Efesus 1:1-23
Konteks1:1 From Paul, 1 an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints [in Ephesus], 2 the faithful 3 in Christ Jesus. 1:2 Grace and peace to you 4 from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
1:3 Blessed 5 is 6 the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed 7 us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. 1:4 For 8 he chose us in Christ 9 before the foundation of the world that we may be holy and unblemished 10 in his sight 11 in love. 12 1:5 He did this by predestining 13 us to adoption as his 14 sons 15 through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure 16 of his will – 1:6 to the praise of the glory of his grace 17 that he has freely bestowed on us in his dearly loved Son. 18 1:7 In him 19 we have redemption through his blood, 20 the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 1:8 that he lavished on us in all wisdom and insight. 1:9 He did this when he revealed 21 to us the secret 22 of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth 23 in Christ, 24 1:10 toward the administration of the fullness of the times, to head up 25 all things in Christ – the things in heaven 26 and the things on earth. 27 1:11 In Christ 28 we too have been claimed as God’s own possession, 29 since we were predestined according to the one purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will 1:12 so that we, who were the first to set our hope 30 on Christ, 31 would be to the praise of his glory. 1:13 And when 32 you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation) – when you believed in Christ 33 – you were marked with the seal 34 of the promised Holy Spirit, 35 1:14 who is the down payment 36 of our inheritance, until the redemption of God’s own possession, 37 to the praise of his glory.
1:15 For this reason, 38 because I 39 have heard 40 of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love 41 for all the saints, 1:16 I do not cease to give thanks for you when I remember you 42 in my prayers. 1:17 I pray that 43 the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, 44 may give you spiritual wisdom and revelation 45 in your growing knowledge of him, 46 1:18 – since the eyes of your 47 heart have been enlightened 48 – so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, 49 what is the wealth of his glorious 50 inheritance in the saints, 1:19 and what is the incomparable 51 greatness of his power toward 52 us who believe, as displayed in 53 the exercise of his immense strength. 54 1:20 This power 55 he exercised 56 in Christ when he raised him 57 from the dead and seated him 58 at his right hand in the heavenly realms 59 1:21 far above every rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 1:22 And God 60 put 61 all things under Christ’s 62 feet, 63 and he gave him to the church as head over all things. 64 1:23 Now the church is 65 his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. 66
Hakim-hakim 6:1--12:15
Konteks6:1 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight, 67 so the Lord turned them over to 68 Midian for seven years. 6:2 The Midianites 69 overwhelmed Israel. 70 Because of Midian the Israelites made shelters 71 for themselves in the hills, as well as caves and strongholds. 6:3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, 72 the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east would attack them. 73 6:4 They invaded the land 74 and devoured 75 its crops 76 all the way to Gaza. They left nothing for the Israelites to eat, 77 and they took away 78 the sheep, oxen, and donkeys. 6:5 When they invaded 79 with their cattle and tents, they were as thick 80 as locusts. Neither they nor their camels could be counted. 81 They came to devour 82 the land. 6:6 Israel was so severely weakened by Midian that the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.
6:7 When the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help because of Midian, 6:8 he 83 sent a prophet 84 to the Israelites. He said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I brought you up from Egypt 85 and took you out of that place of slavery. 86 6:9 I rescued you from Egypt’s power 87 and from the power of all who oppressed you. I drove them out before you and gave their land to you. 6:10 I said to you, “I am the Lord your God! Do not worship 88 the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are now living!” But you have disobeyed me.’” 89
6:11 The Lord’s angelic messenger 90 came and sat down under the oak tree in Ophrah owned by Joash the Abiezrite. He arrived while Joash’s son Gideon 91 was threshing 92 wheat in a winepress 93 so he could hide it from the Midianites. 94 6:12 The Lord’s messenger appeared and said to him, “The Lord is with you, courageous warrior!” 6:13 Gideon said to him, “Pardon me, 95 but if the Lord is with us, why has such disaster 96 overtaken us? Where are all his miraculous deeds our ancestors told us about? They said, 97 ‘Did the Lord not bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.” 6:14 Then the Lord himself 98 turned to him and said, “You have the strength. 99 Deliver Israel from the power of the Midianites! 100 Have I not sent you?” 6:15 Gideon 101 said to him, “But Lord, 102 how 103 can I deliver Israel? Just look! My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my family.” 104 6:16 The Lord said to him, “Ah, but 105 I will be with you! You will strike down the whole Midianite army.” 106 6:17 Gideon 107 said to him, “If you really are pleased with me, 108 then give me 109 a sign as proof that it is really you speaking with me. 6:18 Do not leave this place until I come back 110 with a gift 111 and present it to you.” The Lord said, “I will stay here until you come back.”
