1 Sam. 11 Saul’s Victory Against Nahash – The LORD Delivers

Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 7 Feb 2021

Introduction

1) The Threat To The Israelites In Jabesh Gilead (vs. 1-3)

2) The Spirit-guided Deliverance Through Saul (vs. 4-11)

3) The Glory Goes To God (vs. 12-15)

1 Samuel 11 - Side-by side comparison of versionsA

V

Septuagint

Brenton

D-R

KJV

NAW

MT/DSS

1

[καὶ ἐγενήθη ὡς μετὰ μῆνα] καὶ ἀνέβη Ναας ὁ Αμμανίτης καὶ παρεμβάλλει ἐπὶ Ιαβις Γαλααδ καὶ εἶπον πάντες οἱ ἄνδρες Ιαβις πρὸς Ναας [τὸν Αμμανίτην] διάθου ἡμῗν διαθήκην καὶ δουλεύσομέν σοι

[And it came to pass about a month after this,] that Naas the Ammanite went up, and encamped against Jabis Galaad: and all the men of Jabis said to Naas [the Ammanite], Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.

[And it came to pass about a month after this] that Naas, the Ammonite came up, and began to fight against Jabes Galaad. And all the men of Jabes said to Naas: Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.

Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabesh­gilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenantB with us, and we will serve thee.

{And it came about after something like a month} that Nahash the Ammonite rose up and took positions against Jabesh Gilead. Then all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash {the Ammonite}, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.”

Cוַיַּעַל, נָחָשׁ הָעַמּוֹנִי, וַיִּחַן, עַלD-יָבֵישׁ גִּלְעָד; וַיֹּאמְרוּ כָּל-אַנְשֵׁי יָבֵישׁ, אֶל-נָחָשׁ,E כְּרָת-לָנוּ בְרִית, וְנַעַבְדֶךָּ.

2

καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς Ναας ὁ Αμμανίτης ἐν ταύτῃ διαθήσομαι ὑμῗν [διαθήκην] ἐν τῷ ἐξορύξαι ὑμῶν πάντα ὀφθαλμὸν δεξιόν καὶ θήσομαι X ὄνειδος ἐπὶ Ισραηλ

X Naas the Ammanite said to them, On these [terms] will I make [a covenant] with you, that I should put out all your right eye[s], and I will lay X a reproach upon Israel.

And Naas the Ammonite answered them: On this [condition] will I make [a covenant] with you, that I may pluck out all your right eye[s], and make you a reproach in all Israel.

And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this [condition] will I make [a covenant] with you, that I may thrustF out all your right eye[s], and lay it for a reproachG upon all Israel.

But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “This is the way I will make {a treaty} with y’all: by gouging out every right eye of yours, so I will put a stigma upon all Israel!”

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם, נָחָשׁ הָעַמּוֹנִי, בְּזֹאתH אֶכְרֹת לָכֶםI, בִּנְקוֹר לָכֶם כָּל-עֵין יָמִין; וְשַׂמְתִּיהָJ חֶרְפָּה, עַל-כָּל- יִשְׂרָאֵל.

3

καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ οἱ ἄνδρες Ιαβις ἄνες ἡμῗν ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας καὶ ἀποστελοῦμεν ἀγγέλους εἰς πᾶν ὅριον Ισραηλ X ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ σῴζων ἡμᾶς ἐξελευσόμεθα πρὸς ὑμᾶς

And the men of Jabis say to him, Allow us seven days, and we will send messengers into all the coast[s] of Israel: X if there should be no one to deliver us, we will come out to you.

And the ancients of Jabes said to him: Allow us seven days, that we may send messengers to all the coast[s] of Israel: and if there be no one to defend us, we will come out to thee.

And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days' respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coast[s]K of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come outL to thee.

Well, the elders of Jabesh said to him, “Let us be for seven days, and we will send messengers through all the territory of Israel, and if there is no savior for us, then we will defect to you.”

וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו זִקְנֵי יָבֵישׁ, הֶרֶףM לָנוּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים, וְנִשְׁלְחָה מַלְאָכִים, בְּכֹל גְּבוּל יִשְׂרָאֵל; וְאִם-אֵין מוֹשִׁיעַ אֹתָנוּ, וְיָצָאנוּ אֵלֶיךָ.

4

καὶ ἔρχονται οἱ ἄγγελοι εἰς Γαβαα πρὸς Σαουλ καὶ λαλοῦσιν τοὺς λόγους εἰς τὰ ὦτα τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ἦραν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς τὴν φωνὴν αὐτῶν καὶ ἔκλαυσαν

And the messengers came to Gabaa to Saul, and they speak the words into the ears of the people; and all the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

The messengers therefore came to Gabaa of Saul: and they spoke these words in the hearing of the people: and all the people lifted up their voice[s], and wept.

Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidingsN in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voice[s]O, and wept.

When the messengers came to Saul’s hill and told the news within earshot of his people, then all the people raised their voice and wept.

וַיָּבֹאוּ הַמַּלְאָכִים גִּבְעַת שָׁאוּל, וַיְדַבְּרוּ הַדְּבָרִים בְּאָזְנֵי הָעָם; וַיִּשְׂאוּ כָל-הָעָם אֶת-קוֹלָם, וַיִּבְכּוּ.

5

καὶ ἰδοὺ Σαουλ ἤρχετο μετὰ τὸ πρωὶP ἐξ ἀγροῦ καὶ εἶπεν Σαουλ τί ὅτι κλαίει ὁ λαός καὶ διηγοῦνται αὐτῷ τὰ ῥήματα τῶν υἱῶν Ιαβις

And, behold, Saul came after the early morning out of the field: and Saul said, Why does the people X weep? and they tell him the words of the men of Jabis.

And behold Saul came, following oxen out of the field, and he said: What [aileth] the people that they weep? And they told him the words of the men of Jabes.

And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, What [aileth] the people that they weep? And they told him the tidingsQ of the men of Jabesh.

And look, there was Saul, coming in from the field behind the oxen, and Saul said, “What’s happened to my people for them to be weeping?” And they recounted to him the news from the men of Jabesh.

וְהִנֵּה שָׁאוּל, בָּא אַחֲרֵי הַבָּקָר מִן-הַשָּׂדֶה, וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל, מַה-לָּעָם כִּי יִבְכּוּ; וַיְסַפְּרוּ- לוֹ--אֶת-דִּבְרֵי, אַנְשֵׁי יָבֵישׁ.

6

καὶ ἐφήλατο πνεῦμα κυρίου ἐπὶ Σαουλ ὡς ἤκουσεν τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα καὶ ἐθυμώθη [ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς] ὀργὴ αὐτοῦ σφόδρα

And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled [against them].

And the spirit of the Lord came upon Saul, when he had heard these words, and his anger was exceedingly kindled.

And the Spirit of God cameR upon Saul when he heard those tidingsS, and his anger was kindled greatly.

And when Saul heard this news, the Spirit of {Yahweh} advanced upon him, and his anger really got heated up.

וַתִּצְלַח רוּחַ- אֱלֹהִיםT עַל- שָׁאוּל, Uבְּשָׁמְעוֹ אֶת-הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה; וַיִּחַר אַפּוֹ, מְאֹד.

7

καὶ ἔλαβεν δύο βόας καὶ ἐμέλισεν αὐτὰς καὶ ἀπέστειλεν εἰς πᾶν ὅριον Ισραηλ ἐν χειρὶ X ἀγγέλων λέγων ὃς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκπορευόμενος ὀπίσω Σαουλ καὶ ὀπίσω Σαμουηλ κατὰ τάδε ποιήσουσιν τοῗς βουσὶν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπῆλθεν ἔκστασις κυρίου ἐπὶ τὸν λαὸν [Ισραηλ] καὶ ἐβόησαν ὡς ἀνὴρ εἷς

And he took two cows, and cut them in pieces, and sent them into all the coast[s] of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, Whoso comes not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall they do to his oxen: and a transport from the Lord came upon the people [of Israel], and they came out [to battle] as one man.

