1 Samuel 5:6
5:6 The Lord attacked 1 the residents of Ashdod severely, bringing devastation on them. He struck the people of 2 both Ashdod and the surrounding area with sores. 3
1 Samuel 25:22
25:22 God will severely punish David, 4 if I leave alive until morning even one male 5 from all those who belong to him!”
1 tn Heb “the hand of the Lord was heavy upon.”
2 tn The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
3 tc The LXX and Vulgate add the following: “And mice multiplied in their land, and the terror of death was throughout the entire city.”
tn Or “tumors” (so ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “growths on their skin”; KJV “emerods”; NAB “hemorrhoids.”
4 tc Heb “Thus God will do to the enemies of David and thus he will add.” Most of the Old Greek ms tradition has simply “David,” with no reference to his enemies. In OT imprecations such as the one found in v. 22 it is common for the speaker to direct malediction toward himself as an indication of the seriousness with which he regards the matter at hand. In other words, the speaker invites on himself dire consequences if he fails to fulfill the matter expressed in the oath. However, in the situation alluded to in v. 22 the threat actually does not come to fruition due to the effectiveness of Abigail’s appeal to David in behalf of her husband Nabal. Instead, David is placated through Abigail’s intervention. It therefore seems likely that the reference to “the enemies of David” in the MT of v. 22 is the result of a scribal attempt to deliver David from the implied consequences of this oath. The present translation follows the LXX rather than the MT here.
5 tn Heb “one who urinates against a wall” (also in v. 34); KJV “any that pisseth against the wall.”