6:19 Gideon went and prepared a young goat, 112 along with unleavened bread made from an ephah of flour. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot. He brought the food 113 to him under the oak tree and presented it to him. 6:20 God’s messenger said to him, “Put the meat and unleavened bread on this rock, 114 and pour out the broth.” Gideon did as instructed. 115 6:21 The Lord’s messenger touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of his staff. 116 Fire flared up from the rock and consumed the meat and unleavened bread. The Lord’s messenger then disappeared. 117
6:22 When Gideon realized 118 that it was the Lord’s messenger, he 119 said, “Oh no! 120 Master, Lord! 121 I have seen the Lord’s messenger face to face!” 6:23 The Lord said to him, “You are safe! 122 Do not be afraid! You are not going to die!” 6:24 Gideon built an altar for the Lord there, and named it “The Lord is on friendly terms with me.” 123 To this day it is still there in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
6:25 That night the Lord said to him, “Take the bull from your father’s herd, as well as a second bull, one that is seven years old. 124 Pull down your father’s Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole. 6:26 Then build an altar for the Lord your God on the top of this stronghold according to the proper pattern. 125 Take the second bull and offer it as a burnt sacrifice on the wood from the Asherah pole that you cut down.” 6:27 So Gideon took ten of his servants 126 and did just as the Lord had told him. He was too afraid of his father’s family 127 and the men of the city to do it in broad daylight, so he waited until nighttime. 128
6:28 When the men of the city got up the next morning, they saw 129 the Baal altar pulled down, the nearby Asherah pole cut down, and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar. 6:29 They said to one another, 130 “Who did this?” 131 They investigated the matter thoroughly 132 and concluded 133 that Gideon son of Joash had done it. 6:30 The men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, so we can execute him! 134 He pulled down the Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole.” 6:31 But Joash said to all those who confronted him, 135 “Must you fight Baal’s battles? 136 Must you rescue him? Whoever takes up his cause 137 will die by morning! 138 If he really is a god, let him fight his own battles! 139 After all, it was his altar that was pulled down.” 140 6:32 That very day Gideon’s father named him Jerub-Baal, 141 because he had said, “Let Baal fight with him, for it was his altar that was pulled down.”
6:33 All the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east 142 assembled. They crossed the Jordan River 143 and camped in the Jezreel Valley. 6:34 The Lord’s spirit took control of 144 Gideon. He blew a trumpet, 145 summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. 146 6:35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh and summoned them to follow him as well. 147 He also sent messengers throughout Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet him.
6:36 Gideon said to God, “If you really intend to use me to deliver Israel, 148 as you promised, then give me a sign as proof. 149 6:37 Look, I am putting a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece, and the ground around it 150 is dry, then I will be sure 151 that you will use me to deliver Israel, 152 as you promised.” 6:38 The Lord did as he asked. 153 When he got up the next morning, he squeezed the fleece, and enough dew dripped from it to fill a bowl. 154 6:39 Gideon said to God, “Please do not get angry at me, when I ask for just one more sign. 155 Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make only the fleece dry, while the ground around it is covered with dew.” 156 6:40 That night God did as he asked. 157 Only the fleece was dry and the ground around it was covered with dew.
