1 Raja-raja 1:1-53
Konteks1:1 King David was very old; 1 even when they covered him with blankets, 2 he could not get warm. 1:2 His servants advised 3 him, “A young virgin must be found for our master, the king, 4 to take care of the king’s needs 5 and serve as his nurse. She can also sleep with you 6 and keep our master, the king, warm.” 7 1:3 So they looked through all Israel 8 for a beautiful young woman and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 1:4 The young woman was very beautiful; she became the king’s nurse and served him, but the king did not have sexual relations with her. 9
1:5 Now Adonijah, son of David and Haggith, 10 was promoting himself, 11 boasting, 12 “I will be king!” He managed to acquire 13 chariots and horsemen, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard. 14 1:6 (Now his father had never corrected 15 him 16 by saying, “Why do you do such things?” He was also very handsome and had been born right after Absalom. 17 ) 1:7 He collaborated 18 with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they supported 19 him. 20 1:8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s elite warriors 21 did not ally themselves 22 with Adonijah. 1:9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fattened steers at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, 23 as well as all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. 1:10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the elite warriors, 24 or his brother Solomon.
1:11 Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Has it been reported to you 25 that Haggith’s son Adonijah has become king behind our master David’s back? 26 1:12 Now 27 let me give you some advice as to how 28 you can save your life and your son Solomon’s life. 1:13 Visit 29 King David and say to him, ‘My master, O king, did you not solemnly promise 30 your servant, “Surely your son Solomon will be king after me; he will sit on my throne”? So why has Adonijah become king?’ 1:14 While 31 you are still there speaking to the king, I will arrive 32 and verify your report.” 33
1:15 So Bathsheba visited the king in his private quarters. 34 (The king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.) 1:16 Bathsheba bowed down on the floor before 35 the king. The king said, “What do you want?” 1:17 She replied to him, “My master, you swore an oath to your servant by the Lord your God, ‘Solomon your son will be king after me and he will sit on my throne.’ 1:18 But now, look, Adonijah has become king! But you, 36 my master the king, are not even aware of it! 37 1:19 He has sacrificed many cattle, steers, and sheep and has invited all the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest, and Joab, the commander of the army, but he has not invited your servant Solomon. 1:20 Now, 38 my master, O king, all Israel is watching anxiously to see who is named to succeed my master the king on the throne. 39 1:21 If a decision is not made, 40 when my master the king is buried with his ancestors, 41 my son Solomon and I 42 will be considered state criminals.” 43
1:22 Just then, 44 while she was still speaking to the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. 1:23 The king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” Nathan entered and bowed before the king with his face to the floor. 45 1:24 Nathan said, “My master, O king, did you announce, ‘Adonijah will be king after me; he will sit on my throne’? 1:25 For today he has gone down and sacrificed many cattle, steers, and sheep and has invited all the king’s sons, the army commanders, and Abiathar the priest. At this moment 46 they are having a feast 47 in his presence, and they have declared, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 48 1:26 But he did not invite me – your servant – or Zadok the priest, or Benaiah son of Jehoiada, or your servant Solomon. 1:27 Has my master the king authorized this without informing your servants 49 who should succeed my master the king on his throne?” 50
1:28 King David responded, 51 “Summon Bathsheba!” 52 She came and stood before the king. 53 1:29 The king swore an oath: “As certainly as the Lord lives (he who has rescued me 54 from every danger), 1:30 I will keep 55 today the oath I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel: ‘Surely Solomon your son will be king after me; he will sit in my place on my throne.’” 1:31 Bathsheba bowed down to the king with her face to the floor 56 and said, “May my master, King David, live forever!”
