The servant answered Saul again: literally “The servant added to answer Saul and he said.” The Hebrew idiom “to add” followed by an infinitive means to do something again. Here, as in the previous verse, Good News Translation does not follow the form of the Hebrew in saying that the servant answered Saul, saying only that “the servant answered.”

Here translates the Hebrew focusing particle often translated as “Behold.” Revised English Bible says “Wait!” and New Jerusalem Bible “Look, I happen to have.” Regarding the use and translation of this word, see page 18 and following.

The words with me may be considered quite redundant in many languages. The verb I have will be adequate to communicate the meaning without the addition of with me.

The fourth part of a shekel of silver: a shekel weighed almost twelve grams or fourth-tenths of an ounce. Translators are urged to use an equivalent that will be understood in the receptor language. New Century Version says “one-tenth of an ounce of silver.” Another solution will be to say simply “a small silver coin” (Bible en français courant and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). The precise weight of the coin is not important, but it is essential to indicate that it was a relatively insignificant amount.

Instead of repeating the words the man of God (verse 7), Good News Translation substitutes the pronoun. Naturalness in the receptor language will determine whether Revised Standard Version or Good News Translation is the better model at this point.

To tell us our way is very different in form compared with “about the journey on which we have set out” (verse 6), but the meaning seems to be the same.

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 .