And taking both the oxen, he cut them in pieces, and sent them into all the coast[s] of Israel by XX X messengers, saying: Whosoever shall not come forth, [and] follow Saul and X Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen. And the fear of the Lord fell upon the people, and they went out as one man.

And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in piec­es, and sent them throughout all the coast[s] of Israel by the hand[s] of X messengers, saying, Who­so­ever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fearV of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.

Then he grab­bed the team of oxen and piece­mealed them, and sent them by the agen­cy of the messengers through all the territory of Israel to say, “He who fails to go forth behind Saul and behind Samuel, thus it shall be done to his cattle.” And the fear of Yahweh fell upon the people of Israel, and they went forth as a unified troop.

וַיִּקַּח צֶמֶד בָּקָר וַיְנַתְּחֵהוּ, וַיְשַׁלַּח בְּכָל-גְּבוּל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּיַד הַמַּלְאָכִים לֵאמֹר, אֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנּוּ יֹצֵא אַחֲרֵי שָׁאוּל וְאַחַר שְׁמוּאֵל, כֹּה יֵעָשֶׂה לִבְקָרוֹ; וַיִּפֹּל פַּחַד-יְהוָה עַל-הָעָם W, וַיֵּצְאוּ כְּאִישׁ אֶחָד.

8

καὶ ἐπισκέπτεται αὐτοὺς Αβιεζεκ [ἐν Βαμα πᾶν ἄνδρα] Ισραηλ ἑξακοσίας χιλιάδας καὶ ἄνδρας Ιουδα ἑβδομήκοντα χιλιάδας

And he reviews them at Bezec [in Bama, every man] of Israel six hundred thousand, and the men of Juda seventy thousand.

And he numbered them in Bezec: and there were of the children of Israel three hundred thousand: and of the men of Juda thirty thousand.

And when he numberedX them in Bez­ek, the children of Israel were three hun­dred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

And he reviewed them in Bezek {at the high place, and the whole troop} of Israel was {600,000} and the troop of Judah was {70,000}.

וַיִּפְקְדֵם, בְּבָזֶק; וַיִּהְיוּ בְנֵיY- יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁלֹשׁZ מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף, וְאִישׁ יְהוּדָה שְׁלֹשִׁיםAA אָלֶף.

9

καὶ εἶπεν τοῗς ἀγγέλοις τοῗς ἐρχομένοις τάδε ἐρεῗτε τοῗς ἀνδράσιν Ιαβις X αὔριον ὑμῗν ἡ σωτηρία διαθερμάναντος τοῦ ἡλίου καὶ ἦλθον οἱ ἄγγελοι εἰς τὴν πόλιν καὶ ἀπαγγέλλουσιν τοῗς ἀνδράσιν Ιαβις καὶ εὐφράνθησαν

And he said to the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say to the men of Jabis X, To-morrow ye shall have deliverance when the sun is hot; and the messengers came to the city, and told X the men of Jabis, and they rejoiced.

And they said to the messengers that came: Thus shall you say to the men of Jabes Galaad: Tomorrow, when the sun shall be hot, you shall have relief. The messengers therefore came, and told X the men of Jabes: and they were glad.

And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabeshgil­ead, To morrow, by that time the sun be hot, ye shall have helpAB. And the messengers came and shewed it to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.

Then they said to the arriving messengers, “Please speak thus to the troop of Jabesh Gilead, “{The} salvation for y’all will be tomorrow, in the heat of the sun.” So the messengers went and related it to the men of Jabesh, and they were happy!

וַיֹּאמְרוּAC לַמַּלְאָכִים הַבָּאִים, כֹּה תֹאמְרוּן לְאִישׁAD יָבֵישׁ גִּלְעָד, מָחָר תִּהְיֶה-לָכֶם AE תְּשׁוּעָה, בְּחֹם AF הַשָּׁמֶשׁ; וַיָּבֹאוּ הַמַּלְאָכִים, וַיַּגִּידוּ לְאַנְשֵׁי יָבֵישׁ--וַיִּשְׂמָחוּAG.

