Before: literally “from yesterday and the day-before-yesterday.” This idiom, which occurs also in 4.7, may also be rendered “When people who had known him previously” (Revised English Bible).

The people: that is, all who knew him before.

What has come over the son of Kish? The verbal expression come over may be translated in a variety of ways: “What is this that has happened…?” (New International Version), or some languages will use expressions like “What has hit [or, fallen on] the son of Kish?” Since Saul was the son of Kish, the subject of the two questions is identical. The wording of Revised Standard Version may give readers who have little Bible knowledge the impression that two different persons are involved. If this is the case, the two questions may have to be rephrased as follows:

• What has happened to Saul, the son of Kish? Is he also now a prophet?

Is Saul also among the prophets? This same saying appears again in 19.24. New Jerusalem Bible translates “Is Saul one of the prophets too?”

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 .

A man of the place: literally “a man from there,” that is, “a man who lived there” (New International Version). This may mean either “from that district” (New American Bible) or “one of the local people” (New Jerusalem Bible). Others understand it to mean simply “a bystander” (An American Translation; La Bible du Semeur is similar).

And who is their father? The meaning of this question is not clear. But the pronoun their almost certainly refers to the group of prophets. Perhaps the question implies that these prophets were not well known because their biological fathers are unknown, and that Saul was therefore associating with unimportant people. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “And who are their fathers?”

Or, alternatively, father may be used with the meaning “chief” or “leader” and may refer to the single leader of the group of prophets. That is, the question may imply that they have no leader. Compare Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, “And who is the leader of these prophets?”

The translation of the word Therefore may present special difficulties, since the relationship of the proverbial saying is not just to the immediately preceding question but to the whole scene. That is, the saying came into being because of the entire situation of Saul meeting and joining with the group of prophets after having received the spirit of Yahweh.

The word proverb may have to be replaced by something like “a famous saying” (New Century Version) in some languages, since “proverb” may have a more restricted meaning.

Is Saul also among the prophets? A different explanation for the origin of this saying is given in 19.18-24.

Translators may wish to include a footnote on this verse, and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible provides a very good model:

• The sense of this question is not clear. Perhaps father is here the equivalent of teacher, and the man is astonished at not having seen a leader at the head of this band, or the man means to say that these prophets are people who are not known by the name of their fathers, that is, they are people of low status.

Compare also this shorter footnote in Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente:

• The expression in the text could indicate people abandoned or of low status (without a father); or an unruly group and without leadership (without a 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 .

Since the pronoun he might be interpreted as referring to the “man of the place” (verse 12), it may be wise to supply the name of Saul as the subject of the initial verb in this verse.

On the meaning and translation of prophesying in this context, see the comments on verse 5.

He came to the high place: since the next verse says that Saul’s uncle spoke to him, some interpreters think that Saul must have returned home, and that the Hebrew here must have said either that Saul “came to Gibeah” (New Jerusalem Bible and Stuttgarter Erklärungsbibel) or “came to the house [or, home]” (so New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, and Osty-Trinquet). See the comments on verse 10 above.

Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, however, gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text and suggests that Saul’s uncle may have been at the high place, since people met and ate there (see 9.19). On high place see verse 5.

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 .

Saul’s uncle: the uncle is not named. Perhaps the intended uncle is Ner (see 14.50), who was the brother of Saul’s father, Kish (though according to 1 Chr 8.33 and 9.39, Ner was Kish’s father rather than his brother). In some languages it is essential to know whether this was on the father’s side or on the side of the mother. If such a decision is required, it is better to translate the meaning “paternal uncle,” although it is impossible to be certain of this.

The initial occurrence of the verb said will be better rendered “asked,” since it is followed by a question. And in the second case it may be rendered “replied” (New American Bible) or “responded” (Bible en français courant).

In languages where it is unnatural to respond to a question using an incomplete sentence, translators may say “I have been looking for the [female] donkeys.”

They were not to be found: this passive expression may be made active by saying “we could not find them anywhere” (New Jerusalem 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 .

Said: since what follows is a kind of question, many languages will require a verb like “inquired” or “asked” in this context.

Note that Good News Translation has inverted the order of the introductory statement and the direct quote. While this is good style in English, it may not be a good model for translators in other languages to follow.

Pray: the Hebrew text contains a small word that grammarians call a “particle of entreaty.” Traditional translations often render this word as “please,” that is “please, tell me.” Modern versions often leave it untranslated. Some grammarians, however, claim that this Hebrew particle expresses a logical consequence of a preceding statement or of the general situation, and that it should not be left untranslated.

