Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 23:2

Therefore: this transition word makes a logical link between the previous verse and David’s action described in this verse. It was because David had heard about the Philistine attack on Keilah that he wondered whether he should go and help the people of that town.

Inquired of the LORD: literally “asked the LORD, saying.” Regarding the probable method of asking God, see 10.22 and 14.37.

This entire verse may be translated quite naturally into some languages without the use of direct discourse:

• So David asked the LORD whether he should go and attack the Philistines. And the LORD told him that he should attack them in order to save the town of Keilah.

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 .

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 23:3

Since the reaction of David’s men is contrary to what the LORD had instructed David to do, the common Hebrew conjunction at the beginning of this verse is correctly translated But.

Behold: see page 18.

Here in Judah: Keilah was in the territory of Judah (see verse 1), but it was nearer to Philistine territory than to where David and his men had been staying. It is also possible that it was not under the control of the Israelites at the time these events took place.

How much more then …: Hebrew leaves implicit the verb “be afraid” in this phrase. Compare New Century Version, which restructures the last part of this verse, making two separate sentences of the rhetorical question: “We’re afraid here in Judah. We will be much more afraid if we go to Keilah, where the Philistine army is.” Contemporary English Version provides a slightly different model: “Look, even here in Judah we’re afraid of the Philistines. We will be terrified if we try to fight them at Keilah!”

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 .

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 23:4

The text does not say how David inquired of the LORD, but he probably consulted the priest Abiathar, who will have used the ephod. The same words as in verse 2 are used here, so the adverb again is important.

Answered him: literally “answered him and said.”

Arise: see the comment on this verb at 9.3. Translators will recall that it is not necessary to give the idea of getting up from a sitting position as in a literal translation.

Go down: the use of this verb seems to imply that traveling from Adullam to Keilah involved a decrease in altitude. Many modern English versions do not translate literally here—either because it is not natural or perhaps because of the actual geography involved.

I will give the Philistines into your hand: on the metaphorical use of hand as “power” or “control,” see 4.8. Some languages may prefer to translate “I will cause you to defeat the Philistines.”

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 .

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 23:5

And fought … and brought … and made: each of these verbs is singular in Hebrew, with David as the subject. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh renders the second and third verbs in the singular, but not the first: “David and his men went to Keilah and fought against the Philistines; he drove off their cattle and inflicted a severe defeat on them.” The focus in Hebrew is on David, and this should be preserved in translation if this can be done naturally. Traduction œcuménique de la Bible is a good model: “David, with his men, left for Keilah and attacked the Philistines. He led away their cattle and gave them a very sound defeat.”

In some languages the expression made a great slaughter will be more naturally rendered “killed many Philistines” (New Century Version). This kind of rendering will be especially important in those languages where the pronoun them may possibly be understood to refer to the cattle rather than to the Philistines.

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 .

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 23:6

When translates the Hebrew verb traditionally rendered “And it came to pass” (see page 19). Contemporary English Version translates this transition using the English word “Meanwhile.”

The words the son of Ahimelech may be omitted here, since this is a repetition of information previously provided in the text (see 22.20). But if it is not unnatural to do so, this detail may be repeated.

Abiathar … fled to David: the reference is to the escape mentioned in 22.20. It is not clear from the Hebrew whether (1) Abiathar had already joined David before David attacked Keilah or (2) whether he joined him for the first time at Keilah. Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation suggest the second understanding, and New Century Version clearly expresses it: “He brought it [the holy vest] when he came to David at Keilah.”

But the context favors the first interpretation. The fact that David consulted the LORD (verse 1) suggests the use of the ephod (see the comment on 2.18; and see also 23.9-10). That in turn suggests that Abiathar had already joined David. The verb tenses in New American Bible clearly express this first interpretation: “Abiathar…, who had fled to David, went down with David to Keilah, taking the ephod with him” (so also La Bible Pléiade). New Jerusalem Bible is similar: “When Abiathar … took refuge with David, he went down to Keilah with the ephod in his hand.” New International Version takes the whole verse as a parenthetical remark and also uses verb tenses showing that this is something that had happened prior to the battle at Keilah: “(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)”

Fled: see the comments on 19.18.

The words in his hand need not necessarily be translated literally. They merely mean that the ephod was in his possession as he traveled. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Revised English Bible, and New American Bible correctly translate “with 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 .

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 23:7

It was told to Saul: in order to avoid the passive, these words may be rendered “someone told Saul” or “Saul found out [or learned, or heard].”

God has given him into my hand: many interpreters since the past century have understood the Hebrew verb translated has given him to mean “has made a stranger [of him].” Not finding any sense in this verb, they have followed the Septuagint or corrected the Hebrew verb. Even New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, which usually follows the Masoretic Text, states that the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain here. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project gives an {A} rating to the reading in the MT. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, however, does not even give a rating to the MT, claiming that there is no textual problem. According to Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, specialists have incorrectly identified the meaning of the Hebrew verb in the MT, and the verb does, in fact, mean “to hand [someone] over.”

Into my hand: that is, “into my power.” See verse 4.

The transition word rendered for shows the relationship between Saul’s belief that God had made it possible for him to catch David and the fact that David had gone inside a walled city, where the gates could be locked. This relationship should be clear to the readers and hearers of the receptor language.

A town that has gates and bars: see the comments on 4.18; also Deut 3.5. That Keilah had gates with bars to secure the gate indicates that this city was “fortified” (Good News Translation). Revised English Bible says “a walled town with its barred gates.” Perhaps clearer is Contemporary English Version, which has “a walled town where the gates can be locked.”

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 .

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 23:8

The people: Good News Translation uses the technical term “troops,” which is similar to Revised English Bible, “all the army.” At this time Israel did not have a standing army, so soldiers were called into battle from among the people when the need arose.

Go down: see the comments at verse 4.

The verb besiege refers to a military procedure in which soldiers surround a city in order to cut off supplies of arms, food, and water. The people inside the surrounded city will eventually have no choice but to fight their way out or give up. The same word is rendered “harass” in Deut 2.9, 19. In some languages this verb may have to be translated by a lengthy verbal expression in order to convey the meaning. Others may use a verb like “surround” (Contemporary English Version) or something similar.

The use of the verb knew probably does not indicate that David received this information in some supernatural way. Rather it is likely that he was informed by his own spy network. Other English versions use verbs like “found out” (New American Bible) and “learned” (New Revised Standard Version), which imply that other people told him. The fact that David actually “heard” this is confirmed in verse 10.

Plotting evil against him: the evil that Saul plans against David is clearly defined at the end of verse 8. Rather than translate the Hebrew literally, as Revised Standard Version has done, translators in other languages may wish to translate more specifically according to the context. Compare Good News Translation (“planning to attack him”), Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (“Saul’s preparations for war against him were made”), and Bible en français courant (“was up to no good against him”).

The ephod: mentioned in verse 6.

It may be more natural in certain languages to transform the brief direct quotation at the end of this verse into indirect discourse. This may be done quite easily by saying that “he told Abiathar the priest to bring the ephod 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 .

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 23:10

The verb said may be more naturally rendered as “prayed” (New Century Version, Contemporary English Version), since it introduces David’s prayer to Yahweh.

Thy servant: regarding use of indirect reference, see page 12 and following. Since David is talking about himself in the third person, a more natural way to translate will be to use the first person singular pronoun in most cases.

Surely heard: literally “to hear he heard.” See the comments on use of reinforcing verbs, page 20 and following.

The relationship between Saul’s coming to Keilah and his intent to destroy that city may be more clearly expressed in English by the use of “in order to” between these two elements: “Saul wants to come to the town of Keilah in order to destroy it.”

On my account: that is, “because of me” or “because I am here.”

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 .