1:32 King David said, “Summon Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, 57 and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” They came before the king, 1:33 and he 58 told them, “Take your master’s 59 servants with you, put my son Solomon on my mule, and lead him down to Gihon. 60 1:34 There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet will anoint 61 him king over Israel; then blow the trumpet and declare, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 1:35 Then follow him up as he comes and sits on my throne. He will be king in my place; I have decreed 62 that he will be ruler over Israel and Judah.” 1:36 Benaiah son of Jehoiada responded 63 to the king: “So be it! 64 May the Lord God of my master the king confirm it! 65 1:37 As the Lord is with my master the king, so may he be with Solomon, and may he make him an even greater king than my master King David!” 66
1:38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites, and the Pelethites 67 went down, put Solomon on King David’s mule, and led him to Gihon. 1:39 Zadok the priest took a horn filled with olive oil 68 from the tent and poured it on 69 Solomon; the trumpet was blown and all the people declared, “Long live King Solomon!” 1:40 All the people followed him up, playing flutes and celebrating so loudly they made the ground shake. 70
1:41 Now Adonijah and all his guests heard the commotion just as they had finished eating. 71 When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he asked, “Why is there such a noisy commotion in the city?” 72 1:42 As he was still speaking, Jonathan 73 son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in, for 74 an important man like you must be bringing good news.” 75 1:43 Jonathan replied 76 to Adonijah: “No! 77 Our master 78 King David has made Solomon king. 1:44 The king sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites, and the Pelethites and they put him on the king’s mule. 1:45 Then Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed 79 him king in Gihon. They went up from there rejoicing, and the city is in an uproar. That is the sound you hear. 1:46 Furthermore, Solomon has assumed the royal throne. 80 1:47 The king’s servants have even come to congratulate 81 our master 82 King David, saying, ‘May your God 83 make Solomon more famous than you and make him an even greater king than you!’ 84 Then the king leaned 85 on the bed 1:48 and said 86 this: ‘The Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because 87 today he has placed a successor on my throne and allowed me to see it.’” 88
1:49 All of Adonijah’s guests panicked; 89 they jumped up and rushed off their separate ways. 1:50 Adonijah feared Solomon, so he got up and went and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. 90 1:51 Solomon was told, “Look, Adonijah fears you; 91 see, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘May King Solomon solemnly promise 92 me today that he will not kill his servant with the sword.’” 1:52 Solomon said, “If he is a loyal subject, 93 not a hair of his head will be harmed, but if he is found to be a traitor, 94 he will die.” 1:53 King Solomon sent men to bring him down 95 from the altar. He came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon told him, “Go home.” 96
Hakim-hakim 9:1-57
Konteks9:1 Now Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to Shechem to see his mother’s relatives. 97 He said to them and to his mother’s entire extended family, 98 9:2 “Tell 99 all the leaders of Shechem this: ‘Why would you want 100 to have seventy men, all Jerub-Baal’s sons, ruling over you, when you can have just one ruler? Recall that I am your own flesh and blood.’” 101 9:3 His mother’s relatives 102 spoke on his behalf to 103 all the leaders of Shechem and reported his proposal. 104 The leaders were drawn to Abimelech; 105 they said, “He is our close relative.” 106 9:4 They paid him seventy silver shekels out of the temple of Baal-Berith. Abimelech then used the silver to hire some lawless, dangerous 107 men as his followers. 108 9:5 He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and murdered his half-brothers, 109 the seventy legitimate 110 sons of Jerub-Baal, on one stone. Only Jotham, Jerub-Baal’s youngest son, escaped, 111 because he hid. 9:6 All the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo assembled and then went and made Abimelech king by the oak near the pillar 112 in Shechem.
9:7 When Jotham heard the news, 113 he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim. He spoke loudly to the people below, 114 “Listen to me, leaders of Shechem, so that God may listen to you!
