So: the common Hebrew conjunction is rightly translated to show the logical relationship between the events described in the previous verses and the action taken by the people of Ashdod.

The verb sent has no object in Hebrew, but the clear implication is that runners or messengers were sent to call together the Philistine leaders.

All the lords of the Philistines: the Philistines lived mostly in five independent cities: Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Gath, and Ekron, which are listed in 6.17. Each city was ruled by a “lord,” that is, someone who ruled with the authority of a king. An American Translation correctly calls these lords “the city rulers of the Philistines,” and Knox speaks of “Philistine chiefs.”

Because a question follows, the verb said may be better rendered “asked.”

Gath was one of the five main cities of the Philistines (see the comments on verse 1). It was about twenty kilometers (twelve and one-half miles) southeast of Ashdod (verse 1) and was the closest of these cities to the territory of Judah. Gath is mentioned also in 6.17; 7.14; 17.4, 23, 52; 21.10, 12; 27.2-4, 11. Good News Translation shows one way to indicate in translation that Gath, in addition to Ashdod, was a Philistine city: “so they took it to Gath, another Philistine city.”

They answered, “Let the ark….” So they brought the ark of the God of Israel there: New Revised Standard Version (also New American Bible) follows the Septuagint and a manuscript from Qumran and says “The inhabitants of Gath replied, ‘Let the ark of God be moved on to us.’ So they moved the ark of the God of Israel to Gath.” Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text. But even if the traditional text is followed, translators must have some idea as to the identity of the people referred to by the pronoun they (the Hebrew has only a third person plural verb). Is it a vague term that refers only to unidentified members of the group, or does it perhaps refer to the inhabitants of Gath (regardless of the textual decision made)? Probably it is better to take it in the more general sense and say “Some of the people” or “Some other people.”

The passive construction Let the ark … be brought may be restated actively by saying something like “Take the ark,” or “Cause some people to take the ark,” or possibly “We will send the ark.”

They brought the ark … there: since the writer of this story was most likely not in Gath, the correct English verb of motion is “they took” it to Gath rather than they brought. Translators will need to use a verb which does not suggest that the writer is in Gath.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

But: literally “And it happened,” marking the beginning of a new episode in the story. The common Hebrew conjunction is translated in such a way as to show contrast because the expeCritique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testamention was that the situation would change once the ark was moved. In fact, however, disaster continued.

After they had brought it around means “after they had brought the ark to the city of Gath from Ashdod.” Following the Septuagint New Revised Standard Version says “But after they had brought it to Gath.” But this same meaning may be translated on the basis of implied information without respect to the textual question involved.

The hand of the LORD was against the city: see the comments on verse 6. The people of the city, that is, the city of Gath, were in “utter turmoil” (New American Bible). The word translated panic here and in verse 11 is elsewhere rendered “confusion” (1 Sam 14.20). It describes a situation in which there is no order, but rather total unrest and chaos.

The men of the city: see the comments on verse 7. Some modern translations use an inclusive term such as “everybody” (Revised English Bible), “people” (New International Version), or “inhabitants” (New Revised Standard Version).

Both young and old: literally “from the small to the great.” As in 30.2, this may refer to all men [or, men and women], regardless of their age (so also New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible). But the same expression is sometimes used of different social classes. For this reason Revised English Bible translates “high and low alike.” Knox and New Jerusalem Bible are similar.

Tumors: see verse 6.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

They sent, that is, the people of the city of Gath sent the ark.

Ekron, located about sixteen kilometers (ten miles) north of Gath, was another Philistine city, as Good News Translation makes explicit. See also the comments on Gath in verse 8.

The second sentence of this verse begins just as does the initial sentence in verse 9, with “and it happened….” However, the contrasting conjunction But may be adequate in most languages to make the transition to Ekron.

To us … to slay us and our people: literally “to me the ark of the God of Israel to kill me and my people” (so La Bible Pléiade, Osty-Trinquet). These words, spoken in the first person singular, are a direct quotation of the people of Ekron. Probably the words are intended to represent the words of each individual, as also in Josh 9.7 and 17.14, where the first person singular is usually translated with the first person plural in English. In many languages it will be more natural to use the first person plural (so Good News Translation and most translations).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Therefore: while the Hebrew text has only the common conjunction, the context requires some kind of logical (“So”) or temporal (“Then”) connector.

All the lords of the Philistines: see the comments on verse 8. Since this is now the second time that the people have sent for the lords of the Philistines, Good News Translation adds the word “again [they sent].”

The two statements Send away the ark and let it return to its own place do not refer to two different actions, and the second may sound quite unnatural if translated literally. So the two may be combined into a single clause (as in Good News Translation) or connected in such a way as to avoid giving the impression that two different actions are intended: “send the ark … from us to the place where it belongs.”

Us and our people: literally “me and my people.” See the comments on verse 10.

A deathly panic: a better rendering of the traditional Hebrew text is “a deadly panic” (An American Translation, New American Bible) or “a mortal panic” (New Jerusalem Bible). But some manuscript evidence has “a panic from the LORD,” although no modern version has been found that follows this reading. Probably a better common-language rendering of the traditional text is “death and destruction” (Revised English Bible).

The whole city: that is, the city of Ekron.

The hand of God was heavy: on the meaning and translation of this Hebrew idiom, see the comments on verse 6.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The men: or better “the people” (New Century Version) or “those [who did not die]” (New International Version, Revised English Bible). See the comments on verse 7.

