inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (1Sam 10:16)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, the Jarai and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation both use the exclusive pronoun, excluding Saul’s uncle.

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 10:16

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 .