The young man who told him: note that Good News Translation renders this whole expression by the pronoun “He.” See the comments on verse 5.
By chance I happened: literally “to happen I happened.” This is a common construction used in Hebrew to emphasize a point. Fox attempts to maintain the form of the Hebrew by translating as “I encountered, yes, encountered (them) on Mount Gilboʾa….” Here the emphasis is on the coincidental nature of the young man’s meeting Saul on Mount Gilboa. One attempt to convey this emphasis is “It was by chance that I found myself on Mount Gilboa” (New American Bible and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).
The Hebrew text contains an additional particle that is left untranslated by Revised Standard Version or is possibly represented by the words and there was. It is elsewhere translated “behold” (verse 2) or lo (later in this verse). Here it serves to focus attention on the description of Saul leaning on his spear.
Leaning upon his spear: some scholars think that this expression indicates Saul was attempting to commit suicide. It is much more likely, however, that the writer was merely showing that Saul was weak as a result of a battle injury, and that he therefore supported himself on his spear while standing. Although it is possible, it is less likely that he was lying down and leaning on his spear. The words are not the same as in 1 Sam 31.4 and 1 Chr 10.4. For this reason it may be better to translate here “supported by his spear” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).
Lo: this is the same word that is translated “behold” in verse 2 and also appears earlier in this verse. Some writers have observed that the repeated use of this expression is typical of reported dreams and may be intentionally used to indicate that the young man is adding to the story about Saul’s death. Here Moffatt attempts to reflect this particle by adding an exclamation mark at the end of the sentence.
The chariots and the horsemen: as noted in 1 Sam 8.11, the translation of horsemen is debated. While many understand this to mean “cavalry” (Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente), there is archaeological evidence to suggest that the horsemen were rather men who rode in the chariots. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has a Word List entry under “war chariot,” in which it is explained that these chariots usually had two men, the driver and an archer. Sometimes there was also a shield bearer. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch therefore translates the chariots and the horsemen here as “the war-chariots of the Philistines.”
Note that Good News Translation (also Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente) makes it clear that these were the chariots and the horsemen “of the enemy.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch says “the war-chariots of the Philistines.” It may be necessary to make this information explicit in other languages as well.
Were close upon him: the basic meaning of the verb used here is that of being joined to something, or of clinging or adhering to something. Here it is used figuratively to convey the idea of following closely in pursuit of someone. It has been rendered by the English idiom “[were] closing in on him” (Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, as well as Good News Translation). New Jerusalem Bible says “bearing down on him.” But other languages may prefer to say “got very near to him” or “were about to catch him.”
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .