1 Samuel 30:20-31Community Under God

Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 31 Oct. 2021

Introduction

1) David shows healthy community under God by reconnoitering with the exhausted soldiers who couldn’t follow him.

2) David showed healthy community under God by calling out ungodly men for taking credit for success and by redirecting the glory to God.

3) David shows healthy community under God by sending plunder to friends and2 elders in Judah.

Conclusion

    1. Care for the poor and needy

    1. A second aspect of community under God in the New Testament is the metaphor of considering ourselves to be part of a body with other Christians:

    1. And a third aspect of community under God in the New Testament is that of drawing upon the power and fruits of the Holy Spirit to build and maintain community under God.

1 Samuel 30:20-31 - Side-by-side comparison of versionsA

LXX

Brenton

DRB

KJV

NAW

MT

20 καὶ ἔλαβεν Δαυιδ πάντα τὰ ποίμνια καὶ τὰ βουκόλια [καὶ] ἀπήγαγεν ἔμπροσθεν [τῶν σκύλων, καὶ] τοῖς σκύλοις ἐκείνοις X ἐλέγετο Ταῦτα τ σκῦλα Δαυιδ. --

20 And heB took all the flocks, and the herds, [and] X led them away before [the spoils]: and it was said of these spoils, These are the spoil[s] of David.

20 And X he took all the flocks and the herds, [and] X made them go before him X: and they said: This is the prey of David.

20 And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David's spoil.

20 They led them off in front of the livestock (after David had taken all the sheep and the cattle), and they said, “This is David’s plunder!”

20 וַיִּקַּח דָּוִד אֶת-כָּל-הַצֹּאן וְהַבָּקָר נָהֲגוּC לִפְנֵי הַמִּקְנֶה הַהוּא וַיֹּאמְרוּ זֶה שְׁלַל דָּוִד:

21 καὶ παραγίνεται Δαυιδ πρὸς τοὺς διακοσίους ἄνδρας τοὺς ἐκλυθένταςD τοῦ πορεύεσθαι ὀπίσω Δαυιδ καὶ ἐκάθισεν αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ χειμάρρῳ τῷ Βοσορ, καὶ ἐξῆλθον εἰς ἀπάντησιν Δαυιδ καὶ εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ, καὶ προσήγαγεν Δαυιδ ἕως τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ ἠρώτησαν αὐτὸν τὰ εἰς εἰρήνηνE.

21 And David comes to the two hundred men who were left behindF that they should not follow after David, and he had caused them to remain by the brook of Bosor; and they came forth to meet David, and to meet his people with him: and David drew near to the people, and they asked him how he did.

21 And David came to the two hundred men, who, being weary, [had stayed, and] were not able to follow David, and he had ordered them to abide at the torrent Besor: and they came out to meet David, and X the people that were with him. And David coming to the people, saluted them peaceably.

21 And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow X David, whom they had made also to abideG at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came nearH to the people, he saluted them XI.

21 Then David went to the 200 men who had been too dead-tired to go on following David such that he had made them sit tight at Besor Creek, and they came out to call after David and to call after the people who were with him, and as David drew near to those people, he wished for peace to be theirs.

21 וַיָּבֹא דָוִד אֶל-מָאתַיִם הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר- פִּגְּרוּ מִלֶּכֶת אַחֲרֵי דָוִד וַיֹּשִׁיבֻם בְּנַחַל הַבְּשׂוֹר וַיֵּצְאוּ לִקְרַאת דָּוִד וְלִקְרַאת הָעָם אֲשֶׁר-אִתּוֹ וַיִּגַּשׁ דָּוִד אֶת- הָעָם וַיִּשְׁאַל לָהֶם לְשָׁלוֹם: ס

22 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη πᾶς ἀνὴρ λοιμὸςJ καὶ πονηρὸς τῶν ἀνδρῶν [τῶν πολεμιστῶν] τῶν πορευθέντων μετὰ Δαυιδ καὶ εἶπαν Ὅτι οὐ κατεδίωξαν μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν, οὐ δώσομεν αὐτοῖς ἐκ τῶν σκύλων, ὧν ἐξειλάμεθαK, ὅτι ἀλλ᾿ ἢ ἕκαστος τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτοῦ X ἀπαγέσ­θωσαν καὶ ἀποστρεφέτωσαν.