If there is a need to avoid the direct quotation in this verse, translators may say “Saul’s uncle [politely] asked him what Samuel had said to him.”

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 .

Told us plainly: the Hebrew uses an emphatic verbal construction that is stronger than saying simply “he told us.” So it is probable that the meaning is something like “he guaranteed to us” or “he promised us.” Several modern versions attempt to reflect this by translating “he assured us” (New International Version and La Bible du Semeur) or “he told us emphatically” (An American Translation). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, however, takes this expression to be a limiting one, translating “he just told us….” This implies that Saul claims that Samuel had said nothing more to them.

That the asses had been found: the passive formulation may be made active by saying “that someone had found the [female] donkeys.”

Revised Standard Version follows the order of the Hebrew in this verse. The use of quotation marks in Revised Standard Version clearly shows where Saul’s report ends. Since, however, quotation marks do not help those people who only hear the text read, it may be better to restructure to make clear that the last sentence in the verse is not part of the quotation of Samuel’s words. Good News Translation provides one possible model. Another is “But Saul did not tell….”

The matter of the kingdom: that is, the conversation about Saul’s becoming king of Israel, or “what Samuel said about his becoming king” (New Century Version). Samuel clearly stated this in verse 1.

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 God’s words the people of Israel are spoken of in the third person at the beginning: I brought up Israel out of Egypt. Then God addresses the people directly in the second person: and I delivered you. Good News Translation puts all of God’s words in the second person in order to avoid confusing readers. La Bible du Semeur is similar. In some languages it will be advisable to avoid the conjunction and between these two elements, since that would give the impression that two completely different events are being discussed. The two are in fact slightly different ways of talking about the same event. Of course the remainder of the statement, and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you, does speak of separate historical events. For this reason it may be necessary in some languages to begin a new sentence to talk about this. This will require repeating the previous verb. For example, translators may say “He also delivered you from all the other kingdoms that were oppressing you.”

The hand of the Egyptians: that is, from the power of the Egyptians. On the metaphorical use of hand, see 4.8.

The kingdoms that were oppressing you: in Hebrew the noun kingdoms is feminine, but the participle were oppressing is masculine. The reference is to kings such as Cushan-rishathaim (Judges 3.7), Eglon (Judges 3.14), and Jabin (Judges 4.1-3), who oppressed the Israelites after they had fled from Egypt (see also 12.9 for another reference to foreign rulers who oppressed the ancestors of the Israelites). Both Klein and Anchor Bible render the Hebrew noun here as “kings” rather than kingdoms. Since these kings or kingdoms are in addition to the Egyptian ruler, it may be advisable in certain languages to speak of “other kings” or “other kingdoms.”

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 day: not the same day as verse 17, but the present time in contrast to the time of their ancestors (verse 18).

And you have said, ‘No! but: the better manuscripts of the Masoretic Text say “to him [God]” in place of “No.” The difference in spelling in Hebrew is very slight. The Septuagint and many Hebrew manuscripts say “No” and are followed by many translations (Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, however, gives a {B} rating to the reading “to him.” The reading “to him” is followed by Traduction œcuménique de la Bible. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament suggests that the word translated But in Revised Standard Version should be understood as an emphatic word meaning “Surely.” The following translation represents the suggestion of Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament: “and you have said to him [God], ‘Surely [or, By all means] set a king over us.’ ”

The textual problem is complicated by the fact that the third person pronoun in the Masoretic Text, “to him,” will be inappropriate in a direct quotation where God is talking about people speaking to God. So a more natural translation is “to me” in place of “to him.”

Whichever textual option is chosen, the embedded quotation may have to be transformed from direct to indirect speech by saying something like “you have insisted on having a king over you.”

Now therefore: these words mark the transition to the beginning of God’s agreeing to the desires of the people of Israel.

Before the LORD: see also 15.33. Other renderings include “in the presence of Yahweh” (Klein). In some contexts the words present yourselves before the LORD means “to offer yourself in service to the LORD” (see Josh 24.1). The context here, however, suggests the sense of “stand in the presence of the LORD.” But since it is God who is speaking, it will be more natural in most languages to say “in my presence” or “in the presence of me, the LORD.” While the latter may sound awkward in English, it may prove natural in other languages.

By your tribes and by your thousands: on the translation of tribes see 2.28. Thousands refers to “clans” (New International Version, New Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible) or “lineages,” a smaller unit than tribes but larger than the family. See also 23.23 where thousands again means “clans.”

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 .