The young man: the term so translated sometimes refers to a warrior or soldier. While it may be translated “the youth” (New American Bible), others prefer “the soldier” (Anchor Bible). Note that it is rendered by the pronoun “him” in Good News Translation, and that the redundant information who told him is left implicit.

In accordance with one fairly common English structure, the quotation appears in Good News Translation before any indication of who said it. The order of Revised Standard Version, however, will be more natural in many languages. It may also be more natural in some languages to transform this question from a direct to an indirect quotation. For example, some languages may prefer to translate “David asked the soldier how he knew that Saul and Jonathan were dead.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The young man who told him: note that Good News Translation renders this whole expression by the pronoun “He.” See the comments on verse 5.

By chance I happened: literally “to happen I happened.” This is a common construction used in Hebrew to emphasize a point. Fox attempts to maintain the form of the Hebrew by translating as “I encountered, yes, encountered (them) on Mount Gilboʾa….” Here the emphasis is on the coincidental nature of the young man’s meeting Saul on Mount Gilboa. One attempt to convey this emphasis is “It was by chance that I found myself on Mount Gilboa” (New American Bible and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).

The Hebrew text contains an additional particle that is left untranslated by Revised Standard Version or is possibly represented by the words and there was. It is elsewhere translated “behold” (verse 2) or lo (later in this verse). Here it serves to focus attention on the description of Saul leaning on his spear.

Leaning upon his spear: some scholars think that this expression indicates Saul was attempting to commit suicide. It is much more likely, however, that the writer was merely showing that Saul was weak as a result of a battle injury, and that he therefore supported himself on his spear while standing. Although it is possible, it is less likely that he was lying down and leaning on his spear. The words are not the same as in 1 Sam 31.4 and 1 Chr 10.4. For this reason it may be better to translate here “supported by his spear” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).

Lo: this is the same word that is translated “behold” in verse 2 and also appears earlier in this verse. Some writers have observed that the repeated use of this expression is typical of reported dreams and may be intentionally used to indicate that the young man is adding to the story about Saul’s death. Here Moffatt attempts to reflect this particle by adding an exclamation mark at the end of the sentence.

The chariots and the horsemen: as noted in 1 Sam 8.11, the translation of horsemen is debated. While many understand this to mean “cavalry” (Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente), there is archaeological evidence to suggest that the horsemen were rather men who rode in the chariots. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has a Word List entry under “war chariot,” in which it is explained that these chariots usually had two men, the driver and an archer. Sometimes there was also a shield bearer. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch therefore translates the chariots and the horsemen here as “the war-chariots of the Philistines.”

Note that Good News Translation (also Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente) makes it clear that these were the chariots and the horsemen “of the enemy.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch says “the war-chariots of the Philistines.” It may be necessary to make this information explicit in other languages as well.

Were close upon him: the basic meaning of the verb used here is that of being joined to something, or of clinging or adhering to something. Here it is used figuratively to convey the idea of following closely in pursuit of someone. It has been rendered by the English idiom “[were] closing in on him” (Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, as well as Good News Translation). New Jerusalem Bible says “bearing down on him.” But other languages may prefer to say “got very near to him” or “were about to catch him.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

He looked behind him: other versions have rendered this as “he turned” (Revised English Bible), “he turned around” (New American Bible and New International Version), and “he looked around” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).

Here I am: this expression is used frequently in the Old Testament to indicate willingness and availability, as in the story of Abraham (Gen 22.1, 7, 11) and the call of Samuel (1 Sam 3.4, 5, 6, 8, 16). See also Isa 6.8. The word used here is actually the same word that is sometimes translated in other contexts as “lo” or “behold,” but here it is followed by the first person singular pronoun, “I” or “me.” The expression is not intended to provide a physical location. For this reason it has been translated “What is it, sir?” (Revised English Bible), “Here, sir” (New Revised Standard Version), “At your service” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), and “What can I do?” (New International Version). Instead of the use of such a direct quotation within another direct quotation, Knox translates the meaning by way of an indirect statement: “and [he] learned I was ready at his command.” Other languages may prefer to say something like “and I told him that I was willing to do whatever he requested.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

This verse contains two quotations within the account of the Amalekite messenger. Such quotations within other quotations are often more natural if they are made indirect as in Good News Translation.