22 Then every ill-disposed and bad man [of the soldiers] who had gone with David, answered and said, Because they did not pursue [together] with us, we will not give them of the spoil[s] which we have recovered, only let each one X lead away [with him] his wife and his children, and let them return.

22 Then all the wicked and unjust men, X X that had gone with David, answering, said: Because they came not with us, we will not give them [any thing] of the prey which we have recovered: but let [every] man [take] his wife, and his children, and be contented [with them], and go his [way].

22 Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial,L, of those X that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save M[to every] man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.

22 But all the guys who were evil and ungodly among the men who went with David reacted and said, “Because they did not go with {us}, we will not give to them from the plunder which we made off with, except each man’s wife and his children, then let them lead them away and go.

22 וַיַּעַן כָּל- אִישׁ-רָע וּבְלִיַּעַלN מֵהָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר הָלְכוּ עִם-דָּוִד וַיֹּאמְרוּ יַעַן אֲשֶׁר לֹא-הָלְכוּ עִמִּיO לֹא-נִתֵּן לָהֶם מֵהַשָּׁלָל אֲשֶׁר הִצַּלְנוּ כִּי-אִם- אִישׁ אֶת-אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאֶת-בָּנָיו וְיִנְהֲגוּ וְיֵלֵכוּP: ס

23 καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ Οὐ ποιήσετε οὕτως μετὰQ X X τὸ παραδοῦναι τὸν κύριον ἡμῖν καὶ φυλάξαι ἡμᾶς καὶ παρέδωκεν [κύριος] τὸν γεδδουρ τὸν ἐπερχόμενον ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς εἰς χεῖρας ἡμῶν.

23 And David said, Ye shall not do so, after X X the Lord has delivered [the enemy] to us, and guarded us, and the [Lord] has delivered into our hand[s] the troop that came against us.

23 But David said: You shall not do so, my brethren, with these things, which the Lord hath given us, X who hath kept us, and hath delivered the robbers that invaded us into our hand[s]:

23 Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, XR who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.

23 But David said, “Don’t act that way, my brothers, with what Yahweh has given to us, for He protected us and He gave that troop which had come against us into our control.

23 וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד לֹא-תַעֲשׂוּ כֵן אֶחָי אֵתS אֲשֶׁר-נָתַן יְהוָה לָנוּ וַיִּשְׁמֹר אֹתָנוּ וַיִּתֵּן אֶת- הַגְּדוּד הַבָּא עָלֵינוּ בְּיָדֵנוּT:

24 καὶ τίς ὑπακού­σεται ὑμῶν τῶν λόγων τούτων; [ὅτι οὐχ ἧττον ὑμῶν εἰσιν·] διότι κατὰ τὴν μερίδα τοῦ καταβαίνοντος εἰς πόλεμον οὕτως X ἔσται ἡ μερὶς τοῦ καθημένου ἐπὶ τὰ σκεύη· [κατὰ] τὸ αὐτὸ μεριοῦνται.

24 And who will hearken to X these your word[s]? [for they are not inferior to us;] for according to the portion of him that went down to the battle, so shall be the portion of him that abides with the baggage; they shall share alike.

24 And [no] man shall hearken to you in this matter. But equal shall be the portion of him that went down to battle, and X of him that abode at the baggage, and they shall divide alike.

24 For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarriethUby the stuffV: they shall partW alike.

24 And who is going to give heed to y’all about this mat­ter? So, according to the share of the one who went down into the battle so also shall be the share of the one who sat tight at the baggage; they shall share it out equally.”

24 Xוּמִי יִשְׁמַעY לָכֶם לַדָּבָר הַזֶּה כִּי כְּחֵלֶק הַיֹּרֵד בַּמִּלְחָמָה וּכְחֵלֶק הַיֹּשֵׁב עַל-הַכֵּלִים יַחְדָּו יַחֲלֹקוּ: ס

25 καὶ ἐγενήθη ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης καὶ ἐπάνω καὶ ἐγένετο X εἰς πρόσταγμα καὶ εἰς δικαίωμαZ τῷ Ισραηλ ἕως τῆς σήμερον X.

