Inquired of the LORD: that is, asked the LORD. Compare Judges 1.1 and 1 Sam 22.10.

Go up against the Philistines: the verb used here gives the idea of a military attack. The use of the same verb in the response is a clear affirmative answer, an emphatic “Yes!”

Wilt thou…? In keeping with the principle of Revised Standard Version, archaic language is used when biblical characters speak directly to God in prayer. This, however, has been dropped by New Revised Standard Version, and in other languages the normal verb forms and pronouns should be used for when one is speaking to God.

I will certainly give: literally “giving I will give.” This is stronger than saying simply “I will give.” The Hebrew construction is used to emphasize the certainty of Yahweh doing this. New American Bible says “I will surely deliver…,” and Anchor Bible has “I shall indeed hand them over.”

Into my hand … your hand: the word hand is often used in the Old Testament in the sense of “power.” The idea is that of delivering the enemy into the power of David. New International Version, like Anchor Bible, retains the word “hand” by using the common English expression “hand them over….” But in many languages it will not be possible to keep this image while using natural language. In those cases it will be better to say something like “cause me to be victorious over them.” And in the response of Yahweh translators may say “cause you to be victorious over them.”

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 .