1 Samuel 2:2

2:2 No one is holy ¹  like the Lord!

There is no one other than you!

There is no rock ²  like our God!

1 Samuel 13:14

13:14 But now your kingdom will not continue! The Lord has sought out ³  for himself a man who is loyal to him ⁴  and the Lord has appointed ⁵  him to be leader over his people, for you have not obeyed what the Lord commanded you.”

1 Samuel 15:13

15:13 When Samuel came to him, ⁶  Saul said to him, “May the Lord bless you! I have done what the Lord said.”

1 Samuel 16:15

16:15 Then Saul’s servants said to him, “Look, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you!”

1 Samuel 20:18

20:18 Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, for your seat will be empty.

1 Samuel 22:23

22:23 Stay with me. Don’t be afraid! Whoever ⁷  seeks my life is seeking your life as well. You are secure with me.”

1 Samuel 24:20

24:20 Now look, I realize that you will in fact be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand.

1 Samuel 25:32

25:32 Then David said to Abigail, “Praised ⁸  be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you this day to meet me!

1 Samuel 28:10-11

28:10 But Saul swore an oath to her by the Lord, “As surely as the Lord lives, you will not incur guilt in this matter!” 28:11 The woman replied, “Who is it that I should bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up for me Samuel.”

[2:2]  ¹ sn In this context God’s holiness refers primarily to his sovereignty and incomparability. He is unique and distinct from all other so-called gods.

[2:2]  ² tn The LXX has “and there is none righteous like our God.” The Hebrew term translated “rock” refers to a rocky cliff where one can seek refuge from enemies. Here the metaphor depicts God as a protector of his people. Cf. TEV “no protector like our God”; CEV “We’re safer with you than on a high mountain.”

[13:14]  ³ tn This verb form, as well as the one that follows (“appointed”), indicates completed action from the standpoint of the speaker. This does not necessarily mean that the Lord had already conducted his search and made his choice, however. The forms may be used for rhetorical effect to emphasize the certainty of the action. The divine search for a new king is as good as done, emphasizing that the days of Saul’s dynasty are numbered.

[13:14]  ⁴ tn Heb “according to his heart.” The idiomatic expression means to be like-minded with another, as its use in 1 Sam 14:7 indicates.

[13:14]  ⁵ tn Heb “commanded.”

[15:13]  ⁵ tn Heb “to Saul.”

[22:23]  ⁷ tn Or “the one who.” This may refer specifically to Saul, in which case David acknowledges that Abiathar’s life is endangered because of his allegiance to David. The translation assumes that the statement is more generalized, meaning that any enemy of Abiathar is an enemy of David. In other words, David promises that he will protect Abiathar with his very own life.

[25:32]  ⁹ tn Heb “blessed” (also in vv. 33, 39).