7:1 Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and his men 158 got up the next morning and camped near the spring of Harod. 159 The Midianites 160 were camped north of them near the hill of Moreh in the valley. 7:2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to hand Midian over to you. 161 Israel might brag, 162 ‘Our own strength has delivered us.’ 163 7:3 Now, announce to the men, 164 ‘Whoever is shaking with fear 165 may turn around and leave Mount Gilead.’” 166 Twenty-two thousand men 167 went home; 168 ten thousand remained. 7:4 The Lord spoke to Gideon again, “There are still too many men. 169 Bring them down to the water and I will thin the ranks some more. 170 When I say, ‘This one should go with you,’ pick him to go; 171 when I say, 172 ‘This one should not go with you,’ do not take him.” 173 7:5 So he brought the men 174 down to the water. Then the Lord said to Gideon, “Separate those who lap the water as a dog laps from those who kneel to drink.” 175 7:6 Three hundred men lapped; 176 the rest of the men 177 kneeled to drink water. 7:7 The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped I will deliver the whole army 178 and I will hand Midian over to you. 179 The rest of the men should go home.” 180 7:8 The men 181 who were chosen 182 took supplies 183 and their trumpets. Gideon 184 sent all the men of Israel back to their homes; 185 he kept only three hundred men. Now the Midianites 186 were camped down below 187 in the valley.
7:9 That night the Lord said to Gideon, 188 “Get up! Attack 189 the camp, for I am handing it over to you. 190 7:10 But if you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with Purah your servant 7:11 and listen to what they are saying. Then you will be brave 191 and attack the camp.” So he went down with Purah his servant to where the sentries were guarding the camp. 192 7:12 Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east covered the valley like a swarm of locusts. 193 Their camels could not be counted; they were as innumerable as the sand on the seashore. 7:13 When Gideon arrived, he heard a man telling another man about a dream he had. 194 The man 195 said, “Look! I had a dream. I saw 196 a stale cake of barley bread rolling into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent so hard it knocked it over and turned it upside down. The tent just collapsed.” 197 7:14 The other man said, 198 “Without a doubt this symbolizes 199 the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God is handing Midian and all the army over to him.”
7:15 When Gideon heard the report of the dream and its interpretation, he praised God. 200 Then he went back to the Israelite camp and said, “Get up, for the Lord is handing the Midianite army over to you!” 7:16 He divided the three hundred men into three units. 201 He gave them all trumpets and empty jars with torches inside them. 202 7:17 He said to them, “Watch me and do as I do. Watch closely! 203 I am going to the edge of the camp. Do as I do! 7:18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, you also blow your trumpets all around the camp. Then say, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’”
7:19 Gideon took a hundred men to the edge of the camp 204 at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guards. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars they were carrying. 205 7:20 All three units blew their trumpets and broke their jars. They held the torches in their left hand and the trumpets in their right. 206 Then they yelled, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 7:21 They stood in order 207 all around the camp. The whole army ran away; they shouted as they scrambled away. 208 7:22 When the three hundred men blew their trumpets, the Lord caused the Midianites to attack one another with their swords 209 throughout 210 the camp. The army fled to Beth Shittah on the way to Zererah. They went 211 to the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 7:23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh answered the call and chased the Midianites. 212
7:24 Now Gideon sent messengers throughout the Ephraimite hill country who announced, “Go down and head off the Midianites. 213 Take control of the fords of the streams 214 all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan River.” 215 When all the Ephraimites had assembled, 216 they took control of the fords 217 all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan River. 7:25 They captured the two Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb. 218 They executed Oreb on the rock of Oreb and Zeeb 219 in the winepress of Zeeb. They chased the Midianites 220 and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was now on the other side of the Jordan River. 221
8:1 The Ephraimites said to him, “Why have you done such a thing to us? You did not summon us 222 when you went to fight the Midianites!” They argued vehemently with him. 8:2 He said to them, “Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Even Ephraim’s leftover grapes 223 are better quality than Abiezer’s harvest! 224 8:3 It was to you that God handed over the Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb! What did I accomplish to rival that?” 225 When he said this, they calmed down. 226
8:4 Now Gideon and his three hundred men had crossed over the Jordan River, and even though they were exhausted, they were still chasing the Midianites. 227 8:5 He said to the men of Succoth, “Give 228 some loaves of bread to the men 229 who are following me, 230 because they are exhausted. I am chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 8:6 The officials of Succoth said, “You have not yet overpowered Zebah and Zalmunna. So why should we give 231 bread to your army?” 232 8:7 Gideon said, “Since you will not help, 233 after the Lord hands Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I will thresh 234 your skin 235 with 236 desert thorns and briers.” 8:8 He went up from there to Penuel and made the same request. 237 The men of Penuel responded the same way the men of Succoth had. 238 8:9 He also threatened 239 the men of Penuel, warning, 240 “When I return victoriously, 241 I will tear down this tower.”
