13:1
This verse is actually a massive textual conundrum. If you just take the NIV everything seems fairly straightforward, it says:
Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel for forty- two years.
These are a couple of footnotes, but these don’t seem of much importance. However, if you have the ESV, it says:
Saul lived for one year and then became king, and when he had reigned for two years over Israel,
Now that reads a little different! KJV and NKJV follow the ESV. NASB, NLT and HCSB follow the NIV line. The RSV (and UK version of the ESV) have
Saul was . . . years old when he began to reign; and he reigned . . . and two years over Israel.
Perhaps the Message has the best solution!
Saul was a young man when he began as king. He was king over Israel for many years.
The ESV et al have given the translation of the Hebrew manuscripts. Taken literally this cannot be right, and the NIV et al have followed the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament). They clearly realised that, at least at face value, the Hebrew text did not make sense. The truth is that no one really knows what this first verse says! All of them are making some assumption (mostly reasonable) about what it is meant to say and make that basis. However, this is a case of “Nobody knows!”.
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