25 And it came to pass from that day X forward, that it became an ordinance and a custom in Israel until this day.

25 And this hath been [done] from that day [forward,] and since X was made a statute and an ordinance[, and as a law] in Israel X X X.

25 And it was so from that day X forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinanceAA for Israel unto this day.

25 And so it was from that day and onward. (Thus he put it into practice for a statute and for a judicial-precedent for Israel until this very day.)

25 וַיְהִי מֵהַיּוֹם הַהוּא וָמָעְלָהAB וַיְשִׂמֶהָ לְחֹקAC וּלְמִשְׁפָּט לְיִשְׂרָאֵלAD עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה: פ

26 Καὶ ἦλθεν Δαυιδ εἰς Σεκελακ καὶ ἀπέστειλεν τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις Ιουδα τῶν σκύλων [καὶ] τοῖς πλησίον αὐτοῦ λέγων Ἰδοὺ X X X ἀπὸ τῶν σκύλων τῶν ἐχθρῶν κυρίου·

26 And David came to Sekelac, and sent of the spoils to the elders of Juda, [andAE] to his friends, saying, Behold X X XAF some of the spoils of the enemies of the Lord;

26 Then David came to Siceleg, and sent [presents] of the prey to the ancients of Juda, his neighbours, saying: Receive a blessing X X of the prey of the enemies of the Lord.

26 And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold a presentAGfor you of the spoil of the enemies of the LORD;

26 David then went to Ziqlag, and he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah {and} to his friends, saying, “Look, a blessing for y’all from the plunder of Yahweh’s enemies!

26 וַיָּבֹא דָוִד אֶל-צִקְלַג וַיְשַׁלַּח מֵהַשָּׁלָל לְזִקְנֵי יְהוּדָה לְרֵעֵהוּAH לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה לָכֶם בְּרָכָה מִשְּׁלַל אֹיְבֵי יְהוָה:

27 τοῖς ἐν Βαιθσουρ καὶ τοῖς ἐν Ραμα νότουAI καὶ τοῖς ἐν Ιεθθορ

27 to those in Baethsur, and to those in Rama of the south, and to those in Gethor.

27 To them that were in Bethel, and that were in Ramoth to the south, and to them that were in Jether.

27 To them which were in Bethel, and to them which were in southAJ Ramoth, and to them which were in Jattir,

27 It is for whoever is in the house of God and for whoever is in Ramoth Negev, and for whoever is in Jattir,

27 לַאֲשֶׁר בְּבֵית- אֵלAK וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּרָמוֹת-נֶגֶב וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּיַתִּר:

28 καὶ τοῖς ἐν Αροηρ [καὶ τοῖς Αμμαδι] καὶ τοῖς ἐν Σαφι καὶ τοῖς ἐν Εσθιε [καὶ τοῖς ἐν Γεθ καὶ τοῖς ἐν Κιναν καὶ τοῖς ἐν Σαφεκ καὶ τοῖς ἐν Θιμαθ]AL

28 And to those in Aroer, [and to those in Ammadi,] and to those in Saphi, and to those in Esthie, 29 [and to those in Geth, and to those in Cimath, and to those in Saphec, and to those in Themath,]

28 And to them that were in Aroer, and X that were in Sephamoth, and X that were in Esthamo,

28 And to them which were in Aroer, and to them which were in Siphmoth, and to them which were in Eshtemoa,

28 and for whoever is in Aroer, and for whoever is in Siphmoth, and for whoever is in Eshtemoa,

28 וְלַאֲשֶׁר בַּעֲרֹעֵר וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּשִׂפְמוֹת וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּאֶשְׁתְּמֹעַ: ס

29 καὶ τοῖς ἐν Καρμήλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν τοῦ Ιεραμηλι καὶ τοῖς ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν τοῦ Κενεζι

and to those in CarmelAM, and to those in the cities of Jeremeel, and to those in the cities of the Kenezite;