10

καὶ εἶπαν οἱ ἄνδρες Ιαβις [πρὸς Ναας τὸν Αμμανίτην] αὔριον ἐξελευσόμεθα πρὸς ὑμᾶς καὶ ποιήσετε ἡμῗν XX τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν



And the men of Jabis said [to Naas the Ammanite], To-morrow we will come forth to you, and ye shall do to us XX what seems good in your sight.

And they X X X said: In the morning we will come out to you: and you shall do XX what you please X X with us.

Therefore the men of Jabesh said, To morrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you.

Then the men of Jabesh said {to the Ammonites}, “Tomorrow we will defect to y’all, then y’all may do to us what is good in your eyes.”

וַיֹּאמְרוּ אַנְשֵׁי יָבֵישׁAH, מָחָר נֵצֵא אֲלֵיכֶם; וַעֲשִׂיתֶם לָנוּ, כְּכָלAI-הַטּוֹב בְּעֵינֵיכֶם. ס

11

καὶ ἐγενήθη μετὰ τὴν αὔριον καὶ ἔθετο Σαουλ τὸν λαὸν εἰς τρεῗς ἀρχάςAJ καὶ εἰσπορεύονται μέσον τῆς παρεμβολῆς ἐν φυλακῇ τῇ πρωινῇ καὶ ἔτυπτον [τοὺς υἱοὺς] Αμμων ἕως διεθερμάνθη ἡ ἡμέρα καὶ ἐγενήθησαν οἱ ὑπολελειμμένοι διεσπάρησαν καὶ οὐχ ὑπελείφθησαν ἐν αὐτοῗς δύο κατὰ τὸ αὐτό

And it came to pass on the morrow, that Saul divided the people into three companies, and they go into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and they smote [the children of] Ammon until the day was hot; and it came to pass that those who were left were scattered, and there were not left among them two together.

And it came to pass, when the morrow was come that Saul put the people in three companies: and heAK came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and he slew the Ammonites until the day grew hot, and the rest were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.

And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slewAL the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.

Then it was the next day, and Saul appointed three captains to the people, and, during the morning guard-duty, they went into the midst of the army-camp and struck down Ammonites until it was the heat of the day. And, although there were some left, they were scattered such that there were no two of them left together.

וַיְהִי מִמָּחֳרָת, וַיָּשֶׂם שָׁאוּל אֶת-הָעָם שְׁלֹשָׁה רָאשִׁיםAM, וַיָּבֹאוּ בְתוֹךְ-הַמַּחֲנֶה בְּאַשְׁמֹרֶת הַבֹּקֶר, וַיַּכּוּ אֶת-עַמּוֹן עַד-חֹם הַיּוֹם; וַיְהִי הַנִּשְׁאָרִים וַיָּפֻצוּ, וְלֹא נִשְׁאֲרוּ-בָם שְׁנַיִם יָחַד.

12

καὶ εἶπεν ὁ λαὸς πρὸς Σαμουηλ τίς ὁ εἴπας ὅτι Σαουλ [οὐ] βασιλεύσει ἡμῶν παράδος τοὺς ἄνδρας καὶ θανατώσομεν αὐτούς

And the people said to Samuel, Who has said that Saul shall [not] reign over us? Give up the men, and we will put them to death.

And the people said to Samuel: Who is he that said: Shall Saul reign over us? Bring the men and we will kill them.

And the people said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death.

Then the people said to Samuel, “Who was it that said, ‘Will Saul reign over us?’ Give up these men, and we will put them to death!”

וַיֹּאמֶר הָעָם, אֶל-שְׁמוּאֵל, מִי הָאֹמֵר, שָׁאוּל יִמְלֹךְ עָלֵינוּ: תְּנוּAN הָאֲנָשִׁים, וּנְמִיתֵם.

13

καὶ εἶπεν Σαουλ οὐκ ἀποθανεῗται οὐδεὶς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ ὅτι σήμερον κύριος ἐποίησεν σωτηρίαν ἐν Ισραηλ

And Saul said, No man shall die this day, for to-day the Lord has wrought deliverance in Israel.

And Saul said: No man shall be killed this day, because the Lord this day hath wrought salvation in Israel:

And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the Lord hath wrought salvation in Israel.

