So: Revised Standard Version takes the common conjunction here as marking a logical relationship, as do New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, and New Jerusalem Bible. Others take it as marking a temporal relationship and translate “Then” (New American Bible, New International Version, New Century Version). But it may also be omitted altogether (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Contemporary English Version, Good News Translation). Naturalness in the receptor language should determine which kind of transition word is used here.

Kiriath-jearim was located on the border between the territories of Judah and Benjamin, about thirteen kilometers (eight miles) northwest of Jerusalem and fifteen kilometers (nine miles) east-northeast of Beth-shemesh. The name Kiriath-jearim means “city of woods.” Nearly all translations transliterate the name, though Nueva Biblia Española translates it here and elsewhere as “Villasotos,” that is, “Grove City.”

Come down and take up: though Kiriath-jearim was located northeast of Beth-shemesh, the words Come down do not refer to the southerly direction on a map. Rather, these verbs reflect the fact that Kiriath-jearim was about 1,400 feet higher than Beth-shemesh. See the comments on “go up” at the end of verse 20.

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 .

This verse begins in Hebrew with the common conjunction. Since this verse tells what the people of Kiriath Jearim did in response to the request of the people from Beth-shemesh, the conjunction seems to indicate a logical relationship. Good News Translation says “So” (so also New American Bible, Fox).

The men of Kiriath-jearim: on the location and name of this city, see 6.21. Good News Translation and New Revised Standard Version say “the people” rather than the men, and New American Bible says “the inhabitants.” Revised English Bible, which uses inclusive language when the context permits, retains the word “men” as in the Hebrew. The context here is ambiguous, but it is doubtful that women would have been included in a group that went to get this sacred object.

Came, that is, to Beth-shemesh, which was about fourteen and one-half kilometers (or nine miles) southwest of Kiriath-jearim.

Took up [the ark]: see the comments on 6.21.

House of Abinadab: Abinadab is the name of three different persons in the Old Testament. This Abinadab, who is otherwise unknown, may have been a priest, though the text does not state that he was.

The Hebrew word translated house may also mean “temple.” In the context it seems unlikely that the people would have taken the ark to the house of an ordinary citizen. Klein therefore says “they brought it to the ‘house’ of Abinadab.” Translations uniformly call this the “house” of Abinadab, but “temple” or “shrine” are also possible translations.

Nearly all translations say that the house of Abinadab was located on the hill. The Hebrew preposition translated on may also mean “in,” and the Hebrew word for hill is also the same as the town name Gibeah. The Masoretic Text of Josh 18.28 refers to a town in the territory of Benjamin named Gibeath Kiriath, and some interpreters think that the reference here in 1 Samuel is to this old Benjaminite town. Others think that the reference is to a particular section of town. Some such understanding seems to be the basis for Fox‘s translation, “they brought it to the house of Avinadav in Givʾa [= Gibeah].”

The verb consecrated comes from the same root as the noun that is usually translated “holy” and means “cause to be holy” or “set aside for a special [holy] purpose.” See the comments on the word “holy” at 2.2 and 6.20. New Century Version translates “they made … Eleazar holy for the LORD so he could guard the ark of the LORD.”

His son Eleazar: no information is given in the account to suggest whether Eleazar is the only son or the eldest son of Abinadab. If there were other sons, perhaps Eleazar was the eldest, since he was the one chosen for this special task.

Have charge of: this translates the Hebrew verb meaning “keep; guard; watch.” It carries the ideas of protecting and taking care of. Knox translates “keep watch over,” while New Jerusalem Bible uses the verb “guard.” The noun “custodian” is found in Revised English 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 .

This verse begins in Hebrew with the common conjunction. Many translations leave it untranslated (so, for example, Good News Translation). Fox says “So,” suggesting that Samuel’s words to the people follow logically from the fact that “there was a movement throughout Israel to follow the LORD” (verse 2, Revised English Bible).

Samuel reappears here for the first time since the beginning of chapter 4.

All the house of Israel: that is, “the whole people of Israel,” as in verse 2. Good News Translation leaves the word all implicit, but it may be translated explicitly for the sake of emphasis in the receptor language, unless it is unnatural to do so.

If you are returning … with all your heart: the word order in Hebrew, “If with all your heart, you are returning,” emphasizes the words with all your heart. The heart was considered to be the innermost part of a person. It was regarded as the center of one’s will, rational activity, and moral choice. While many languages use expressions containing the word “heart” to indicate sincerity, some may have other ways of expressing this idea. Some may say, for example, “If you are truly sincere in returning [to the LORD]” or “If you really want to turn back…” (Contemporary English Version).