9:8 “The trees were determined to go out 115 and choose a king for themselves. 116 They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king!’ 117 9:9 But the olive tree said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my oil, which is used to honor gods and men, just to sway above the other trees!’ 118
9:10 “So the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and be our king!’ 119 9:11 But the fig tree said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my sweet figs, my excellent fruit, just to sway above the other trees!’ 120
9:12 “So the trees said to the grapevine, ‘You come and be our king!’ 121 9:13 But the grapevine said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my wine, which makes gods and men so happy, just to sway above the other trees!’ 122
9:14 “So all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘You come and be our king!’ 123 9:15 The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to choose 124 me as your king, then come along, find safety under my branches! 125 Otherwise 126 may fire blaze from the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’
9:16 “Now, if you have shown loyalty and integrity when you made Abimelech king, if you have done right to Jerub-Baal and his family, 127 if you have properly repaid him 128 – 9:17 my father fought for you; he risked his life 129 and delivered you from Midian’s power. 130 9:18 But you have attacked 131 my father’s family 132 today. You murdered his seventy legitimate 133 sons on one stone and made Abimelech, the son of his female slave, king over the leaders of Shechem, just because he is your close relative. 134 9:19 So if you have shown loyalty and integrity to Jerub-Baal and his family 135 today, then may Abimelech bring you happiness and may you bring him happiness! 136 9:20 But if not, may fire blaze from Abimelech and consume the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo! May fire also blaze from the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo and consume Abimelech!” 9:21 Then Jotham ran away 137 to Beer and lived there to escape from 138 Abimelech his half-brother. 139
9:22 Abimelech commanded 140 Israel for three years. 9:23 God sent a spirit to stir up hostility 141 between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. He made the leaders of Shechem disloyal 142 to Abimelech. 9:24 He did this so the violent deaths of Jerub-Baal’s seventy sons might be avenged and Abimelech, their half-brother 143 who murdered them, might have to pay for their spilled blood, along with the leaders of Shechem who helped him murder them. 144 9:25 The leaders of Shechem rebelled against Abimelech by putting 145 bandits in 146 the hills, who robbed everyone who traveled by on the road. But Abimelech found out about it. 147
9:26 Gaal son of Ebed 148 came through Shechem with his brothers. The leaders of Shechem transferred their loyalty to him. 149 9:27 They went out to the field, harvested their grapes, 150 squeezed out the juice, 151 and celebrated. They came to the temple 152 of their god and ate, drank, and cursed Abimelech. 9:28 Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerub-Baal, and is not Zebul the deputy he appointed? 153 Serve the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem! But why should we serve Abimelech? 154 9:29 If only these men 155 were under my command, 156 I would get rid of Abimelech!” He challenged Abimelech, 157 “Muster 158 your army and come out for battle!” 159
9:30 When Zebul, the city commissioner, heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, he was furious. 160 9:31 He sent messengers to Abimelech, who was in Arumah, 161 reporting, “Beware! 162 Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers are coming 163 to Shechem and inciting the city to rebel against you. 164 9:32 Now, come up 165 at night with your men 166 and set an ambush in the field outside the city. 167 9:33 In the morning at sunrise quickly attack the city. When he and his men come out to fight you, do what you can to him.” 168
9:34 So Abimelech and all his men came up 169 at night and set an ambush outside Shechem – they divided into 170 four units. 9:35 When Gaal son of Ebed came out and stood at the entrance to the city’s gate, Abimelech and his men got up from their hiding places. 9:36 Gaal saw the men 171 and said to Zebul, “Look, men are coming down from the tops of the hills.” But Zebul said to him, “You are seeing the shadows on the hills – it just looks like men.” 172 9:37 Gaal again said, “Look, men are coming down from the very center 173 of the land. A unit 174 is coming by way of the Oak Tree of the Diviners.” 175 9:38 Zebul said to him, “Where now are your bragging words, 176 ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Are these not the men 177 you insulted? 178 Go out now and fight them!” 9:39 So Gaal led the leaders of Shechem out 179 and fought Abimelech. 9:40 Abimelech chased him, and Gaal 180 ran from him. Many Shechemites 181 fell wounded at the entrance of the gate. 9:41 Abimelech went back 182 to Arumah; Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem. 183
9:42 The next day the Shechemites 184 came out to the field. When Abimelech heard about it, 185 9:43 he took his men 186 and divided them into three units and set an ambush in the field. When he saw the people coming out of the city, 187 he attacked and struck them down. 188 9:44 Abimelech and his units 189 attacked and blocked 190 the entrance to the city’s gate. Two units then attacked all the people in the field and struck them down. 9:45 Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed all the people in it. Then he leveled 191 the city and spread salt over it. 192
9:46 When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem 193 heard the news, they went to the stronghold 194 of the temple of El-Berith. 195 9:47 Abimelech heard 196 that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were in one place. 197 9:48 He and all his men 198 went up on Mount Zalmon. He 199 took an ax 200 in his hand and cut off a tree branch. He put it 201 on his shoulder and said to his men, “Quickly, do what you have just seen me do!” 202 9:49 So each of his men also cut off a branch and followed Abimelech. They put the branches 203 against the stronghold and set fire to it. 204 All the people 205 of the Tower of Shechem died – about a thousand men and women.
