1 Samuel 28:15

28:15 Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul replied, “I am terribly troubled! The Philistines are fighting against me and God has turned away from me. He does not answer me – not by the prophets nor by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what I should do.”

1 Samuel 18:15

18:15 When Saul saw how very successful he was, he was afraid of him.

1 Samuel 1:10

1:10 She was very upset ¹  as she prayed to the Lord, and she was weeping uncontrollably. ² 

1 Samuel 30:6

30:6 David was very upset, for the men ³  were thinking of stoning him; ⁴  each man grieved bitterly ⁵  over his sons and daughters. But David drew strength from the Lord his God.

1 Samuel 5:11

5:11 So they assembled ⁶  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 ⁷  and our ⁸  people!” The terror ⁹  of death was throughout the entire city; God was attacking them very severely there. ¹⁰ 

1 Samuel 28:21

28:21 When the woman came to Saul and saw how terrified he was, she said to him, “Your servant has done what you asked. ¹¹  I took my life into my own hands and did what you told me. ¹² 

1 Samuel 14:28

14:28 Then someone from the army informed him, “Your father put the army under a strict oath ¹³  saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food today!’ That is why the army is tired.”

1 Samuel 11:15

11:15 So all the people went to Gilgal, where ¹⁴  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.

1 Samuel 17:24

17:24 When all the men of Israel saw this man, they retreated ¹⁵  from his presence and were very afraid.

1 Samuel 2:17

2:17 The sin of these young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they ¹⁶  treated the Lord’s offering with contempt.

1 Samuel 23:22

23:22 Go and make further arrangements. Determine precisely ¹⁷  where he is ¹⁸  and who has seen him there, for I am told that he is extremely cunning.

1 Samuel 1:6

1:6 Her rival wife used to upset her and make her worry, ¹⁹  for the Lord had not enabled her to have children.

1 Samuel 28:20

28:20 Saul quickly fell full length on the ground and was very afraid because of Samuel’s words. He was completely drained of energy, ²⁰  not having eaten anything ²¹  all that day and night.

1 Samuel 25:15

25:15 These men were very good to us. They did not insult us, nor did we sustain any loss during the entire time we were together ²²  in the field.

1 Samuel 18:30

18:30 ²³  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.

1 Samuel 9:6

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. ²⁴  Now let’s go there. Perhaps he will tell us where we should go from here.” ²⁵ 

1 Samuel 31:3

31:3 Saul himself was in the thick of the battle; ²⁶  the archers ²⁷  spotted him and wounded him severely.

1 Samuel 18:8

18:8 This made Saul very angry. The statement displeased him and he thought, ²⁸  “They have attributed to David tens of thousands, but to me they have attributed only thousands. What does he lack, except the kingdom?”

1 Samuel 31:4

31:4 Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and stab me with it! Otherwise these uncircumcised people will come, stab me, and torture me.” But his armor bearer refused to do it, because he was very afraid. So Saul took his sword and fell on it.

1 Samuel 25:36

25:36 When Abigail went back to Nabal, he was holding a banquet in his house like that of the king. Nabal was having a good time ²⁹  and was very intoxicated. She told him absolutely nothing ³⁰  until morning’s light.

1 Samuel 28:5

28:5 When Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was absolutely terrified. ³¹ 

1 Samuel 14:31

14:31 On that day the army struck down the Philistines from Micmash to Aijalon, and they became very tired.

1 Samuel 16:21

16:21 David came to Saul and stood before him. Saul liked him a great deal, ³²  and he became his armor bearer.

1 Samuel 17:11

17:11 When Saul and all the Israelites ³³  heard these words of the Philistine, they were upset and very afraid.

1 Samuel 21:12

21:12 David thought about what they said ³⁴  and was very afraid of King Achish of Gath.

1 Samuel 19:1

Saul Repeatedly Attempts to Take David’s Life

19:1 Then Saul told his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. But Saul’s son Jonathan liked David very much. ³⁵ 

1 Samuel 15:11

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.

1 Samuel 26:21

26:21 Saul replied, “I have sinned. Come back, my son David. I won’t harm you, for you treated my life with value ³⁶  this day. I have behaved foolishly and have made a very terrible mistake!” ³⁷ 

1 Samuel 11:9

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.

