9tnHeb “and Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan.”
10tnHeb “and he was before him as before.”
11tnHeb “and he struck them down with a great blow.”
12tnHeb “[was] to.”
13tn The Hebrew text adds here “with his hand.”
14tnHeb “and he drove the spear into the wall.”
15tnHeb “fled and escaped.”
16tnHeb “your life.”
17tnHeb “teraphim” (also a second time in this verse and once in v. 16). These were statues that represented various deities. According to 2 Kgs 23:24 they were prohibited during the time of Josiah’s reform movement in the seventh century. The idol Michal placed under the covers was of sufficient size to give the mistaken impression that David lay in the bed, thus facilitating his escape.
18tn The exact meaning of the Hebrew word כָּבִיר (kavir) is uncertain; it is found in the Hebrew Bible only here and in v. 16. It probably refers to a quilt made of goat’s hair, perhaps used as a fly net while one slept. See HALOT 458 s.v. *כָּבִיר. Cf. KJV, TEV “pillow”; NLT “cushion”; NAB, NRSV “net.”
19tnHeb “at the place of its head.”
20tnHeb “Send me away! Why should I kill you?” The question has the force of a threat in this context. See P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 325, 26.
21tnHeb “he” (also in v. 23). the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.