Worship of foreign gods was forbidden to the people of Israel (see Exo 20.3-5). Foreign gods may be translated “the gods that other people worship” or “the gods whom people of other nations serve.” In the following verse this indefinite expression is replaced by a specific reference to “Baals” (New Revised Standard Version) or “baalim” (Revised English Bible). But here it is better to retain the more general expression.

Ashtaroth (see also 12.10 and 31.10) is the plural form of the name ʿashtoreth, a partner of the Canaanite fertility god Baal. Good News Translation uses “Astarte,” the Greek form of the name, which is more commonly known. Astarte was also a goddess of love and of war. The name ʿashtoreth (plural Ashtaroth) comes from writing the name with the consonants from Astarte and the vowels from bosheth, the Hebrew word meaning “shame.” While the name will probably have to be transliterated, the form of the transliteration should follow the receptor language rules of pluralization rather than using the Hebrew suffix -oth. New Revised Standard Version, for example, uses common English pluralization, “Astartes.” The Greek word “Astarte” does not occur as such in the Hebrew Old Testament. Ashtaroth is also sometimes spelled “Ashtoreth” (singular) (1 Kgs 11.5, 33; 2 Kgs 23.13).

Astarte (that is, Ashtaroth) is not to be confused with ʾasherah (1 Kgs 15.13) and ʾasherim (1 Kgs 14.15), which are the singular and plural forms of the name for a different Canaanite goddess (or her wooden representations). Both Asherah and Ashtaroth (Astarte) are represented in the Old Testament as partners of Baal.

The figurative expression direct your heart to the LORD occurs also in 1 Chr 29.18 and 2 Chr 20.33. The form of the verb direct used here is causative, “to make or cause to stand firm.” It may be translated “commit yourselves to the LORD” (New International Version) or “give yourselves fully to the LORD” (New Century Version).

He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines: or “he will rescue you from the power of the Philistines,” as in Good News Translation. But in many languages it will be more natural to say simply “he will save you from the Philistines.” On the metaphorical use of the hand of, see the comments on 4.8.

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 .

So: the common conjunction of the Hebrew text is used here as a logical connector. It was as a result of the prophet’s words that the action described in this verse was taken.

Israel, literally “the sons of Israel,” that is, “the Israelites.” Others may prefer to say “the people of Israel.”

In contemporary English put away sometimes means that something is put into storage to be kept for later use. The meaning is clearly expressed in Good News Translation, “got rid of.” Some other possible renderings of this verb are “removed” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) and “banished” (Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible).

Baals and the Ashtaroth: the plural forms of the male god Baal and the female goddess Astarte may refer (1) to Canaanite gods and goddesses in general or (2) to local representations of the gods Baal and Astarte (so Good News Translation, Nueva Biblia Española).

Served the LORD: this expression includes the idea of worship as well as submission. In this context it is the notion of divine adoration that is in focus. Several modern versions, in fact, opt for the verb “worship” (Moffatt, New American Bible, Revised English Bible, Contemporary English Version). The addition of the qualifying word only shows that there are to be no other objects of worship. Not only are Baal and Astarte excluded, but there were to be absolutely no others.

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 .

Then: here the common conjunction is taken as a kind of temporal connector. But Revised English Bible leaves the conjunction untranslated, marking the passage of time by merely beginning a new paragraph at this point.

Gather: the utterance that begins with this plural imperative verb is elliptical, since it is not made clear to whom these words are addressed, yet the plural pronoun you is used at the end of the verse. Good News Translation resolves the problem by making the first part of the verse indirect discourse and then indicating clearly that it is all Israel that is addressed in the last part of the verse. Revised English Bible makes both parts of the verse into indirect discourse.

All Israel: again this refers to the totality of the people of Israel (see verses 2 and 3 above).

Mizpah is the name given to several different places in the Old Testament. The reference here is to the city located in the territory of Benjamin, about thirteen kilometers (or eight miles) north of Jerusalem. After the fall of Jerusalem in 587 or 586 B.C., Mizpah became the provincial capital of Judah (2 Kgs 25.23-25; Jer 40.7-12). The name Mizpah comes from a root meaning “to guard [or, to watch].” Nueva Biblia Española translates the name here and elsewhere as Atalaya, that is, “Watch-tower” in Spanish. Fox transliterates the Hebrew name, but follows it with the translation “Gather all Israel to Mitzpa/Lookout.”

