Lo translates the word more commonly rendered “Behold” and focuses attention on what is about to be said.
Your eyes have seen: while a literal translation will be natural in some languages, others will say “You can see for yourself” (Revised English Bible, New American Bible, and New Jerusalem Bible). Still others may say “you have seen with your own eyes” or “you yourself have seen.”
Into my hand: see the comments on 4.8.
Some bade me: literally “and he said.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh states in a footnote that the meaning of the Hebrew here is uncertain. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh solves the difficulty by saying “I was urged.” Various changes of the Hebrew verb have been suggested. One proposal is that the verb should be changed to read “and I refused.” Compare New Jerusalem Bible, “You have seen for yourself how Yahweh put you in my power in the cave and how, refusing to kill you, I spared you.”
Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text and states that the subject of the verb “he said” is either God (see verse 4) or an impersonal subject, that is, “they said.” The latter seems more likely.
As the note in Revised Standard Version shows, there appears to be a textual problem in the middle of this verse. The verb rendered I spared in Revised Standard Version is either (1) third person singular feminine or (2) second person singular masculine in the Masoretic Text. The footnote in Revised Standard Version suggests that this verb is second person. If so, the translation will be “but you spared you.” Obviously such a translation makes no sense.
Much more probable is that this verb is in the third person, and the feminine subject (“my eye”) is not explicitly stated. See Deut 7.16, “your eye shall not pity them.” The Hebrew therefore presents a translation problem and not a textual problem. A literal translation of the Hebrew reads “but it [my eye] spared you.” This will need to be changed to but I spared you in most receptor languages.
The embedded quotation (I said, ‘I will not put forth my hand against my lord…’) may be translated indirectly by saying something like “I refused to lay a hand on you because you are my master and [you are] the one the LORD has chosen to be king.”
As in verses 6 and 8, my lord is a respectful reference to Saul, showing David’s esteem for him. Translators should ensure that there is no confusion with the term for Yahweh, which is represented by LORD in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation.
The LORD’s anointed: see the comments on 2.10.
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 .