If the direct quotations are maintained, in many languages the verb said introducing the first will be more naturally translated “asked,” since what follows is a question.

Amalekite: see the comments on “Amalekites” in verse 1. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente says “I am an Amalekite soldier.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Stand beside me: literally “Stand, I pray, over me.” This is a request or an appeal for the soldier to come closer to the king. He is further commanded to kill Saul. The untranslated particle of entreaty almost seems to put the helpless king in a position of begging. Some languages will begin the appeal with words like “I beg you….”

For: the particle used here introduces the reason for Saul’s request to be killed.

Anguish has seized me: the Hebrew of the remainder of this verse is unclear. The word here translated as anguish, which occurs only here in the Old Testament, has been variously rendered “convulsions” (New Revised Standard Version), “dizziness” (Fox), “confusion” (An American Translation), and “the throes of death” (Revised English Bible). And the phrase as a whole has been taken to mean “I am in agony” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) and “I am in great suffering” (New American Bible).

Moffatt and Anchor Bible follow the lead of the ancient Greek translation as well as the authorized version of the Syrian Church in rendering the questionable word as “dizziness.” Similar is the idiomatic translation in New Jerusalem Bible, “My head is swimming.”

And yet my life still lingers: translations of this expression range from “I am barely alive” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) to “yet fully alive” (New American Bible) or “I still have all my strength” (New Jerusalem Bible). Given the context, it seems more likely that the meaning is something like “I am still hanging on to life.” Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente translates the last half of this verse “Now I am dead, even though I am still breathing.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Stood beside him: the vocabulary of verse 9 is repeated here to indicate that the soldier did as Saul had requested.

After he had fallen: see the comments on the use of this verb in verse 4 above. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has a footnote here which states that the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain. This infinitive in Hebrew may be interpreted in two very different ways:
(1) It may mean literally “to fall on the ground.” This seems to be the intended sense of Revised Standard Version, and it is definitely the meaning of the Good News Translation translation. See also New Jerusalem Bible, “that once he fell he could not survive.” The translations in Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, and New Jerusalem Bible (also Nueva Biblia Española) all understand the infinitive to mean that Saul had not yet fallen to the ground. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, however, says “for I knew that he would never rise from where he was lying.” Either interpretation is possible.
(2) As noted in verse 4, this verb sometimes means “to be wounded” or “to be killed in battle.” This extended meaning is the basis for the following translations: “for I knew that, stricken as he was, he could not live” (Revised English Bible), “for I knew that he could not survive his wound” (New American Bible,Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente), and “for I knew that he would not survive after he had been severely wounded” (Anderson).

Crown: in many languages there is no specific word for crown. The term has to be rendered by “the headgear of the chief,” “the hat of kingship,” or something similar. The exact nature of the crown is not known. On the basis of archaeological evidence, some consider this to be an emblem worn on the forehead rather than a heavy crown set on top of the head.

Armlet: the Hebrew word so translated occurs only here and in Num 31.50, in the list of articles brought as gifts to the LORD. It was probably a kind of “arm chain” or a chainlike bracelet rather than a solid piece as the New International Version rendering, “band,” seems to indicate. Archaeological evidence suggests that this was worn on the upper arm.

My lord: the term of respect used here is the same as is sometimes used of God, but here it is clearly an indirect reference to David, to whom the Amalekite soldier is speaking. This indirect approach is also an indication of respect in the Old Testament, but in most languages today it will be more natural to use a direct reference as in Good News Translation. But note that, in addition to the pronoun “you,” Good News Translation adds “sir” to convey the idea of respect found in the original.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .