were defeated by 190 Israel. 7:11 Then the men of Israel left Mizpah and chased the Philistines, striking them down all the way to an area below Beth Car.
7:12 Samuel took a stone and placed it between Mizpah and Shen. 191 He named it Ebenezer, 192 saying, “Up to here the Lord has helped us.” 7:13 So the Philistines were defeated; they did not invade Israel again. The hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
7:14 The cities that the Philistines had captured from Israel were returned to Israel, from Ekron to Gath. Israel also delivered their territory from the control 193 of the Philistines. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites. 7:15 So Samuel led 194 Israel all the days of his life. 7:16 Year after year he used to travel the circuit of Bethel, 195 Gilgal, and Mizpah; he used to judge Israel in all of these places. 7:17 Then he would return to Ramah, because his home was there. He also judged 196 Israel there and built an altar to the Lord there.
8:1 In his old age Samuel appointed his sons as judges over Israel. 8:2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second son was Abijah. They were judges in Beer Sheba. 8:3 But his sons did not follow 197 his ways. Instead, they made money dishonestly, accepted bribes, and perverted justice. 198
8:4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and approached Samuel at Ramah. 8:5 They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons don’t follow your ways. So now appoint over us a king to lead 199 us, just like all the other nations have.”
8:6 But this request displeased Samuel, for 200 they said, “Give us a king to lead us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord. 8:7 The Lord said to Samuel, “Do everything the people request of you. 201 For it is not you that they have rejected, but it is me that they have rejected as their king. 8:8 Just as they have done 202 from the day that I brought them up from Egypt until this very day, they have rejected me and have served other gods. This is what they are also doing to you. 8:9 So now do as they say. 203 But seriously warn 204 them and make them aware of the policies of the king who will rule over them.” 205
8:10 So Samuel spoke all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 8:11 He said, “Here are the policies of the king who will rule over you: He will conscript your sons and put them in his chariot forces and in his cavalry; they will run in front of his chariot. 8:12 He will appoint for himself leaders of thousands and leaders of fifties, 206 as well as those who plow his ground, reap his harvest, and make his weapons of war and his chariot equipment. 8:13 He will take your daughters to be ointment makers, cooks, and bakers. 8:14 He will take your best fields and vineyards and give them to his own servants. 8:15 He will demand a tenth of your seed and of the produce of your vineyards and give it to his administrators 207 and his servants. 8:16 He will take your male and female servants, as well as your best cattle and your donkeys, and assign them for his own use. 8:17 He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will be his servants. 8:18 In that day you will cry out because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord won’t answer you in that day.” 208
8:19 But the people refused to heed Samuel’s warning. 209 Instead they said, “No! There will be a king over us! 8:20 We will be like all the other nations. Our king will judge us and lead us 210 and fight our battles.”
8:21 So Samuel listened to everything the people said and then reported it to the Lord. 211 8:22 The Lord said to Samuel, “Do as they say 212 and install a king over them.” Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Each of you go back to his own city.”
9:1 There was a Benjaminite man named Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. He was a prominent person. 9:2 He had a son named Saul, a handsome young man. There was no one among the Israelites more handsome than he was; he stood head and shoulders above all the people.
9:3 The donkeys of Saul’s father Kish wandered off, 213 so Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go 214 look for the donkeys.” 215 9:4 So Saul 216 crossed through the hill country of Ephraim, passing through the land of Shalisha, but they did not find them. So they crossed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he crossed through the land of Benjamin, and still they did not find them.
9:5 When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come on, let’s head back before my father quits worrying about the donkeys and becomes anxious about us!” 9:6 But the servant said to him, “Look, there is a man of God in this town. He is highly respected. Everything that he says really happens. 217 Now let’s go there. Perhaps he will tell us where we should go from here.” 218 9:7 So Saul said to his servant, “All right, 219 we can go. But what can we bring the man, since the food in our bags is used up? We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?” 9:8 The servant went on to answer Saul, “Look, I happen to have in my hand a quarter shekel 220 of silver. I will give it to the man of God and he will tell us where we should go.” 221 9:9 (Now it used to be in Israel that whenever someone went to inquire of God he would say, “Come on, let’s go to the seer.” For today’s prophet used to be called a seer.) 9:10 So Saul said to his servant, “That’s a good idea! 222 Come on. Let’s go.” So they went to the town where the man of God was.
9:11 As they were going up the ascent to the town, they met some girls coming out to draw water. They said to them, “Is this where the seer is?” 9:12 They replied, “Yes, straight ahead! But hurry now, for he came to the town today, and the people are making a sacrifice at the high place. 9:13 When you enter the town, you can find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people won’t eat until he arrives, for he must bless the sacrifice. Once that happens, those who have been invited will eat. Now go on up, for 223 this is the time when you can find him!”
9:14 So they went up to the town. As they were heading for the middle of the town, Samuel was coming in their direction 224 to go up to the high place. 9:15 Now the day before Saul arrived, the Lord had told 225 Samuel: 9:16 “At this time tomorrow I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin. You must consecrate 226 him as a leader over my people Israel. He will save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked with favor on my people. Their cry has reached me!”
9:17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said, 227 “Here is the man that I told you about! He will rule over my people.” 9:18 As Saul approached Samuel in the middle of the gate, he said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.”
9:19 Samuel replied to Saul, “I am the seer! Go up in front of me to the high place! Today you will eat with me and in the morning I will send you away. I will tell you everything that you are thinking. 228 9:20 Don’t be concerned 229 about the donkeys that you lost three days ago, for they have been found. Whom does all Israel desire? Is it not you, and all your father’s family?” 230
9:21 Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of Israel’s tribes, and is not my family clan the smallest of all the tribes of Benjamin? Why do you speak to me in this way?”
9:22 Then Samuel brought 231 Saul and his servant into the room and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited. There were about thirty people present. 9:23 Samuel said to the cook, “Give me the portion of meat that I gave to you – the one I asked you to keep with you.”
9:24 So the cook picked up the leg and brought it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel 232 said, “What was kept is now set before you! Eat, for it has been kept for you for this meeting time, from the time I said, ‘I have invited the people.’” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
9:25 When they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof. 9:26 They got up at dawn and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get up, so I can send you on your way.” So Saul got up and the two of them – he and Samuel – went outside. 9:27 While they were going down to the edge of town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us.” So he did. 233 Samuel then said, 234 “You remain here awhile, so I can inform you of God’s message.”
10:1 Then Samuel took a small container of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s 235 head. Samuel 236 kissed him and said, “The Lord has chosen you 237 to lead his people Israel! You will rule over the Lord’s people and you will deliver them from the power of the enemies who surround them. This will be your sign that the Lord has chosen 238 you as leader over his inheritance. 239 10:2 When you leave me today, you will find two men near Rachel’s tomb at Zelzah on Benjamin’s border. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you have gone looking for have been found. Your father is no longer concerned about the donkeys but has become anxious about you two! 240 He is asking, “What should I do about my son?”’
10:3 “As you continue on from there, you will come to the tall tree of Tabor. At that point three men who are going up to God at Bethel 241 will meet you. One of them will be carrying three young goats, one of them will be carrying three round loaves of bread, and one of them will be carrying a container of wine. 10:4 They will ask you how you’re doing and will give you two loaves of bread. You will accept them. 10:5 Afterward you will go to Gibeah of God, where there are Philistine officials. 242 When you enter the town, you will meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place. They will have harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying. 10:6 Then the spirit of the Lord will rush upon you and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person.
10:7 “When these signs have taken place, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God will be with you. 243 10:8 You will go down to Gilgal before me. I am going to join you there to offer burnt offerings and to make peace offerings. You should wait for seven days, until I arrive and tell you what to do.”
10:9 As Saul 244 turned 245 to leave Samuel, God changed his inmost person. 246 All these signs happened on that very day. 10:10 When Saul and his servant 247 arrived at Gibeah, a company of prophets was coming out to meet him. Then the spirit of God rushed upon Saul 248 and he prophesied among them. 10:11 When everyone who had known him previously saw him prophesying with the prophets, the people all asked one another, “What on earth has happened to the son of Kish? Does even Saul belong with the prophets?”
10:12 A man who was from there replied, “And who is their father?” Therefore this became a proverb: “Is even Saul among the prophets?” 10:13 When Saul 249 had finished prophesying, he went to the high place.
10:14 Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where did you go?” Saul 250 replied, “To look for the donkeys. But when we realized they were lost, 251 we went to Samuel.” 10:15 Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me what Samuel said to you.” 252 10:16 Saul said to his uncle, “He assured us that the donkeys had been found.” But Saul 253 did not tell him what Samuel had said about the matter of kingship.
10:17 Then Samuel called the people together before the Lord at Mizpah. 10:18 He said to the Israelites, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says, ‘I brought Israel up from Egypt and I delivered you from the power 254 of the Egyptians and from the power of all the kingdoms that oppressed you. 10:19 But today you have rejected your God who saves you from all your trouble and distress. You have said, “No! 255 Appoint a king over us.” Now take your positions before the Lord by your tribes and by your clans.’”
10:20 Then Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot. 10:21 Then he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its families, and the family of Matri was chosen by lot. At last Saul son of Kish was chosen by lot. But when they looked for him, he was nowhere to be found. 10:22 So they inquired again of the Lord, “Has the man arrived here yet?” The Lord said, “He has hidden himself among the equipment.” 256
10:23 So they ran and brought him from there. When he took his position among the people, he stood head and shoulders above them all. 10:24 Then Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one whom the Lord has chosen? Indeed, there is no one like him among all the people!” All the people shouted out, “Long live the king!”
10:25 Then Samuel talked to the people about how the kingship would work. 257 He wrote it all down on a scroll and set it before the Lord. Then Samuel sent all the people away to their homes. 10:26 Even Saul went to his home in Gibeah. With him went some brave men whose hearts God had touched. 10:27 But some wicked men 258 said, “How can this man save us?” They despised him and did not even bring him a gift. But Saul said nothing about it. 259
11:1 260 Nahash 261 the Ammonite marched 262 against Jabesh Gilead. All the men of Jabesh Gilead said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us and we will serve you.”
11:2 But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “The only way I will make a treaty with you is if you let me gouge out the right eye of every one of you and in so doing humiliate all Israel!”
11:3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Leave us alone for seven days so that we can send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. If there is no one who can deliver us, we will come out voluntarily to you.”
11:4 When the messengers went to Gibeah (where Saul lived) 263 and informed the people of these matters, all the people wept loudly. 264 11:5 Now Saul was walking behind the 265 oxen as he came from the field. Saul asked, “What has happened to the people? Why are they weeping?” So they told him about 266 the men of Jabesh.
11:6 The Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and he became very angry. 11:7 He took a pair 267 of oxen and cut them up. Then he sent the pieces throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, who said, “Whoever does not go out after Saul and after Samuel should expect this to be done to his oxen!” Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they went out as one army. 268 11:8 When Saul counted them at Bezek, the Israelites were 300,000 269 strong and the men of Judah numbered 30,000. 270
11:9 They said to the messengers who had come, “Here’s what you should say to the men of Jabesh Gilead: ‘Tomorrow deliverance will come to you when the sun is fully up.’” When the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh Gilead, they were happy. 11:10 The men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you 271 and you can do with us whatever you wish.” 272
11:11 The next day Saul placed the people in three groups. They went to the Ammonite camp during the morning watch and struck them 273 down until the hottest part of the day. The survivors scattered; no two of them remained together.
11:12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Who were the ones asking, ‘Will Saul reign over us?’ Hand over those men so we may execute them!” 11:13 But Saul said, “No one will be killed on this day. For today the Lord has given Israel a victory!” 11:14 Samuel said to the people, “Come on! Let’s go to Gilgal and renew the kingship there.” 11:15 So all the people went to Gilgal, where 274 they established Saul as king in the Lord’s presence. They offered up peace offerings there in the Lord’s presence. Saul and all the Israelites were very happy.
12:1 Samuel said to all Israel, “I have done 275 everything you requested. 276 I have given you a king. 277 12:2 Now look! This king walks before you. As for me, I am old and gray, though my sons are here with you. I have walked before you from the time of my youth till the present day. 12:3 Here I am. Bring a charge against me before the Lord and before his chosen king. 278 Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I wronged? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I taken a bribe so that I would overlook something? Tell me, 279 and I will return it to you!”
12:4 They replied, “You have not wronged us or oppressed us. You have not taken anything from the hand of anyone.” 12:5 He said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and his chosen king 280 is witness this day, that you have not found any reason to accuse me.” 281 They said, “He is witness!”
12:6 Samuel said to the people, “The Lord is the one who chose Moses and Aaron and who brought your ancestors 282 up from the land of Egypt. 12:7 Now take your positions, so I may confront you 283 before the Lord regarding all the Lord’s just actions toward you and your ancestors. 284 12:8 When Jacob entered Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the Lord. The Lord sent Moses and Aaron, and they led your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place.
12:9 “But they forgot the Lord their God, so he gave 285 them into the hand of Sisera, the general in command of Hazor’s 286 army, 287 and into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. 12:10 Then they cried out to the Lord and admitted, 288 ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the images of Ashtoreth. 289 Now deliver us from the hand of our enemies so that we may serve you.’ 290 12:11 So the Lord sent Jerub-Baal, 291 Barak, 292 Jephthah, and Samuel, 293 and he delivered you from the hand of the enemies all around you, and you were able to live securely.