9:50 Abimelech moved on 206 to Thebez; he besieged and captured it. 207 9:51 There was a fortified 208 tower 209 in the center of the city, so all the men and women, as well as the city’s leaders, ran into it and locked the entrance. Then they went up to the roof of the tower. 9:52 Abimelech came and attacked the tower. When he approached the entrance of the tower to set it on fire, 9:53 a woman threw an upper millstone 210 down on his 211 head and shattered his skull. 9:54 He quickly called to the young man who carried his weapons, 212 “Draw your sword and kill me, so they will not say, 213 ‘A woman killed him.’” So the young man stabbed him and he died. 9:55 When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they went home. 214
9:56 God repaid Abimelech for the evil he did to his father by murdering his seventy half-brothers. 215 9:57 God also repaid the men of Shechem for their evil deeds. The curse spoken by Jotham son of Jerub-Baal fell 216 on them.
[1:1] 1 tn Heb “was old, coming into the days” (i.e., advancing in years).
[1:2] 4 tn Heb “let them seek for my master, the king, a young girl, a virgin.” The third person plural subject of the verb is indefinite (see GKC 460 §144.f). The appositional expression, “a young girl, a virgin,” is idiomatic; the second term specifically defines the more general first term (see IBHS 230 §12.3b).
[1:2] 5 tn Heb “and she will stand before the king.” The Hebrew phrase “stand before” can mean “to attend; to serve” (BDB 764 s.v. עָמַד).
[1:2] 6 tn Heb “and she will lie down in your bosom.” The expression might imply sexual intimacy (see 2 Sam 12:3 [where the lamb symbolizes Bathsheba] and Mic 7:5), though v. 4b indicates that David did not actually have sex with the young woman.
[1:2] 7 tn Heb “and my master, the king, will be warm.”
[1:3] 8 tn Heb “through all the territory of Israel.”
[1:4] 9 tn Heb “did not know her.”
[1:5] 10 tn Heb “son of Haggith,” but since this formula usually designates the father (who in this case was David), the translation specifies that David was Adonijah’s father.
[1:5] sn Haggith was one of David’s wives (2 Sam 3:4; 2 Chr 3:2).
[1:5] 11 tn Heb “lifting himself up.”
[1:5] 13 tn Or “he acquired for himself.”
[1:5] 14 tn Heb “to run ahead of him.”
[1:6] 16 tn Heb “did not correct him from his days.” The phrase “from his days” means “from his earliest days,” or “ever in his life.” See GKC 382 §119.w, n. 2.
[1:6] 17 tn Heb “and she gave birth to him after Absalom.” This does not imply they had the same mother; Absalom’s mother was Maacah, not Haggith (2 Sam 3:4).
[1:7] 18 tn Heb “his words were.”
[1:7] 19 tn Heb “helped after” (i.e., stood by).
[1:7] 20 tn Heb “Adonijah.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[1:8] 21 tn Or “bodyguard” (Heb “mighty men”).
[1:9] 23 tc The ancient Greek version omits this appositional phrase.
[1:10] 24 tn Or “bodyguard” (Heb “mighty men”).
[1:11] 25 tn Heb “Have you not heard?”
[1:11] 26 tn Heb “and our master David does not know.”
[1:12] 27 tn Heb “now, come.” The imperative of הָלַךְ (halakh) is here used as an introductory interjection. See BDB 234 s.v. חָלַךְ.
[1:13] 29 tn Heb “come, go to.” The imperative of הָלַךְ (halakh) is here used as an introductory interjection. See BDB 234 s.v. חָלַךְ.
[1:13] 30 tn Or “swear an oath to.”
[1:14] 31 tn In the Hebrew text the sentence is introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), which here draws attention to Nathan’s concluding word of assurance and support. For this use of the word, see HALOT 252 s.v. הִנֵּה.
[1:14] 32 tc The Hebrew text reads, “I will come after you.”
[1:14] 33 tn Heb “fill up [i.e., confirm] your words.”
[1:16] 35 tn Heb “bowed low and bowed down to.”
[1:18] 36 tc Instead of עַתָּה (’attah, “now”) many Hebrew
[1:18] 37 tn Heb “you do not know [about it].”
[1:20] 38 tc Many Hebrew
[1:20] 39 tn Heb “the eyes of all Israel are upon you to declare to them who will sit on the throne of my master the king after him.”
[1:21] 40 tn The words “if a decision is not made” are added for clarification.
[1:21] 41 tn Heb “lies down with his fathers.”
[1:21] 42 tn Heb “I and my son Solomon.” The order has been reversed in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[1:21] 43 tn Heb “will be guilty”; NASB “considered offenders”; TEV “treated as traitors.”