But Saul said, “No man shall be put to death on this day, for today Yahweh has accomplished salvation in Israel!”

וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל, לֹא-יוּמַת אִישׁ בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה: כִּי הַיּוֹם עָשָׂה- יְהוָה תְּשׁוּעָה, בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.

14

καὶ εἶπεν Σαμουηλ πρὸς τὸν λαὸν λέγων πορευθῶμεν εἰς Γαλγαλα καὶ ἐγκαινίσωμεν ἐκεῗ τὴν βασιλείαν

And Samuel spoke to the people, saying, Let us go to Galgala, and there renew the kingdom.

And Samuel said to the people: Come and let us go to Galgal, and let us renew the kingdom there.

Then said Samuel to the people, Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.

Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, now let’s go to Gilgal, and we will renew the kingship there.”

וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל-הָעָם, לְכוּ וְנֵלְכָה הַגִּלְגָּלAO; וּנְחַדֵּשׁ שָׁם, הַמְּלוּכָה.

15

καὶ ἐπορεύθη πᾶς ὁ λαὸς εἰς Γαλγαλα καὶ [ἔχρισεν Σαμουηλ] ἐκεῗ τὸν Σαουλ εἰς βασιλέα ἐνώπιον κυρίου ἐν Γαλγαλοις καὶ ἔθυσεν ἐκεῗ θυσίας [καὶ] εἰρηνικὰς ἐνώπιον κυρίου καὶ X εὐφράνθη Σαμουηλ καὶ πᾶς X Ισραηλ ὥστε λίαν

And all the people went to Galgala, and [Samuel anointed] Saul there to be king before the Lord in Galgala, and there he offered meat-offerings [and] peace-offerings before the Lord: and X Samuel and all X Israel rejoiced exceedingly.

And all the people went to Galgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Galgal, and they sacrificed there victims of peace before the Lord. And there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced exceedingly.

And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the Lord; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the face of Yahweh in Gilgal. Then they sacrificed sacrifices of peace-offerings there before the face of Yahweh, and Saul and all the men of Israel were extremely happy there.

וַיֵּלְכוּ כָל-הָעָם הַגִּלְגָּל, וַיַּמְלִכוּ שָׁם אֶת-שָׁאוּל לִפְנֵי יְהוָה בַּגִּלְגָּל, וַיִּזְבְּחוּ- שָׁם זְבָחִים שְׁלָמִים, לִפְנֵי יְהוָה; וַיִּשְׂמַח שָׁם שָׁאוּל וְכָל- אַנְשֵׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל, עַד-מְאֹד. פ


1Tsumura reached the same conclusion I did, but Henry, Delitzsch, and Goldman saw Nahash’s assesion to the Jabesh Gileadites’ request for 7 days as mere hubris.

2Matthew Henry raised the point that there was a connection between Saul’s tribe of Benjamin and the city of Jabesh Gilead, because it was from Jabesh Gilead that wives were procured for the decimated Benjamites in Judges 21. It might be countered, however, that there would have been no relatives of those women left in Jabesh Gilead.

3Too bad he had to appeal to the people's self interest rather than their compassion and sense of justice. Perhaps Israel was in such a weak spiritual state that this was all that would appeal to them. Matthew Henry suggested that Saul was appropriating the curse of Deut. 28:31 as a Biblical judicial measure.

4It’s also interesting that even this far back before the political division of Israel (Rehoboam and Jeroboam, North and South), distinctions in troops are made between Israel and Judah. Willett suggested that this was due to Judah’s role in holding back the Philistines on the other side of the nation so they couldn’t spare as many men as other tribes could for military service on the eastern front. Henry suggested to the contrary that Judah lacked “numbers, courage, or zeal.”

5Saul is mentioned as being “happy” only one other time in his life, and that is when David won the contest with Goliath and the war with the Philistines ended in victory, but even then he is not said to have rejoiced to this great an extent.

