1 Samuel 2:5

2:5 Those who are well-fed hire themselves out to earn food,

but the hungry no longer lack.

Even ¹  the barren woman gives birth to seven, ² 

but the one with many children withers away. ³ 

1 Samuel 9:5

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!”

1 Samuel 20:6

20:6 If your father happens to miss me, you should say, ‘David urgently requested me to let him go ⁴  to his city Bethlehem, ⁵  for there is an annual sacrifice there for his entire family.’

1 Samuel 25:33

25:33 Praised be your good judgment! May you yourself be rewarded ⁶  for having prevented me this day from shedding blood and taking matters into my own hands!

[2:5]  ¹ 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]  ² 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.

[2:5]  ³ tn Or “languishes.”

[20:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “to run.”

[20:6]  ⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

[25:33]  ⁶ tn Heb “blessed.”