Said: since what follows is a kind of question, many languages will require a verb like “inquired” or “asked” in this context.

Note that Good News Translation has inverted the order of the introductory statement and the direct quote. While this is good style in English, it may not be a good model for translators in other languages to follow.

Pray: the Hebrew text contains a small word that grammarians call a “particle of entreaty.” Traditional translations often render this word as “please,” that is “please, tell me.” Modern versions often leave it untranslated. Some grammarians, however, claim that this Hebrew particle expresses a logical consequence of a preceding statement or of the general situation, and that it should not be left untranslated.

If there is a need to avoid the direct quotation in this verse, translators may say “Saul’s uncle [politely] asked him what Samuel had said to him.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .