When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over: literally “and it happened at his recalling the ark of God, he fell.” But the point is that as soon as the messenger referred to the Covenant Box, Eli immediately died.
In English style the pronoun he appears at first to refer to Eli, but the pronoun clearly refers to the man from the tribe of Benjamin. So this should be made clear in translation.
By the side of the gate: the layout of a typical city gate in biblical times is totally foreign to most readers today. It was, in fact, a whole building and, in addition to the opening in the wall that permitted people to enter and leave the city, there were on either side (and sometimes above the gate) small rooms where various activities took place (see also 9.18; 21.13; 2 Sam 3.27). The Hebrew preposition is usually rendered by the side of, but some understand it to mean “into the gateway” (New American Bible, Osty-Trinquet) or “through the gate opening” (An American Translation). Anchor Bible suggests that Eli was sitting on top of the gateway, and that he fell “over the gate-tower,” but this interpretation is not probable.
The word translated heavy is used with a variety of meanings in the Old Testament, but here it seems quite clear that the sense is “overweight” (Anchor Bible) or “fat” (New Century Version as well as Good News Translation). Knox, however, follows theVulgate, which is ambiguous at this point, and takes it to mean “spent with age.”
Judged: the verb rendered judged is the same word as punish in 3.13. It also translates the same root that occurs in Ruth 1.1 and in Judges 2.16, and which is the basis for the title of the book of Judges. In the Old Testament the “judges” did more than settle legal disputes. They gave leadership and direction to the people. In many societies today the term “chief” better describes the role of those who “judged.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh will be a good model for some languages: “he had been a chieftain.” Bible en français courant is similar: “he was at the head of the people of Israel.” Other models include New International Version (“he had led Israel”) and Moffatt (“he had been over Israel”). See also comments on 7.6.
Forty years: the number forty is often a round number in Hebrew, indicating a long period of time. The Septuagint, followed by Anchor Bible, has “twenty years,” but the absence of any discussion of this problem in Hebrew Old Testament Text Project indicates that the traditional Hebrew text should be followed. See also 17.16, where “forty days” is probably to be understood as a round number.
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 .