The beginning of this verse contains a textual problem. The Septuagint and a manuscript from Qumran omit the first question: Will the men of Keilah … into his hand? Numerous translations follow the Septuagint in omitting this question (so New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Osty-Trinquet, La Bible Pléiade, andParola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). Hebrew Old Testament Text Project does not discuss this textual problem. The Masoretic Text should be followed.

The men of Keilah: literally “the owners [or, masters] of Keilah.” The same term occurs in 2 Sam 21.12. Though many translations say “the citizens” (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), the meaning is very likely more limited, referring to the property owners, who are the leaders of the city. The k Theological Dictionary of the Old Testamentk (vol. 2, p. 182) calls such a person “a member of the city aristocracy.” One may translate this Hebrew noun as “the notables” (New Jerusalem Bible and Nueva Biblia Española), “the authorities” (La Bible du Semeur), or “the leaders” (Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, and Osty-Trinquet).

Surrender me into his hand: on the metaphorical use of hand, see 4.8. And see also comments on into your hand in verse 4. Here the idea is “turn me over to [Saul]” (Contemporary English Version) or “let Saul capture me.”

Thy servant: here David’s indirect reference to himself will be better translated by the first person singular object pronoun. On the translation of indirect references, see page 12 and following.

I beseech thee: this rather archaic expression is modified by New Revised Standard Version only by changing the pronoun thee to “you,” but the meaning is stated in more modern terms by a number of versions, including Good News Translation and New Jerusalem Bible, “I beg you.” While some versions leave it out altogether, it is probably best to represent it in some way. Another possibility is to add the words “Please tell me” (Contemporary English Version).

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 verb said may be translated “asked,” since a question follows. And because this is the second time (verse 11) that David asks this question, some may prefer to translate “asked again” as in Good News Translation.

The men of Keilah translates the same word that occurs in verse 11.

Into the hand of Saul: see verses 4 and 11.

They will surrender you: literally “they will surrender.” But the clear implication is that the city leaders will give David and his men to Saul. There is a subtle difference in English between “they will” and “they would” (Contemporary English Version). God is not stating categorically that the people of Keilah will definitely hand David and his men over to Saul. The context indicates a condition, meaning that if David remained in the city, they would do so.

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 .

David and his men … arose: literally “David arose and his men.” The focus is on David in the Hebrew, since the verb arose is singular.

Arose: see verse 4. In this context the idea may be communicated by an adverbial expression like “at once” (Good News Translation) or “fast” (Contemporary English Version).

They went wherever they could go: see the same expression in 2 Sam 15.20. David and his men “moved about from place to place” (Revised English Bible) in order to avoid being captured by Saul. Another way of conveying the intended meaning may be to say “they went wherever they might be safe” or “they moved from place to place in order to avoid being captured.”

Saul was told: the text does not state who told Saul. In some languages it will be necessary to use an indefinite subject and an active verb: “they told Saul.” In other cases it will be more natural to say “someone told Saul.”

Escaped: see the comments on 19.10.

He gave up the expedition: literally “he stopped [or, discontinued] to go.” Others have translated “he did not go there” (New International Version) and “he decided not to go after him” (Contemporary English Version).

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 .

For reasons of English style, Good News Translation omits the repetition of Saul’s son, as also in 19.1 and 20.27.

Rose: see verse 4.

At Horesh: see the comments on this name in verse 15.

Strengthened his hand in God: that is, he encouraged him that God would protect him. New Century Version says “He helped David have stronger faith in God.” And La Bible du Semeur translates “encouraged him by strengthening his confidence in God.” The Septuagint reads “the LORD” instead of God and is followed by New Revised Standard Version and New American Bible, but this is not recommended.

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 .

Depending on the pronoun reference system of the receptor language, it may be advisable to substitute a name for one of the pronouns at the beginning of this verse. New Century Version, for example, begins with “Jonathan told him.”

The hand of Saul … shall not find you: that is, Saul will not find David and will not be able to harm him. It will be quite unnatural in some languages to make the noun hand the subject of the verb find. La Bible du Semeur attempts to retain something of the metaphor by translating “My father will not succeed in putting a hand on you.”

Next to you: literally “second to you.” Revised English Bible says “I shall rank after you.” Fox translates “I will be your second-in-command.”