12:12 “When you saw that King Nahash of the Ammonites was advancing against you, you said to me, ‘No! A king will rule over us’ – even though the Lord your God is your king! 12:13 Now look! Here is the king you have chosen – the one that you asked for! Look, the Lord has given you a king! 12:14 If you fear the Lord, serving him and obeying him 294 and not rebelling against what he says, 295 and if both you and the king who rules over you follow the Lord your God, all will be well. 296 12:15 But if you don’t obey 297 the Lord and rebel against what the Lord says, the hand of the Lord will be against both you and your king. 298
12:16 “So now, take your positions and watch this great thing that the Lord is about to do in your sight. 12:17 Is this not the time of the wheat harvest? I will call on the Lord so that he makes it thunder and rain. Realize and see what a great sin you have committed before the Lord by asking for a king for yourselves.”
12:18 So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord made it thunder and rain that day. All the people were very afraid of both the Lord and Samuel. 12:19 All the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God on behalf of us – your servants – so we won’t die, for we have added to all our sins by asking for a king.” 299
12:20 Then Samuel said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. You have indeed sinned. 300 However, don’t turn aside from the Lord. Serve the Lord with all your heart. 12:21 You should not turn aside after empty things that can’t profit and can’t deliver, since they are empty. 301 12:22 The Lord will not abandon his people because he wants to uphold his great reputation. 302 The Lord was pleased to make you his own people. 12:23 As far as I am concerned, far be it from me to sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you! I will instruct you in the way that is good and upright. 12:24 However, fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. Just look at the great things he has done for you! 12:25 But if you continue to do evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”
13:1 Saul was [thirty] 303 years old when he began to reign; he ruled over Israel for [forty] 304 years. 13:2 Saul selected for himself three thousand men from Israel. Two thousand of these were with Saul at Micmash and in the hill country of Bethel; 305 the remaining thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin. 306 He sent all the rest of the people back home. 307
13:3 Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost 308 that was at Geba and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul alerted 309 all the land saying, “Let the Hebrews pay attention!” 13:4 All Israel heard this message, 310 “Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel is repulsive 311 to the Philistines!” So the people were summoned to join 312 Saul at Gilgal.
13:5 For the battle with Israel the Philistines had amassed 3,000 313 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and an army as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven. 13:6 The men of Israel realized they had a problem because their army was hard pressed. So the army hid in caves, thickets, cliffs, strongholds, 314 and cisterns. 13:7 Some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan River 315 to the land of Gad and Gilead. But Saul stayed at Gilgal; the entire army that was with him was terrified. 13:8 He waited for seven days, the time period indicated by Samuel. 316 But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the army began to abandon Saul. 317
13:9 So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” Then he offered a burnt offering. 13:10 Just when he had finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel appeared on the scene. Saul went out to meet him and to greet him. 318
13:11 But Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul replied, “When I saw that the army had started to abandon me 319 and that you didn’t come at the appointed time and that the Philistines had assembled at Micmash, 13:12 I thought, 320 ‘Now the Philistines will come down on me at Gilgal and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt obligated 321 to offer the burnt offering.”
13:13 Then Samuel said to Saul, “You have made a foolish choice! You have not obeyed 322 the commandment that the Lord your God gave 323 you. Had you done that, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever! 13:14 But now your kingdom will not continue! The Lord has sought out 324 for himself a man who is loyal to him 325 and the Lord has appointed 326 him to be leader over his people, for you have not obeyed what the Lord commanded you.”
13:15 Then Samuel set out and went up from Gilgal 327 to Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin. 328 Saul mustered the army that remained with him; there were about six hundred men. 13:16 Saul, his son Jonathan, and the army that remained with them stayed in Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin, while the Philistines camped in Micmash. 329 13:17 Raiding bands went out from the camp of the Philistines in three groups. One band turned toward the road leading to Ophrah by the land of Shual; 13:18 another band turned toward the road leading to Beth Horon; and yet another band turned toward the road leading to the border that overlooks the valley of Zeboim in the direction of the desert.
13:19 A blacksmith could not be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines had said, “This will prevent the Hebrews from making swords and spears.” 13:20 So all Israel had to go down to the Philistines in order to get their plowshares, cutting instruments, axes, and sickles 330 sharpened. 13:21 They charged 331 two-thirds of a shekel 332 to sharpen plowshares and cutting instruments, and a third of a shekel 333 to sharpen picks and axes, and to set ox goads. 13:22 So on the day of the battle no sword or spear was to be found in the hand of anyone in the army that was with Saul and Jonathan. No one but Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
13:23 A garrison of the Philistines had gone out to the pass at Micmash. 14:1 Then one day Jonathan son of Saul said to his armor bearer, 334 “Come on, let’s go over to the Philistine garrison that is opposite us.” But he did not let his father know.
14:2 Now Saul was sitting under a pomegranate tree in Migron, on the outskirts of Gibeah. The army that was with him numbered about six hundred men. 14:3 Now Ahijah was carrying 335 an ephod. He was the son of Ahitub, who was the brother of Ichabod and a son of Phineas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh. The army was unaware that Jonathan had left.
14:4 Now there was a steep cliff on each side of the pass through which Jonathan intended to go to reach the Philistine garrison. One cliff was named Bozez, the other Seneh. 14:5 The cliff to the north was closer to Micmash, the one to the south closer to Geba.
14:6 Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will intervene 336 for us. Nothing can prevent the Lord from delivering, whether by many or by a few.” 14:7 His armor bearer said to him, “Do everything that is on your mind. 337 Do as you’re inclined. I’m with you all the way!” 338
14:8 Jonathan replied, “All right! 339 We’ll go over to these men and fight them. 14:9 If they say to us, ‘Stay put until we approach you,’ we will stay 340 right there and not go up to them. 14:10 But if they say, ‘Come up against us,’ we will go up. For in that case the Lord has given them into our hand – it will be a sign to us.”
14:11 When they 341 made themselves known to the Philistine garrison, the Philistines said, “Look! The Hebrews are coming out of the holes in which they hid themselves.” 14:12 Then the men of the garrison said to Jonathan and his armor bearer, “Come on up to us so we can teach you a thing or two!” 342 Then Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come up behind me, for the Lord has given 343 them into the hand of Israel!”
14:13 Jonathan crawled up on his hands and feet, with his armor bearer following behind him. Jonathan struck down the Philistines, 344 while his armor bearer came along behind him and killed them. 345 14:14 In this initial skirmish Jonathan and his armor bearer struck down about twenty men in an area that measured half an acre.
14:15 Then fear overwhelmed 346 those who were in the camp, those who were in the field, all the army in the garrison, and the raiding bands. They trembled and the ground shook. This fear was caused by God. 347
14:16 Saul’s watchmen at Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin 348 looked on 349 as the crowd of soldiers seemed to melt away first in one direction and then in another. 350 14:17 So Saul said to the army that was with him, “Muster the troops and see who is no longer with us.” When they mustered the troops, 351 Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there. 14:18 So Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring near the ephod,” 352 for he was at that time wearing the ephod. 353 14:19 While 354 Saul spoke to the priest, the panic in the Philistines’ camp was becoming greater and greater. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand!”
14:20 Saul and all the army that was with him assembled and marched into battle, where they found 355 the Philistines in total panic killing one another with their swords. 356 14:21 The Hebrews who had earlier gone over to the Philistine side 357 joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 14:22 When all the Israelites who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines had fled, they too pursued them in battle. 14:23 So the Lord delivered Israel that day, and the battle shifted over to Beth Aven. 358
14:24 Now the men of Israel were hard pressed that day, for Saul had made the army agree to this oath: “Cursed be the man who eats food before evening! I will get my vengeance on my enemies!” So no one in the army ate anything.
14:25 Now the whole army 359 entered the forest and there was honey on the ground. 360 14:26 When the army entered the forest, they saw 361 the honey flowing, but no one ate any of it, 362 for the army was afraid of the oath. 14:27 But Jonathan had not heard about the oath his father had made the army take. He extended the end of his staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb. When he ate it, 363 his eyes gleamed. 364 14:28 Then someone from the army informed him, “Your father put the army under a strict oath 365 saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food today!’ That is why the army is tired.” 14:29 Then Jonathan said, “My father has caused trouble for the land. See how my eyes gleamed 366 when I tasted just a little of this honey. 14:30 Certainly if the army had eaten some of the enemies’ provisions that they came across today, would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?”
14:31 On that day the army struck down the Philistines from Micmash to Aijalon, and they became very tired. 14:32 So the army rushed greedily on 367 the 368 plunder, confiscating sheep, cattle, and calves. They slaughtered them right on the ground, and the army ate them blood and all.
14:33 Now it was reported to Saul, “Look, the army is sinning against the Lord by eating even the blood.” He said, “All of you have broken the covenant! 369 Roll a large stone over here to me.” 14:34 Then Saul said, “Scatter out among the army and say to them, ‘Each of you bring to me your ox and sheep and slaughter them in this spot and eat. But don’t sin against the Lord by eating the blood.” So that night each one brought his ox and slaughtered it there. 370 14:35 Then Saul built an altar for the Lord; it was the first time he had built an altar for the Lord.
14:36 Saul said, “Let’s go down after the Philistines at night; we will rout 371 them until the break of day. 372 We won’t leave any of them alive!” 373 They replied, “Do whatever seems best to you.” 374 But the priest said, “Let’s approach God here.” 14:37 So Saul asked God, “Should I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But he did not answer him that day.
14:38 Then Saul said, “All you leaders of the army come here. Find out 375 how this sin occurred today. 14:39 For as surely as the Lord, the deliverer of Israel, lives, even if it turns out to be my own son Jonathan, he will certainly die!” But no one from the army said anything. 376
14:40 Then he said to all Israel, “You will be on one side, and I and my son Jonathan will be on the other side.” The army replied to Saul, “Do whatever you think is best.”
14:41 Then Saul said, “O Lord God of Israel! If this sin has been committed by me or by my son Jonathan, then, O Lord God of Israel, respond with Urim. But if this sin has been committed by your people Israel, respond with Thummim.” 377 Then Jonathan and Saul were indicated by lot, while the army was exonerated. 378 14:42 Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan!” 379 Jonathan was indicated by lot.
14:43 So Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” Jonathan told him, “I used the end of the staff that was in my hand to taste a little honey. I must die!” 380 14:44 Saul said, “God will punish me severely if Jonathan doesn’t die!” 381
14:45 But the army said to Saul, “Should Jonathan, who won this great victory in Israel, die? May it never be! As surely as the Lord lives, not a single hair of his head will fall to the ground! For it is with the help of God that he has acted today.” So the army rescued Jonathan from death. 382
14:46 Then Saul stopped chasing the Philistines, and the Philistines went back home. 383 14:47 After Saul had secured his royal position over Israel, he fought against all their 384 enemies on all sides – the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. In every direction that he turned he was victorious. 385 14:48 He fought bravely, striking down the Amalekites and delivering Israel from the hand of its enemies. 386
14:49 The sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malki-Shua. 387 He had two daughters; the older one was named Merab and the younger Michal. 14:50 The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the general in command of his army was Abner son of Ner, Saul’s uncle. 388 14:51 Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son 389 of Abiel.
14:52 There was fierce war with the Philistines all the days of Saul. So whenever Saul saw anyone who was a warrior or a brave individual, he would conscript him.
15:1 Then Samuel said to Saul, “I was the one the Lord sent to anoint you as king over his people Israel. Now listen to what the Lord says. 390 15:2 Here is what the Lord of hosts says: ‘I carefully observed how the Amalekites opposed 391 Israel along the way when Israel 392 came up from Egypt. 15:3 So go now and strike down the Amalekites. Destroy everything that they have. Don’t spare 393 them. Put them to death – man, woman, child, infant, ox, sheep, camel, and donkey alike.’”
15:4 So Saul assembled 394 the army 395 and mustered them at Telaim. There were 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah. 15:5 Saul proceeded to the city 396 of Amalek, where he set an ambush 397 in the wadi. 398 15:6 Saul said to the Kenites, “Go on and leave! Go down from among the Amalekites! Otherwise I will sweep you away 399 with them! After all, you were kind to all the Israelites when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites withdrew from among the Amalekites.
15:7 Then Saul struck down the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to 400 Shur, which is next to Egypt. 15:8 He captured King Agag of the Amalekites alive, but he executed all Agag’s people 401 with the sword. 15:9 However, Saul and the army spared Agag, along with the best of the flock, the cattle, the fatlings, 402 and the lambs, as well as everything else that was of value. 403 They were not willing to slaughter them. But they did slaughter everything that was despised 404 and worthless.
15:10 Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: 15:11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from me and has not done what I told him to do.” Samuel became angry and he cried out to the Lord all that night.
15:12 Then Samuel got up early to meet Saul the next morning. But Samuel was informed, “Saul has gone to Carmel where 405 he is setting up a monument for himself. Then Samuel left 406 and went down to Gilgal.” 407 15:13 When Samuel came to him, 408 Saul said to him, “May the Lord bless you! I have done what the Lord said.”
15:14 Samuel replied, “If that is the case, 409 then what is this sound of sheep in my ears and the sound of cattle that I hear?” 15:15 Saul said, “They were brought 410 from the Amalekites; the army spared the best of the flocks and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord our God. But everything else we slaughtered.”
15:16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Wait a minute! 411 Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” Saul 412 said to him, “Tell me.” 15:17 Samuel said, “Is it not true that when you were insignificant in your own eyes, you became head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord chose 413 you as king over Israel. 15:18 The Lord sent you on a campaign 414 saying, ‘Go and exterminate those sinful Amalekites! Fight against them until you 415 have destroyed them.’ 15:19 Why haven’t you obeyed 416 the Lord? Instead you have greedily rushed upon the plunder! You have done what is wrong in the Lord’s estimation.” 417
15:20 Then Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed 418 the Lord! I went on the campaign 419 the Lord sent me on. I brought back King Agag of the Amalekites after exterminating the Amalekites. 15:21 But the army took from the plunder some of the sheep and cattle – the best of what was to be slaughtered – to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”
15:22 Then Samuel said,
“Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as he does in obedience? 420
Certainly, 421 obedience 422 is better than sacrifice;
paying attention is better than 423 the fat of rams.