[1:22] 44 tn Heb “look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) here draws attention to Nathan’s arrival and invites the audience to view the scene through the eyes of the participants.
[1:23] 45 tn Heb “ground.” Since this was indoors, “floor” is more appropriate than “ground.”
[1:25] 47 tn Heb “eating and drinking.”
[1:25] 48 tn Heb “let the king, Adonijah, live!”
[1:27] 49 tc Many Hebrew
[1:27] 50 tn Heb “From my master the king is this thing done, and you did not make known to your servants who will sit on the throne of my master the king after him?”
[1:28] 51 tn Heb “answered and said.”
[1:28] 52 sn Summon Bathsheba. Bathsheba must have left the room when Nathan arrived (see 1:22).
[1:28] 53 tn Heb “she came before the king and stood before the king.”
[1:29] 54 tn Or “ransomed my life.”
[1:30] 55 tn Or “carry out, perform.”
[1:31] 56 tn Heb “bowed low, face [to] the ground, and bowed down to the king.”
[1:32] 57 sn Summon…Nathan. Nathan must have left the room when Bathsheba reentered.
[1:33] 59 tn The plural form is used in the Hebrew text to indicate honor and authority.
[1:33] 60 tn Heb “mount Solomon my son on the mule that belongs to me and take him down to Gihon.”
[1:34] 61 tn Or “designate” (i.e., by anointing with oil).
[1:36] 63 tn Heb “answered and said.”
[1:36] 65 tn Heb “So may the
[1:37] 66 tn Heb “and may he make his throne greater than the throne of my master King David.”
[1:38] 67 sn The Kerethites and Pelethites were members of David’s royal guard (see 2 Sam 8:18). The Kerethites may have been descendants of an ethnic group originating in Crete.
[1:39] 68 tn Heb “the horn of oil.” This has been specified as olive oil in the translation for clarity.
[1:39] sn A horn filled with oil. An animal’s horn was used as an oil flask in the anointing ceremony.
[1:40] 70 tn Heb “and all the people went up after him, and the people were playing flutes and rejoicing with great joy and the ground split open at the sound of them.” The verb בָּקַע (baqa’, “to split open”), which elsewhere describes the effects of an earthquake, is obviously here an exaggeration for the sake of emphasis.
[1:41] 71 tn Heb “And Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard, now they had finished eating.”
[1:41] 72 tn Heb “Why is the city’s sound noisy?”
[1:42] 73 tn The Hebrew text has “look” at this point. The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh), “look draws attention to Jonathan’s arrival and invites the audience to view the scene through the eyes of the participants.
[1:42] 75 tn Heb “you are a man of strength [or “ability”] and you bring a message [that is] good.” Another option is to understand the phrase אִישׁ חַיִל (’ish khayil) in the sense of “a worthy man,” that is “loyal.” See also 1 Kgs 1:52 and HALOT 311 s.v. חַיִל.
[1:43] 76 tn Heb “answered and said.”
[1:43] 77 tn For a similar use of אֲבָל (’aval), see Gen 17:19, where God rejects Abraham’s proposal and offers an alternative.
[1:43] 78 tn The plural form is used in the Hebrew text to indicate honor and authority.
[1:45] 79 tn I.e., designated by anointing with oil.
[1:46] 80 tn Heb “And also Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom.”
[1:47] 82 tn The plural form is used in the Hebrew text to indicate honor and authority.
[1:47] 83 tc Many Hebrew
[1:47] 84 tn Heb “make the name of Solomon better than your name, and make his throne greater than your throne.” The term שֵׁם (shem, “name”) is used here of one’s fame and reputation.
[1:47] 85 tn Or “bowed down; worshiped.”
[1:48] 86 tn The Hebrew text reads, “and the king said.”
[1:48] 87 tn Or “Blessed be the
[1:48] 88 tn Heb “and my eyes are seeing.”
[1:49] 89 tn Or “were afraid, trembled.”
[1:50] 90 sn Grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. The “horns” of the altar were the horn-shaped projections on the four corners of the altar (see Exod 27:2). By going to the holy place and grabbing hold of the horns of the altar, Adonijah was seeking asylum from Solomon.
[1:51] 91 tn Heb “King Solomon.” The name and title have been replaced by the pronoun (“you”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[1:51] 92 tn Or “swear an oath to.”