I will pray … for you: though the Hebrew does not state explicitly in this verse that Samuel himself would go to Mizpah to pray for the people, the following verse suggests that he did. Translators may wish to state that Samuel will pray “there” for the people (so Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

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 .

Drew water: this probably implies the existence of a well, but it can possibly mean that the water was taken from a spring or other source.

Poured it out before the LORD: see also 2 Sam 23.16. The words before the LORD may indicate that this ritual was part of an offering or sacrifice made “to the LORD,” as Good News Translation makes explicit. It is also possible, though less likely, that the people were simply denying themselves water to drink, just as they denied themselves food by fasting.

Fasted: fasting is practiced in many cultures today, and often a well-known word exists to translate the Hebrew term. Fasting consisted of a voluntary and temporary abstinence from eating food for religious reasons such as repentance, mourning, and prayer (fasting is mentioned also in 31.13; 2 Sam 1.12; 12.16, 21, 22). But in some contexts it is important to note that there is a significant difference in meaning between the Muslim concept of fasting during daylight hours only and the biblical practice. In this context, however, there may be no problem, since the fasting was for a single day. In languages where there is no special term for fasting, translators may have to resort to something like “abstained from food to honor God” or “caused themselves to go hungry for the sake of God.”

Samuel judged … at Mizpah: two questions must be answered in order to translate these words: (1) what is the meaning of the verb translated judged (see also verses 15-16), and (2) was Samuel’s action limited to this one day, or is this a statement of his repeated behavior?
(1) As stated in the comments on 4.18, Israelite judges did more than settle legal disputes. They gave leadership and direction to the people. In many societies today, the term “chief” better describes the role of those who “judged.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh will be a good model for some languages: “And Samuel acted as chieftain.” Bible en français courant is similar: “It was there at Mizpah that Samuel became the chief of the people of Israel.” Other models include New International Version (“And Samuel was leader of Israel”) and Moffatt (“Samuel managed the affairs of Israel”). See also 4.18.
(2) The final sentence of verse 6 is probably a summary statement rather than a statement of Samuel’s activity on this one occasion only. For that reason Good News Translation places the sentence within parentheses to show that the statement is not limited to this one time only. Contemporary English Version takes a different approach to this problem. It understands the verb judged in the larger sense of leading the people of Israel rather than merely deciding in their quarrels. And it also shifts this information forward in the verse so that it begins with this sentence: “The Israelites met together at Mizpah with Samuel as their leader.”

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 .

In some versions (Contemporary English Version, New American Bible) a new section heading is placed before this verse. But most have only a new paragraph here.

The people of Israel, which occurs twice in this verse, is literally “the sons of Israel” as in verses 4 and 6 above.

Heard: this is not to be understood in the sense that the Philistines actually heard the Israelites gathering at Mizpah. Rather they heard a report of some unknown person or persons who were aware of the Israelites movements. The same verb occurs at the end of this verse with the same meaning. In both cases some languages may require a restructuring like the following: “Someone told the Philistines” and “someone reported to the Israelites….”

Lords of the Philistines: see the comments on 5.8.

The verb went up reflects the fact that the Philistines lived on the coast and had to go up to a higher altitude to attack the Israelites. Many translations omit this aspect of meaning and say simply that the Philistines “marched out against Israel” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “marched against them” (Revised English Bible). If the receptor language naturally uses verbs like “go up” to describe movement from one place to another of a different elevation, then they may be used in translation; otherwise such verbs should be avoided.

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 .

Since the people of Israel is the subject of the final sentence in the previous verse, it may be more natural to avoid the repetition of this phrase here and to continue the sentence begun in verse 7 as Good News Translation has done.

Do not cease to cry: this negative wording may be better rendered positively in some languages. The idea is “Continue to cry out” or “Keep on praying” (Good News Translation). But the rendering should retain the sense of urgency of the original. In some cases this may require the addition of a word like “please” or “we beg you.” To cry to the LORD is a common Old Testament expression (see Judges 3.9, 15; Joel 1.14). The verb expresses the idea of loud and agonizing or painful crying or shouting for help. New American Bible captures the urgency of the request while avoiding the negative wording: “Implore the LORD our God unceasingly.”

The pronouns our and us in this verse should probably be rendered inclusively in languages that make this distinction. Samuel’s prayers would include his own deliverance as well as that of the other Israelites.

The hand of the Philistines: on the metaphorical use of the hand of to indicate “power of,” see the comment on verse 3 as well as on 4.8.

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 .