1 Samuel 20:6

20:6 If your father happens to miss me, you should say, ‘David urgently requested me to let him go ³⁸  to his city Bethlehem, ³⁹  for there is an annual sacrifice there for his entire family.’

1 Samuel 15:30

15:30 Saul ⁴⁰  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.”

1 Samuel 15:35

15:35 Until the day he ⁴¹  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.

1 Samuel 12:19

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.” ⁴² 

1 Samuel 11:6

11:6 The Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and he became very angry.

1 Samuel 2:22

2:22 Now Eli was very old when he heard about everything that his sons used to do to all the people of Israel ⁴³  and how they used to have sex with ⁴⁴  the women who were stationed at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

1 Samuel 30:4

30:4 Then David and the men ⁴⁵  who were with him wept loudly ⁴⁶  until they could weep no more. ⁴⁷ 

1 Samuel 14:20

14:20 Saul and all the army that was with him assembled and marched into battle, where they found ⁴⁸  the Philistines in total panic killing one another with their swords. ⁴⁹ 

1 Samuel 5:9

5:9 But after it had been moved the Lord attacked ⁵⁰  that city as well, causing a great deal of panic. He struck all the people of that city ⁵¹  with sores. ⁵² 

1 Samuel 20:28

20:28 Jonathan replied to Saul, “David urgently requested that he be allowed to go to Bethlehem.

1 Samuel 20:34

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. ⁵³ 

1 Samuel 30:10

30:10 David and four hundred men continued the pursuit, but two hundred men who were too exhausted to cross the Wadi Besor stayed there.

1 Samuel 10:10

10:10 When Saul and his servant ⁵⁴  arrived at Gibeah, a company of prophets was coming out to meet him. Then the spirit of God rushed upon Saul ⁵⁵  and he prophesied among them.

1 Samuel 5:12

5:12 The people ⁵⁶  who did not die were struck with sores; the city’s cry for help went all the way up to heaven.

1 Samuel 30:3

30:3 When David and his men came to the city, they found it burned. ⁵⁷  Their wives, sons, and daughters had been taken captive.

1 Samuel 3:14

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.’”

1 Samuel 10:6

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.

1 Samuel 14:33

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! ⁵⁸  Roll a large stone over here to me.”

1 Samuel 3:2

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,

1 Samuel 14:16

14:16 Saul’s watchmen at Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin ⁵⁹  looked on ⁶⁰  as the crowd of soldiers seemed to melt away first in one direction and then in another. ⁶¹ 

1 Samuel 17:16

17:16 Meanwhile for forty days the Philistine approached every morning and evening and took his position.

1 Samuel 20:7

20:7 If he should then say, ‘That’s fine,’ ⁶²  then your servant is safe. But if he becomes very angry, be assured that he has decided to harm me. ⁶³ 

1 Samuel 19:4

19:4 So Jonathan spoke on David’s behalf ⁶⁴  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 ⁶⁵  for you.

1 Samuel 1:24

1:24 Once she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with three bulls, an ephah ⁶⁶  of flour, and a container ⁶⁷  of wine. She brought him to the Lord’s house at Shiloh, even though he was young. ⁶⁸ 

1 Samuel 21:8

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.”

1 Samuel 1:9

1:9 On one occasion in Shiloh, after they had finished eating and drinking, Hannah got up. ⁶⁹  (Now at the time Eli the priest was sitting in his chair ⁷⁰  by the doorpost of the Lord’s temple.)

1 Samuel 13:4

13:4 All Israel heard this message, ⁷¹  “Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel is repulsive ⁷²  to the Philistines!” So the people were summoned to join ⁷³  Saul at Gilgal.

1 Samuel 13:7

13:7 Some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan River ⁷⁴  to the land of Gad and Gilead. But Saul stayed at Gilgal; the entire army that was with him was terrified.

1 Samuel 11:7

11:7 He took a pair ⁷⁵  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. ⁷⁶ 

1 Samuel 29:4

29:4 But the leaders of the Philistines became angry with him and said ⁷⁷  to him, “Send the man back! Let him return to the place that you assigned him! Don’t let him go down with us into the battle, for he might become ⁷⁸  our adversary in the battle. What better way to please his lord than with the heads of these men? ⁷⁹ 

1 Samuel 2:1

Hannah Exalts the Lord in Prayer

2:1 Hannah prayed, ⁸⁰ 

“My heart rejoices in the Lord;

my horn ⁸¹  is exalted high because of the Lord.