[1:52] 93 tn Heb “if he is a man of strength [or ability].” In this context, where Adonijah calls himself a “servant,” implying allegiance to the new king, the phrase אִישׁ חַיִל (’ish khayil) probably carries the sense of “a worthy man,” that is, “loyal” (see HALOT 311 s.v. חַיִל).
[1:52] 94 tn Heb “but if evil is found in him.”
[1:53] 95 tn Heb “sent and they brought him down.”
[1:53] 96 tn Heb “Go to your house.”
[9:1] 98 tn Heb “to all the extended family of the house of the father of his mother.”
[9:2] 99 tn Heb “Speak into the ears of.”
[9:2] 100 tn Heb “What good is it to you?”
[9:2] 101 tn Heb “your bone and your flesh.”
[9:3] 103 tn Heb “into the ears of.”
[9:3] 104 tn Heb “and all these words.”
[9:3] 105 tn Heb “Their heart was inclined after Abimelech.”
[9:3] 106 tn Heb “our brother.”
[9:4] 107 tn Heb “empty and reckless.”
[9:4] 108 tn Heb “and they followed him.”
[9:5] 109 tn Heb “his brothers.”
[9:5] 110 tn The word “legitimate” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[9:6] 112 tc The translation assumes that the form in the Hebrew text (מֻצָּב, mutsav) is a corruption of an original מַצֵּבָה (matsevah, “pillar”). The reference is probably to a pagan object of worship (cf. LXX).
[9:7] 113 tn Heb “And they reported to Jotham.” The subject of the plural verb is indefinite.
[9:7] 114 tn Heb “He lifted his voice and called and said to them.”
[9:8] 115 tn Heb “Going they went, the trees.” The precise emphatic force of the infinitive absolute (“Going”) is not entirely clear. Perhaps here it indicates determination, as in Gen 31:30, where one might translate, “You have insisted on going away.”
[9:8] 116 tn Heb “to anoint [with oil] over them a king.”
[9:8] 117 tn Or “Rule over us!”
[9:9] 118 tn Heb “Should I stop my abundance, with which they honor gods and men, and go to sway over the trees?” The negative sentence in the translation reflects the force of the rhetorical question.
[9:10] 119 tn Or “and rule over us!”
[9:11] 120 tn Heb “Should I stop my sweetness and my good fruit and go to sway over the trees? The negative sentence in the translation reflects the force of the rhetorical question.
[9:12] 121 tn Or “and rule over us!”
[9:13] 122 tn Heb “Should I stop my wine, which makes happy gods and men, and go to sway over the trees?” The negative sentence in the translation reflects the force of the rhetorical question.
[9:14] 123 tn Or “and rule over us!”
[9:15] 124 tn Heb “are about to anoint [with oil].”
[9:15] 125 tn Heb “in my shade.”
[9:16] 128 tn Heb “if according to the deeds of his hands you have done to him.”
[9:17] 129 tc Heb “threw his life out in front,” that is, “exposed himself to danger.” The MT form מִנֶּגֶד (minneged, “from before”) should probably be read as מִנֶּגְדּוֹ (minnegdo, “from before him”); haplography of vav has likely occurred here in the MT.
[9:18] 131 tn Heb “have risen up against.”
[9:18] 133 tn The word “legitimate” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[9:18] 134 tn Heb “your brother.”
[9:19] 136 tn Heb “then rejoice in Abimelech, and may he also rejoice in you.”
[9:21] 137 tn Heb “fled and ran away and went.”
[9:21] 138 tn Heb “from before.”
[9:21] 139 tn Heb “his brother.”
[9:22] 140 tn The Hebrew verb translated “commanded” (שָׂרַר, sarar), which appears only here in Judges, differs from the ones employed earlier in this chapter (מָשַׁל [mashal] and מָלַךְ [malakh]).
[9:22] sn Abimelech commanded Israel. Perhaps while ruling as king over the city-state of Shechem, Abimelech also became a leader of the Israelite tribal alliance (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 175).
[9:23] 141 tn Heb “an evil spirit.” A nonphysical, spirit being is in view, like the one who volunteered to deceive Ahab (1 Kgs 22:21). The traditional translation, “evil spirit,” implies the being is inherently wicked, perhaps even demonic, but this is not necessarily the case. The Hebrew adjective רָעַה (ra’ah) can have a nonethical sense, “harmful; dangerous; calamitous.” When modifying רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) it may simply indicate that the being in view causes harm to the object of God’s judgment. G. F. Moore (Judges [ICC], 253) here refers to a “mischief-making spirit.”
