The word rendered priests is the same as used for Hophni and Phinehas (1.3) and Eli (1.9; 2.11), although in this case the reference is not to priests who served Yahweh. In all likelihood these priests were in the service of the gods of the Philistines.

The diviners: the same Hebrew word occurs in Deut 18.14 and Isa 3.2 (where New International Version translates it “soothsayer”). These were people who attempted to gain information through supernatural powers. The rendering “magicians” in Good News Translation should not be understood to mean people who do tricks by sleight of hand. Though the Hebrew text says only “the priests and the diviners,” these were probably Philistines also. The pronouns “us” and “we” in verse 9 suggest that they are Philistines.

Anchor Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, and La Biblia Latinoamerica say “their priests and diviners.” It is not clear whether they have followed the Septuagint here, which has “of them” following an expanded list of terms including priests and diviners, or whether it is assumed on the basis of verse 9 that the priests and diviners are Philistines.

The verb said may again be translated “asked.”

With what shall we send it may be understood in one of two ways. It may mean either (1) “what we should send back with it” (New American Bible) or (2) “how we ought to send it back” (Revised English Bible). The first interpretation implies that they understood already that they should send some gifts back to accompany the ark. The second seems to focus more on the method to be used in getting the dangerous object back where it belonged. Perhaps it is better to understand the clause in more general terms and translate it “tell us how we should send it back to its place” (New International Version).

Send it to its place: the ark did not belong to the Philistines. Possible translations of these words include “send it to the country where it belongs” or “send it back home” (New Century Version).

The direct quotations of this verse may be made indirect by translating along the lines of one of the following models:

• They asked them [priests and diviners] what should be done with the ark of the LORD and how it could be sent to its place.

Or, where passive forms are not possible:

• They asked them what they should do with the ark of the LORD and how they should go about sending it back to the place where it belonged.

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 .