15:23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and presumption is like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has rejected you as 424 king.”
15:24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have disobeyed what the Lord commanded 425 and what you said as well. 426 For I was afraid of the army, and I followed their wishes. 427 15:25 Now please forgive my sin! Go back with me so I can worship 428 the Lord.”
15:26 Samuel said to Saul, “I will not go back with you, for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel!”
15:27 When Samuel turned to leave, Saul 429 grabbed the edge of his robe and it tore. 15:28 Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to one of your colleagues who is better than you! 15:29 The Preeminent One 430 of Israel does not go back on his word 431 or change his mind, for he is not a human being who changes his mind.” 432 15:30 Saul 433 again replied, “I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel. Go back with me so I may worship the Lord your God.” 15:31 So Samuel followed Saul back, and Saul worshiped the Lord.
15:32 Then Samuel said, “Bring me King Agag of the Amalekites.” So Agag came to him trembling, 434 thinking to himself, 435 “Surely death is bitter!” 436 15:33 Samuel said, “Just as your sword left women childless, so your mother will be the most bereaved among women!” Then Samuel hacked Agag to pieces there in Gilgal before the Lord.
15:34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, while Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. 15:35 Until the day he 437 died Samuel did not see Saul again. Samuel did, however, mourn for Saul, but the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.
16:1 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long do you intend to mourn for Saul? I have rejected him as king over Israel. 438 Fill your horn with olive oil and go! I am sending you to Jesse in Bethlehem, 439 for I have selected a king for myself from among his sons.” 440
16:2 Samuel replied, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!” But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you 441 and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 16:3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you should do. You will anoint for me the one I point out 442 to you.”
16:4 Samuel did what the Lord told him. 443 When he arrived in Bethlehem, 444 the elders of the city were afraid to meet him. They 445 said, “Do you come in peace?” 16:5 He replied, “Yes, in peace. I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” So he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
16:6 When they arrived, Samuel 446 noticed 447 Eliab and said to himself, 448 “Surely, here before the Lord stands his chosen king!” 449 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t be impressed by 450 his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. God does not view things the way men do. 451 People look on the outward appearance, 452 but the Lord looks at the heart.”
16:8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. 453 But Samuel 454 said, “The Lord has not chosen this one, either.” 16:9 Then Jesse presented 455 Shammah. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 16:10 Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel. 456 But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” 16:11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Is that all of the young men?” Jesse 457 replied, “There is still the youngest one, but he’s taking care of the flock.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we cannot turn our attention to other things until he comes here.”
16:12 So Jesse had him brought in. 458 Now he was ruddy, with attractive eyes and a handsome appearance. The Lord said, “Go and anoint him. This is the one!” 16:13 So Samuel took the horn full of olive oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers. The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day onward. Then Samuel got up and went to Ramah.
16:14 Now the Spirit of the Lord had turned away from Saul, and an evil spirit 459 from the Lord tormented him. 16:15 Then Saul’s servants said to him, “Look, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you!” 16:16 Let our lord instruct his servants who are here before you to look for a man who knows how to play the lyre. Then whenever the evil spirit from God comes upon you, he can play the lyre 460 and you will feel better.” 461 16:17 So Saul said to his servants, “Find 462 me a man who plays well and bring him to me.” 16:18 One of his attendants replied, 463 “I have seen a son of Jesse in Bethlehem 464 who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave warrior 465 and is articulate 466 and handsome, 467 for the Lord is with him.”
16:19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is out with the sheep. 16:20 So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a container of wine, and a young goat 468 and sent them to Saul with 469 his son David. 16:21 David came to Saul and stood before him. Saul liked him a great deal, 470 and he became his armor bearer. 16:22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse saying, “Let David be my servant, for I really like him.” 471
16:23 So whenever the spirit from God would come upon Saul, David would take his lyre and play it. This would bring relief to Saul and make him feel better. Then the evil spirit would leave him alone. 472
17:1 473 The Philistines gathered their troops 474 for battle. They assembled at Socoh in Judah. They camped in Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. 17:2 Saul and the Israelite army 475 assembled and camped in the valley of Elah, where they arranged their battle lines to fight against 476 the Philistines. 17:3 The Philistines were standing on one hill, and the Israelites 477 on another hill, with the valley between them.
17:4 Then a champion 478 came out from the camp of the Philistines. His name was Goliath; he was from Gath. He was close to seven feet tall. 479 17:5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and was wearing scale body armor. The weight of his bronze body armor was five thousand shekels. 480 17:6 He had bronze shin guards 481 on his legs, and a bronze javelin was slung over his shoulders. 17:7 The shaft 482 of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the iron point of his spear weighed six hundred shekels. 483 His shield bearer was walking before him.
17:8 Goliath 484 stood and called to Israel’s troops, 485 “Why do you come out to prepare for battle? Am I not the Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose 486 for yourselves a man so he may come down 487 to me! 17:9 If he is able to fight with me and strike me down, we will become your servants. But if I prevail against him and strike him down, you will become our servants and will serve us.” 17:10 Then the Philistine said, “I defy Israel’s troops this day! Give me a man so we can fight 488 each other!” 17:11 When Saul and all the Israelites 489 heard these words of the Philistine, they were upset and very afraid.
17:12 490 Now David was the son of this Ephrathite named Jesse from Bethlehem 491 in Judah. He had eight sons, and in Saul’s days he was old and well advanced in years. 492 17:13 Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to war. The names of the 493 three sons who went to war were Eliab, his firstborn, Abinadab, the second oldest, and Shammah, the third oldest. 17:14 Now David was the youngest. While the three oldest sons followed Saul, 17:15 David was going back and forth 494 from Saul in order to care for his father’s sheep in Bethlehem.
17:16 Meanwhile for forty days the Philistine approached every morning and evening and took his position. 17:17 Jesse said to his son David, “Take your brothers this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread; go quickly 495 to the camp to your brothers. 17:18 Also take these ten portions of cheese to their commanding officer. 496 Find out how your brothers are doing 497 and bring back their pledge that they received the goods. 498 17:19 They are with Saul and the whole Israelite army 499 in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.”
17:20 So David got up early in the morning and entrusted the flock to someone else who would watch over it. 500 After loading up, he went just as Jesse had instructed him. He arrived at the camp 501 as the army was going out to the battle lines shouting its battle cry. 17:21 Israel and the Philistines drew up their battle lines opposite one another. 17:22 After David had entrusted his cargo to the care of the supply officer, 502 he ran to the battlefront. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were doing. 17:23 As he was speaking with them, the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, was coming up from the battle lines of the Philistines. He spoke the way he usually did, 503 and David heard it. 17:24 When all the men of Israel saw this man, they retreated 504 from his presence and were very afraid.
17:25 The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who is coming up? He does so 505 to defy Israel. But the king will make the man who can strike him down very wealthy! He will give him his daughter in marriage, and he will make his father’s house exempt from tax obligations in Israel.”
17:26 David asked the men who were standing near him, “What will be done for the man who strikes down this Philistine and frees Israel from this humiliation? 506 For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he defies the armies of the living God?” 17:27 The soldiers 507 told him what had been promised, saying, 508 “This is what will be done for the man who can strike him down.”
17:28 When David’s 509 oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, he became angry 510 with David and said, “Why have you come down here? To whom did you entrust those few sheep in the desert? I am familiar with your pride and deceit! 511 You have come down here to watch the battle!”
17:29 David replied, “What have I done now? Can’t I say anything?” 512 17:30 Then he turned from those who were nearby to someone else and asked the same question, 513 but they 514 gave him the same answer as before. 17:31 When David’s words were overheard and reported to Saul, he called for him. 515
17:32 David said to Saul, “Don’t let anyone be discouraged. 516 Your servant will go and fight this Philistine!” 17:33 But Saul replied to David, “You aren’t able to go against this Philistine and fight him! You’re just a boy! He has been a warrior from his youth!”
17:34 David replied to Saul, “Your servant has been a shepherd for his father’s flock. Whenever a lion or bear would come and carry off a sheep from the flock, 17:35 I would go out after it, strike it down, and rescue the sheep from its mouth. If it rose up against me, I would grab it by its jaw, strike it, and kill it. 17:36 Your servant has struck down both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine will be just like one of them. 517 For he has defied the armies of the living God!” 17:37 David went on to say, “The Lord who delivered me from the lion and the bear will also deliver me from the hand of this Philistine!” Then Saul said to David, “Go! The Lord will be with you.” 518
17:38 Then Saul clothed David with his own fighting attire and put a bronze helmet on his head. He also put body armor on him. 17:39 David strapped on his sword over his fighting attire and tried to walk around, but he was not used to them. 519 David said to Saul, “I can’t walk in these things, for I’m not used to them.” So David removed them. 17:40 He took his staff in his hand, picked out five smooth stones from the stream, placed them in the pouch 520 of his shepherd’s bag, took his sling in hand, and approached the Philistine.
17:41 521 The Philistine kept coming closer to David, with his shield bearer walking in front of him. 17:42 When the Philistine looked carefully at David, he despised him, for he was only a ruddy and handsome boy. 17:43 The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you are coming after me with sticks?” 522 Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 17:44 The Philistine said to David, “Come here to me, so I can give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the field!” 523
17:45 But David replied to the Philistine, “You are coming against me with sword and spear and javelin. But I am coming against you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel’s armies, whom you have defied! 17:46 This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand! I will strike you down and cut off your head. This day I will give the corpses of the Philistine army to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the land. Then all the land will realize that Israel has a God 17:47 and all this assembly will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves! For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will deliver you into our hand.”
17:48 The Philistine drew steadily closer to David to attack him, while David quickly ran toward the battle line to attack the Philistine. 524 17:49 David reached his hand into the bag and took out a stone. He slung it, striking the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank deeply into his forehead, and he fell down with his face to the ground.
17:50 525 David prevailed over the Philistine with just the sling and the stone. He struck down the Philistine and killed him. David did not even have a sword in his hand. 526 17:51 David ran and stood over the Philistine. He grabbed Goliath’s 527 sword, drew it from its sheath, 528 killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they ran away.
17:52 Then the men of Israel and Judah charged forward, shouting a battle cry. 529 They chased the Philistines to the valley 530 and to the very gates of Ekron. The Philistine corpses lay fallen along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. 17:53 When the Israelites returned from their hot pursuit of the Philistines, they looted their camp. 17:54 David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, 531 and he put Goliath’s 532 weapons in his tent.
17:55 533 Now as Saul watched David going out to fight the Philistine, he asked Abner, the general in command of the army, “Whose son is this young man, Abner?” Abner replied, “As surely as you live, O king, I don’t know.” 17:56 The king said, “Find out whose son this boy is!”
17:57 So when David returned from striking down the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul. He still had the head of the Philistine in his hand. 17:58 Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” David replied, “I am the son of your servant Jesse in Bethlehem.” 534
18:1 When David 535 had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan and David became bound together in close friendship. 536 Jonathan loved David as much as he did his own life. 537 18:2 Saul retained David 538 on that day and did not allow him to return to his father’s house. 18:3 Jonathan made a covenant with David, for he loved him as much as he did his own life. 539 18:4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with the rest of his gear, including his sword, his bow, and even his belt.
18:5 On every mission on which Saul sent him, David achieved success. So Saul appointed him over the men of war. This pleased not only all the army, but also Saul’s servants. 540
18:6 When the men 541 arrived after David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women from all the cities of Israel came out singing and dancing to meet King Saul. They were happy as they played their tambourines and three-stringed instruments. 542 18:7 The women who were playing the music sang,
“Saul has struck down his thousands,
but David his tens of thousands!”
18:8 This made Saul very angry. The statement displeased him and he thought, 543 “They have attributed to David tens of thousands, but to me they have attributed only thousands. What does he lack, except the kingdom?” 18:9 So Saul was keeping an eye on David from that day onward.
18:10 The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul and he prophesied within his house. Now David was playing the lyre 544 that day. There was a spear in Saul’s hand, 18:11 and Saul threw the spear, thinking, “I’ll nail David to the wall!” But David escaped from him on two different occasions.
18:12 So Saul feared David, because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. 18:13 Saul removed David 545 from his presence and made him a commanding officer. 546 David led the army out to battle and back. 547 18:14 Now David achieved success in all he did, 548 for the Lord was with him. 18:15 When Saul saw how very successful he was, he was afraid of him. 18:16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he was the one leading them out to battle and back.
18:17 549 Then Saul said to David, “Here’s my oldest daughter, Merab. I want to give her to you in marriage. Only be a brave warrior 550 for me and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul thought, “There’s no need for me to raise my hand against him. Let it be the hand of the Philistines!”
18:18 David said to Saul, “Who am I? Who are my relatives or the clan of my father 551 in Israel that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” 18:19 When the time came for Merab, Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she instead was given in marriage to Adriel, who was from Meholah.
18:20 Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. When they told Saul about this, it 552 pleased him. 18:21 Saul said, “I will give her to him so that she may become a snare to him and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Today is the second time for you to become my son-in-law.” 553
18:22 Then Saul instructed his servants, “Tell David secretly, ‘The king is pleased with you, and all his servants like you. So now become the king’s son-in-law.” 18:23 So Saul’s servants spoke these words privately 554 to David. David replied, “Is becoming the king’s son-in-law something insignificant to you? I’m just a poor and lightly-esteemed man!”
18:24 When Saul’s servants reported what David had said, 18:25 Saul replied, “Here is what you should say to David: ‘There is nothing that the king wants as a price for the bride except a hundred Philistine foreskins, so that he can be avenged of his 555 enemies.’” (Now Saul was thinking that he could kill David by the hand of the Philistines.)
