Sat upon his seat, as at other times, upon the seat by the wall: since the seat by the wall is where the king sat at other times, Good News Translation restates this as “sat in his usual place by the wall.” At a slightly higher language level, Revised English Bible says that Saul “took his customary seat by the wall.” New Jerusalem Bible provides a helpful model, “sat in his usual place with his back to the wall.”

Exactly what Jonathan did is not clear. The Hebrew says that he “stood up” (so Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Does this mean that he stood while he ate? New Revised Standard Version also says that “Jonathan stood.”

The Septuagint says that Jonathan sat opposite him. This reading is followed by Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New International Version, Fox, and New Jerusalem Bible (“sat facing him”) and is the reading recommended by Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, which gives a {C} rating to the Septuagint reading. The Hebrew word behind the Septuagint translation differs only slightly from the Hebrew word “stood up.” Probably the Masoretic Text contains a scribal error, since the Septuagint makes better sense in the context of telling where each person sat. Revised English Bible says “Jonathan too was present,” but this does not translate either the MT or the Septuagint and is not recommended.

Good News Translation reorders this verse in order to speak of the different people in the order in which they were seated. Abner is mentioned immediately after Saul because he was sitting next to him. Naturalness in the receptor language will determine which order is used in translation.

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 .