29 And that were in Rachal, and X that were in the cities of Jerameel, and X that were in the cities of Ceni,

29 And to them which were in Rachal, and to them which were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them which were in the cities of the Kenites,

29 and for whoever is in Racal, and for whoever is in the towns of the Jerachmeelites, and for whoever is in the towns of the {Kenezites},

29 וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּרָכָל וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּעָרֵי הַיְּרַחְמְאֵלִי וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּעָרֵי הַקֵּינִANי:

30 καὶ τοῖς ἐν Ιεριμουθ καὶ τοῖς ἐν Βηρσαβεε καὶ τοῖς ἐν ΝοοAO

30 and to those in Jerimuth,AP, and to those in Bersabee, and to those in Nombe,

30 And X that were in Arama, and X that were in the lakeAQ Asan, and X that were in Athach,

30 And to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were in Chor­ashanAR, and to them which were in Athach,

30 and for whoever is in Hormah and for whoever is in Bor-Ashan, and for whoever is in Athach,

30 וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּחָרְמָה וְלַאֲשֶׁר ASבְּבוֹר-עָשָׁן וְלַאֲשֶׁר בַעֲתָךְ:

31 καὶ τοῖς ἐν Χεβρων καὶ εἰς πάντας τοὺς τόπους, οὓς διῆλθεν Δαυιδ ἐκεῖ, αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες αὐτοῦ.

31 and to those in Chebron, and to all the places which David and his men had passed through.

31 And X that were in Hebron, and to the rest [that were in] those places, in which David had abode with his men.

31 And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.AT

31 and for whoever is in Hebron, that is, for all the places where David conducted himself there – he and his men.”

31 וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּחֶבְרוֹן AUוּלְכָל- הַמְּקֹמוֹת אֲשֶׁר- הִתְהַלֶּךְ-שָׁם דָּוִד הוּא וַאֲנָשָׁיו: פ


1Willett disagreed, as did Henry (“This drove was put in the van of the triumph.”), Gill (and K&D )understood it to be saying “first went the spoil taken from other places, and then those taken from David and his men,” others were skeptical that there had been time for such a separation of David’s stuff from everybody else’s. Abarbinel supposed it meant merely that the oxen were led out first, and then the sheep followed.

2The wording of the text in the source manuscripts makes it a little unclear whether the elders were the same as the friends or whether they were two different groups.

3For some reason unknown to us, there are 4 more listed in the LXX.

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 1 Samuel 30 is 4Q51Samuela, which contains fragments of vs. 22-31 and which has been dated between 50-25 B.C. Where the DSS is legible and matches the MT, the MT is colored purple. 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}.

BDavid’s name is in the MT and in Rahlf’s compilation of the Septuagint but not in the Vulgate or the Vaticanus, thus the NIV omits it. Either way, there is no doubt that David should be the subject, so it makes no difference in meaning.

CThis is the same verb used in v.2 of the Amalekites “driving/leading off” the women and children. The MT spelling demands a plural subject whereas the LXX spelling demands a singular subject, but in neither Greek nor Hebrew is the subject explicitly stated. The NIV adds “David’s men” as a plural subject, and the ESV adds “the people” as a singular subject, both of which fit the story, even if they are additions. My interpretation is that it was the women and children and spoils from the previous verse that were “led off” on carts and beasts of burden driven by David’s men, and the livestock followed behind the caravan. Driving a herd of cattle in front of the caravan of people (as most English versions portray it) doesn’t seem practical. Making a parenthetical statement of David’s capture of the flocks and herds rather than making the flocks and herds the object of what was driven also makes better sense of the near demonstrative pronoun on the other side of the clause in both Hebrew and Greek. (Literally, the Hebrew reads, “They led them away in front of this livestock… [Which livestock?] The sheep and herds [which] David also took.”) Read this way, when they said “This is David’s plunder,” they are not saying that just the sheep and cattle are David’s plunder whereas the women and children and valuables are not, rather they are saying that all of the above is David’s plunder.

Dcf. later Greek versions: Aq. eptwmatisqhsan (“the seven-times worthless ones”) S. atonhsantaV (“those without endurance”), Q. aponarkhsantaV (“those who were averse”).