18:26 So his servants told David these things and David agreed 556 to become the king’s son-in-law. Now the specified time had not yet expired 557 18:27 when David, along with his men, went out 558 and struck down two hundred Philistine men. David brought their foreskins and presented all of them to the king so he could become the king’s son-in-law. Saul then gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.
18:28 When Saul realized 559 that the Lord was with David and that his 560 daughter Michal loved David, 561 18:29 Saul became even more afraid of him. 562 Saul continued to be at odds with David from then on. 563 18:30 564 Then the leaders of the Philistines would march out, and as often as they did so, David achieved more success than all of Saul’s servants. His name was held in high esteem.
19:1 Then Saul told his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. But Saul’s son Jonathan liked David very much. 565 19:2 So Jonathan told David, “My father Saul is trying 566 to kill you. So be careful tomorrow morning. Find 567 a hiding place and stay in seclusion. 568 19:3 I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are. I will speak about you to my father. When I find out what the problem is, 569 I will let you know.”
19:4 So Jonathan spoke on David’s behalf 570 to his father Saul. He said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David, for he has not sinned against you. On the contrary, his actions have been very beneficial 571 for you. 19:5 He risked his life 572 when he struck down the Philistine and the Lord gave all Israel a great victory. When you saw it, you were happy. So why would you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death for no reason?”
19:6 Saul accepted Jonathan’s advice 573 and took an oath, “As surely as the Lord lives, he will not be put to death.” 19:7 Then Jonathan called David and told him all these things. Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he served him as he had done formerly. 574
19:8 Now once again there was war. So David went out to fight the Philistines. He defeated them thoroughly 575 and they ran away from him. 19:9 Then an evil spirit from the Lord came upon 576 Saul. He was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, while David was playing the lyre. 577 19:10 Saul tried to nail David to the wall with the spear, but he escaped from Saul’s presence and the spear drove into the wall. 578 David escaped quickly 579 that night.
19:11 Saul sent messengers to David’s house to guard it and to kill him in the morning. Then David’s wife Michal told him, “If you do not save yourself 580 tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!” 19:12 So Michal lowered David through the window, and he ran away and escaped.
19:13 Then Michal took a household idol 581 and put it on the bed. She put a quilt 582 made of goat’s hair over its head 583 and then covered the idol with a garment. 19:14 When Saul sent messengers to arrest David, she said, “He’s sick.”
19:15 Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me on his bed so I can kill him.” 19:16 When the messengers came, they found only the idol on the bed and the quilt made of goat’s hair at its head.
19:17 Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me this way by sending my enemy away? Now he has escaped!” Michal replied to Saul, “He said to me, ‘Help me get away or else I will kill you!’” 584
19:18 Now David had run away and escaped. He went to Samuel in Ramah and told him everything that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went and stayed at Naioth. 19:19 It was reported to Saul saying, “David is at Naioth in Ramah.” 19:20 So Saul sent messengers to capture David. When they saw a company of prophets prophesying with Samuel standing there as their leader, the spirit of God came upon Saul’s messengers, and they also prophesied. 19:21 When it was reported to Saul, he sent more messengers, but they prophesied too. So Saul sent messengers a third time, but they also prophesied. 19:22 Finally Saul 585 himself went to Ramah. When he arrived at the large cistern that is in Secu, he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” They said, “At Naioth in Ramah.”
19:23 So Saul went to Naioth in Ramah. The Spirit of God came upon him as well, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 19:24 He even stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel. He lay there 586 naked all that day and night. (For that reason it is asked, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”)
20:1 David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came to Jonathan and asked, 587 “What have I done? What is my offense? 588 How have I sinned before your father? For he is seeking my life!”
20:2 Jonathan 589 said to him, “By no means are you going to die! My father does nothing 590 large or small without making me aware of it. 591 Why would my father hide this matter from me? It just won’t happen!”
20:3 Taking an oath, David again 592 said, “Your father is very much aware of the fact 593 that I have found favor with you, and he has thought, 594 ‘Don’t let Jonathan know about this, or he will be upset.’ But as surely as the Lord lives and you live, there is about one step between me and death!” 20:4 Jonathan replied to David, “Tell me what I can do for you.” 595
20:5 David said to Jonathan, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and I am certainly expected to join the king for a meal. 596 You must send me away so I can hide in the field until the third evening from now. 20:6 If your father happens to miss me, you should say, ‘David urgently requested me to let him go 597 to his city Bethlehem, 598 for there is an annual sacrifice there for his entire family.’ 20:7 If he should then say, ‘That’s fine,’ 599 then your servant is safe. But if he becomes very angry, be assured that he has decided to harm me. 600 20:8 You must be loyal 601 to your servant, for you have made a covenant with your servant in the Lord’s name. 602 If I am guilty, 603 you yourself kill me! Why bother taking me to your father?”
20:9 Jonathan said, “Far be it from you to suggest this! If I were at all aware that my father had decided to harm you, wouldn’t I tell you about it?” 20:10 David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?” 20:11 Jonathan said to David, “Come on. Let’s go out to the field.”
When the two of them had gone out into the field, 20:12 Jonathan said to David, “The Lord God of Israel is my witness. 604 I will feel out my father about this time the day after tomorrow. If he is favorably inclined toward David, will I not then send word to you and let you know? 605 20:13 But if my father intends to do you harm, may the Lord do all this and more to Jonathan, if I don’t let you know 606 and send word to you so you can go safely on your way. 607 May the Lord be with you, as he was with my father. 20:14 While I am still alive, extend to me the loyalty of the Lord, or else I will die! 20:15 Don’t ever cut off your loyalty to my family, not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth 20:16 and called David’s enemies to account.” So Jonathan made a covenant 608 with the house of David. 609 20:17 Jonathan once again took an oath with David, because he loved him. In fact Jonathan loved him as much as he did his own life. 610 20:18 Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, for your seat will be empty. 20:19 On the third day 611 you should go down quickly 612 and come to the place where you hid yourself the day this all started. 613 Stay near the stone Ezel. 20:20 I will shoot three arrows near it, as though I were shooting at a target. 20:21 When I send a boy after them, I will say, “Go and find the arrows.” If I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; 614 get them,’ then come back. For as surely as the Lord lives, you will be safe and there will no problem. 20:22 But if I say to the boy, “Look, the arrows are on the other side of you,’ 615 get away. For in that case the Lord has sent you away. 20:23 With regard to the matter that you and I discussed, the Lord is the witness between us forever!” 616
20:24 So David hid in the field. When the new moon came, the king sat down to eat his meal. 20:25 The king sat down in his usual place by the wall, with Jonathan opposite him 617 and Abner at his side. 618 But David’s place was vacant. 20:26 However, Saul said nothing about it 619 that day, for he thought, 620 “Something has happened to make him ceremonially unclean. Yes, he must be unclean.” 20:27 But the next morning, the second day of the new moon, David’s place was still vacant. So Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why has Jesse’s son not come to the meal yesterday or today?”
20:28 Jonathan replied to Saul, “David urgently requested that he be allowed to go to Bethlehem. 20:29 He said, ‘Permit me to go, 621 for we are having a family sacrifice in the city, and my brother urged 622 me to be there. So now, if I have found favor with you, let me go 623 to see my brothers.’ For that reason he has not come to the king’s table.”
20:30 Saul became angry with Jonathan 624 and said to him, “You stupid traitor! 625 Don’t I realize that to your own disgrace and to the disgrace of your mother’s nakedness you have chosen this son of Jesse? 20:31 For as long as 626 this son of Jesse is alive on the earth, you and your kingdom will not be established. Now, send some men 627 and bring him to me. For he is as good as dead!” 628
20:32 Jonathan responded to his father Saul, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” 20:33 Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan 629 in order to strike him down. So Jonathan was convinced 630 that his father had decided to kill David. 20:34 Jonathan got up from the table enraged. He did not eat any food on that second day of the new moon, for he was upset that his father had humiliated David. 631
20:35 The next morning Jonathan, along with a young servant, went out to the field to meet David. 20:36 He said to his servant, “Run, find the arrows that I am about to shoot.” As the servant ran, Jonathan 632 shot the arrow beyond him. 20:37 When the servant came to the place where Jonathan had shot the arrow, Jonathan called out to 633 the servant, “Isn’t the arrow further beyond you?” 20:38 Jonathan called out to the servant, “Hurry! Go faster! Don’t delay!” Jonathan’s servant retrieved the arrow and came back to his master. 20:39 (Now the servant did not understand any of this. Only Jonathan and David knew what was going on.) 634 20:40 Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the servant who was with him. He said to him, “Go, take these things back to the city.”
20:41 When the servant had left, David got up from beside the mound, 635 knelt 636 with his face to the ground, and bowed three times. Then they kissed each other and they both wept, especially David. 20:42 Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for the two of us have sworn together in the name of the Lord saying, ‘The Lord will be between me and you and between my descendants and your descendants forever.’”
637 Then David 638 got up and left, while Jonathan went back to the city. 21:1 (21:2) David went to Ahimelech the priest in Nob. Ahimelech was shaking with fear when he met 639 David, and said to him, “Why are you by yourself with no one accompanying you?” 21:2 David replied to Ahimelech the priest, “The king instructed me to do something, but he said to me, ‘Don’t let anyone know the reason I am sending you or the instructions I have given you.’ 640 I have told my soldiers 641 to wait at a certain place. 642 21:3 Now what do you have at your disposal? 643 Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.”
21:4 The priest replied to David, “I don’t have any ordinary bread at my disposal. Only holy bread is available, and then only if your soldiers 644 have abstained from sexual relations with women.” 645 21:5 David said to the priest, “Certainly women have been kept away from us, just as on previous occasions when I have set out. The soldiers’ 646 equipment is holy, even on an ordinary journey. How much more so will they be holy today, along with their equipment!”
21:6 So the priest gave him holy bread, for there was no bread there other than the bread of the Presence. It had been removed from before the Lord in order to replace it with hot bread on the day it had been taken away. 21:7 (One of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the Lord. His name was Doeg the Edomite, who was in charge of Saul’s shepherds.) 21:8 David said to Ahimelech, “Is there no sword or spear here at your disposal? I don’t have my own sword or equipment in hand due to the urgency of the king’s instructions.”
21:9 The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the valley of Elah, is wrapped in a garment behind the ephod. If you wish, take it for yourself. Other than that, there’s nothing here.” David said, “There’s nothing like it! Give it to me!” 21:10 So on that day David arose and fled from Saul. He went to King Achish of Gath. 21:11 The servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one that they sing about when they dance, saying,
‘Saul struck down his thousands,
But David his tens of thousands’?”
21:12 David thought about what they said 647 and was very afraid of King Achish of Gath. 21:13 He altered his behavior in their presence. 648 Since he was in their power, 649 he pretended to be insane, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting his saliva run down his beard.
21:14 Achish said to his servants, “Look at this madman! Why did you bring him to me? 21:15 Do I have a shortage of fools, that you have brought me this man to display his insanity in front of me? Should this man enter my house?”
22:1 So David left there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s family 650 learned about it, they went down there to him. 22:2 All those who were in trouble or owed someone money or were discontented 651 gathered around 652 him, and he became their leader. He had about four hundred men with him.
22:3 Then David went from there to Mizpah in Moab, where he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother stay 653 with you until I know what God is going to do for me.” 22:4 So he had them stay with the king of Moab; they stayed with him the whole time 654 that David was in the stronghold. 22:5 Then Gad the prophet said to David, “Don’t stay in the stronghold. Go to the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.
22:6 But Saul found out the whereabouts of David and the men who were with him. 655 Now Saul was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk tree at an elevated location with his spear in hand and all his servants stationed around him. 22:7 Saul said to his servants who were stationed around him, “Listen up, you Benjaminites! Is Jesse’s son giving fields and vineyards to all of you? Or is he making all of you 656 commanders and officers? 657 22:8 For all of you have conspired against me! No one informs me 658 when my own son makes an agreement with this son of Jesse! Not one of you feels sorry for me or informs me that my own son has commissioned my own servant to hide in ambush against me, as is the case today!”
22:9 But Doeg the Edomite, who had stationed himself with the servants of Saul, replied, “I saw this son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob. 22:10 He inquired of the Lord for him and gave him provisions. He also gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
22:11 Then the king arranged for a meeting with the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and all the priests of his father’s house who were at Nob. They all came to the king. 22:12 Then Saul said, “Listen, son of Ahitub.” He replied, “Here I am, my lord.” 22:13 Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and this son of Jesse? You gave 659 him bread and a sword and inquired of God on his behalf, so that he opposes 660 me and waits in ambush, as is the case today!”
22:14 Ahimelech replied to the king, “Who among all your servants is faithful like David? He is the king’s son-in-law, the leader of your bodyguard, and honored in your house! 22:15 Was it just today that I began to inquire of God on his behalf? Far be it from me! The king should not accuse 661 his servant or any of my father’s house. For your servant is not aware of all this – not in whole or in part!” 662
22:16 But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house! 22:17 Then the king said to the messengers 663 who were stationed beside him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, for they too have sided 664 with David! They knew he was fleeing, but they did not inform me.” But the king’s servants refused to harm 665 the priests of the Lord.
22:18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests. He killed on that day eighty-five 666 men who wore the linen ephod. 22:19 As for Nob, the city of the priests, he struck down with the sword men and women, children and infants, oxen, donkeys, and sheep – all with the sword.
22:20 But one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped and fled to David. His name was Abiathar. 22:21 Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22:22 Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew that day when Doeg the Edomite was there that he would certainly tell Saul! I am guilty 667 of all the deaths in your father’s house! 22:23 Stay with me. Don’t be afraid! Whoever 668 seeks my life is seeking your life as well. You are secure with me.”
23:1 They told David, “The Philistines are fighting in Keilah and are looting the threshing floors.” 23:2 So David asked the Lord, “Should I go and strike down these Philistines?” The Lord said to David, “Go, strike down the Philistines and deliver Keilah.”