8:10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their armies. There were about fifteen thousand survivors from the army of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand sword-wielding soldiers had been killed. 242 8:11 Gideon went up the road of the nomads 243 east of Nobah and Jogbehah and ambushed the surprised army. 244 8:12 When Zebah and Zalmunna ran away, Gideon 245 chased them and captured the two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. He had surprised 246 their entire army.
8:13 Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by the pass 247 of Heres. 8:14 He captured a young man from Succoth 248 and interrogated him. The young man wrote down for him the names of Succoth’s officials and city leaders – seventy-seven men in all. 249 8:15 He approached the men of Succoth and said, “Look what I have! 250 Zebah and Zalmunna! You insulted me, saying, ‘You have not yet overpowered Zebah and Zalmunna. So why should we give bread to your exhausted men?’” 251 8:16 He seized the leaders 252 of the city, along with some desert thorns and briers; he then “threshed” the men of Succoth with them. 253 8:17 He also tore down the tower of Penuel and executed the city’s men.
8:18 He said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “Describe for me 254 the men you killed at Tabor.” They said, “They were like you. Each one looked like a king’s son.” 255 8:19 He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. I swear, 256 as surely as the Lord is alive, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.” 8:20 He ordered Jether his firstborn son, “Come on! 257 Kill them!” But Jether was too afraid to draw his sword, 258 because he was still young. 8:21 Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, 259 “Come on, 260 you strike us, for a man is judged by his strength.” 261 So Gideon killed 262 Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent-shaped ornaments which were on the necks of their camels.
8:22 The men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us – you, your son, and your grandson. For you have delivered us from Midian’s power.” 263 8:23 Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” 8:24 Gideon continued, 264 “I would like to make one request. Each of you give me an earring from the plunder you have taken.” 265 (The Midianites 266 had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.) 8:25 They said, “We are happy to give you earrings.” 267 So they 268 spread out a garment, and each one threw an earring from his plunder onto it. 8:26 The total weight of the gold earrings he requested came to seventeen hundred gold shekels. 269 This was in addition to the crescent-shaped ornaments, jewelry, 270 purple clothing worn by the Midianite kings, and the necklaces on the camels. 271 8:27 Gideon used all this to make 272 an ephod, 273 which he put in his hometown of Ophrah. All the Israelites 274 prostituted themselves to it by worshiping it 275 there. It became a snare to Gideon and his family.
8:28 The Israelites humiliated Midian; the Midianites’ fighting spirit was broken. 276 The land had rest for forty years during Gideon’s time. 277 8:29 Then Jerub-Baal son of Joash went home and settled down. 278 8:30 Gideon fathered seventy sons through his many wives. 279 8:31 His concubine, 280 who lived in Shechem, also gave him a son, whom he named Abimelech. 281 8:32 Gideon son of Joash died at a very 282 old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash located in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
8:33 After Gideon died, the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They made Baal-Berith 283 their god. 8:34 The Israelites did not remain true 284 to the Lord their God, who had delivered them from all the enemies who lived around them. 8:35 They did not treat 285 the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) fairly in return for all the good he had done for Israel.
9:1 Now Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to Shechem to see his mother’s relatives. 286 He said to them and to his mother’s entire extended family, 287 9:2 “Tell 288 all the leaders of Shechem this: ‘Why would you want 289 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.’” 290 9:3 His mother’s relatives 291 spoke on his behalf to 292 all the leaders of Shechem and reported his proposal. 293 The leaders were drawn to Abimelech; 294 they said, “He is our close relative.” 295 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 296 men as his followers. 297 9:5 He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and murdered his half-brothers, 298 the seventy legitimate 299 sons of Jerub-Baal, on one stone. Only Jotham, Jerub-Baal’s youngest son, escaped, 300 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 301 in Shechem.
9:7 When Jotham heard the news, 302 he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim. He spoke loudly to the people below, 303 “Listen to me, leaders of Shechem, so that God may listen to you!
9:8 “The trees were determined to go out 304 and choose a king for themselves. 305 They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king!’ 306 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!’ 307
9:10 “So the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and be our king!’ 308 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!’ 309
9:12 “So the trees said to the grapevine, ‘You come and be our king!’ 310 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!’ 311
9:14 “So all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘You come and be our king!’ 312 9:15 The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to choose 313 me as your king, then come along, find safety under my branches! 314 Otherwise 315 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, 316 if you have properly repaid him 317 – 9:17 my father fought for you; he risked his life 318 and delivered you from Midian’s power. 319 9:18 But you have attacked 320 my father’s family 321 today. You murdered his seventy legitimate 322 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. 323 9:19 So if you have shown loyalty and integrity to Jerub-Baal and his family 324 today, then may Abimelech bring you happiness and may you bring him happiness! 325 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 326 to Beer and lived there to escape from 327 Abimelech his half-brother. 328
9:22 Abimelech commanded 329 Israel for three years. 9:23 God sent a spirit to stir up hostility 330 between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. He made the leaders of Shechem disloyal 331 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 332 who murdered them, might have to pay for their spilled blood, along with the leaders of Shechem who helped him murder them. 333 9:25 The leaders of Shechem rebelled against Abimelech by putting 334 bandits in 335 the hills, who robbed everyone who traveled by on the road. But Abimelech found out about it. 336
9:26 Gaal son of Ebed 337 came through Shechem with his brothers. The leaders of Shechem transferred their loyalty to him. 338 9:27 They went out to the field, harvested their grapes, 339 squeezed out the juice, 340 and celebrated. They came to the temple 341 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? 342 Serve the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem! But why should we serve Abimelech? 343 9:29 If only these men 344 were under my command, 345 I would get rid of Abimelech!” He challenged Abimelech, 346 “Muster 347 your army and come out for battle!” 348
9:30 When Zebul, the city commissioner, heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, he was furious. 349 9:31 He sent messengers to Abimelech, who was in Arumah, 350 reporting, “Beware! 351 Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers are coming 352 to Shechem and inciting the city to rebel against you. 353 9:32 Now, come up 354 at night with your men 355 and set an ambush in the field outside the city. 356 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.” 357
9:34 So Abimelech and all his men came up 358 at night and set an ambush outside Shechem – they divided into 359 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 360 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.” 361 9:37 Gaal again said, “Look, men are coming down from the very center 362 of the land. A unit 363 is coming by way of the Oak Tree of the Diviners.” 364 9:38 Zebul said to him, “Where now are your bragging words, 365 ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Are these not the men 366 you insulted? 367 Go out now and fight them!” 9:39 So Gaal led the leaders of Shechem out 368 and fought Abimelech. 9:40 Abimelech chased him, and Gaal 369 ran from him. Many Shechemites 370 fell wounded at the entrance of the gate. 9:41 Abimelech went back 371 to Arumah; Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem. 372
9:42 The next day the Shechemites 373 came out to the field. When Abimelech heard about it, 374 9:43 he took his men 375 and divided them into three units and set an ambush in the field. When he saw the people coming out of the city, 376 he attacked and struck them down. 377 9:44 Abimelech and his units 378 attacked and blocked 379 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 380 the city and spread salt over it. 381
9:46 When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem 382 heard the news, they went to the stronghold 383 of the temple of El-Berith. 384 9:47 Abimelech heard 385 that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were in one place. 386 9:48 He and all his men 387 went up on Mount Zalmon. He 388 took an ax 389 in his hand and cut off a tree branch. He put it 390 on his shoulder and said to his men, “Quickly, do what you have just seen me do!” 391 9:49 So each of his men also cut off a branch and followed Abimelech. They put the branches 392 against the stronghold and set fire to it. 393 All the people 394 of the Tower of Shechem died – about a thousand men and women.
9:50 Abimelech moved on 395 to Thebez; he besieged and captured it. 396 9:51 There was a fortified 397 tower 398 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 399 down on his 400 head and shattered his skull. 9:54 He quickly called to the young man who carried his weapons, 401 “Draw your sword and kill me, so they will not say, 402 ‘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. 403
9:56 God repaid Abimelech for the evil he did to his father by murdering his seventy half-brothers. 404 9:57 God also repaid the men of Shechem for their evil deeds. The curse spoken by Jotham son of Jerub-Baal fell 405 on them.
10:1 After Abimelech’s death, 406 Tola son of Puah, grandson 407 of Dodo, from the tribe of Issachar, 408 rose up to deliver Israel. He lived in Shamir in the Ephraimite hill country. 10:2 He led 409 Israel for twenty-three years, then died and was buried in Shamir.
10:3 Jair the Gileadite rose up after him; he led Israel for twenty-two years. 10:4 He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys and possessed thirty cities. To this day these towns are called Havvoth Jair 410 – they are in the land of Gilead. 411 10:5 Jair died and was buried in Kamon.
10:6 The Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight. 412 They worshiped 413 the Baals and the Ashtars, 414 as well as the gods of Syria, Sidon, 415 Moab, the Ammonites, and the Philistines. 416 They abandoned the Lord and did not worship 417 him. 10:7 The Lord was furious with Israel 418 and turned them over to 419 the Philistines and Ammonites. 10:8 They ruthlessly oppressed 420 the Israelites that eighteenth year 421 – that is, all the Israelites living east of the Jordan in Amorite country in Gilead. 10:9 The Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight with Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim. 422 Israel suffered greatly. 423
10:10 The Israelites cried out for help to the Lord: “We have sinned against you. We abandoned our God and worshiped 424 the Baals.” 10:11 The Lord said to the Israelites, “Did I not deliver you from Egypt, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, 10:12 the Sidonians, Amalek, and Midian 425 when they oppressed you? 426 You cried out for help to me, and I delivered you from their power. 427 10:13 But since you abandoned me and worshiped 428 other gods, I will not deliver you again. 10:14 Go and cry for help to the gods you have chosen! Let them deliver you from trouble!” 429 10:15 But the Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. You do to us as you see fit, 430 but deliver us today!” 431 10:16 They threw away the foreign gods they owned 432 and worshiped 433 the Lord. Finally the Lord grew tired of seeing Israel suffer so much. 434
10:17 The Ammonites assembled 435 and camped in Gilead; the Israelites gathered together and camped in Mizpah. 10:18 The leaders 436 of Gilead said to one another, “Who is willing to lead the charge 437 against the Ammonites? He will become the leader of all who live in Gilead!”
11:1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a brave warrior. His mother was a prostitute, but Gilead was his father. 438 11:2 Gilead’s wife also gave 439 him sons. When his wife’s sons grew up, they made Jephthah leave and said to him, “You are not going to inherit any of our father’s wealth, 440 because you are another woman’s son.” 11:3 So Jephthah left 441 his half-brothers 442 and lived in the land of Tob. Lawless men joined Jephthah’s gang and traveled with him. 443
11:4 It was some time after this when the Ammonites fought with Israel. 11:5 When the Ammonites attacked, 444 the leaders 445 of Gilead asked Jephthah to come back 446 from the land of Tob. 11:6 They said, 447 “Come, be our commander, so we can fight with the Ammonites.” 11:7 Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, “But you hated me and made me leave 448 my father’s house. Why do you come to me now, when you are in trouble?” 11:8 The leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That may be true, 449 but now we pledge to you our loyalty. 450 Come with us and fight with the Ammonites. Then you will become the leader 451 of all who live in Gilead.” 452 11:9 Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, “All right! 453 If you take me back to fight with the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me, 454 I will be your leader.” 455 11:10 The leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The Lord will judge any grievance you have against us, 456 if we do not do as you say.” 457 11:11 So Jephthah went with the leaders of Gilead. The people made him their leader and commander. Jephthah repeated the terms of the agreement 458 before the Lord in Mizpah.