ESymmachus (and the Lucian Rescription) opted for the more periphrastic rendering hspasanto autouV (“he greeted them”), later adopted by recent English versions.

FRahlf’s Septuagint compilation follows the MT with “exhausted,” but the most-ancient Vaticanus Greek manuscript (which Brenton followed in his English translation) instead reads a word from v.9 “left behind” υπολειψθεντος.

GKJV follows the MT “abide/dwell” here, with a plural subject (forcing David’s 400 men to be the subject who caused the 200 men to “sit tight” at Besor), whereas NASB, NIV, and ESV borrow a different word from v.9 הַנּוֹתָרִים "left [behind]” and render it as though it were a Niphal Passive form (the 200 men were left behind by the 400 men) instead of the Hiphal Causative form in the MT. However, several Hebrew manuscripts as well as all the major ancient versions (LXX, Vulgate, Syriac, Targum) interpret the verb as having a singular subject. The consonants would be spelled the same either way, but it appears that late in the first millennium AD, Masoretic scribes inserted an unusual qibbutz vowel before the final mem, to turn the singular form into a plural form. The singular form would make David the subject who “caused to sit tight” the 200 at Besor.

HNASB, NIV = “approached”

ILiterally in Greek and Hebrew “asked to them/him to peace;” NASB, NIV, and ESV rejected both the LXX and MT to follow Symmachus with “greeted.”

JThe LXX word is the same for a “plague,” cf. synonyms from later Greek versions: Aq. apostathV (“apostate”), S. paranomoV (“lawless”).

Kcf. Aq. errusameqa (“we rushed upon”)

L“Belial” is a transliteration of the Hebrew word. Other versions translated: NASB = “worthless,” NIV = “troublemakers.”

MNASB, ESV = “except,” NIV = “however”

NTsumura noted that this is a hendiadys (“worthless and evil”).

OThe MT reads “with me,” but the LXX, several Hebrew manuscripts, Rabbinic literature, the Syriac, and the Vulgate read “with us.” This does not change the sense of the story though.

PThe end of this verse is illegible in the DSS, and the amount of space between the legible words could support the MT or the LXX. The NIV rightly translates the ambiguity of the Hebrew verb here, which could support either them wanting the 200 to “go” away from them (as the Vulgate, KJV, NASB, and ESV interpret it) or it could support them wanting the 200 to “go” and return home with them (as the LXX interpreted it). The former seems to fit the context better, though.

QThe insertion of a resh between the last two letters of the corresponding word in the MT would change the meaning from “my brothers” to “after,” so the LXX reading is not as different as it might seem in English.

RMost English versions ignored the conjunction here in both Hebrew and Greek, but it seems strategic to David’s point as a causal indicator. K&D translated it “since.”

SThe DSS is illegible here, and the space between legible words could support either the MT or the LXX.
As to whether this is the preposition “with” or the sign of the direct object, the spelling can be the same. Keil & Delitzsch opted for the former, writing that it is “the sign of the accusative, not the preposition,” but the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Morphology and all the Eng. versions render it with the preposition “with.” In the NICOT commentary, Tsumura tried to say both were right, calling it “an adverbial accusative ‘concerning with.’”

TAlthough the LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate make “hands” plural, the spacing between legible parts of this verse in the DSS does not support the extra yod that it would take to make it plural, and it is singular in the MT.

UNASB, NIV, ESV = “stays/ed”

VNASB, ESV = “baggage,” NIV = “supplies”

WNASB, NIV, ESV = “share”

XTsumura (NICOT) explained this as a “Speaker-oriented ki, denoting the reason why I ask you this rhetorical question.”

YIn the Jewish Soncino commentary, Goldman noted, “David means that the decision by the warriors to retain all the spoil will be disputed by the rest of the band.” The LXX, on the other hand, explains it that they are below David in the chain of command, so they can’t make anybody obey their rule if David rules otherwise. Gill paraphrased, “No wise and just man will take on your side of the question.”

