Verse 6 picks up the narrative again from verse 1.

The young man who bore his armor: since the young soldier who accompanies Jonathan has already been identified in verse 1 as one “who bore his [Jonathan’s] armor,” Good News Translation does not repeat that information here or in verses 7 and 12-14, for reasons of English style.

Garrison: as in verse 1.

The word uncircumcised occurs several times in 1 and 2 Samuel in reference to the Philistines (see 17.26, 36; 31.4; 2 Sam 1.20; also Judges 14.3; 15.18). Since circumcision was a sign of God’s covenant with Israel (Gen 17.11), to be uncircumcised was to be “heathen” or, as Contemporary English Version has it, “those godless men.” Some may prefer to retain the form and add something of the meaning at the same time: “these uncircumcised heathen” or “these godless people who are not circumcised.” Instead of saying these uncircumcised, Fox says “these foreskinned-ones.”

It may be that the LORD will work for us: some other ways of wording this are “Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New International Version) or “It is possible that the LORD will do something to help us.” The point is that if Yahweh decides to intervene, nothing can stop him from winning the victory, whether he uses a large military force or a very small one.

From saving by many or by few: the Hebrew leaves implicit the object of the infinitive “to save” and does not state to whom the words many and few refer. It may be best to make this explicit, as Good News Translation does. New American Bible restates this part of the verse as follows: “because it is no more difficult for the LORD to grant victory through a few than through many.” The few in this case would apparently be only two men, Jonathan and his armorbearer.

If the direct quotation of this verse must be made indirect, the following model may prove helpful:

• Jonathan encouraged the young man to cross over with him to the camp of the unbelieving Philistines. He said that nothing could keep the LORD from giving victory to a very small group any more than to a large army. So he proposed that they could win if the LORD would help them.

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 .