1 Samuel 24:4

24:4 David’s men said to him, “This is the day about which the Lord said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hand, and you can do to him whatever seems appropriate to you.’” ¹  So David got up and quietly cut off an edge of Saul’s robe.

1 Samuel 26:8

26:8 Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me drive the spear ²  right through him into the ground with one swift jab! ³  A second jab won’t be necessary!”

Job 31:31

31:31 if ⁴  the members of my household ⁵  have never said, ⁶ 

‘If only there were ⁷  someone

who has not been satisfied from Job’s ⁸  meat!’ –

¹ tn Heb “is good in your eyes.”

² tn Here “the spear” almost certainly refers to Saul’s own spear, which according to the previous verse was stuck into the ground beside him as he slept. This is reflected in a number of English versions: TEV, CEV “his own spear”; NLT “that spear.” Cf. NIV, NCV “my spear,” in which case Abishai refers to his own spear rather than Saul’s, but this is unlikely since (1) Abishai would probably not have carried a spear along since such a weapon would be unwieldy when sneaking into the enemy camp; and (2) this would not explain the mention of Saul’s own spear stuck in the ground beside him in the previous verse.

³ tn Heb “let me strike him with the spear and into the ground one time.”

⁴ tn Now Job picks up the series of clauses serving as the protasis.

⁵ tn Heb “the men of my tent.” In context this refers to members of Job’s household.

⁶ sn The line is difficult to sort out. Job is saying it is sinful “if his men have never said, ‘O that there was one who has not been satisfied from his food.’” If they never said that, it would mean there were people out there who needed to be satisfied with his food.

⁷ tn The optative is again expressed with “who will give?”

⁸ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Job) has been specified in the translation for clarity.