Zcf. Symmachus’ synonymous terms oron kai krisin (“limitation and judgment”)

AAESV = “rule”

ABcf. the only other instance of this phrase in 16:13b “... And the Spirit of Yahweh advanced on David from that day and onward….” (NAW)

ACThere are only 4 other instances in the OT of “put a statute”: Gen. 47:26, Job 38:10, Prov. 8:29, & Jer. 5:22, and only two of “put a statute and a judgment”: Exod. 15:25 & Josh. 24:25.

ADMultiple Hebrew manuscripts read with a beth (“in”) preposition instead of the lamed (“for”), and the Vulgate and one of the Targums seems to follow that tradition, but it doesn’t make a difference in meaning.

AESyriac and Old Latin manuscripts also insert a conjunction between “elders” and “friends” not in the MT. The space for extra wording in the DSS appears to support separating “elders” and “friends” as two different groups rather than the same group.

AFThe DSS, though partially obliterated, supports the MT with space in the right place for “for y’all” and with part of the word for “gift” visible, the former of which is omitted from the Vulgate, and both of which are omitted from the LXX. The context indicates both of these facts, however (i.e. that the portions of the spoil were “gifted,” and that it was gifted “to them” - the elders and friends) so this variant, while curious, still does not change the story.

AGNASB, ESV = “gift”

AHGreek, Latin, and Syriac manuscripts add a copula before this word. There is space in this illegible section of the DSS for about 7 more letters than the MT has at this point. Those seven extra letters would elaborate on the LXX insertion if they were the following underlined letters: ll?hm <hyrulw hdwhy מהשׁלל לזקני (“some of the plunder to the elders of Judah and some of the plunder to their friends”). Gill wrote that the elders and friends were the same persons.

AISymmachus rendered with a synonym for “south” meshmbrian.

AJThe Hebrew word for “south” is “negev/negeb,” and NASB, NIV, and ESV chose “Negev” to denote the particular place in the south of Judah called the Negev/Negeb.

AKThis section of the verse is illegible in the DSS, but the space between legible parts earlier and later in this verse leave room for 14 to 22 more characters and spaces. It has been suggested that the 14 Hebrew characters of “and to those in Beth Tsur” could be missing from the MT while the first phrase “and to those in Beth El” are missing in the LXX, a haplography which would be understandable due to the repetition of “and to those in,” but for such a careless error to have happened like that in two manuscripts is unexpected. The Vulgate supports the MT here. Another possibility for filling the space in the DSS might be one or two of the extra place names from the LXX in the following verse. I don’t think there is enough evidence to be certain what the original was.

ALThese extra locations are also in the Vaticanus, although it spells Κιναν, Κιμαθ, and Θιμαθ, Θημαθ, and Ιεραμηλι, Ιερεμεηλ.

AMIt seems the Septuagint got the letters mixed up and added an “m” to change the MT ברכל to בכרמל.

ANDSS insert a zayin here, and so does the LXX.

AOThe Vaticanus spells this Νομβε, and the Lucian Rescription spells it Νεγεβ. The DSS is illegible at this point.

APOnly the first letter in Hebrew would have to be changed from Cheth to Yod to change the name in the MT to the name in the LXX here. The DSS is not legible at this point.

AQThis could be a translation of the Hebrew “Bor” which means “pit” or “depression,” and so by extension perhaps “lake.”

ARMany Hebrew manuscripts (including the one used in the Soncino Commentaries) start this name with a coph (“C”), as do the Geneva Bible, Revised Version, NKJV, French (Louis Segond) and Spanish (LBLA). On the other hand, the BHS, the Wikisource Hebrew Bible, the E-Sword unpointed Tanach, and the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible start it with a beth (“B”), as do the Greek, Latin, ASV, NASB, NIV, ESV, CEV, NET, and NLT. The Hebrew letters for C (כ) and B (ב) might have been confused because they look similar. The DSS is not legible at this point. At any rate, Willett equated this city with Hashan in the tribe of Simeon (Josh. 14.4) among the tribe of Judah.

ASGoldman noted that the majority of Hebrew editions start the town’s name with a coph rather than a beth.

ATNASB = “accustomed to go” (interpreting the Hitpael form in terms of customary action), NIV & ESV = “roamed”

AUTsumura translated this conjunction “that is,” calling it an “Explicative waw,” a statement of identity rather than of addition.

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