In the Hebrew text verses 5b-8 report the words of David in direct speech. Good News Translation changes the overall quotation to indirect speech. While the words spoken by David’s messengers are direct discourse, they speak about David in the third person rather than as in Revised Standard Version, where the servants speak as if David were speaking, in the first person.

And thus you shall salute him: the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain. Literally “And you shall say thus to life.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and Fox translate rather literally in this manner: “Say as follows: ‘To life!’ ” But such a translation will have little or no meaning in most languages. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text and states that “thus to life [or, thus for the next year]” is an idiomatic expression for wishing one well in the next year. If the Hebrew is to be translated meaningfully, perhaps Revised English Bible provides the best model: “All good wishes for the year ahead!” See also New International Version, “Say to him, ‘Long life to you!’ ”

Rather than trying to make sense of the Hebrew, some translations follow theVulgate, which says at the very beginning of the words of the messengers “To my brothers and to you, peace.” In Hebrew the word translated “to my brother” and the word rendered “to life” are spelled almost the same. New American Bible says “Say to him, ‘Peace be with you, my brother….’ ” Similarly New Jerusalem Bible says “And this is what you are to say to my brother.” So also La Bible Pléiade, Osty-Trinquet, and Klein. Good News Translation‘s “my friend” is apparently a dynamic rendering of this same text.

Anchor Bible finds the Hebrew too difficult to be the original text. On the assumption that the text originally said something like “And say, thus David says,” Anchor Bible translates as follows, using ellipses dots to show that something is missing: “and say, ‘Thus […]: May you have peace!’ ” The Revised English Bible model shown above may be a good one to follow.

Peace: the Hebrew term means not only absence of war but also prosperity and well-being. Revised English Bible says “Prosperity to yourself.” The end of the verse, peace be to all that you have, is literally “and all which to you peace.” New American Bible understands these words to refer to people, “and with all who belong to you,” but the Hebrew seems more naturally to refer to all that Nabal owns. David is wishing prosperity and well-being not only for Nabal and his family but also for his fields and his animals. Moffatt reads “may you prosper, may your household and all your belongings prosper!”

Your house: as often in the Old Testament, this means “your household” (Revised English Bible) or “your family” (New Jerusalem Bible).

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 .