Took an ass laden with bread: literally “took an ass of bread,” that is, the Hebrew has no verb form corresponding to the word laden. The Septuagint says that Jesse took a gomor of bread. In the Septuagint the word gomor in Greek translates both the Hebrew word omer and the Hebrew word homer. Some have therefore suggested that a scribe committed an error, confusing either the word omer or the word homer and the similar Hebrew word translated ass, chamor. An omer was a dry measure, equivalent to a little more than two quarts or about five loaves of bread. A homer was a dry measure equal to about 394 liters, or about eleven bushels. This conjecture is the basis for the New English Bible translation: “Jesse took a homer of bread.” Compare also Revised English Bible, “Jesse took a batch of bread.”
Another suggestion is that a scribe mistakenly read the original text, which said “five [loaves] of bread,” as “a donkey of bread.” The Hebrew word for “five,” chamesh, is similar in spelling to the word “donkey.” This conjecture is the basis for the translation “Jesse took five loaves of bread” (New American Bible and similarly New Jerusalem Bible, Osty-Trinquet, and Nueva Biblia Española, all of which say that Jesse took five loaves of bread, but do not mention a donkey).
Another suggestion is that the original is preserved in one form of the Septuagint, which says “took an ass, ladened it with an omer of bread” (so Anchor Bible). According to this solution the words “loaded it with an omer” probably were accidentally omitted by a scribe.
It is difficult to know which reading is correct. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh reads “Jesse took an ass [laden with] bread” and states in a note that the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain. Certainly the Masoretic Text seems to be lacking something. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament correctly notes that an omer is too small an amount to take to Saul, and a homer is too large for a man to carry. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text and suggests that the words “loaded with” are to be understood. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament recommends a translation similar to that found in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, although it will not be necessary to enclose the words “laden with” in brackets. Compare Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, all of which are in agreement with the Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament recommendation.
A skin of wine: see the comments on 1.24.
A kid is a young goat. See the comments on the plural of this word at 10.3.
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 .