Behold: the focusing particle directs the attention of the reader or hearer in a particular way to what is about to be said, since verses 31 and 32 seem to be the climax of the divine message. Various ways of attempting to express this in English include Behold (Revised Standard Version), “See” (New Revised Standard Version), “Listen” (Good News Translation), “Yes” (New American Bible), “Be sure” (New Jerusalem Bible), and “Here” (Fox).

The prophecy in verses 31-32 will be fulfilled when Saul has all of the priests at Nob murdered (see 22.16-19). The verb cut off is used figuratively in the sense of “destroy” (New Century Version) or “eliminate.” Revised English Bible attempts to preserve the imagery of the Hebrew verb by saying “when I shall lop off every limb of your own and of your father’s family,” but the meaning may be vague to many readers.

Your strength … the strength of your father’s house: literally “your arm and the arm of the house of your father.” On the basis of the Septuagint, Anchor Bible reconstructs the original Hebrew text to say “your descendants and the descendants of your father’s house.” Even though Anchor Bible no doubt correctly expresses the basic meaning of the Hebrew, there is no need to change the Masoretic Text. Good News Translation also provides a good model: “your family and your clan.”

In Hebrew thought the “arm” symbolized power, and this figurative sense is found frequently in the Old Testament. It is not just the descendants of Eli who will be killed, but specifically “the young men” (Good News Translation), who are vigorous and at the peak of their strength. Compare Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, “I will cause to be killed in the prime of life all the young men of your family: among your kin there will not be any old people.”

Your father’s house: in verses 27, 28, and 30, father refers to Aaron, whose descendants were to function as priests (see Exo 28–29, especially 28.1). It is questionable whether Zadok (see the comments on verse 35) was actually descended from Aaron, though the book of 1 Chronicles (see 6.1-8, 50-53) includes him as a descendant of Aaron. If one accepts that Zadok was a descendant of Aaron, then the word father here in verse 31 must refer only to priests descended from Eli’s family and not to the larger group of priests descended from Aaron. See the Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente translation cited in the preceding paragraph.

In your house is likewise a reference to the family or descendants of Eli.

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 .