Good News Translation restructures the last half of this verse by moving the final clause (Saul my father also knows this) to a position before the explanation of what he knew. This may also be more natural in some other languages.

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 two of them may be rendered explicitly as “Jonathan and David” if this seems more understandable in the receptor language.

Made a covenant: see the comments on “treaty” in 11.1. Compare also 18.3 for an earlier covenant between Jonathan and David, and see also 20.8. Good News Translation makes explicit that what the two men promised each other was “friendship.”

Before the LORD is translated by the adjective “sacred” in Good News Translation. Bible en français courant says “made a pact of friendship in the name of the Lord.”

Went home: or, literally, “went to his house.” In some languages the more literal rendering will prove to be more natural.

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 title of Psalm 54 links that psalm with this incident. The events related in 23.19–24.22 have parallels with chapter 26.

The question that the Ziphites address to Saul is rhetorical. In fact the Hebrew particle that introduces the question has a certain exclamatory nuance. The beginning of the question may be rendered “Look! David is hiding among us.”

The Ziphites: the inhabitants of the town of Ziph (see verse 14). It seems most unlikely that all of the Ziphites went to see Saul. Good News Translation therefore adds the qualifier “some.”

Went up, that is, up into the higher ground where Saul was located. The words come down in the following verse confirm this meaning, but it may not be natural in some languages to emphasize the difference in elevation.

Strongholds: see the comments on verse 14.

Horesh: see verse 15.

Hachilah: the exact location of this hill is unknown. The English word “hill” may incorrectly suggest a small elevation. The Hebrew word rendered hill covers a range of heights, but it generally refers to a lower elevation than the Hebrew noun translated “mountain.” Hachilah was large enough to have the city of Horesh located on it. According to 26.1, the hill of Hachilah is east of Jeshimon. It is possible, however, to translate 26.1 as “facing Jeshimon” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), “opposite Jeshimon” (New Revised Standard Version), or “overlooking Jeshimon” (Revised English Bible).

South: literally “from the right.” Hebrew expresses “north” and “south” in relation to the speaker, who is assumed to be facing east. Sometimes, however, the direction is relative to the real direction that the speaker is facing. Here and in verse 24 it is not possible to know whether “right” is used in a relative sense or in an absolute sense, that is, “south.”

Jeshimon: refers to the rugged, desolate land parallel to the Dead Sea in the east Judean hill country. It is also known as the Judean Wilderness (Good News Translation).

Translators must decide whether to transliterate the word, giving the impression that it is intended merely as a name, or translate the presumed meaning, “the wasteland(s)” (New American Bible and New Jerusalem Bible) or “the Desolate Waste” (An American Translation). Knox (“the desert”) follows theVulgate, which also translates the meaning. Translation is recommended. The same problem occurs again in verse 24 and in 26.1, 3.

As already mentioned above, the question of the Ziphites is really an emphatic way of informing Saul that David was hiding in their area, and in fact they give rather definite details about precisely where he is located. For this reason the question will probably be better translated as a statement, as a number of modern English versions do (New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible and New Century Version, as well as Good News Translation). Revised English Bible converts the direct quotation into indirect discourse, translating the whole verse as follows: “The Ziphites brought to Saul at Gibeah the news that David was in hiding among them in the fastnesses of Horesh on the hill of Hachilah, south of Jeshimon.”

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 .

Come down: that is, come down from the hill country. See verse 19.

The vocative, O king, will be more naturally rendered by a term of respect such as “sir” or “Your Majesty” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) in certain languages.

Heart: Hebrew, nefesh. This is the same word as rendered “life” in verse 15. The overall expression all your heart’s desire may be rendered “whenever you wish” (New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible) or “whenever it pleases you to do so” (New International Version).

Into the king’s hand: see verse 4. On the shift from direct to indirect address in speaking to the king, see page 12 and following. It will be more natural for most languages to say “into your hand,” or simply “to you,” in this context.

The Revised Standard Version translation of this verse is based on the Masoretic Text, to which Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {C} rating. The Septuagint and a manuscript from Qumran read as follows: “And now according to all the king’s desire to come down, let him come down to us; they have shut him up into the hands of the king.” Translators should follow the MT here, as nearly all translations do.

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 .