This verse begins in Hebrew with the common conjunction. Many translations leave it untranslated (so, for example, Good News Translation). Fox says “So,” suggesting that Samuel’s words to the people follow logically from the fact that “there was a movement throughout Israel to follow the LORD” (verse 2, Revised English Bible).

Samuel reappears here for the first time since the beginning of chapter 4.

All the house of Israel: that is, “the whole people of Israel,” as in verse 2. Good News Translation leaves the word all implicit, but it may be translated explicitly for the sake of emphasis in the receptor language, unless it is unnatural to do so.

If you are returning … with all your heart: the word order in Hebrew, “If with all your heart, you are returning,” emphasizes the words with all your heart. The heart was considered to be the innermost part of a person. It was regarded as the center of one’s will, rational activity, and moral choice. While many languages use expressions containing the word “heart” to indicate sincerity, some may have other ways of expressing this idea. Some may say, for example, “If you are truly sincere in returning [to the LORD]” or “If you really want to turn back…” (Contemporary English Version).

Worship of foreign gods was forbidden to the people of Israel (see Exo 20.3-5). Foreign gods may be translated “the gods that other people worship” or “the gods whom people of other nations serve.” In the following verse this indefinite expression is replaced by a specific reference to “Baals” (New Revised Standard Version) or “baalim” (Revised English Bible). But here it is better to retain the more general expression.

Ashtaroth (see also 12.10 and 31.10) is the plural form of the name ʿashtoreth, a partner of the Canaanite fertility god Baal. Good News Translation uses “Astarte,” the Greek form of the name, which is more commonly known. Astarte was also a goddess of love and of war. The name ʿashtoreth (plural Ashtaroth) comes from writing the name with the consonants from Astarte and the vowels from bosheth, the Hebrew word meaning “shame.” While the name will probably have to be transliterated, the form of the transliteration should follow the receptor language rules of pluralization rather than using the Hebrew suffix -oth. New Revised Standard Version, for example, uses common English pluralization, “Astartes.” The Greek word “Astarte” does not occur as such in the Hebrew Old Testament. Ashtaroth is also sometimes spelled “Ashtoreth” (singular) (1 Kgs 11.5, 33; 2 Kgs 23.13).

Astarte (that is, Ashtaroth) is not to be confused with ʾasherah (1 Kgs 15.13) and ʾasherim (1 Kgs 14.15), which are the singular and plural forms of the name for a different Canaanite goddess (or her wooden representations). Both Asherah and Ashtaroth (Astarte) are represented in the Old Testament as partners of Baal.

The figurative expression direct your heart to the LORD occurs also in 1 Chr 29.18 and 2 Chr 20.33. The form of the verb direct used here is causative, “to make or cause to stand firm.” It may be translated “commit yourselves to the LORD” (New International Version) or “give yourselves fully to the LORD” (New Century Version).

He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines: or “he will rescue you from the power of the Philistines,” as in Good News Translation. But in many languages it will be more natural to say simply “he will save you from the Philistines.” On the metaphorical use of the hand of, see the comments on 4.8.

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 .