23:3 But David’s men said to him, “We are afraid while we are still here in Judah! What will it be like if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” 23:4 So David asked the Lord once again. But again the Lord replied, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.”
23:5 So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines. He took away their cattle and thoroughly defeated them. 669 David delivered the inhabitants of Keilah.
23:6 Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech had fled to David at Keilah, he had brought with him an ephod. 670 23:7 When Saul was told that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, “God has delivered 671 him into my hand, for he has boxed himself into a corner by entering a city with two barred gates.” 672 23:8 So Saul mustered all his army to go down to Keilah and besiege David and his men. 673
23:9 When David realized that Saul was planning to harm him, 674 he told Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod!” 23:10 Then David said, “O Lord God of Israel, your servant has clearly heard that Saul is planning 675 to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me. 23:11 Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, please inform your servant!”
Then the Lord said, “He will come down.” 23:12 David asked, “Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me and my men into Saul’s hand?” The Lord said, “They will deliver you over.”
23:13 So David and his men, who numbered about six hundred, set out and left Keilah; they moved around from one place to another. 676 When told that David had escaped from Keilah, Saul called a halt to his expedition. 23:14 David stayed in the strongholds that were in the desert and in the hill country of the desert of Ziph. Saul looked for him all the time, 677 but God did not deliver David 678 into his hand. 23:15 David realized 679 that Saul had come out to seek his life; at that time David was in Horesh in the desert of Ziph.
23:16 Then Jonathan son of Saul left and went to David at Horesh. He encouraged him 680 through God. 23:17 He said to him, “Don’t be afraid! For the hand of my father Saul cannot find you. You will rule over Israel, and I will be your second in command. Even my father Saul realizes this.” 23:18 When the two of them had made a covenant before the Lord, David stayed on at Horesh, but Jonathan went to his house.
23:19 Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Isn’t David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon? 23:20 Now at your own discretion, 681 O king, come down. Delivering him into the king’s hand will be our responsibility.”
23:21 Saul replied, “May you be blessed by the Lord, for you have had compassion on me. 23:22 Go and make further arrangements. Determine precisely 682 where he is 683 and who has seen him there, for I am told that he is extremely cunning. 23:23 Locate precisely all the places where he hides and return to me with dependable information. 684 Then I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will find him 685 among all the thousands of Judah.”
23:24 So they left and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the desert of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon. 23:25 Saul and his men went to look for him. 686 But David was informed and went down to the rock and stayed in the desert of Maon. When Saul heard about it, he pursued David in the desert of Maon. 23:26 Saul went on one side of the mountain, while David and his men went on the other side of the mountain. David was hurrying to get away from Saul, but Saul and his men were surrounding David and his men so they could capture them. 23:27 But a messenger came to Saul saying, “Come quickly, for the Philistines have raided the land!”
23:28 So Saul stopped pursuing David and went to confront the Philistines. Therefore that place is called Sela Hammahlekoth. 687 23:29 (24:1) 688 Then David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of En Gedi.
24:1 (24:2) When Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, they told him, “Look, David is in the desert of En Gedi.” 24:2 So Saul took three thousand select men from all Israel and went to find 689 David and his men in the region of 690 the rocks of the mountain goats. 691 24:3 He came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave. Saul went into it to relieve himself. 692
Now David and his men were sitting in the recesses of the cave. 24:4 David’s men said to him, “This is the day about which the Lord said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hand, and you can do to him whatever seems appropriate to you.’” 693 So David got up and quietly cut off an edge of Saul’s robe. 24:5 Afterward David’s conscience bothered him 694 because he had cut off an edge of Saul’s robe. 24:6 He said to his men, “May the Lord keep me far away from doing such a thing to my lord, who is the Lord’s chosen one, 695 by extending my hand against him. After all, 696 he is the Lord’s chosen one.” 697 24:7 David restrained his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. Then Saul left the cave and started down 698 the road.
24:8 Afterward David got up and went out of the cave. He called out after Saul, “My lord, O king!” When Saul looked behind him, David kneeled down and bowed with his face to the ground. 24:9 David said to Saul, “Why do you pay attention when men say, ‘David is seeking to do you harm’? 24:10 Today your own eyes see how the Lord delivered you – this very day – into my hands in the cave. Some told me to kill you, but I had pity 699 on you and said, ‘I will not extend my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s chosen one.’ 700 24:11 Look, my father, and see the edge of your robe in my hand! When I cut off the edge of your robe, I didn’t kill you. So realize and understand that I am not planning 701 evil or rebellion. Even though I have not sinned against you, you are waiting in ambush to take my life. 24:12 May the Lord judge between the two of us, and may the Lord vindicate me over you, but my hand will not be against you. 24:13 It’s like the old proverb says: ‘From evil people evil proceeds.’ But my hand will not be against you. 24:14 Who has the king of Israel come out after? Who is it that you are pursuing? A dead dog? A single flea? 24:15 May the Lord be our judge and arbiter. May he see and arbitrate my case and deliver me from your hands!”
24:16 When David finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is that your voice, my son David?” Then Saul wept loudly. 702 24:17 He said to David, “You are more innocent 703 than I, for you have treated me well, even though I have tried to harm you! 24:18 You have explained today how you have treated me well. The Lord delivered me into your hand, but you did not kill me. 24:19 Now if a man finds his enemy, does he send him on his way in good shape? May the Lord repay you with good this day for what you have done to me. 24:20 Now look, I realize that you will in fact be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. 24:21 So now swear to me in the Lord’s name 704 that you will not kill 705 my descendants after me or destroy my name from the house of my father.”
24:22 David promised Saul this on oath. 706 Then Saul went to his house, and David and his men went up to the stronghold.
[1:1] 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 mem (מ) at the beginning of the following word.
[1:3] 2 tn Heb “from days to days.”
[1:5] 3 tn The exact sense of the Hebrew word אַפָּיִם (’appayim, “two faces”) is not certain here. It 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 (’efes) 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.
[1:5] 4 tn Heb “for Hannah he loved.” Repetition of the proper name would seem redundant in contemporary English, so the pronoun (“her”) has been used here for clarity. The translation also adds the adverb “especially” to clarify the meaning of the text. Without this addition one might get the impression that only Hannah, not Peninnah, was loved by her husband. But the point of the text is that Hannah was his favorite.
[1:5] 5 tn Heb “and the
[1:6] 6 tn Heb “and her rival wife grieved her, even [with] grief so as to worry her.”
[1:7] 7 tn The MT has a masculine form of the verb here יַעֲשֶׂה (ya’aseh, “he used to do”); the subject in that case would presumably be Elkanah. But this leads to an abrupt change of subject in the following part of the verse, where the subject is the rival wife who caused Hannah anxiety. In light of v. 6 one expects the statement of v. 7 to refer to the ongoing actions of the rival wife: “she used to behave in this way year after year.” Some scholars have proposed retaining the masculine form but changing the vocalization of the verb so as to read a Niphal rather than a Qal (i.e., יֵעֲשֶׂה, ye’aseh, “so it used to be done”). But the problem here is lack of precedent for such a use of the Niphal of this verb. It seems best in light of the context to understand the reference to be to Hannah’s rival Peninnah and to read here, with the Syriac Peshitta, a feminine form of the verb (“she used to do”). In the translation the referent (Peninnah) has been specified for clarity.
[1:7] 8 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Hannah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:7] 9 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Peninnah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:8] 10 tn Heb “why is your heart displeased?”
[1:8] 11 sn Like the number seven, the number ten is sometimes used in the OT as an ideal number (see, for example, Dan 1:20, Zech 8:23).
[1:9] 12 tc The LXX adds “and stood before the Lord,” but this is probably a textual expansion due to the terseness of the statement in the Hebrew text.
[1:9] 13 tn Or perhaps, “on his throne.” See Joüon 2:506-7 §137.f.
[1:10] 14 tn Heb “she [was in] bitterness of soul.”
[1:10] 15 tn Heb “and weeping, she was weeping.” The infinitive absolute emphasizes the extent of her sorrow. The imperfect verbal form emphasizes the continuation of the action in past time.
[1:11] 16 tn Heb “if looking you look.” The expression can refer, as here, to looking favorably upon another, in this case with compassion.
[1:11] 17 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.
[1:11] 18 tn Heb “seed of men.”
[1:11] 19 tn Heb “a razor will not go up upon his head.”
[1:12] 20 tc Heb “before.” Many medieval Hebrew manuscripts read “to.”
[1:14] 21 tn Heb “Eli.” The pronoun (“he”) has been used in the translation in keeping with contemporary English style.
[1:15] 23 tn Heb “I am a woman difficult of spirit.” The LXX has “for whom the day is difficult,” apparently mistaking the Hebrew word for “spirit” רוּחַ (ruakh) to be the word for “day” יוֹם (yom).
[1:16] 25 tn Heb “daughter of worthlessness.”
[1:18] 26 tc Several medieval Hebrew
[1:19] 27 tn Heb “Elkanah knew his wife.” The Hebrew expression is a euphemism for sexual relations.
[1:19] 28 sn The Lord “remembered” her in the sense of granting her earlier request for a child. The Hebrew verb is often used in the OT for considering the needs or desires of people with favor and kindness.
[1:20] 29 tn Heb “because from the
[1:22] 30 tn The disjunctive clause is contrastive here. The words “with them” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[1:23] 31 tn Heb “what is good in your eyes.”
[1:23] 32 tn Heb “establish his word.” This apparently refers to the promise inherent in Eli’s priestly blessing (see v. 17).
[1:24] 33 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.
[1:24] 34 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.”
[1:24] 35 tc Heb “and the boy was a boy.” If the MT is correct the meaning apparently is that the boy was quite young at the time of these events. On the other hand, some scholars have suspected a textual problem, emending the text to read either “and the boy was with them” (so LXX) or “and the boy was with her” (a conjectural emendation). In spite of the difficulty it seems best to stay with the MT here.
[1:28] 36 tn Heb “he,” apparently referring to Samuel (but cf. CEV “Elkanah”). A few medieval manuscripts and some ancient versions take the verb as plural (cf. TEV, NLT).
[2:1] 37 tn Heb “prayed and said.” This is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation.
[2:1] 38 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.
[2:1] 39 tn Heb “my mouth opens wide against.”
[2:1] 40 tn Heb “for I rejoice in your deliverance.”
[2:2] 41 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.
[2:2] 42 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.”
[2:3] 43 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.
[2:3] 44 tc The MT (Qere) reads “and by him actions are weighed.” The translation assumes that reading of the Qere וְלוֹ (vÿlo, “and by him”), which is supported by many medieval Hebrew
[2:5] 45 tc Against BHS but with the MT, the preposition (עַד, ’ad) should be taken with what follows rather than with what precedes. For this sense of the preposition see Job 25:5.
[2:5] 46 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.
[2:6] 48 tn Heb “Sheol”; NAB “the nether world”; CEV “the world of the dead.”
[2:8] 49 tn Or “lowly”; Heb “insignificant.”
[2:8] 50 tn The imperfect verbal form, which is parallel to the participle in the preceding line, is best understood here as indicating what typically happens.
[2:8] 51 tn Heb “a seat of honor.”
[2:9] 52 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.
[2:9] 53 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[2:10] 54 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.
[2:10] 55 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.
[2:10] 56 tn The Hebrew preposition here has the sense of “from within.”
[2:10] 57 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.
[2:10] 58 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.”
[2:10] 59 tc The LXX greatly expands v. 10 with an addition that seems to be taken from Jer 9:23-24.
[2:10] sn The anointed one is the anticipated king of Israel, as the preceding line makes clear.
[2:11] 60 tn Heb “with [or “before”] the face of.”
[2:12] 61 tn Heb “sons of worthlessness.”
[2:12] 62 tn Heb “they did not know the
[2:13] 63 tn Heb “the habit of the priests with the people [was this].”
[2:13] 64 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.
[2:14] 65 tn Heb “to all Israel.”
[2:16] 67 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[2:17] 68 tc Heb “the men,” which is absent from one medieval Hebrew
[2:20] 70 tn The MT has a masculine verb here, but in light of the context the reference must be to Hannah. It is possible that the text of the MT is incorrect here (cf. the ancient versions), in which case the text should be changed to read either a passive participle or better, the third feminine singular of the verb. If the MT is correct here, perhaps the masculine is to be understood in a nonspecific and impersonal way, allowing for a feminine antecedent. In any case, the syntax of the MT is unusual here.
[2:21] 72 tn Heb “with the
[2:22] 73 tn Heb “to all Israel.”
[2:23] 75 tc For “these” the LXX has “of the Lord” (κυρίου, kuriou), perhaps through the influence of the final phrase of v. 24 (“the people of the
[2:25] 77 tn Heb “they”; the referent (Eli’s sons) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:27] 79 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
[2:27] 80 tn Heb “to your father’s” (also in vv. 28, 30).
[2:28] 81 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Eli’s ancestor, i.e., Aaron) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:29] 82 tc The MT has a plural “you” here, but the LXX and a Qumran
[2:29] 83 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.
[2:30] 84 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
[2:30] 85 tn Heb “walk about before.”
[2:30] 86 tn Heb “may it be far removed from me.”
[2:31] 87 tn Heb “chop off your arm.” The arm here symbolizes strength and activity.
[2:32] 89 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).
[2:32] 90 tn Heb “in all which he does good with Israel.”
[2:32] 91 tc The LXX and a Qumran manuscript have the first person pronoun “my” here.
[2:32] 92 tn Heb “all the days.”
[2:33] 93 tc The LXX, a Qumran
[2:33] 94 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).
[2:33] 95 tn Heb “and to cause your soul grief.”
[2:33] 96 tn Heb “and all the increase of your house.”
[2:33] 97 tc The text is difficult. The MT literally says “they will die [as] men.” Apparently the meaning is that they will be cut off in the prime of their life without reaching old age. The LXX and a Qumran
[2:34] 98 tn Heb “and this to you [is] the sign which will come to both of your sons.”
[2:35] 100 tn Heb “and he will walk about before my anointed one all the days.”
[2:36] 101 tn Heb “a piece of silver” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[3:1] 102 tn Heb “before Eli.”
[3:5] 103 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:6] 104 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:11] 105 tn The Hebrew text adds “so that” here, formally connecting this clause with the next.
[3:13] 107 tc The MT has וְהִגַּדְתִּי לוֹ (vÿhiggadti lo). The verb is Hiphil perfect 1st 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 2nd person masculine singular וְהִגַּדְתָּ (vÿhiggadta). 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.
[3:13] 108 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.
[3:13] 109 tc The translation follows the LXX θεόν (qeon, “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 qll 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, kakologounte" qeon) and a few
[3:17] 110 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:17] 111 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.”
[3:18] 112 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:18] 113 tn Heb “what is good in his eyes.”
[3:19] 114 tn Heb “and he did not cause to fall from all his words to the ground.”
[3:21] 115 tc The LXX has a lengthy addition here: “And Samuel was acknowledged to be a prophet of the
[3:21] 116 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.
[4:1] 117 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.
[4:1] 118 tn Heb “and Israel went out to meet the Philistines for battle.”
[4:1] 119 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.
[4:2] 121 tn The MT has וַתִּטֹּשׁ (vattittosh), from the root נטשׁ (ntsh). 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 נטה (nth), or וַתִּקֶשׁ (vattiqesh, “and it grew fierce”), from the root קשׂה (qsh). The former suggestion is apparently supported by the LXX ἔκλινεν (eklinen, “it inclined”) and is adopted in the translation.
[4:2] 123 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.
[4:3] 126 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.”
[4:5] 128 tn Heb “shouted [with] a great shout.”
[4:7] 129 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.
[4:7] 130 tn Traditionally “woe to.” They thought disaster was imminent.
[4:10] 131 tn Heb “and they fled, each to his tents.”
[4:12] 132 tn Or perhaps, “the same day.” On this use of the demonstrative pronoun see Joüon 2:532 §143.f.
[4:13] 133 tc Read with many medieval Hebrew
[4:13] 134 tn Heb “his heart was trembling.”
[4:13] 135 tn Heb “and the man came to report in the city.”
[4:14] 136 tn Heb “the sound of the cry.”
[4:14] 137 tn Heb “the sound of this commotion.”
[4:15] 138 tn Heb “were set” or “were fixed,” i.e., without vision.
[4:16] 139 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[4:18] 141 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[4:20] 143 tn Heb “and she did not set her heart.”
[4:21] 144 sn The name Ichabod (אִי־כָבוֹד) may mean, “Where is the glory?”
[5:3] 145 tc The LXX adds “they entered the temple of Dagon and saw.”
[5:4] 146 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 (gÿviyyah, “body”). This variant is supported by the following evidence: The LXX has ἡ ῥάχις (Jh rJacis, “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.”
[5:6] 147 tn Heb “the hand of the
[5:6] 148 tn The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[5:6] 149 tc The LXX and Vulgate add the following: “And mice multiplied in their land, and the terror of death was throughout the entire city.”
[5:6] tn Or “tumors” (so ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “growths on their skin”; KJV “emerods”; NAB “hemorrhoids.”
[5:7] 151 tn Heb “for his hand is severe upon.”
[5:8] 152 tn Heb “and they sent and gathered.”
[5:9] 153 tn Heb “the hand of the
[5:9] 154 tn Heb “and he struck the men of the city from small and to great.”
[5:9] 155 tn See the note on this term in v. 6. Cf. KJV “and they had emerods in their secret parts.”
[5:11] 158 tn Heb “and they sent and gathered.”
[5:11] 162 tn Heb “the hand of God was very heavy there.”
[6:1] 165 tc The LXX adds “and their land swarmed with mice.”
[6:3] 166 tc The LXX and a Qumran
[6:5] 167 tn Heb “your mice.” A Qumran
[6:5] 168 tn Heb “Perhaps he will lighten his hand from upon you and from upon your gods and from upon your land.”
[6:6] 169 tn Heb “like Egypt and Pharaoh hardened their heart.”
[6:6] 170 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:6] 171 tn Heb “and they sent them away and they went.”
[6:10] 172 tn Heb “and the men did so.”
[6:18] 173 tc A few Hebrew
[6:19] 174 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
[6:19] 175 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
[6:20] 176 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
[7:2] 178 tn Heb “house” (also in the following verse).
[7:2] 179 tn Heb “mourned after”; NIV “mourned and sought after”; KJV, NRSV “lamented after”; NAB “turned to”; NCV “began to follow…again.”
[7:3] 180 tn Heb “the Ashtarot” (plural; also in the following verse). The words “images of” are supplied for clarity.
[7:3] 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.
[7:3] 181 tn Following imperatives, the jussive verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.
[7:4] 182 tn Heb “the sons of Israel.”
[7:6] 184 tn Heb “judged”; NAB “began to judge”; TEV “settled disputes among.”
[7:8] 185 tn Heb “don’t stop.”
[7:8] 186 tc The LXX reads “your God” rather than the MT’s “our God.”
[7:8] 187 tn After the negated jussive, the prefixed verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.
[7:9] 188 tn Heb “a lamb of milk”; NAB “an unweaned lamb”; NIV “a suckling lamb”; NCV “a baby lamb.”
[7:10] 189 tn Heb “approached for battle against Israel.”
[7:12] 191 tn Cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT “Jeshanah.”
[7:12] 192 sn The name Ebenezer (אֶבֶן הָעָזֶר) means “stone of help” in Hebrew (cf. TEV); NLT adds the meaning parenthetically after the name.
[7:15] 194 tn Heb “judged” (also in v. 17).
[7:16] 195 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[7:17] 196 tn Or perhaps “settled disputes for” (cf. NLT “would hear cases there”; NRSV “administered justice there”).
[8:3] 197 tn Heb “walk in” (also in v. 5).
[8:3] 198 tn Heb “and they turned aside after unjust gain and took bribes and perverted justice.”
[8:5] 199 tn Heb “judge” (also in v. 6).
[8:7] 201 tn Heb “Listen to the voice of the people, to all which they say to you.”
[8:8] 202 tn Heb “according to all the deeds which they have done.”
[8:9] 203 tn Heb “and now, listen to their voice.”
[8:9] 204 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the imperative for emphasis.
[8:9] 205 tn Heb “and tell them the manner of the king who will rule over them.”
[8:12] 206 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.
[8:15] 207 tn Or “eunuchs” (so NAB); NIV “officials”; KJV, NASB, NRSV, NLT “officers.”
[8:18] 208 tc The LXX adds “because you have chosen for yourselves a king.”
[8:19] 209 tn Heb “and the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel.”
[8:20] 210 tn Heb “and go out before us.”
[8:21] 211 tn Heb “and Samuel heard all the words of the people and he spoke them into the ears of the
[8:22] 212 tn Heb “listen to their voice.”
[9:3] 213 tn Heb “became lost.”
[9:3] 214 tn Heb “and arise, go.”
[9:3] 215 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.”
[9:4] 216 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:6] 217 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the verb for emphasis.
[9:6] 218 tn Heb “our way on which we have gone.”
[9:8] 220 sn A quarter shekel of silver would weigh about a tenth of an ounce (about 3 grams).
[9:10] 222 tn Heb “your word is good.”
[9:13] 223 tc The MT has “him” (אֹתוֹ, ’oto) 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.
[9:14] 224 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.
[9:15] 225 tn Heb “uncovered the ear of.”
[9:17] 227 tn Heb “responded.”
[9:19] 228 tn Heb “all that is in your heart.”
[9:20] 229 tn Heb “do not fix your heart.”
[9:20] 230 tn Heb “and all the house of your father.”
[9:22] 231 tn Heb “took and brought.”
[9:24] 232 tn Heb “he” (also in v. 25); the referent (Samuel) has been specified in both places in the translation for clarity.
[9:27] 233 tc This statement is absent in the LXX (with the exception of Origen), an Old Latin
[9:27] 234 tn The words “Samuel then said” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[10:1] 235 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:1] 236 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Samuel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:1] 237 tn Heb “Is it not that the
[10:1] 238 tn That is, “anointed.”
[10:1] 239 tc The MT reads simply “Is it not that the
[10:2] 240 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.
[10:3] 241 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[10:5] 242 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.
[10:7] 243 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.
[10:9] 244 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:9] 245 tn Heb “turned his shoulder.”
[10:9] 246 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.”
[10:10] 247 tc Two medieval Hebrew
[10:10] tn Heb “they”; the referents (Saul and his servant) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:10] 248 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:13] 249 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:14] 250 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:14] 251 tn Heb “And we saw that they were not.”
[10:15] 252 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.
[10:16] 253 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:18] 254 tn Heb “hand” (also later in this verse).
[10:19] 255 tc The translation follows many medieval Hebrew
[10:22] 256 tn Or “baggage” (so many English versions); KJV “stuff”; TEV “supplies.”
[10:25] 257 tn Heb “the regulation of the kingship.” This probably refers to the regulations pertaining to kingship given to Moses (see Deut 17:14-20).
[10:27] 258 tn Heb “sons of worthlessness” (see 2:12).
[10:27] 259 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
[11:1] 260 tc 4QSama 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 seven thousand men who had escaped from the Ammonites and had entered Jabesh-gilead.” This reading should not be lightly dismissed; it may in fact provide a text superior to that of the MT and the ancient versions. But the external evidence for it is so limited as to induce caution; the present translation instead follows the MT. However, for a reasonable case for including this reading in the text see the discussions in P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 199, and R. W. Klein, 1 Samuel (WBC), 103.
[11:1] 261 sn The name “Nahash” means “serpent” in Hebrew.
[11:1] 262 tn Heb “went up and camped”; NIV, NRSV “went up and besieged.”
[11:4] 263 tn Heb “to Gibeah of Saul.”
[11:4] 264 tn Heb “lifted their voice and wept.”
[11:5] 265 tn Or perhaps, “his oxen.” On this use of the definite article see Joüon 2:506-7 §137.f.
[11:5] 266 tn Heb “the matters of.”
[11:7] 268 tn Heb “like one man.”
[11:8] 269 tc The LXX and two Old Latin
[11:8] 270 tc The LXX, two Old Latin
[11:10] 271 tn The second masculine plural forms in this quotation indicate that Nahash and his army are addressed.
[11:10] 272 tn Heb “according to all that is good in your eyes.”
[11:11] 273 tn Heb “Ammon.” By metonymy the name “Ammon” is used collectively for the soldiers in the Ammonite army.
[11:15] 274 tn Heb “and there in Gilgal.”
[12:1] 275 tn Heb “Look, I have listened to your voice.”
[12:1] 276 tn Heb “to all which you said to me.”
[12:1] 277 tn Heb “and I have installed a king over you.”
[12:3] 278 tn Heb “anointed [one].”
[12:3] 279 tn The words “tell me” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[12:5] 280 tn Heb “anointed [one].”
[12:5] 281 tn Heb “that you have not found anything in my hand.”
[12:6] 282 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 7, 8).
[12:7] 283 tn Heb “and I will enter into judgment with you” (NRSV similar); NAB “and I shall arraign you.”
[12:7] 284 tn Heb “all the just actions which he has done with you and with your fathers.”
[12:9] 285 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.”
[12:9] 286 map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 D3; Map3 A2; Map4 C1.
[12:9] 287 tn Heb “captain of the host of Hazor.”
[12:10] 288 tn Heb “and said.”
[12:10] 289 tn Heb “the Ashtarot” (plural). The words “images of” are supplied in both vv. 3 and 4 for clarity.
[12:10] 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.
[12:10] 290 tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.
[12:11] 291 sn Jerub-Baal (יְרֻבַּעַל) is also known as Gideon (see Judg 6:32). The Book of Judges uses both names for him.
[12:11] 292 tc The MT has “Bedan” (בְּדָן) 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.”
[12:11] 293 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.”
[12:14] 294 tn Heb “and you listen to his voice.”
[12:14] 295 tn Heb “the mouth of the
[12:14] 296 tn The words “all will be well” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[12:15] 297 tn Heb “listen to the voice of.”
[12:15] 298 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.
[12:19] 299 tn Heb “for we have added to all our sins an evil [thing] by asking for ourselves a king.”
[12:20] 300 tn Heb “you have done all this evil.”
[12:21] 301 tn Or “useless” (so NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “nothing”; NASB “futile”; TEV “are not real.”
[12:22] 302 tn Heb “on account of his great name.”
[13:1] 303 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
[13:1] 304 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 in 2 Sam 13:1 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.
[13:2] 305 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[13:2] 306 tn Heb “at Gibeah of Benjamin.” The words “in the territory” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[13:2] 307 tn Heb “each one to his tents.”
[13:3] 308 tn Or perhaps “struck down the Philistine official.” See the note at 1 Sam 10:5. Cf. TEV “killed the Philistine commander.”
[13:3] 309 tn Heb “blew the ram’s horn in.”
[13:4] 310 tn The words “this message” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[13:4] 311 tn Heb “stinks.” The figurative language indicates that Israel had become repulsive to the Philistines.
[13:4] 312 tn Heb “were summoned after.”
[13:5] 313 tn Many English versions (e.g., KJV, NASB, NRSV, TEV) read “30,000” here.
[13:6] 314 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.”
[13:7] 315 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[13:8] 316 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.
[13:8] 317 tn Heb “dispersed from upon him”; NAB, NRSV “began to slip away.”
[13:10] 318 tn Heb “to bless him.”
