Families, and the family of the Matrites is better translated “clans, and the clan of the Matrites” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Compare New American Bible, “Next he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward in clans, and the clan of Matri was chosen.” See the comments on 2.28 and 18.18.

As the notes in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation indicate, the Septuagint, which is longer than the Masoretic Text, is followed by Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation (also New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, and New Jerusalem Bible). Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, however, gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text, suggesting that the longer text of the Septuagint reflects the influence of Josh 7, which details the drawing of lots by tribes, then by families and by households, and finally man by man.

The Matrites are not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible. The name seems to have been derived from the word for “rain” and may mean “born during the rainy season.” This clan was a part of the tribe of Benjamin and was the clan to which Saul belonged.

As in the previous verse, the passive expression was taken by lot may have to be rendered actively, with Yahweh as the agent, in languages that do not use the passive in this context.

The pronoun they in the expression they sought him seems to refer to an undetermined company of people rather than to any specific group. Here and in verses 22 and 23, most French versions (Nouvelle version Segond révisée, Bible en français courant, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, and Osty-Trinquet) use the indefinite pronoun on (“one”). This same sense may be communicated in other languages by translating the first of these pronouns by an expression like “some people,” showing that their precise identity is unknown.

Similarly the final passive clause, he could not be found, may be rendered as active by saying “they could not find him” or “no one was able to find him.”

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 .