Depending on the pronoun reference system of the receptor language, it may be advisable to substitute a name for one of the pronouns at the beginning of this verse. New Century Version, for example, begins with “Jonathan told him.”

The hand of Saul … shall not find you: that is, Saul will not find David and will not be able to harm him. It will be quite unnatural in some languages to make the noun hand the subject of the verb find. La Bible du Semeur attempts to retain something of the metaphor by translating “My father will not succeed in putting a hand on you.”

Next to you: literally “second to you.” Revised English Bible says “I shall rank after you.” Fox translates “I will be your second-in-command.”

Good News Translation restructures the last half of this verse by moving the final clause (Saul my father also knows this) to a position before the explanation of what he knew. This may also be more natural in some other languages.

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 .