[9:23] 142 tn Heb “The leaders of Shechem were disloyal.” The words “he made” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[9:24] 143 tn Heb “their brother.”
[9:24] 144 tn Heb “so that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerub-Baal might come, and their blood might be placed on Abimelech, their brother, who murdered them, and upon the leaders of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to murder his brothers.”
[9:25] 145 tn Heb “set against him bandits.”
[9:25] sn Putting bandits in the hills. This piracy certainly interrupted or discouraged trade, and probably deprived Abimelech of tariffs or tribute. See C. F. Burney, Judges, 277; G. F. Moore, Judges (ICC), 253.
[9:25] 146 tn Heb “on the tops of.”
[9:25] 147 tn Heb “It was told to Abimelech.”
[9:26] 148 sn The name Gaal derives from, or at least sounds like, a Hebrew verb meaning “to abhor, loathe.” His father’s name, Ebed, means “servant.” Perhaps then this could be translated, “loathsome one, son of a servant.” This individual’s very name (which may be the narrator’s nickname for him, not his actual name) seems to hint at his immoral character and lowly social status.
[9:26] 149 tn Heb “trusted in him.” Here the verb probably describes more than a mental attitude. It is likely that the Shechemites made an alliance with Gaal and were now trusting him for protection in return for their loyalty (and probably tribute).
[9:27] 150 tn Heb “vineyards.”
[9:27] 151 tn Heb “stomped” or “trampled.” This refers to the way in which the juice was squeezed out in the wine vats by stepping on the grapes with one’s bare feet. For a discussion of grape harvesting in ancient Israel, see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 110-14.
[9:28] 153 tn Heb “and Zebul his appointee.”
[9:28] 154 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abimelech) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:29] 156 tn Heb “in my hand.”
[9:29] sn If only these men were under my command. One might assume from v. 26b that the men were already at his disposal, but perhaps that was not one of the terms of the agreement. Another possibility is that v. 26 is a general summary statement, with vv. 27-29 then detailing how the alliance with Gaal came about.
[9:29] 157 tn Heb “said to Abimelech.” On the other hand, the preposition ל (lamed) prefixed to the proper name may be vocative (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 178). If so, one could translate, “He boasted, ‘Abimelech…’”
[9:29] 158 tn Heb “Make numerous.”
[9:29] 159 tn The words “for battle” are interpretive.
[9:30] 160 tn Heb “his anger burned.”
[9:31] 161 tn The form בְּתָרְמָה (bÿtarmah) in the Hebrew text, which occurs only here, has traditionally been understood to mean “secretly” or “with deception.” If this is correct, it is derived from II רָמָה (ramah, “to deceive”). Some interpreters object, pointing out that this would imply Zebul was trying to deceive Abimelech, which is clearly not the case in this context. But this objection is unwarranted. If retained, the phrase would refer instead to deceptive measures used by Zebul to avoid the suspicion of Gaal when he dispatched the messengers from Shechem. The present translation assumes an emendation to “in Arumah” (בָּארוּמָה, ba’rumah), a site mentioned in v. 41 as the headquarters of Abimelech. Confusion of alef and tav in archaic Hebrew script, while uncommon, is certainly not unimaginable.
[9:31] 163 tn The participle, as used here, suggests Gaal and his brothers are in the process of arriving, but the preceding verses imply they have already settled in. Perhaps Zebul uses understatement to avoid the appearance of negligence on his part. After all, if he made the situation sound too bad, Abimelech, when he was informed, might ask why he had allowed this rebellion to reach such a stage.
[9:31] 164 tn The words “to rebel” are interpretive. The precise meaning of the Hebrew verb צוּר (tsur) is unclear here. It is best to take it in the sense of “to instigate; to incite; to provoke” (see Deut 2:9, 19 and R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 178).
[9:32] 166 tn Heb “you and the people who are with you.”
[9:32] 167 tn The words “outside the city” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[9:33] 168 tn Heb “Look! He and the people who are with him will come out to you, and you will do to him what your hand finds [to do].”
[9:34] 169 tn Heb “and all the people who were with him arose.”