[13:11] 319 tn Heb “dispersed from upon me.”
[13:12] 321 tn Or “I forced myself” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, CEV); NAB “So in my anxiety I offered”; NIV “I felt compelled.”
[13:13] 323 tn Heb “commanded.”
[13:14] 324 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.
[13:14] 325 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.
[13:14] 326 tn Heb “commanded.”
[13:15] 327 tc The LXX and two Old Latin
[13:15] 328 tn Heb “at Gibeah of Benjamin.” The words “in the territory” are supplied in the translation for clarity (likewise in the following verse).
[13:16] 329 tn The juxtaposition of disjunctive clauses in v.16 indicates synchronic action.
[13:20] 330 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.
[13:21] 331 tn Heb “the price was.” The meaning of the Hebrew word פְּצִירָה (pÿtsirah) 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.
[13:21] 332 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.
[13:21] 333 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.
[14:1] 334 tn Or “the servant who was carrying his military equipment” (likewise in vv. 6, 7, 12, 13, 14).
[14:3] 335 tn Heb “bearing.” Many English versions understand this verb to mean “wearing” (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT).
[14:7] 337 tn Heb “in your heart.”
[14:7] 338 tn Heb “Look, I am with you, according to your heart.” See the note at 13:14.
[14:11] 341 tn Heb “the two of them.”
[14:12] 343 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.
[14:13] 344 tn Heb “and they fell before Jonathan.”
[14:13] 345 tn Heb “and the one carrying his equipment was killing after him.”
[14:15] 346 tn Heb “fell upon.”
[14:15] 347 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.
[14:16] 348 tn Heb “at Gibeah of Benjamin.” The words “in the territory” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[14:16] 349 tn Heb “saw, and look!”
[14:16] 350 tn Heb “the crowd melted and went, even here.”
[14:17] 351 tn Heb “and they mustered the troops, and look!”
[14:18] 352 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
[14:18] 353 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.
[14:19] 354 tn Or perhaps “until.”
[14:20] 355 tn Heb “and look, there was”
[14:20] 356 tn Heb “the sword of a man against his companion, a very great panic.”
[14:21] 357 tn Heb “and the Hebrews were to the Philistines formerly, who went up with them in the camp all around.”
[14:23] 358 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.”
[14:25] 359 tn Heb “all the land.”
[14:25] 360 tn Heb “the surface of the field.”
[14:26] 361 tn Heb “and the army entered the forest, and look!”
[14:26] 362 tn Heb “and there was no one putting his hand to his mouth.”
[14:27] 363 tn Heb “and he returned his hand to his mouth.”
[14:27] 364 tc The translation follows the Qere and several medieval Hebrew
[14:28] 365 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.
[14:29] 366 tc The LXX reads “saw.” See v. 27.
[14:32] 367 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[14:32] 368 tc The translation reads with the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[14:33] 369 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.
[14:34] 370 tn Heb “and all the army brought near, each his ox by his hand, and they slaughtered there.”
[14:36] 372 tn Heb “until the light of the morning.”
[14:36] 373 tn Heb “and there will not be left among them a man.”
[14:36] 374 tn Heb “all that is good in your eyes.” So also in v. 40.
[14:38] 375 tn Heb “know and see.”
[14:39] 376 tn Heb “and there was no one answering from all the army.”
[14:41] 377 tc Heb “to the
[14:41] 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.
[14:41] 378 tn Heb “went out.”
[14:42] 379 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.”
[14:43] 380 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).
[14:44] 381 tn Heb “So God will do and so he will add, surely you will certainly die, Jonathan.”
[14:45] 382 tn Heb “and he did not die.”
[14:46] 383 tn Heb “to their place.”
[14:47] 384 tn Heb “his,” which could refer to Israel or to Saul.
[14:47] 385 tc The translation follows the LXX (“he was delivered”), rather than the MT, which reads, “he acted wickedly.”
[14:48] 386 tn Heb “plunderers.”
[14:49] 387 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.
[14:50] 388 sn The word “uncle” can modify either Abner or Ner. See the note on the word “son” in v. 51 for further discussion.
[14:51] 389 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.
[15:1] 390 tn Heb “to the voice of the words of the
[15:2] 391 tn Heb “what Amalek did to Israel, how he placed against him.”
[15:2] 392 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Israel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[15:3] 393 tn Or perhaps “don’t take pity on” (cf. CEV).
[15:4] 394 tn Heb “caused the people to hear.”
[15:5] 396 tc The LXX has the plural here, “cities.”
[15:5] 397 tc The translation follows the LXX and Vulgate which assume a reading וַיָּאָרֶב (vayya’arev, “and he set an ambush,” from the root ארב [’rv] with quiescence of alef) rather than the MT, which has וַיָּרֶב (vayyareb, “and he contended,” from the root ריב [ryv]).
[15:5] 398 tn That is, “the dry stream bed.”
[15:6] 399 tc The translation follows the Syriac Peshitta and Vulgate which assume a reading אֶסִפְךָ (’esfÿka, “I sweep you away,” from the root ספה [sfh]) rather than the MT אֹסִפְךָ (’osifÿka, “I am gathering you,” from the root אסף[’sf]).
[15:7] 400 tn Heb “[as] you enter.”
[15:8] 401 tn Heb “all the people.” For clarity “Agag’s” has been supplied in the translation.
[15:9] 402 tn The Hebrew text is difficult here. We should probably read וְהַמַּשְׂמַנִּים (vÿhammasmannim, “the fat ones”) rather than the MT וְהַמִּשְׂנִים (vÿhammisnim, “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.)
[15:9] 404 tc The MT has here the very odd form נְמִבְזָה (nÿmivzah), but this is apparently due to a scribal error. The translation follows instead the Niphal participle נִבְזָה (nivzah).
[15:12] 405 tn Heb “and look.”
[15:12] 406 tn Heb “and he turned and crossed over.”
[15:12] 407 tc At the end of v. 12 the LXX and one Old Latin
[15:14] 409 tn The words “if that is the case” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[15:15] 410 tn Heb “they brought them.”
[15:16] 411 tn Or perhaps “be quiet.”
[15:16] 412 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[15:16] tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[15:17] 413 tn Heb “anointed.”
[15:18] 415 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”).
[15:19] 416 tn Heb “listened to the voice of the
[15:19] 417 tn Heb “you have done what is evil in the eyes of the
[15:20] 418 tn Heb “listened to the voice of the
[15:22] 420 tn Heb “as [in] listening to the voice of the
[15:22] 422 tn Heb “listening.”
[15:22] 423 tn The expression “is better” is understood here by ellipsis (see the immediately preceding statement).
[15:23] 424 tn Or “from [being].”
[15:24] 425 tn Heb “the mouth of the
[15:24] 426 tn Heb “and your words.”
[15:24] 427 tn Heb “and I listened to their voice.”
[15:25] 428 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.
[15:27] 429 tn Heb “he,” but Saul is clearly the referent. A Qumran
[15:29] 430 tn Heb “splendor,” used here by metonymy as a title for the
[15:29] 431 tn Or perhaps “does not lie.”
[15:29] 432 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.
[15:30] 433 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[15:32] 434 tn The MT reading מַעֲדַנֹּת (ma’adannot, 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 ענד (’nd, “to bind around”), but this assumes a metathesis of two of the letters of the root. Others take it from the root עדן (’dn) 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 (m’d, “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”).
[15:32] 435 tn Heb “and Agag said.”
[15:32] 436 tc The text is difficult here. With the LXX, two Old Latin
[15:35] 437 tn That is, Samuel.
[16:1] 438 tc The Lucianic recension of the Old Greek translation includes the following words: “And the Lord said to Samuel.”
[16:1] 439 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[16:1] 440 tn Heb “for I have seen among his sons for me a king.”
[16:2] 441 tn Heb “in your hand.”
[16:3] 442 tn Heb “say”; KJV, NRSV “name”; NIV “indicate.”
[16:4] 444 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[16:4] 445 tc In the MT the verb is singular (“he said”), but the translation follows many medieval Hebrew
[16:6] 446 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Samuel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[16:6] 448 tn Heb “said”; the words “to himself” are implied, given the secrecy surrounding Samuel’s mission to Bethlehem (v. 2).
[16:6] 449 tn Heb “his anointed one.”
[16:7] 450 tn Heb “don’t look toward.”
[16:7] 451 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.
[16:7] 452 tn Heb “to the eyes.”
[16:8] 453 tn Heb “and caused him to pass before.”
[16:8] 454 tn Heb “he” (also in v. 9); the referent (Samuel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[16:9] 455 tn Heb “caused to pass by.”
[16:10] 456 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.
[16:11] 457 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jesse) has been specified in the translation both here and in v. 12 for clarity.
[16:12] 458 tn Heb “and he sent and brought him.”
[16:14] 459 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.”
[16:16] 460 tn Heb “and he will play with his hand.”
[16:16] 461 tn Heb “and it will be better for you.”
[16:18] 463 tn Heb “answered and said.”
[16:18] 464 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[16:18] 465 tn Heb “mighty man of valor and a man of war.”
[16:18] 466 tn Heb “discerning of word.”
[16:18] 467 tn Heb “a man of form.”
[16:20] 468 tn Heb “a kid of the goats.”
[16:20] 469 tn Heb “by the hand of.”
[16:21] 470 tn Heb “he loved him.”
[16:22] 471 tn Heb “Let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my eyes.”
[16:23] 472 tn Heb “would turn aside from upon him.”
[17:1] 473 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.
[17:2] 475 tn Heb “the men of Israel” (so KJV, NASB); NAB, NIV, NRSV “the Israelites.”
[17:4] 478 tn Heb “the man of the space between the two [armies].” See v. 23.
[17:4] 479 tc Heb “his height was six cubits and a span” (cf. KJV, NASB, NRSV). A cubit was approximately eighteen inches, a span nine inches. So, according to the Hebrew tradition, Goliath was about nine feet, nine inches tall (cf. NIV, CEV, NLT “over nine feet”; NCV “nine feet, four inches”; TEV “nearly 3 metres”). However, some Greek witnesses, Josephus, and a manuscript of 1 Samuel from Qumran read “four cubits and a span” here, that is, about six feet, nine inches (cf. NAB “six and a half feet”). This seems more reasonable; it is likely that Goliath’s height was exaggerated as the story was retold. See P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 286, 291.
[17:5] 480 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.
[17:6] 481 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.
[17:7] 482 tn The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[17:7] 483 sn That is, about fifteen or sixteen pounds.
[17:8] 484 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Goliath) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[17:8] 485 tn The Hebrew text adds “and said to them.”
[17:8] 486 tc The translation follows the ancient versions in reading “choose,” (from the root בחר, bkhr), rather than the MT. The verb in MT (ברה, brh) 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.
[17:8] 487 tn Following the imperative, the prefixed verbal form (either an imperfect or jussive) with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result here.
[17:10] 488 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative verbal form indicates purpose/result here.
[17:11] 489 tn Heb “all Israel.”
[17:12] 490 tc Some
[17:12] 491 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[17:12] 492 tc The translation follows the Lucianic recension of the LXX and the Syriac Peshitta in reading “in years,” rather than MT “among men.”
[17:15] 494 tn Heb “was going and returning.”
[17:18] 496 tn Heb “officer of the thousand.”
[17:18] 497 tn Heb “and your brothers, observe with respect to welfare.”
[17:18] 498 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.”
[17:19] 499 tn Heb “all the men of Israel.”
[17:20] 500 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.”
[17:20] 501 tn Or “entrenchment.”
[17:22] 502 tn Heb “the guard of the equipment.”
[17:23] 503 tn Heb “according to these words.”
[17:25] 505 tn Heb “he is coming up.”
[17:26] 506 tn Heb “and turns aside humiliation from upon Israel.”
[17:27] 508 tn Heb “according to this word, saying.”
[17:28] 509 tn Heb “his”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[17:28] 510 tn Heb “the anger of Eliab became hot.”
[17:28] 511 tn Heb “the wickedness of your heart.”
[17:29] 512 tn Heb “Is it not [just] a word?”
[17:30] 513 tn Heb “and spoke according to this word.”
[17:30] 514 tn Heb “the people.”
[17:31] 515 tn Heb “he took him.”
[17:32] 516 tn Heb “Let not the heart of a man fall upon him.” The LXX reads “my lord,” instead of “a man.”
[17:36] 517 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?”
[17:37] 518 tn Or “Go, and may the
[17:39] 519 tn Heb “he had not tested.”
[17:40] 520 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.
[17:41] 521 tc Most LXX
[17:43] 522 sn Sticks is a pejorative reference to David’s staff (v. 40); the same Hebrew word (מַקֵּל, maqqel) is used for both.
[17:44] 523 tc Many medieval Hebrew
[17:48] 524 tc Most LXX
[17:50] 525 tc Most LXX
[17:50] 526 tn Verse 50 is a summary statement; v. 51 gives a more detailed account of how David killed the Philistine.
[17:51] 527 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Goliath) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[17:51] 528 tc Most LXX
[17:52] 529 tn Heb “arose and cried out.”
[17:52] 530 tc Most of the LXX
[17:54] 531 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[17:54] 532 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Goliath) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[17:55] 533 tc Most LXX
[17:58] 534 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[18:1] 535 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:1] 536 tn Heb “the soul of Jonathan was bound with the soul of David.”
[18:1] 537 tn Heb “like his [own] soul.”
[18:1] 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.
[18:2] 538 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:3] 539 tn Heb “like his [own] soul.”
[18:5] 540 tn Heb “it was good in the eyes of all the people and also in the eyes of the servants of Saul.”
[18:6] 541 tn Heb “them.” The masculine plural pronoun apparently refers to the returning soldiers.
[18:6] 542 tn Heb “with tambourines, with joy, and with three-stringed instruments.”
