Eoghan
Puritan Board Senior
I only came across this when I read John Gill's commentary where he discusses how Saul would have wrapped himself up to sleep, covering his feet in the process.
and Saul went in to cover his feet; the Targum is, to do his necessaries; and so Josephus (a); and the Jewish commentators generally understand it of easing nature; and as the eastern people used to wear long and loose garments, these, when they performed such an action, they used in modesty to gather them close about them, that no part of the body, their feet, and especially the parts of nature which should be concealed, might be seen; but the Syriac and Arabic versions render it, "and there he lay" or "slept"; which suggest, that his going into the cave was in order to take some sleep and rest, when it was usual to cover the feet, both to prevent taking cold, and the private parts of the body being exposed to view; and this accounts better for Saul not hearing David's men in the cave, and for his being insensible of David's cuttings off the skirt of his garment, and best agrees with the use of the phrase in Jdg_3:24; the only place besides this in which it is used; See Gill on Jdg_3:24,
(a) Antiqu. l. 6. c. 13. sect. 4.
He referenced Judges 3:24 where Eglon is killed and left in his summer chamber in peace while Ehud escapes. This seems very much like he was sleeping. I was surprised to find the ESV renders 1 Samuel 24:3 as toilet and references Judges 3:24 as the other place supporting that interp. instead of a translation?
I was further confused to find PHILLIPS explaining how Saul uncovered his feet in the process of undressing!
It does make me wonder just where the line between translation and interpretation lies.
Would you agree with me that "covering the feet" speaks more naturally of a wrapping up for a snooze or siesta?
[BIBLE]1 Samuel 24:3[/BIBLE]
[BIBLE]Judges 3:20-24[/BIBLE]
Why does the ESV give this interpretation?
and Saul went in to cover his feet; the Targum is, to do his necessaries; and so Josephus (a); and the Jewish commentators generally understand it of easing nature; and as the eastern people used to wear long and loose garments, these, when they performed such an action, they used in modesty to gather them close about them, that no part of the body, their feet, and especially the parts of nature which should be concealed, might be seen; but the Syriac and Arabic versions render it, "and there he lay" or "slept"; which suggest, that his going into the cave was in order to take some sleep and rest, when it was usual to cover the feet, both to prevent taking cold, and the private parts of the body being exposed to view; and this accounts better for Saul not hearing David's men in the cave, and for his being insensible of David's cuttings off the skirt of his garment, and best agrees with the use of the phrase in Jdg_3:24; the only place besides this in which it is used; See Gill on Jdg_3:24,
(a) Antiqu. l. 6. c. 13. sect. 4.
He referenced Judges 3:24 where Eglon is killed and left in his summer chamber in peace while Ehud escapes. This seems very much like he was sleeping. I was surprised to find the ESV renders 1 Samuel 24:3 as toilet and references Judges 3:24 as the other place supporting that interp. instead of a translation?
I was further confused to find PHILLIPS explaining how Saul uncovered his feet in the process of undressing!
It does make me wonder just where the line between translation and interpretation lies.
Would you agree with me that "covering the feet" speaks more naturally of a wrapping up for a snooze or siesta?
[BIBLE]1 Samuel 24:3[/BIBLE]
[BIBLE]Judges 3:20-24[/BIBLE]
Why does the ESV give this interpretation?