1 Samuel 1:17

1:17 Eli replied, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the request that you have asked of him.”

1 Samuel 2:3

2:3 Don’t keep speaking so arrogantly, ¹ 

letting proud talk come out of your mouth!

For the Lord is a God who knows;

he ²  evaluates what people do.

1 Samuel 6:16

6:16 The five leaders of the Philistines watched what was happening and then returned to Ekron on the same day.

1 Samuel 15:19

15:19 Why haven’t you obeyed ³  the Lord? Instead you have greedily rushed upon the plunder! You have done what is wrong in the Lord’s estimation.” ⁴ 

1 Samuel 17:11

17:11 When Saul and all the Israelites ⁵  heard these words of the Philistine, they were upset and very afraid.

1 Samuel 17:42

17:42 When the Philistine looked carefully at David, he despised him, for he was only a ruddy and handsome boy.

1 Samuel 24:14

24:14 Who has the king of Israel come out after? Who is it that you are pursuing? A dead dog? A single flea?

1 Samuel 25:3

25:3 The man’s name was Nabal, ⁶  and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was both wise ⁷  and beautiful, but the man was harsh and his deeds were evil. He was a Calebite.

1 Samuel 25:6

25:6 Then you will say to my brother, ⁸  “Peace to you and your house! Peace to all that is yours!

[2:3]  ¹ tn Heb “proudly, proudly.” If MT is original, the repetition of the word is for emphasis, stressing the arrogance of those addressed. However, a few medieval Hebrew manuscripts and some other textual witnesses do not reflect the repetition, suggesting that the Hebrew text may be dittographic.

[2:3]  ² tc The MT (Qere) reads “and by him actions are weighed.” The translation assumes that reading of the Qere וְלוֹ (vÿlo, “and by him”), which is supported by many medieval Hebrew mss, is correct, rather than the reading of the Kethib וְלוֹא (vÿlo’, “and not”).

[15:19]  ³ tn Heb “listened to the voice of the Lord.”

[15:19]  ⁴ tn Heb “you have done what is evil in the eyes of the Lord.”

[17:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “all Israel.”

[25:3]  ⁶ sn The name נָבָל (Nabal) means “foolish” or “senseless” in Hebrew, and as an adjective the word is used especially of persons who have no perception of ethical or religious claims. It is an apt name for this character, who certainly typifies such behavior.

[25:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “good of insight”; KJV “of good understanding”; NAB, NIV, TEV “intelligent”; NRSV “clever.”

[25:6]  ⁸ tc The text is difficult here. The MT and most of the early versions support the reading לֶחָי (lekhai, “to life,” or “to the one who lives”). Some of the older English versions (KJV, ASV; cf. NKJV) took the expression to mean “to him who lives (in prosperity),” but this translation requires reading a good deal into the words. While the expression could have the sense of “Long life to you!” (cf. NIV, NJPS) or perhaps “Good luck to you!” this seems somewhat redundant in light of the salutation that follows in the context. The Latin Vulgate has fratribus meis (“to my brothers”), which suggests that Jerome understood the Hebrew word to have an alef that is absent in the MT (i.e., לֶאֱחָי, le’ekhay). Jerome’s plural, however, remains a problem, since in the context David is addressing a single individual, namely Nabal, and not a group. However, it is likely that the Vulgate witnesses to a consonantal Hebrew text that is to be preferred here, especially if the word were to be revocalized as a singular rather than a plural. While it is impossible to be certain about this reading, the present translation essentially follows the Vulgate in reading “my brother” (so also NJB; cf. NAB, RSV, NRSV).