1 Samuel 5:8

5:8 So they assembled ¹  all the leaders of the Philistines and asked, “What should we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They replied, “The ark of the God of Israel should be moved to Gath.” So they moved the ark of the God of Israel.

1 Samuel 9:13

9:13 When you enter the town, you can find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people won’t eat until he arrives, for he must bless the sacrifice. Once that happens, those who have been invited will eat. Now go on up, for ²  this is the time when you can find him!”

1 Samuel 14:36

14:36 Saul said, “Let’s go down after the Philistines at night; we will rout ³  them until the break of day. ⁴  We won’t leave any of them alive!” ⁵  They replied, “Do whatever seems best to you.” ⁶  But the priest said, “Let’s approach God here.”

1 Samuel 16:11

16:11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Is that all of the young men?” Jesse ⁷  replied, “There is still the youngest one, but he’s taking care of the flock.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we cannot turn our attention to other things until he comes here.”

1 Samuel 20:3

20:3 Taking an oath, David again ⁸  said, “Your father is very much aware of the fact ⁹  that I have found favor with you, and he has thought, ¹⁰  ‘Don’t let Jonathan know about this, or he will be upset.’ But as surely as the Lord lives and you live, there is about one step between me and death!”

1 Samuel 20:12

20:12 Jonathan said to David, “The Lord God of Israel is my witness. ¹¹  I will feel out my father about this time the day after tomorrow. If he is favorably inclined toward David, will I not then send word to you and let you know? ¹² 

1 Samuel 24:4

24:4 David’s men said to him, “This is the day about which the Lord said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hand, and you can do to him whatever seems appropriate to you.’” ¹³  So David got up and quietly cut off an edge of Saul’s robe.

1 Samuel 24:10

24:10 Today your own eyes see how the Lord delivered you – this very day – into my hands in the cave. Some told me to kill you, but I had pity ¹⁴  on you and said, ‘I will not extend my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s chosen one.’ ¹⁵ 

---

¹ tn Heb “and they sent and gathered.”

² tc The MT has “him” (אֹתוֹ, ’oto) here, in addition to the “him” at the end of the verse. The ancient versions attest to only one occurrence of the pronoun, although it is possible that this is due to translation technique rather than to their having a Hebrew text with the pronoun used only once. The present translation assumes textual duplication in the MT and does not attempt to represent the pronoun twice. However, for a defense of the MT here, with the suggested translation “for him just now – you will find him,” see S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 72-73.

³ tn Heb “plunder.”

⁴ tn Heb “until the light of the morning.”

⁵ tn Heb “and there will not be left among them a man.”

⁶ tn Heb “all that is good in your eyes.” So also in v. 40.

⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jesse) has been specified in the translation both here and in v. 12 for clarity.

⁸ tc The LXX and the Syriac Peshitta lack the word “again.”

⁹ tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.

¹⁰ tn Heb “said,” that is, to himself. So also in v. 25.

¹¹ tc The Hebrew text has simply “the Lord God of Israel.” On the basis of the Syriac version, many reconstruct the text to read “[is] my witness,” which may have fallen out of the text by homoioarcton (an error which is entirely possible if עֵד, ’ed, “witness,” immediately followed ַָדוִד, “David,” in the original text).

¹² tn Heb “and uncover your ear.”

¹³ tn Heb “is good in your eyes.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “it had pity,” apparently with the understood subject being “my eye,” in accordance with a common expression.

¹⁵ tn Heb “anointed.”