I loudly denounce ⁸²  my enemies,

for I am happy that you delivered me. ⁸³ 

1 Samuel 6:13

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.

1 Samuel 14:15

14:15 Then fear overwhelmed ⁸⁴  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. ⁸⁵ 

1 Samuel 23:3

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?”

1 Samuel 16:13

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.

1 Samuel 4:13

4:13 When he arrived in Shiloh, Eli was sitting in his chair watching by the side of ⁸⁶  the road, for he was very worried ⁸⁷  about the ark of God. As the man entered the city to give his report, ⁸⁸  the whole city cried out.

1 Samuel 7:7

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.

1 Samuel 12:17

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.”

1 Samuel 13:3

13:3 Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost ⁸⁹  that was at Geba and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul alerted ⁹⁰  all the land saying, “Let the Hebrews pay attention!”

1 Samuel 14:24

Jonathan Violates Saul’s Oath

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.

1 Samuel 16:18

16:18 One of his attendants replied, ⁹¹  “I have seen a son of Jesse in Bethlehem ⁹²  who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave warrior ⁹³  and is articulate ⁹⁴  and handsome, ⁹⁵  for the Lord is with him.”

1 Samuel 24:11

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 ⁹⁶  evil or rebellion. Even though I have not sinned against you, you are waiting in ambush to take my life.

1 Samuel 15:9

15:9 However, Saul and the army spared Agag, along with the best of the flock, the cattle, the fatlings, ⁹⁷  and the lambs, as well as everything else that was of value. ⁹⁸  They were not willing to slaughter them. But they did slaughter everything that was despised ⁹⁹  and worthless.

1 Samuel 17:25

17:25 The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who is coming up? He does so ¹⁰⁰  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.”

1 Samuel 12:18

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.

1 Samuel 1:5

1:5 But he would give a double ¹⁰¹  portion to Hannah, because he especially loved her. ¹⁰²  Now the Lord had not enabled her to have children. ¹⁰³ 

1 Samuel 2:26

2:26 Now the boy Samuel was growing up and finding favor both with the Lord and with people.

1 Samuel 2:12

Eli’s Sons Misuse Their Sacred Office

2:12 The sons of Eli were wicked men. ¹⁰⁴  They did not recognize the Lord’s authority. ¹⁰⁵ 

1 Samuel 1:15

1:15 But Hannah replied, “That’s not the way it is, ¹⁰⁶  my lord! I am under a great deal of stress. ¹⁰⁷  I have drunk neither wine nor beer. Rather, I have poured out my soul to ¹⁰⁸  the Lord.

1 Samuel 22:14

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!

1 Samuel 1:16

1:16 Don’t consider your servant a wicked woman, ¹⁰⁹  for until now I have spoken from my deep pain and anguish.”

1 Samuel 17:53

17:53 When the Israelites returned from their hot pursuit of the Philistines, they looted their camp.

1 Samuel 25:2

David Marries Abigail the Widow of Nabal

25:2 There was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. This man was very wealthy; ¹¹⁰  he owned three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. At that time he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

1 Samuel 3:11

3:11 The Lord said to Samuel, “Look! I am about to do something in Israel; ¹¹¹  when anyone hears about it, both of his ears will tingle.

1 Samuel 16:22

16:22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse saying, “Let David be my servant, for I really like him.” ¹¹² 

1 Samuel 21:10

21:10 So on that day David arose and fled from Saul. He went to King Achish of Gath.

1 Samuel 25:3

25:3 The man’s name was Nabal, ¹¹³  and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was both wise ¹¹⁴  and beautiful, but the man was harsh and his deeds were evil. He was a Calebite.

1 Samuel 4:7

4:7 The Philistines were scared because they thought that gods had come to the camp. ¹¹⁵  They said, “Too bad for ¹¹⁶  us! We’ve never seen anything like this!

1 Samuel 27:12

27:12 So Achish trusted David, thinking to himself, ¹¹⁷  “He is really hated ¹¹⁸  among his own people in ¹¹⁹  Israel! From now on ¹²⁰  he will be my servant.”

1 Samuel 28:18

28:18 Since you did not obey the Lord ¹²¹  and did not carry out his fierce anger against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this thing to you today.

1 Samuel 9:2

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.

1 Samuel 13:6

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, ¹²²  and cisterns.

