Ramah was Samuel’s birthplace (see 1.19-20).

Gibe-ah of Saul: this may sound unnecessarily redundant in some languages, since the idea that Gibeah was the home of Saul is already expressed. See the comments on 10.5.

It is possible to restructure this verse and translate the meaning: “Then both Samuel and Saul went home. Samuel went to Ramah and Saul to Gibeah.”

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 .