¹ tc Several medieval Hebrew mss and the Syriac Peshitta lack the words “and got something to eat.”

² 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.

³ 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”).

⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁵ tn Heb “what is good in his eyes.”

⁶ tn Heb “shouted [with] a great shout.”

⁷ tn Heb “and they fled, each to his tents.”

⁸ tn Heb “and the men did so.”

⁹ tn Heb “don’t stop.”

¹⁰ tc The LXX reads “your God” rather than the MT’s “our God.”

¹¹ tn After the negated jussive, the prefixed verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.

¹² tn Heb “when.”

¹³ tn Heb “and now, listen to their voice.”

¹⁴ tn The infinitive absolute appears before the imperative for emphasis.

¹⁵ tn Heb “and tell them the manner of the king who will rule over them.”

¹⁶ tn Or “baggage” (so many English versions); KJV “stuff”; TEV “supplies.”

¹⁷ tn Heb “and I will enter into judgment with you” (NRSV similar); NAB “and I shall arraign you.”

¹⁸ tn Heb “all the just actions which he has done with you and with your fathers.”

¹⁹ tn Or perhaps “vaults.” This rare term also occurs in Judg 9:46, 49. Cf. KJV “high places”; ASV “coverts”; NAB “caverns”; NASB “cellars”; NIV, NCV, TEV “pits”; NRSV, NLT “tombs.”

²⁰ tc The translation follows the LXX (“their sickle”) here, rather than the MT “plowshares,” which is due to dittography from the word earlier in the verse.

²¹ tn Or perhaps “until.”

²² tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading “and they rushed greedily upon,” rather than the Kethib, “and they did.”

²³ tc The translation reads with the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss הַשָּׁלָל (hashalal, “the spoil”) rather than following the Kethib reading, שָׁלָל (shalal, “spoil”).

²⁴ tn Heb “caused the people to hear.”

²⁵ tn Heb “people.”

²⁶ tn The MT reading מַעֲדַנֹּת (ma’adannot, literally, “bonds,” used here adverbially, “in bonds”) is difficult. The word is found only here and in Job 38:31. Part of the problem lies in determining the root of the word. Some scholars have taken it to be from the root ענד (’nd, “to bind around”), but this assumes a metathesis of two of the letters of the root. Others take it from the root עדן (’dn) with the meaning “voluptuously,” but this does not seem to fit the context. It seems better to understand the word to be from the root מעד (m’d, “to totter” or “shake”). In that case it describes the fear that Agag experienced in realizing the mortal danger that he faced as he approached Samuel. This is the way that the LXX translators understood the word, rendering it by the Greek participle τρέμον (tremon, “trembling”).

²⁷ tn Heb “and Agag said.”

²⁸ tc The text is difficult here. With the LXX, two Old Latin mss, and the Syriac Peshitta it is probably preferable to delete סָר (sar, “is past”) of the MT; it looks suspiciously like a dittograph of the following word מַר (mar, “bitter”). This further affects the interpretation of Agag’s comment. In the MT he comes to Samuel confidently assured that the danger is over (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV “Surely the bitterness of death is past,” along with NLT, CEV). However, it seems more likely that Agag realized that his fortunes had suddenly taken a turn for the worse and that the clemency he had enjoyed from Saul would not be his lot from Samuel. The present translation thus understands Agag to approach not confidently but in the stark realization that his death is imminent (“Surely death is bitter!”). Cf. NAB “So it is bitter death!”; NRSV “Surely this is the bitterness of death”; TEV “What a bitter thing it is to die!”

²⁹ tn Heb “and he sent and brought him.”

³⁰ tn Heb “a kid of the goats.”

³¹ tn Heb “by the hand of.”

³² tn Following the imperative, the cohortative verbal form indicates purpose/result here.

³³ tc Many medieval Hebrew mss have “the earth” here, instead of the MT’s “the field.”

³⁴ tn Heb “and it was acceptable in the eyes of David.”

³⁵ tn Heb “the days were not fulfilled.”

³⁶ tn Heb “and he struck them down with a great blow.”

³⁷ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jonathan) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³⁸ tn Heb “knew.”

³⁹ tn Heb “all the days.”

⁴⁰ tn Heb “and struck them down with a great blow.”

⁴¹ tn Heb “to search [for].”

⁴² tn Heb “upon the face of.”

⁴³ tn Or “the region of the Rocks of the Mountain Goats,” if this expression is understood as a place name (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV, TEV, CEV).

⁴⁴ tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁴⁵ tn Heb “saying.”

⁴⁶ tn Heb “he really stinks.” The expression is used figuratively here to describe the rejection and ostracism that David had experienced as a result of Saul’s hatred of him.

⁴⁷ tc Many medieval Hebrew mss lack the preposition “in.”

⁴⁸ tn Heb “permanently.”

⁴⁹ sn See the note at 1 Sam 14:41.

⁵⁰ tc Heb “to go in the morning to return.” With the exception of Origen and the Lucianic recension, the Old Greek tradition lacks the phrase “in the morning.” The Syriac Peshitta also omits it.

⁵¹ tn Heb “stood.” So also in v. 10.