1 Samuel 20:30

20:30 Saul became angry with Jonathan ¹²³  and said to him, “You stupid traitor! ¹²⁴  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?

1 Samuel 21:2

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.’ ¹²⁵  I have told my soldiers ¹²⁶  to wait at a certain place. ¹²⁷ 

[1:10]  ¹ tn Heb “she [was in] bitterness of soul.”

[1:10]  ² 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.

[30:6]  ³ tn Heb “people.”

[30:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “said to stone him.”

[30:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “for bitter was the soul of all the people, each one.”

[5:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “and they sent and gathered.”

[5:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “me.”

[5:11]  ⁸ tn Heb “my.”

[5:11]  ⁹ tn Or “panic.”

[5:11]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the hand of God was very heavy there.”

[28:21]  ¹¹ tn Heb “listened to your voice.”

[28:21]  ¹² tn Heb “listened to your words that you spoke to me.”

[14:28]  ¹³ 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.

[11:15]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and there in Gilgal.”

[17:24]  ¹⁵ tn Or “fled.”

[2:17]  ¹⁶ tc Heb “the men,” which is absent from one medieval Hebrew ms, a Qumran ms, and the LXX.

[23:22]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “know and see.” The expression is a hendiadys. See also v. 23.

[23:22]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “his place where his foot is.”

[1:6]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “and her rival wife grieved her, even [with] grief so as to worry her.”

[28:20]  ²⁰ tn Heb “also there was no strength in him.”

[28:20]  ²¹ tn Heb “food.”

[25:15]  ²² tn Heb “all the days we walked about with them when we were.”

[18:30]  ²³ tc Verse 30 is absent in most LXX mss.

[9:6]  ²⁴ tn The infinitive absolute precedes the verb for emphasis.

[9:6]  ²⁵ tn Heb “our way on which we have gone.”

[31:3]  ²⁶ tn Heb “and the battle was heavy against Saul.”

[31:3]  ²⁷ tn Heb “the shooters, men with the bow.”

[18:8]  ²⁸ tn Heb “said.” So also in vv. 11, 17.

[25:36]  ²⁹ tn Heb “and the heart of Nabal was good upon him”; NASB, NRSV “Nabal’s heart was merry within him”; NIV “he was in high spirits”; NCV, TEV “was in a good mood”; CEV “was very drunk and feeling good.”

[25:36]  ³⁰ tn Heb “and she did not tell him a thing, small or large.”

[28:5]  ³¹ tn Heb “he was afraid, and his heart was very terrified.”

[16:21]  ³² tn Heb “he loved him.”

[17:11]  ³³ tn Heb “all Israel.”

[21:12]  ³⁴ tn Heb “placed these matters in his heart.”

[19:1]  ³⁵ tn Heb “delighted greatly in David.”

[26:21]  ³⁶ tn Heb “my life was valuable in your eyes.”

[26:21]  ³⁷ tn Heb “and I have erred very greatly.”

[20:6]  ³⁸ tn Heb “to run.”

[20:6]  ³⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

[15:30]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:35]  ⁴¹ tn That is, Samuel.

[12:19]  ⁴² tn Heb “for we have added to all our sins an evil [thing] by asking for ourselves a king.”

[2:22]  ⁴³ tn Heb “to all Israel.”

[2:22]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “lie with.”

[30:4]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “people.”

[30:4]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “lifted up their voice and wept.”

[30:4]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “until there was no longer in them strength to weep.”

[14:20]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “and look, there was”

[14:20]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “the sword of a man against his companion, a very great panic.”

[5:9]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “the hand of the Lord was against the city.”

[5:9]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “and he struck the men of the city from small and to great.”

[5:9]  ⁵² tn See the note on this term in v. 6. Cf. KJV “and they had emerods in their secret parts.”

[20:34]  ⁵³ 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.

[10:10]  ⁵⁴ tc Two medieval Hebrew mss, the LXX, and the Syriac Peshitta have the singular “he” (in which case the referent would be Saul alone).

[10:10]  tn Heb “they”; the referents (Saul and his servant) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:10]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:12]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “men.”

[30:3]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “and David and his men came to the city, and look, it was burned with fire.”

[14:33]  ⁵⁸ 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.

[14:16]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “at Gibeah of Benjamin.” The words “in the territory” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[14:16]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “saw, and look!”