[18:8] 543 tn Heb “said.” So also in vv. 11, 17.
[18:10] 544 tn The Hebrew text adds here “with his hand.”
[18:13] 545 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:13] 546 tn Heb “an officer of a thousand.”
[18:13] 547 tn Heb “and he went out and came in before the people.” See v. 16.
[18:14] 548 tn Heb “in all his ways.”
[18:17] 549 tc Much of the
[18:17] 550 tn Heb “son of valor.”
[18:18] 551 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.
[18:20] 552 tn Heb “the matter.”
[18:21] 553 tc The final sentence of v. 21 is absent in most LXX
[18:23] 554 tn Heb “in the ears of.”
[18:25] 555 tn Heb “the king’s.”
[18:26] 556 tn Heb “and it was acceptable in the eyes of David.”
[18:26] 557 tn Heb “the days were not fulfilled.”
[18:27] 558 tn Heb “arose and went.”
[18:28] 559 tn Heb “saw and knew.”
[18:28] 560 tn Heb “Saul’s.” In the translation the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun for stylistic reasons.
[18:28] 561 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:29] 562 tn Heb “of David.” In the translation the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun for stylistic reasons.
[18:29] 563 tc The final sentence of v. 29 is absent in most LXX
[18:29] tn Heb “all the days.”
[18:30] 564 tc Verse 30 is absent in most LXX
[19:1] 565 tn Heb “delighted greatly in David.”
[19:2] 568 tn Heb “and hide yourself.”
[19:3] 569 tn Heb “when I see.”
[19:4] 570 tn Heb “spoke good with respect to David.”
[19:5] 572 tn Heb “and he put his life into his hand.”
[19:6] 573 tn Heb “and Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan.”
[19:7] 574 tn Heb “and he was before him as before.”
[19:8] 575 tn Heb “and he struck them down with a great blow.”
[19:9] 577 tn The Hebrew text adds here “with his hand.”
[19:10] 578 tn Heb “and he drove the spear into the wall.”
[19:10] 579 tn Heb “fled and escaped.”
[19:11] 580 tn Heb “your life.”
[19:13] 581 tn Heb “teraphim” (also a second time in this verse and once in v. 16). These were statues that represented various deities. According to 2 Kgs 23:24 they were prohibited during the time of Josiah’s reform movement in the seventh century. The idol Michal placed under the covers was of sufficient size to give the mistaken impression that David lay in the bed, thus facilitating his escape.
[19:13] 582 tn The exact meaning of the Hebrew word כָּבִיר (kavir) is uncertain; it is found in the Hebrew Bible only here and in v. 16. It probably refers to a quilt made of goat’s hair, perhaps used as a fly net while one slept. See HALOT 458 s.v. *כָּבִיר. Cf. KJV, TEV “pillow”; NLT “cushion”; NAB, NRSV “net.”
[19:13] 583 tn Heb “at the place of its head.”
[19:17] 584 tn Heb “Send me away! Why should I kill you?” The question has the force of a threat in this context. See P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 325, 26.
[19:22] 585 tn Heb “he” (also in v. 23). the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:24] 586 tn Heb “and he fell down.”
[20:1] 587 tn Heb “and he came and said before Jonathan.”
[20:1] 588 tn Heb “What is my guilt?”
[20:2] 589 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jonathan) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:2] 590 tc The translation follows the Qere, many medieval Hebrew
[20:2] 591 tn Heb “without uncovering my ear.”
[20:3] 592 tc The LXX and the Syriac Peshitta lack the word “again.”
[20:3] 593 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
[20:3] 594 tn Heb “said,” that is, to himself. So also in v. 25.
[20:4] 595 tn Heb “whatever your soul says, I will do for you.”
[20:5] 596 tn Heb “and I must surely sit with the king to eat.” The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
[20:6] 598 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[20:7] 600 tn Heb “know that the evil is completed from with him.”
[20:8] 601 tn Heb “and you must do loyalty.”
[20:8] 602 tn Heb “for into a covenant of the
[20:8] 603 tn Heb “and if there is in me guilt.”
[20:12] 604 tc The Hebrew text has simply “the
[20:12] 605 tn Heb “and uncover your ear.”
[20:13] 606 tn Heb “uncover your ear.”
[20:13] 607 tn Heb “in peace.”
[20:16] 608 tn Heb “cut.” The object of the verb (“covenant”) must be supplied.
[20:16] 609 tn The word order is different in the Hebrew text, which reads “and Jonathan cut with the house of David, and the
[20:17] 610 tn Heb “for [with] the love of his [own] life he loved him.”
[20:19] 611 tc Heb “you will do [something] a third time.” The translation assumes an emendation of the verb from שִׁלַּשְׁתָּ (shillashta, “to do a third time”) to שִׁלִּישִׁית (shillishit, “[on the] third [day]”).
[20:19] 612 tn Heb “you must go down greatly.” See Judg 19:11 for the same idiom.
[20:19] 613 tn Heb “on the day of the deed.” This probably refers to the incident recorded in 19:2.
[20:21] 614 tn Heb “from you and here.”
[20:22] 615 tn Heb “from you and onward.”
[20:23] 616 tc Heb “the
[20:25] 617 tc Heb “and Jonathan arose.” Instead of MT’s וַיָּקָם (vayyaqam, “and he arose”; from the hollow verbal root קוּם, qum), the translation assumes a reading וַיִּקַדֵּם (vayyiqaddem, “and he was in front of”; from the verbal root קדם, qdm). See P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 338.
[20:25] 618 tn Heb “and Abner sat at the side of Saul.”
[20:26] 619 tn The words “about it” are not present in the Hebrew text, although they are implied.
[20:26] 620 tn Heb “said,” that is, to himself.
[20:29] 622 tn Heb “commanded.”
[20:29] 623 tn Heb “be released [from duty].”
[20:30] 624 tc Many medieval Hebrew
[20:30] 625 tn Heb “son of a perverse woman of rebelliousness.” But such an overly literal and domesticated translation of the Hebrew expression fails to capture the force of Saul’s unrestrained reaction. Saul, now incensed and enraged over Jonathan’s liaison with David, is actually hurling very coarse and emotionally charged words at his son. The translation of this phrase suggested by Koehler and Baumgartner is “bastard of a wayward woman” (HALOT 796 s.v. עוה), but this is not an expression commonly used in English. A better English approximation of the sentiments expressed here by the Hebrew phrase would be “You stupid son of a bitch!” However, sensitivity to the various public formats in which the Bible is read aloud has led to a less startling English rendering which focuses on the semantic value of Saul’s utterance (i.e., the behavior of his own son Jonathan, which he viewed as both a personal and a political betrayal [= “traitor”]). But this concession should not obscure the fact that Saul is full of bitterness and frustration. That he would address his son Jonathan with such language, not to mention his apparent readiness even to kill his own son over this friendship with David (v. 33), indicates something of the extreme depth of Saul’s jealousy and hatred of David.
[20:31] 626 tn Heb “all the days that.”
[20:31] 627 tn The words “some men” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[20:31] 628 tn Heb “a son of death.”
[20:33] 629 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jonathan) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:34] 631 tn Heb “for he was upset concerning David for his father had humiliated him.” The referent of the pronoun “him” is not entirely clear, but the phrase “concerning David” suggests that it refers to David, rather than Jonathan.
[20:36] 632 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jonathan) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:37] 633 tn Heb “called after” (also in v. 38).
[20:39] 634 tn Heb “knew the matter.”
[20:41] 635 tc The translation follows the LXX in reading “the mound,” rather than the MT’s “the south.” It is hard to see what meaning the MT reading “from beside the south” would have as it stands, since such a location lacks specificity. The NIV treats it as an elliptical expression, rendering the phrase as “from the south side of the stone (rock NCV).” This is perhaps possible, but it seems better to follow the LXX rather than the MT here.
[20:42] 637 sn Beginning with 20:42b, the verse numbers through 21:15 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 20:42b ET = 21:1 HT, 21:1 ET = 21:2 HT, 21:2 ET = 21:3 HT, etc., through 21:15 ET = 21:16 HT. With 22:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
[20:42] 638 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:1] 639 tn Heb “trembled to meet.”
[21:2] 640 tn Heb “let not a man know anything about the matter [for] which I am sending you and [about] which I commanded you.”
[21:2] 642 tn The Hebrew expression here refers to a particular, but unnamed, place. It occurs in the OT only here, in 2 Kgs 6:8, and in Ruth 4:1, where Boaz uses it to refer to Naomi’s unnamed kinsman-redeemer. A contracted form of the expression appears in Dan 8:13.
[21:3] 643 tn Heb “under your hand.”
[21:4] 645 tn Heb “have kept themselves from women” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “haven’t had sexual relations recently”; NLT “have not slept with any women recently.”
[21:5] 646 tn Heb “servants’.”
[21:12] 647 tn Heb “placed these matters in his heart.”
[21:13] 648 tn Heb “in their eyes.”
[21:13] 649 tn Heb “in their hand.”
[22:2] 651 tn Heb “bitter of soul.”
[22:4] 654 tn Heb “all the days.”
[22:6] 655 tn Heb “and Saul heard that David and the men who were with him were known.”
[22:7] 656 tc The MT has “to all of you.” If this reading is correct, we have here an example of a prepositional phrase functioning as the equivalent of a dative of advantage, which is not impossible from a grammatical point of view. However, the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate all have “and.” A conjunction rather than a preposition should probably be read on the front of this phrase.
[22:7] 657 tn Heb “officers of a thousand and officers of a hundred.”
[22:8] 658 tn Heb “uncovers my ear.”
[22:13] 659 tn Heb “by giving.”
[22:13] 660 tn Heb “rises up against.”
[22:15] 661 tn Heb “set a matter against.”
[22:15] 662 tn Heb “small or great.”
[22:17] 664 tn Heb “their hand is.”
[22:17] 665 tn Heb “to extend their hand to harm.”
[22:18] 666 tc The number is confused in the Greek
[22:22] 667 tc The translation follows the LXX, which reads “I am guilty,” rather than the MT, which has “I have turned.”
[22:23] 668 tn Or “the one who.” This may refer specifically to Saul, in which case David acknowledges that Abiathar’s life is endangered because of his allegiance to David. The translation assumes that the statement is more generalized, meaning that any enemy of Abiathar is an enemy of David. In other words, David promises that he will protect Abiathar with his very own life.
[23:5] 669 tn Heb “and struck them down with a great blow.”
[23:6] 670 tn Heb “an ephod went down in his hand.”
[23:7] 671 tn The MT reading (“God has alienated him into my hand”) in v. 7 is a difficult and uncommon idiom. The use of this verb in Jer 19:4 is somewhat parallel, but not entirely so. Many scholars have therefore suspected a textual problem here, emending the word נִכַּר (nikkar, “alienated”) to סִכַּר (sikkar, “he has shut up [i.e., delivered]”). This is the idea reflected in the translations of the Syriac Peshitta and Vulgate, although it is not entirely clear whether they are reading something different from the MT or are simply paraphrasing what for them too may have been a difficult text. The LXX has “God has sold him into my hands,” apparently reading מַכַר (makar, “sold”) for MT’s נִכַּר. The present translation is a rather free interpretation.
[23:7] 672 tn Heb “with two gates and a bar.” Since in English “bar” could be understood as a saloon, it has been translated as an attributive: “two barred gates.”
[23:8] 673 tn Heb “So Saul mustered all his army for battle to go down to Keilah to besiege against David and his men.”
[23:9] 674 tn Heb “Saul was planning the evil against him.”
[23:13] 676 tn Heb “they went where they went.”
[23:14] 677 tn Heb “all the days.”
[23:14] 678 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[23:16] 680 tn Heb “strengthened his hand.”
[23:20] 681 tn Heb “to all the desire of your soul.”
[23:22] 682 tn Heb “know and see.” The expression is a hendiadys. See also v. 23.
[23:22] 683 tn Heb “his place where his foot is.”
[23:23] 684 tn Heb “established.”
[23:23] 685 tn Heb “I will search him out.”
[23:25] 686 tn Heb “to search.”
[23:28] 687 sn The name הַמַּחְלְקוֹת סֶלַע (Sela Hammakhleqoth) probably means “Rock of Divisions” in Hebrew, in the sense that Saul and David parted company there (cf. NAB “Gorge of Divisions”; TEV “Separation Hill”). This etymology assumes that the word derives from the Hebrew root II חלק (khlq, “to divide”; HALOT 322 s.v. II חלק). However, there is another root I חלק, which means “to be smooth or slippery” (HALOT 322 s.v. I חלק). If the word is taken from this root, the expression would mean “Slippery Rock.”
[23:29] 688 sn Beginning with 23:29, the verse numbers through 24:22 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 23:29 ET = 24:1 HT, 24:1 ET = 24:2 HT, 24:2 ET = 24:3 HT, etc., through 24:22 ET = 24:23 HT. With 25:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
[24:2] 689 tn Heb “to search [for].”
[24:2] 690 tn Heb “upon the face of.”
[24:2] 691 tn Or “the region of the Rocks of the Mountain Goats,” if this expression is understood as a place name (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV, TEV, CEV).
[24:3] 692 tn Heb “to cover his feet,” an idiom (euphemism) for relieving oneself (cf. NAB “to ease nature”).
[24:4] 693 tn Heb “is good in your eyes.”
[24:5] 694 tn Heb “the heart of David struck him.”
[24:10] 699 tn Heb “it had pity,” apparently with the understood subject being “my eye,” in accordance with a common expression.
[24:10] 700 tn Heb “anointed.”
[24:11] 701 tn Heb “there is not in my hand.”
[24:16] 702 tn Heb “lifted his voice and wept.”
[24:17] 703 tn Or “righteous” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “you are in the right”; NLT “are a better man than I am.”
