translation_id: net-engnet

label: NET translator note

text: Heb “upon the face of.”


text: Heb “after.”


text: Heb “and David sent scouts and he knew that Saul had certainly come.”


text: Here “the spear” almost certainly refers to Saul’s own spear, which according to the previous verse was stuck into the ground beside him as he slept. This is reflected in a number of English versions: TEV, CEV “his own spear”; NLT “that spear.” Cf. NIV, NCV “my spear,” in which case Abishai refers to his own spear rather than Saul’s, but this is unlikely since (1) Abishai would probably not have carried a spear along since such a weapon would be unwieldy when sneaking into the enemy camp; and (2) this would not explain the mention of Saul’s own spear stuck in the ground beside him in the previous verse.


text: Heb “let me strike him with the spear and into the ground one time.”


text: Heb “anointed” (also in vv. 11, 16, 23 ).


text: Heb “Not good [is] this thing which you have done.”


text: Heb “you are sons of death.”


text: Heb “What in my hand [is] evil?”


text: Heb “may he smell.” The implication is that Saul should seek to appease God, for such divine instigation to evil would a sign of God’s disfavor. For a fuller discussion of this passage see R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “Does God Deceive?” BSac 155 (1998): 19-21.


text: Heb “but if the sons of men.”


text: Heb “the calling [one],” which apparently refers to a partridge.


text: Heb “my life was valuable in your eyes.”


text: Heb “and I have erred very greatly.”


text: Heb “and the Lord returns to the man his righteousness and his faithfulness.”


text: Heb “your life was great this day in my eyes.”


text: Heb “may my life be great in the eyes of the Lord .”


text: Heb “blessed.”


text: Heb “you will certainly do and also you will certainly be able.” The infinitive absolutes placed before the finite verbal forms lend emphasis to the statement.