Tumors: see verse 6.

The cry of the city: in many languages it will be more natural to use a verb and say “the people of the city cried out.”

Went up to heaven: compare Exo 2.23, which says that the cry of the people of Israel “went up to God.” Very little is known about the religion of the Philistines. In addition to Dagon, they no doubt worshiped numerous other gods (see 6.5). The translation of this phrase should not suggest that the Philistines were praying to Yahweh, the God of the Israelites. New Jerusalem Bible, perhaps more appropriately, translates “rose to the sky.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The translation of the verb “to be” in this verse is important, since it sets the stage for what follows. Good News Translation and New International Version make the content of this verse into a temporal clause, introducing verse 2, and both use the pluperfect English verb form “had been.” Compare also An American Translation, which indicates the beginning of new events with the word “now”: “Now the ark of the LORD had been in the territory of the Philistines seven months, when the Philistines called for….” New Century Version restructures this verse to make the Philistines, rather than the Covenant Box, the grammatical subject of the sentence: “the Philistines kept the Ark of God in their land seven months.”

The ark of the LORD: see the comments on 5.1.

The country of the Philistines: the translation of this expression will be closely tied to the following verse, where the name Philistines is repeated in Hebrew. Such repetition, however, may be unnatural in the receptor language. Revised English Bible translates “their territory” here and “the Philistines” in verse 2. Others may prefer to say “the region of the Philistines” here, and then use the pronoun “they” or a more general noun like “the people” (Good News Translation) in verse 2.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The word rendered priests is the same as used for Hophni and Phinehas (1.3) and Eli (1.9; 2.11), although in this case the reference is not to priests who served Yahweh. In all likelihood these priests were in the service of the gods of the Philistines.

The diviners: the same Hebrew word occurs in Deut 18.14 and Isa 3.2 (where New International Version translates it “soothsayer”). These were people who attempted to gain information through supernatural powers. The rendering “magicians” in Good News Translation should not be understood to mean people who do tricks by sleight of hand. Though the Hebrew text says only “the priests and the diviners,” these were probably Philistines also. The pronouns “us” and “we” in verse 9 suggest that they are Philistines.

Anchor Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, and La Biblia Latinoamerica say “their priests and diviners.” It is not clear whether they have followed the Septuagint here, which has “of them” following an expanded list of terms including priests and diviners, or whether it is assumed on the basis of verse 9 that the priests and diviners are Philistines.

The verb said may again be translated “asked.”

With what shall we send it may be understood in one of two ways. It may mean either (1) “what we should send back with it” (New American Bible) or (2) “how we ought to send it back” (Revised English Bible). The first interpretation implies that they understood already that they should send some gifts back to accompany the ark. The second seems to focus more on the method to be used in getting the dangerous object back where it belonged. Perhaps it is better to understand the clause in more general terms and translate it “tell us how we should send it back to its place” (New International Version).

Send it to its place: the ark did not belong to the Philistines. Possible translations of these words include “send it to the country where it belongs” or “send it back home” (New Century Version).

The direct quotations of this verse may be made indirect by translating along the lines of one of the following models:

• They asked them [priests and diviners] what should be done with the ark of the LORD and how it could be sent to its place.

Or, where passive forms are not possible:

• They asked them what they should do with the ark of the LORD and how they should go about sending it back to the place where it belonged.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

They said, that is, the priests and the diviners. This is made explicit in Bible en français courant, which says “the priests and diviners responded.” And in the context of this conversation, the verb may be more naturally rendered “responded” (Bible en français courant) or “answered” (New International Version, New Century Version).

Return him: that is, return, or more literally “send,” to the God of Israel. The guilt offering is not actually being returned but given for the first time along with the Covenant Box that is being returned.

A guilt offering: regarding guilt offerings, see Lev 5.14–6.7 and 7.1-10, where the same term occurs and regulations are given. In Leviticus Revised English Bible calls this a “reparation-offering,” New Jerusalem Bible calls it a “sacrifice of reparation,” and New Century Version “a penalty offering.” Here in verse 3 Revised English Bible renders this “an offering by way of compensation.”

You will be healed: this is an indirect reference to the physical suffering of the Philistines caused by the “tumors” mentioned in the previous chapter (verses 6, 9, and 12). This illness would be removed from the Philistines when the ark was returned to its proper owners. Where the passive form is not possible, translators may say “God will heal you” or “you will become well again.”

It will be known to you: this passive construction will probably sound more natural if translated “you will know” (New International Version, New Century Version). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh interprets this part of the verse in a slightly different way, translating “He will make Himself known to you; otherwise His hand will not turn away from you.” In some contexts (for example, Exo 6.3) the passive form of the Hebrew verb “to know” does mean “make oneself known” or “reveal oneself.” Furthermore, the Hebrew word translated why in Revised Standard Version may also mean “otherwise,” as in 1 Sam 19.17. The New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translation is certainly possible, but few other modern versions follow this interpretation.

Why his hand does not turn away from you: for the metaphorical use of the noun hand, see the comments on 4.8. The pronoun his refers to the God of Israel. The word hand is a figure of speech representing God himself. The question is “why the LORD was causing you so much trouble” (Contemporary English Version) or “why he continues to afflict you” (New American Bible).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .