SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Kings 2020 – Page 102

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Kings 20:10

20:10a Then Ben-hadad sent another message to Ahab:

Ben-Hadad sent Ahab another message. It said,
-or-
Ben-Haded sent the messengers back to Ahab again. His message said,

20:10b “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely,

“May the gods treat me harshly/badly if I break this promise!
-or-
“I call on the gods to punish me terribly if I lie!

20:10c if enough dust remains of Samaria for each of my men to have a handful.”

⌊I promise that⌋ there will not be enough left of Samaria for each of the men who follow me to get a handful of dust.”
-or-

⌊I will destroy Samaria!⌋ Not enough of it will be left for each of my men/soldiers to carry away a piece/souvenir!”

20:10b-c (reordered)

“⌊Soon⌋ little will be left of Samaria. ⌊Its ruins will be⌋ just a few small piles of dust/rubble that my troops will easily carry away! May the gods strike me dead if I break this promise/oath!”

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SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Kings 20:42

20:42a And the prophet said to the king, “This is what the LORD says:

The prophet said to him, “Yahweh says this,
-or-
The prophet told the king, “This is Yahweh’s message to you.

20:42b ‘Because you have let slip from your hand the man I had devoted to destruction,

‘You have released/spared a man whom I had set apart to be destroyed!
-or-
I had chosen to destroy Ben-Hadad, but you have allowed him to live.

20:42c your life will be exchanged for his life, and your people for his people.’”

So you must give your (sing) life in place of his life. Your people will suffer instead of his people.’”
-or-
So you (sing) must take his place. Your people must take the place of his people.’”

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Kings 22:2

22:2 However, in the third year, Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to visit the king of Israel,

Then in the third year Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went to visit the king of Israel.
-or-
But at the end of that time King Jehoshaphat of Judah went ⌊north⌋ to see King ⌊Ahab⌋ of Israel.
-or-
But then the king of Judah, Jehoshaphat, ⌊left his homeland/city and⌋ visited ⌊Ahab,⌋ the king of Israel.

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Kings 22:34

22:34a However, a certain man drew his bow without taking special aim,

Then a man/archer drew ⌊back the string of⌋ his bow ⌊and shot⌋ randomly.
-or-
But one ⌊of the Aramean warriors⌋ shot an arrow without aiming well/carefully.

22:34b and he struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor.

He hit the king of Israel in a gap in his body armor.
-or-
His arrow struck ⌊Ahab⌋ the king of Israel between the plates/pieces of his protective clothing.

22:34a-b (combined)

But a random/stray arrow hit King Ahab. It entered his body through one of the spaces/gaps in his armor.

22:34c So the king said to his charioteer,

Then the king said to the driver of the chariot,
-or-
So the king told the driver of his war cart/wagon,
-or-
Ahab told the man driving his chariot

22:34d “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am badly wounded!”

The Hebrew word that the New International Version translates as “the fighting” is literally “the camp.” The Hebrew words are very similar and most English translations indicate that the Hebrew text should be corrected to say “The fighting/battle.”

“Turn (sing) ⌊the chariot⌋ around and take me out of the battle. I have been wounded.”
-or-
“Turn around. Get me out of the of the fighting. I am badly/seriously hurt.”
-or-
to steer/direct the chariot away from the fight because of his wound.

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Kings 1:29

1:29a And the king swore an oath, saying,

Then the king swore with an oath,
-or-
The king solemnly declared,

1:29b “As surely as the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress,

“Yahweh is/be eternal ⌊witness⌋ ! He has saved me out of all kinds of difficulties.
-or-
“The living Yahweh has rescued me whenever I have been in distress. ⌊Now⌋ I swear

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Kings 2:8

2:8a Keep an eye on Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim who is with you.

“Note (sing) that Gera’s son Shimei, from the town of Bahurim in the territory of Benjamin, is with you.
-or-
“Give (sing) some attention/thought to Shimei, the son of Gera and a member of the tribe of Benjamin living in Bahurim. He is there with you.

2:8b He called down bitter curses against me on the day I went to Mahanaim,

He called on God to curse me severely/harshly on the same day I was leaving ⌊Jerusalem⌋ for Mahanaim.
-or-
At the time I had to go/⌊escape⌋ to Mahanaim, Shimei cursed me, asking God to do me terrible harm.

2:8c but when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD:

But ⌊later/afterwards⌋ he came to meet/greet me at the Jordan ⌊river⌋. Then I promised him in the name of Yahweh,
-or-
But ⌊when I returned,⌋ he came to me ⌊in peace⌋ at the ⌊river⌋ Jordan. In the presence of Yahweh I made a solemn promise to him that

2:8d ‘I will never put you to the sword.’

‘I will not kill you (sing) with the sword.’
-or-
my swordsmen/soldiers would not kill him.

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Kings 2:40

2:40a So Shimei saddled his donkey

Literally, Shimei arose and saddled his donkey

At once Shimei put a saddle on his donkey ⌊and mounted⌋.
-or-
So he got on his donkey

2:40b and set out to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves,

He set out for Gath to see Achish and find the slaves/runaways.
-or-
and rode to Achish’s city Gath to search/look for his slaves.

2:40c and he brought them back from Gath.

He went to Gath and then returned with his slaves ⌊to Jerusalem⌋.
-or-
After his journey, he brought his slaves back ⌊home⌋ with him.

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Kings 3:26

3:26a Then the woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she yearned with compassion for her son.

Then the woman whose son was alive was distressed, because she loved her son.
-or-
At that point, the real mother showed/displayed her deep love for her son.
-or-
The woman of the living baby felt pity/compassion for her son.

3:26b “Please, my lord,” she said,

She said to the king,
-or-
She exclaimed,
-or-
She pleaded with the king

3:26c “give her the living baby.

“Master, please, give the living infant to her!
-or-
“Please sir, give the infant who is alive to her!
-or-
to give the living baby to the other woman.

3:26d Do not kill him!”

Do not kill him!”
-or-
They/You must not kill him!”
-or-
She begged him not to kill her baby/son.

3:26b-d (reordered)

She shouted, “No, sir! Do not kill the/⌊my⌋ living baby/infant! Please give him to the other woman!”

3:26e But the other woman said, “He will be neither mine nor yours.

However, the other woman said: “Since I cannot have him, neither can you!
-or-
But the other woman said that neither of them(fem) could/should have the child.

3:26f Cut him in two!”

Cut/Chop him in half!”
-or-
They should split/divide the baby into two pieces.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Kings 2020