David had escaped from Saul and went to Ramah, the town where Samuel lived (see 7.17; 15.34). Contemporary English Version begins a new section at this point with the heading “Samuel Helps David Escape.” Both Contemporary English Version and Revised English Bible start this verse with the word “Meanwhile,” showing that the events described here were happening at the same time as Saul was questioning Michal about David’s disappearance.

Fled and escaped: the first verb in this pair is a different Hebrew verb from that translated “fled” in verse 10 above. It expresses the idea of evading or fleeing from continuing unpleasant and dangerous circumstances.

Naioth: there are several difficulties in translating this Hebrew word. The consonants in the Hebrew text are n-w-y-th. A scribal note in the margin of the Masoretic Text, however, suggests that the word should be n-y-w-th, reversing the second and third letters. This marginal reading is followed by Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. If this is a place name, it appears to be a location within the city of Ramah (see verses 19, 22, and 23).

Others, however, follow the Aramaic Targum and understand the word in the text to refer to a house of instruction where groups of prophets lived (see verse 20). Support for this interpretation comes from a similar word in Akkadian meaning “encampment.” This is the basis for the translations in New American Bible (“went to stay in the sheds”) and New Jerusalem Bible (“went and lived in the huts”). Similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch and Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje say “house of the prophets.” If one follows this interpretation, La Bible du Semeur provides a good model, “went to stay in the community of prophets.” See also Nueva Biblia Española, “the monastery in Ramah.”

Whichever solution is adopted in the text of the translation, the alternative interpretation should be placed in a footnote. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, for example, both translate this word as a name in the text but explain in a note that it may also be a noun meaning “huts [of prophets].” Contemporary English Version, on the other hand, translates “went to Prophet’s Village” in the text and in a footnote says “Or ‘Naioth.’ ”

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 .