AMy original chart includes the NASB and NIV, but their copyright restrictions have forced me to remove them from the publicly-available edition of this chart. I have included the ESV in footnotes when it employs a word not already used by the KJV, NASB, or NIV. (NAW is my translation.) When a translation adds words not in the Hebrew text, but does not indicate it has done so by the use of italics (or greyed-out text), I put the added words in [square brackets]. When one version chooses a wording which is different from all the other translations, I underline it. When a version chooses a translation which, in my opinion, either departs too far from the root meaning of the Hebrew word or departs too far from the grammar form of the original text, I use strikeout. And when a version omits a word which is in the original text, I insert an X. (I also place an X at the end of a word if the original word is plural but the English translation is singular.) I occasionally use colors to help the reader see correlations between the various editions and versions when there are more than two different translations of a given word. The only known Dead Sea Scroll containing any part of this passage is 4Q51Samuela, which contains fragments of vs. 1-2 and 7-12 (highlighted in purple), and which has been dated between 50-25 B.C. Where the DSS supports the LXX with omissions or text not in the MT, I have highlighted with yellow the LXX and its translation into English, and where I have accepted that into my NAW translation, I have marked it with {pointed brackets}.

B NIV & ESV = “treaty”

CDSS ends chapter 10 with the following insert not in the MT: “Then Nahash, king of the sons of Ammon himself had been oppressing the children of Gad and the children of Reuben by force and gouging out among them every right eye and giving no opportunity for Israel to be saved. There was not left even a man of the children of Israel who was on the other side of the Jordan to whom Nahash King of the children of Ammon had not gouged out every right eye. Yet, there were seven thousand men who escaped.” Then it begins chapter 11 with the same extra text which the LXX has:And it was about a month...This phrase in Hebrew is very similar to “and he kept silent” which is how the MT reads at the transition of chapter 10 to 11, so the two phrases could be easily confused. None of this data makes or breaks the story and its application, though.) Grey text is actually illegible in the DSS:

y?wm /ya /tnw /ymy /yu lwk <hl rqnw hqzjb /bwar ynb taw dg ynb ta Jjl awh /wmu ynb ilm ?jnw

hw /ymy /yu lwk /wmu ynb ilm ?jn wl rqn awl r?a /dryh rbub r?a lar?y ynbb ?ya ra?n awlw lar?yl/

?dj wmk yhyw ?ya <ypla tub?

DAfter “pitched against Jabesh” the DSS inserts, “[illegible text] of the sons of Ammon and they went to Jabesh...”
... la wabyw /wmu yn)b) ...

EDSS, although it is mostly illegible at this point, agrees with the LXX that there was originally more text here, because the next letter is מ, the first letter of the Hebrew word for “king,” and there is exactly the right amount of space to insert “of the sons of Ammon” before the next legible letter. This doesn’t introduce any new information not already mentioned, however.

F NASB, NIV = “gouge”

G NASB, NIV, ESV = “disgrace”

H “The phrase bezot (‘in this’) here thus signifies by this means, not ‘on this condition’” ~ Tsumura, NICOT

IThe DSS is obliterated at this point, but the LXX adds “covenant,” and so does the Vulgate and the old Latin versions, as well as the Syriac and some Targum and Hebrew manuscripts. This is clearly the meaning, whether or not the word was explicitly in the original.

JNASB & NIV, following the Greek and Latin manuscripts, omit the 3rd singular feminine suffix in the MT Hebrew. The words “this” and “reproach” are feminine in Hebrew. The Vulgate renders it 2nd person, and KJV renders it neuter.

K Singular in Greek and Hebrew, translated “territory” in NASB & ESV, omitted by NIV. Same with v.7.

LThis is the literal interpretation of the Greek and Hebrew. NIV and ESV translated more figuratively: surrender/give up. This is repeated in v.10.

MThe similarity of this word which opens the elder’s reply to the word “stigma/reproach” in Nahash’s closing remark is interesting.

N NIV = “terms,” ESV mistakenly translates singular = “matter”

O NIV & ESV omit this phrase

P The Hebrew word bqr without vowel pointing could be interpreted “morning,” but “oxen” makes more sense.

Q cf. NASB = “reported... words,” NIV = “repeated… what,” and ESV = “told... news”

R NASB, ESV = “rushed,” NIV = “came powerfully”

S All other English versions = “words”

TThis portion of the DSS is disintegrated, so it can’t be read for comparison, but the oldest-known manuscripts, including the LXX, Old Latin, and Vulgate all read the equivalent of “Lord” in their language (instead of “God”), and there are even a couple of Hebrew manuscripts that read hwhy, so I’m guessing that’s original, but it’s the same person either way. In 10:6 it’s indisputably, “The Spirit of Yahweh will advance upon you” and in 10:10 it’s indisputably, “The Spirit of God advanced upon him.”

UThe Masorite scribes corrected the beth prefix to a coph prefix, but both can mean “when.” It appears that the LXX translators were looking at an edition with a coph prefix. The same thing happens in v. 9.

V cf. NASB, ESV = “dread,” NIV = “terror”

WThe DSS is obliterated at this point, but there is too much space between the legible portions of the DSS of this verse to support the MT, so it is suspected that the DSS reading included the extra word “of Israel” like the LXX did.

XNASB = “counted,” NIV, ESV = “mustered” The Hebrew word connotes “holding accountable,” so perhaps there was a registry made so that those who had failed to show up could be held accountable to donate meat to the army.

YThe DSS is obliterated at this point, but there is too much space between the legible portions of the DSS of this verse to support the MT, so it is suspected that the DSS reading included the extra phrase “in Bamah every man of” like the LXX.

ZThe old Latin reads “six” along with the LXX. The DSS is too obliterated at this point for comparison. If you remove the second letter of the Hebrew word for “three,” you get the Hebrew word for “six.”

AADSS, LXX, and old Latin read “seventy” instead of “thirty.” The difference in Hebrew requires replacing the second and third letters of the word.

AB cf. ESV = “salvation,” NIV = “rescue[d]”

ACThis verb is singular (“he said”) in the LXX, old Latin, and Syriac. The DSS is too obliterated here for comparison.

ADThe MT is singular (“the man of Jabesh”), but several Hebrew manuscripts and practically every version (including the LXX, Old Latin, Syriac, and Vulgate, one of the Targums, and all the English versions) pluralize it. The DSS is obliterated at this point, and the word spacing is not definitive, so it can’t be used for comparison.

AE DSS inserts a definite article before “salvation” and a prepositional phrase “from Yahweh” (hwhym).

AFQere note from Masoretic scribes reads כְּחֹם, correcting the prepositional prefix, but both beth and coph can be translated “when.”

AG DSS adds “And they said, ‘Open the gate for y’all!’” ru?h wjtp <kl wrmayw – greyed-out text is illegible in the DSS.

AHThere is too much space between the legible words of this verse in the DSS to support the terse reading of the MT, but not enough space to support as much intervening text as the LXX has. The editor of The Way To Yahuweh website suggested that the DSS might support the fuller name of the location “Jabesh Gilead,” but I am more inclined to go, along with the NIV editors, with a shortened form of the indirect object clause in the LXX (“to Nahash” or “to the Ammonites”).

AIThe DSS is obliterated at this point, and word spacing is inconclusive, but “according to all” is not in the oldest-known documents, including LXX, old Latin, Syriac, Vulgate, and some Targums, so its authenticity may be questioned.

AJ Aquila translated this = kefalaV (“heads” - an overly-literal rendering of the MT)

AK The Syriac also reads singular.

AL NASB = “killed,” NIV = “slaughtered”

AM Cf. other passages where rosh is the object of sim: (Quotes are from NKJV)

ANTwo Hebrew manuscripts read more like the LXX, Latin, and Syriac, with a he instead of a vav as the third letter, which would change the imperative from the plural form in the MT (“y’all give,” which doesn’t make sense if Samuel is the addressee) to a singular form.

AODelitzsch suggested that this was not Gilgal in the plain of the Jordan, but Jiljilia on higher ground to the south-west of Shiloh on the grounds that Samuel said not “Let us go down,” but simply “Let us go” and that Jiljilia was much closer to the road from Jabesh to Gibeah and Ramah than Gilgal was.


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