translation_id: net-engnet

label: NET translator note

text: Heb “their camps.”


label: NET textual note

text: The translation follows the LXX ( εἰς πόλεμον , eis polemon ) and a Qumran ms מלחמה במלחמה ([ m ] lkhmh ) bammilkhamah (“in the battle”) rather than the MT’s בַמַּחֲנֶה ( bammakhaneh , “in the camp”; cf. NASB). While the MT reading is not impossible here, and although admittedly it is the harder reading, the variant fits the context better. The MT can be explained as a scribal error caused in part by the earlier occurrence of “camp” in this verse.


text: Heb “the guardian for my head.”


text: Heb “all the days.”


text: Heb “in Ramah, even in his city.”


text: The Hebrew term translated “mediums” actually refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits (see 2 Kgs 21:6 ). In v. 7 the witch of Endor is called the owner of a ritual pit. See H. Hoffner, “Second Millennium Antecedents to the Hebrew ’ OñBù ,” JBL 86 (1967): 385-401. Here the term refers by metonymy to the owner of such a pit (see H. A. Hoffner, TDOT 1:133).


text: Heb “he was afraid, and his heart was very terrified.”


text: Heb “an owner of a ritual pit.” See the note at v. 3 .


text: Heb “Use divination for me with the ritual pit and bring up for me the one whom I say to you.”


text: Heb “how he has cut off.”


text: See the note at v. 3 .


text: Heb “my life.”


text: Heb “in a great voice.”


text: Heb “gods.” The modifying participle (translated “coming up”) is plural, suggesting that underworld spirits are the referent. But in the following verse Saul understands the plural word to refer to a singular being. The reference is to the spirit of Samuel.


text: Heb “just as he said by my hand.”


text: Heb “listen to the voice of the Lord .”


text: Heb “And the Lord will give also Israel along with you into the hand of the Philistines.”


text: With the exception of the Lucianic recension, the LXX has here “and tomorrow you and your sons with you will fall.”


text: Heb “camp.”


text: Heb “also there was no strength in him.”


text: Heb “food.”


text: Heb “listened to your voice.”


text: Heb “listened to your words that you spoke to me.”


text: The translation follows many medieval Hebrew mss in reading וַיִּפְצְרוּ ( vayyiftseru , “and they pressed”; from the root פצר , psr ) rather than the MT’s וַיִּפְרְצוּ ( vayyifretsu , “and they broke forth”; from the root פרצ , prs ).


text: Heb “he listened to their voice.”


text: Heb “a calf of the stall.”