[14:16]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “the crowd melted and went, even here.”

[20:7]  ⁶² tn Heb “good.”

[20:7]  ⁶³ tn Heb “know that the evil is completed from with him.”

[19:4]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “spoke good with respect to David.”

[19:4]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “good.”

[1:24]  ⁶⁶ 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]  ⁶⁷ 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]  ⁶⁸ 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.

[1:9]  ⁶⁹ 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]  ⁷⁰ tn Or perhaps, “on his throne.” See Joüon 2:506-7 §137.f.

[13:4]  ⁷¹ tn The words “this message” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[13:4]  ⁷² tn Heb “stinks.” The figurative language indicates that Israel had become repulsive to the Philistines.

[13:4]  ⁷³ tn Heb “were summoned after.”

[13:7]  ⁷⁴ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[11:7]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “yoke.”

[11:7]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “like one man.”

[29:4]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “and the leaders of the Philistines said.”

[29:4]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “so that he might not become.”

[29:4]  ⁷⁹ tn Or perhaps, “our men.” On this use of the demonstrative pronoun see Joüon 2:532 §143.e.

[2:1]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “prayed and said.” This is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation.

[2:1]  ⁸¹ 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]  ⁸² tn Heb “my mouth opens wide against.”

[2:1]  ⁸³ tn Heb “for I rejoice in your deliverance.”

[14:15]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “fell upon.”

[14:15]  ⁸⁵ 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.

[4:13]  ⁸⁶ tc Read with many medieval Hebrew mss, the Qere, and much versional evidence יַד (yad, “hand”) rather than MT יַךְ (yakh).

[4:13]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “his heart was trembling.”

[4:13]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “and the man came to report in the city.”

[13:3]  ⁸⁹ tn Or perhaps “struck down the Philistine official.” See the note at 1 Sam 10:5. Cf. TEV “killed the Philistine commander.”

[13:3]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “blew the ram’s horn in.”

[16:18]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “answered and said.”

[16:18]  ⁹² map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

[16:18]  ⁹³ tn Heb “mighty man of valor and a man of war.”

[16:18]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “discerning of word.”

[16:18]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “a man of form.”

[24:11]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “there is not in my hand.”

[15:9]  ⁹⁷ 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]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “good.”

[15:9]  ⁹⁹ 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).

[17:25]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “he is coming up.”

[1:5]  ¹⁰¹ 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]  ¹⁰² 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]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “and the Lord had closed her womb.” So also in v. 6. The disjunctive clause provides supplemental information that is pertinent to the story.

[2:12]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “sons of worthlessness.”

[2:12]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “they did not know the Lord.” The verb here has the semantic nuance “recognize the authority of.” Eli’s sons obviously knew who the Lord was; they served in his sanctuary. But they did not recognize his moral authority.

[1:15]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “No.”

[1:15]  ¹⁰⁷ 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).

[1:15]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “before.”

[1:16]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “daughter of worthlessness.”

[25:2]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “great.”

[3:11]  ¹¹¹ tn The Hebrew text adds “so that” here, formally connecting this clause with the next.

[16:22]  ¹¹² tn Heb “Let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my eyes.”

[25:3]  ¹¹³ sn The name נָבָל (Nabal) means “foolish” or “senseless” in Hebrew, and as an adjective the word is used especially of persons who have no perception of ethical or religious claims. It is an apt name for this character, who certainly typifies such behavior.

[25:3]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “good of insight”; KJV “of good understanding”; NAB, NIV, TEV “intelligent”; NRSV “clever.”

[4:7]  ¹¹⁵ 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]  ¹¹⁶ tn Traditionally “woe to.” They thought disaster was imminent.

[27:12]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “saying.”

[27:12]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “he really stinks.” The expression is used figuratively here to describe the rejection and ostracism that David had experienced as a result of Saul’s hatred of him.

[27:12]  ¹¹⁹ tc Many medieval Hebrew mss lack the preposition “in.”

[27:12]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “permanently.”

[28:18]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “listen to the voice of the Lord.”

[13:6]  ¹²² 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.”

[20:30]  ¹²³ tc Many medieval Hebrew mss include the words “his son” here.

[20:30]  ¹²⁴ 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.

[21:2]  ¹²⁵ 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]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “servants.”

[21:2]  ¹²⁷ 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.