The imperative verbs in this verse alternate between singular and plural, with the verb utterly destroy in the second person plural. But go and smite as well as do not spare and kill are all singular. The reason for the shift from singular to plural is not clear. But it will be more natural in most languages to make them either all singular (Bible en français courant, Osty-Trinquet, La Bible du Semeur) or all plural.

In the Septuagint the verbs in this verse are all singular, and the verb utterly destroy has two objects: “him and all that belongs to him.” Perhaps the plural verb in the Masoretic Text and the omission of the direct object “him” are the result of a scribal error. New Jerusalem Bible is based on the text of the Septuagint and says “put [singular] him under the curse of destruction with all that he possesses” (similarly New American Bible). See also Revised English Bible, “destroy them and put their property under ban.”

Amalek lived at the time of Moses and was no longer living (see the comment on verse 2). Here, as previously, the name of the ancestor is used to refer to his descendants.

All that they have: literally “all that is to him [that is, to Amalek].”

Do not spare them: literally “do not spare him.” If translators follow the recommendation of this Handbook and change Amalek to “the Amalekites,” then it will also be necessary to change the pronoun “him” to “they” and “them.” See also verse 18 below.

Utterly destroy: this verb in Hebrew is a technical term meaning “to put to the ban” (see the comments below on verse 8). This holy-war practice, which was followed also by Israel’s neighbors, consisted of devoting everyone and everything to the god or gods that the people worshiped. This devotion to the deity required the total destruction of everything captured in war (see Josh 6.17). See also comments on 22.19. Fox translates this verb “devote-to-destruction.” All of the nouns that follow are singular in Hebrew, referring to particular classes or groups. The sense is plural, since these nouns are collective, that is, “men,” “women,” “children,” and so on. Translators will need to use the appropriate form in the receptor language.

Infant and suckling: this refers to “children and small babies” (New Century Version). The latter would be those that were still young enough to be nursing at their mother’s breast. Contemporary English Version attempts to capture the meaning with “children, and even their babies.” The list is intended to be all-inclusive.

Camel: in some languages camels are completely unknown. The same Hebrew term is used in 27.9 and 30.17. The word translated sheep means “member of a flock” and very probably includes goats as well as sheep, as in 8.17. Here La Bible du Semeur translates this term “sheep, goats, ….”

Verse 9 states that Saul did not completely obey the command of Samuel.

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 .