1 Samuel 26:6-11

26:6 David said to Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” Abishai replied, “I will go down with you.”

26:7 So David and Abishai approached the army at night and found Saul lying asleep in the entrenchment with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. Abner and the army were lying all around him. 26:8 Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me drive the spear ¹  right through him into the ground with one swift jab! ²  A second jab won’t be necessary!”

26:9 But David said to Abishai, “Don’t kill him! Who can extend his hand against the Lord’s chosen one ³  and remain guiltless?” 26:10 David went on to say, “As the Lord lives, the Lord himself will strike him down. Either his day will come and he will die, or he will go down into battle and be swept away. 26:11 But may the Lord prevent me from extending my hand against the Lord’s chosen one! Now take the spear by Saul’s head and the jug of water, and let’s get out of here!”

Job 31:30-31

31:30 I ⁴  have not even permitted my mouth ⁵  to sin

by asking ⁶  for his life through a curse –

31:31 if ⁷  the members of my household ⁸  have never said, ⁹ 

‘If only there were ¹⁰  someone

who has not been satisfied from Job’s ¹¹  meat!’ –

Jeremiah 40:13-16

Ishmael Murders Gedaliah and Carries the Judeans at Mizpah off as Captives

40:13 Johanan and all the officers of the troops that had been hiding in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. 40:14 They said to him, “Are you at all aware ¹²  that King Baalis of Ammon has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to kill you?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam would not believe them. 40:15 Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke privately to Gedaliah there at Mizpah, “Let me go and kill Ishmael the son of Nethaniah before anyone knows about it. Otherwise he will kill you ¹³  and all the Judeans who have rallied around you will be scattered. Then what remains of Judah will disappear.” 40:16 But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Do not do that ¹⁴  because what you are saying about Ishmael is not true.” ¹⁵ 

[26:8]  ¹ 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.

[26:8]  ² tn Heb “let me strike him with the spear and into the ground one time.”

[26:9]  ³ tn Heb “anointed” (also in vv. 11, 16, 23).

[31:30]  ⁴ tn This verse would then be a parenthesis in which he stops to claim his innocence.

[31:30]  ⁵ tn Heb “I have not given my palate.”

[31:30]  ⁶ tn The infinitive construct with the ל (lamed) preposition (“by asking”) serves in an epexegetical capacity here, explaining the verb of the first colon (“permitted…to sin”). To seek a curse on anyone would be a sin.

[31:31]  ⁷ tn Now Job picks up the series of clauses serving as the protasis.

[31:31]  ⁸ tn Heb “the men of my tent.” In context this refers to members of Job’s household.

[31:31]  ⁹ 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.

[31:31]  ¹⁰ tn The optative is again expressed with “who will give?”

[31:31]  ¹¹ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Job) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[40:14]  ¹² tn The translation is intended to reflect the emphasizing infinitive absolute before the finite verb.

[40:15]  ¹³ tn Heb “Why should he kill you?” However, this is one of those cases listed in BDB 554 s.v. מָה 4.d(b) where it introduces a question introducing rhetorically the reason why something should not be done. In cases like this BDB notes that it approximates the meaning “lest” and is translated in Greek by μήποτε (mhpote) or μή (mh) as the Greek version does here. Hence it is separated from the preceding and translated “otherwise” for the sake of English style.

[40:16]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “this thing.”

[40:16]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “is false” or “is a lie.”