A man of the place: literally “a man from there,” that is, “a man who lived there” (New International Version). This may mean either “from that district” (New American Bible) or “one of the local people” (New Jerusalem Bible). Others understand it to mean simply “a bystander” (An American Translation; La Bible du Semeur is similar).

And who is their father? The meaning of this question is not clear. But the pronoun their almost certainly refers to the group of prophets. Perhaps the question implies that these prophets were not well known because their biological fathers are unknown, and that Saul was therefore associating with unimportant people. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “And who are their fathers?”

Or, alternatively, father may be used with the meaning “chief” or “leader” and may refer to the single leader of the group of prophets. That is, the question may imply that they have no leader. Compare Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, “And who is the leader of these prophets?”

The translation of the word Therefore may present special difficulties, since the relationship of the proverbial saying is not just to the immediately preceding question but to the whole scene. That is, the saying came into being because of the entire situation of Saul meeting and joining with the group of prophets after having received the spirit of Yahweh.

The word proverb may have to be replaced by something like “a famous saying” (New Century Version) in some languages, since “proverb” may have a more restricted meaning.

Is Saul also among the prophets? A different explanation for the origin of this saying is given in 19.18-24.

Translators may wish to include a footnote on this verse, and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible provides a very good model:

• The sense of this question is not clear. Perhaps father is here the equivalent of teacher, and the man is astonished at not having seen a leader at the head of this band, or the man means to say that these prophets are people who are not known by the name of their fathers, that is, they are people of low status.

Compare also this shorter footnote in Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente:

• The expression in the text could indicate people abandoned or of low status (without a father); or an unruly group and without leadership (without a leader).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .