Based on the fact that some people from the city of Ziph had come to Saul previously at Gibeah (23.19), Contemporary English Version begins this chapter with the words “Once again,” and La Bible du Semeur adds the word “again” later in the verse.

Concerning the rhetorical question of the Ziphites and its translation, see the comments on 23.19. Good News Translation restructures and eliminates the direct quotation. Also the Revised Standard Version rendering is in the form of a question. This reflects the Hebrew original, but the question is probably better translated as a statement (whether as direct or indirect discourse), since the speakers were clearly not asking for information but were telling Saul what he did not know.

The hill of Hachilah … east of Jeshimon: see the comments on 23.19.

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 .

Arose: see the comments on this verb at 9.3 and in “Translating the Books of Samuel,” page 20 and following. Here it is not advisable to translate this verb separately, since it merely marks the initiation of action and is not to be taken literally. It is reflected by the words “at once” in Good News Translation.

The wilderness of Ziph: see the comments on 23.14. These words occur twice in Revised Standard Version as in Hebrew, but it may be more natural in certain languages to render them only once as in Good News Translation.

Three thousand chosen men: see the comments on 24.2.

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 hill of Hachilah … east of Jeshimon: see verse 1. The writer here adds the information, not mentioned earlier, that this hill is located beside the road.

Saw: in this context the sense of the Hebrew verb is better expressed with a verb such as “perceived,” “became aware of,” or “learned.” Other languages may find it more natural to say “when he heard that Saul had followed him” (New Century 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 .

Spies: the basic meaning of the verb from which this noun is formed is “to move about on foot.” Others have translated “scouts” (New International Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible) or “men to watch his movements” (Knox). Compare Gen 42.9 and Josh 2.1.

Of a certainty: these words come at the end of the verse in Hebrew, and their meaning is uncertain. This expression consists of a preposition and a verbal form, the root of which means “to stand firm” or “to be stable.” Most understand the force to be that of an adverb expressing certainty, as in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. Revised English Bible, however, reads “found out that Saul had reached such and such a place.” See 23.23, where the same expression occurs.

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 .

Rose: this verb is rendered in Good News Translation by means of the adverbial expression “at once,” as it is in verse 2.

That Saul lay or was lying may be expressed more precisely as “slept” and “was sleeping” (see verse 7).

Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army: the relationship between the two elements of this phrase needs to be expressed clearly. Ner was the father of Abner (14.51), and Abner was the commander of Saul’s army (17.55).

Encampment: see the comments on this term in 17.20.

The army was encamped around him: literally “the people were camping around him.” Here, as frequently in 1 Samuel, “the people” refers to military troops. The implication of the story is clearly that all these soldiers, like their leader Saul, were sleeping. If a literal rendering of this clause implies that they are still awake, the rest of the story makes little sense.

In certain languages it will be much more natural to shift the final sentence in this verse to a position much earlier, so that the two sentences that have Saul as subject will come together. Then the sentence with David as subject will follow logically as he sees the place where Saul is sleeping.

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 .

Ahimelech the Hittite is not mentioned elsewhere in the Old Testament. Ahimelech probably belonged to the group of Hittites who lived in southern Palestine prior to the time of Abraham. Another unrelated group of people, also called Hittites, came from northern Syria and are referred to in 1 Kgs 10.29 and 2 Kgs 7.6.

Zeruiah was the mother of Joab, Abishai, and Asahel, three of David’s warriors. Perhaps the reason these three brothers are always identified by their mother’s name rather than their father’s name (as, for example, in 2 Sam 2.13, 18; 3.39; 8.16; 14.1) is that, according to 1 Chr 2.16, Zeruiah was David’s sister. A literal translation of the words son of Zeruiah will probably suggest incorrectly to most readers that Zeruiah was the father rather than the mother.

Who will go down with me…? The Hebrew verb is singular in form. The rendering of Good News Translation makes it clear that David was looking for one person to accompany him. Bible en français courant, Contemporary English Version, La Bible du Semeur, and Knox also translate in such a way as to make it clear that David wanted only one person to accompany him into Saul’s camp. Contemporary English Version, for example, has “Which one of you will go…?” The specific mention of movement downward may or may not be natural in the receptor language. In many cases the verb “to go” will be perfectly adequate.

The response of Abishai begins with the emphatic personal pronoun, which is not reflected in most translations. Anchor Bible, however, attempts to show the emphatic character of this pronoun by translating “ ‘I!’ said Abishai. ‘I shall go down with you.’ ”

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 Hebrew conjunction is rightly taken by most modern translations as a logical connector in this context.

By night may be better rendered “while it was [still] dark” in some languages.

There lay Saul sleeping: the Hebrew begins this sentence with the focusing particle often translated “behold.” The original may be more literally rendered “behold Saul is sleeping!” This construction seems to be intended to mark an element of surprise in the story.

The army: literally “the people.” See verse 5.

Encampment: 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 .

Then said Abishai: the verb is the common Hebrew verb meaning “to speak.” In this context, however, it is appropriate to say that Abishai “whispered” to David (so New American Bible and Contemporary English Version).

Into your hand: that is, “into your power.” See the comments on 4.8.

The words this day do not refer to the daylight hours of the day but rather to the twenty-four-hour period. In this context Good News Translation correctly says “tonight” (see verse 7).

Let me pin him to the earth with … the spear: these words remind the reader of Saul’s attempts to pin David to the wall with his spear (18.10-11 and 19.9-10). Abishai’s claim that he will not strike him twice should not be understood to mean that he will not be cruel by repeatedly spearing Saul. Rather, his aim will be perfect the first time. Moffatt says “I will not need to strike him twice!” Reference to the spear, using the definite article, seems to indicate that Abishai wants to use Saul’s own spear, which was stuck into the ground nearby, as mentioned in the previous verse. This is brought out in translation by New Jerusalem Bible, which (like Good News Translation) speaks of “his own spear.” The Masoretic Text says, with two Hebrew words, “with the spear and to the earth.” Probably the letters in these two words should be divided differently to read “with his spear to the earth.”

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 .