[9:34] 170 tn Heb “four heads.” The words “they divided into” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[9:36] 171 tn Heb “the people” (also in vv. 38, 43, 48). These were warriors, so “men” has been used in the translation, since in ancient Israelite culture soldiers would have been exclusively males.
[9:36] 172 tn Heb “the shadow on the hills you are seeing, like men.”
[9:37] 173 tn Heb “navel.” On the background of the Hebrew expression “the navel of the land,” see R. G. Boling, Judges (AB), 178-79.
[9:37] 175 tn Some English translations simply transliterated this as a place name (Heb “Elon-meonenim”); cf. NAB, NRSV.
[9:38] 176 tn Heb “is your mouth that says.”
[9:38] 177 tn Heb “the people.”
[9:39] 179 tn Heb “So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem.”
[9:40] 180 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gaal) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:40] 181 tn The word “Shechemites” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for clarification.
[9:41] 182 tc Heb “stayed.” Some scholars revise the vowel pointing on this verb from that of the MT, resulting in the translation “and he returned to.” The Lucianic recension of the LXX understands the word in this way.
[9:41] 183 tn Heb “drove…out from dwelling in Shechem.”
[9:42] 184 tn Heb “the people”; the referent (the Shechemites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:42] 185 tn Heb “And they told Abimelech.”
[9:43] 186 tn Heb “his people.”
[9:43] 187 tn Heb “And he saw and, look, the people were coming out of the city.”
[9:43] 188 tn Heb “he arose against them and struck them.”
[9:44] 189 tn Or possibly, “the unit that was with him.”
[9:44] 190 tn Heb “stood [at].”
[9:45] 192 tn Heb “sowed it with salt.”
[9:45] sn The spreading of salt over the city was probably a symbolic act designed to place the site under a curse, deprive it of fertility, and prevent any future habitation. The practice is referred to outside the Bible as well. For example, one of the curses in the Aramaic Sefire treaty states concerning Arpad: “May Hadad sow in them salt and weeds, and may it not be mentioned again!” See J. A. Fitzmyer, The Aramaic Inscriptions of Sefire (BibOr), 15, 53. Deut 29:23, Jer 17:6, and Zeph 2:9 associate salt flats or salty regions with infertility and divine judgment.
[9:46] 193 sn Perhaps the Tower of Shechem was a nearby town, distinct from Shechem proper, or a tower within the city.
[9:46] 194 tn Apparently this rare word refers here to the most inaccessible area of the temple, perhaps the inner sanctuary or an underground chamber. It appears only here and in 1 Sam 13:6, where it is paired with “cisterns” and refers to subterranean or cave-like hiding places.
[9:46] 195 sn The name El-Berith means “God of the Covenant.” It is probably a reference to the Canaanite high god El.
[9:47] 196 tn Heb “and it was told to Abimelech.”
[9:47] 197 tn Heb “were assembled.”
[9:48] 198 tn Heb “his people.”
[9:48] 199 tn Heb “Abimelech.” The proper name has been replaced with the pronoun (“he”) due to considerations of English style.
[9:48] 200 tn The Hebrew text has the plural here.
[9:48] 201 tn Heb “he lifted it and put [it].”
[9:48] 202 tn Heb “What you have seen me do, quickly do like me.”
[9:49] 203 tn The words “the branches” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[9:49] 204 tn Heb “they kindled over them the stronghold with fire.”
[9:49] 205 tn Or “men,” but the word seems to have a more general sense here, as the conclusion to the sentence suggests.
[9:50] 207 tn Heb “he camped near Thebez and captured it.”
[9:51] 209 tn Or “fortress.” The same Hebrew term occurs once more in this verse and twice in v. 52.
[9:53] 210 sn A hand mill consisted of an upper stone and larger lower stone. One would turn the upper stone with a handle to grind the grain, which was placed between the stones. An upper millstone, which was typically about two inches thick and a foot or so in diameter, probably weighed 25-30 pounds (11.4-13.6 kg). See G. F. Moore, Judges (ICC), 268; C. F. Burney, Judges, 288.
[9:53] 211 tn Heb “Abimelech’s.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun “his” in the translation in keeping with conventions of English narrative style.
[9:54] 212 tn The Hebrew text adds, “and said to him.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[9:54] 213 tn The Hebrew text adds, “concerning me.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[9:55] 214 tn Heb “each to his own place.”
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