11:12 Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king, saying, “Why have 459 you come against me to attack my land?” 11:13 The Ammonite king said to Jephthah’s messengers, “Because Israel stole 460 my land when they 461 came up from Egypt – from the Arnon River in the south to the Jabbok River in the north, and as far west as the Jordan. 462 Now return it 463 peaceably!”
11:14 Jephthah sent messengers back to the Ammonite king 11:15 and said to him, “This is what Jephthah says, ‘Israel did not steal 464 the land of Moab and the land of the Ammonites. 11:16 When they left 465 Egypt, Israel traveled 466 through the desert as far as the Red Sea and then came to Kadesh. 11:17 Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please allow us 467 to pass through your land.” But the king of Edom rejected the request. 468 Israel sent the same request to the king of Moab, but he was unwilling to cooperate. 469 So Israel stayed at Kadesh. 11:18 Then Israel 470 went through the desert and bypassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab. They traveled east of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon River; 471 they did not go through Moabite territory (the Arnon was Moab’s border). 11:19 Israel sent messengers to King Sihon, the Amorite king who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, “Please allow us to pass through your land to our land.” 472 11:20 But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. He 473 assembled his whole army, 474 camped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel. 11:21 The Lord God of Israel handed Sihon and his whole army over to Israel and they defeated them. Israel took 475 all the land of the Amorites who lived in that land. 11:22 They took all the Amorite territory from the Arnon River on the south to the Jabbok River on the north, from the desert in the east to the Jordan in the west. 476 11:23 Since 477 the Lord God of Israel has driven out 478 the Amorites before his people Israel, do you think you can just take it from them? 479 11:24 You have the right to take what Chemosh your god gives you, but we will take the land of all whom the Lord our God has driven out before us. 480 11:25 Are you really better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he dare to quarrel with Israel? Did he dare to fight with them? 481 11:26 Israel has been living in Heshbon and its nearby towns, in Aroer and its nearby towns, and in all the cities along the Arnon for three hundred years! Why did you not reclaim them during that time? 11:27 I have not done you wrong, 482 but you are doing wrong 483 by attacking me. May the Lord, the Judge, judge this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites!’” 11:28 But the Ammonite king disregarded 484 the message sent by Jephthah. 485
11:29 The Lord’s spirit empowered 486 Jephthah. He passed through Gilead and Manasseh and went 487 to Mizpah in Gilead. From there he approached the Ammonites. 488 11:30 Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, saying, “If you really do hand the Ammonites over to me, 11:31 then whoever is the first to come through 489 the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from fighting the Ammonites – he 490 will belong to the Lord and 491 I will offer him up as a burnt sacrifice.” 11:32 Jephthah approached 492 the Ammonites to fight with them, and the Lord handed them over to him. 11:33 He defeated them from Aroer all the way to Minnith – twenty cities in all, even as far as Abel Keramim! He wiped them out! 493 The Israelites humiliated the Ammonites. 494
11:34 When Jephthah came home to Mizpah, there was his daughter hurrying out 495 to meet him, dancing to the rhythm of tambourines. 496 She was his only child; except for her he had no son or daughter. 11:35 When he saw her, he ripped his clothes and said, “Oh no! My daughter! You have completely ruined me! 497 You have brought me disaster! 498 I made an oath to the Lord, and I cannot break it.” 499 11:36 She said to him, “My father, since 500 you made an oath to the Lord, do to me as you promised. 501 After all, the Lord vindicated you before 502 your enemies, the Ammonites.” 11:37 She then said to her father, “Please grant me this one wish. 503 For two months allow me to walk through the hills with my friends and mourn my virginity.” 504 11:38 He said, “You may go.” He permitted her to leave 505 for two months. She went with her friends and mourned her virginity as she walked through the hills. 506 11:39 After two months she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. She died a virgin. 507 Her tragic death gave rise to a custom in Israel. 508 11:40 Every year 509 Israelite women commemorate 510 the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days. 511
12:1 The Ephraimites assembled 512 and crossed over to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why did you go and fight 513 with the Ammonites without asking 514 us to go with you? We will burn your house down right over you!” 515
12:2 Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were entangled in controversy with the Ammonites. 516 I asked for your help, but you did not deliver me from their power. 517 12:3 When I saw that you were not going to help, 518 I risked my life 519 and advanced against 520 the Ammonites, and the Lord handed them over to me. Why have you come up 521 to fight with me today?” 12:4 Jephthah assembled all the men of Gilead and they fought with Ephraim. The men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because the Ephraimites insulted them, saying, 522 “You Gileadites are refugees in Ephraim, living within Ephraim’s and Manasseh’s territory.” 523 12:5 The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan River 524 opposite Ephraim. 525 Whenever an Ephraimite fugitive 526 said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead asked 527 him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,” 12:6 then they said to him, “Say ‘Shibboleth!’” 528 If he said, “Sibboleth” (and could not pronounce the word 529 correctly), they grabbed him and executed him right there at the fords of the Jordan. On that day forty-two thousand Ephraimites fell dead. 12:7 Jephthah led 530 Israel for six years; then he 531 died and was buried in his city in Gilead. 532
12:8 After him Ibzan of Bethlehem 533 led 534 Israel. 12:9 He had thirty sons. He arranged for thirty of his daughters to be married outside his extended family, 535 and he arranged for thirty young women to be brought from outside as wives for his sons. 536 Ibzan 537 led 538 Israel for seven years; 12:10 then he 539 died and was buried in Bethlehem.
12:11 After him Elon the Zebulunite led 540 Israel for ten years. 541 12:12 Then Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.
12:13 After him Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite led 542 Israel. 12:14 He had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy donkeys. He led Israel for eight years. 12:15 Then Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.
Hakim-hakim 1:1-36
Konteks1:1 After Joshua died, the Israelites asked 543 the Lord, “Who should lead the invasion against the Canaanites and launch the attack?” 544 1:2 The Lord said, “The men of Judah should take the lead. 545 Be sure of this! I am handing the land over to them.” 546 1:3 The men of Judah said to their relatives, the men of Simeon, 547 “Invade our allotted land with us and help us attack the Canaanites. 548 Then we 549 will go with you into your allotted land.” So the men of Simeon went with them.
1:4 The men of Judah attacked, 550 and the Lord handed the Canaanites and Perizzites over to them. They killed ten thousand men at Bezek. 1:5 They met 551 Adoni-Bezek at Bezek and fought him. They defeated the Canaanites and Perizzites. 1:6 When Adoni-Bezek ran away, they chased him and captured him. Then they cut off his thumbs and big toes. 1:7 Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings, with thumbs and big toes cut off, used to lick up 552 food scraps 553 under my table. God has repaid me for what I did to them.” 554 They brought him to Jerusalem, 555 where he died. 1:8 The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and captured it. They put the sword to it and set the city on fire.
1:9 Later the men of Judah went down to attack the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev, and the lowlands. 556 1:10 The men of Judah attacked the Canaanites living in Hebron. (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba.) They killed Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. 1:11 From there they attacked the people of Debir. 557 (Debir used to be called Kiriath Sepher.) 1:12 Caleb said, “To the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher I will give my daughter Acsah as a wife.” 1:13 When Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, 558 captured it, Caleb 559 gave him his daughter Acsah as a wife.
1:14 One time Acsah 560 came and charmed her father 561 so she could ask him for some land. When she got down from her donkey, Caleb said to her, “What would you like?” 1:15 She answered, “Please give me a special present. 562 Since you have given me land in the Negev, now give me springs of water.” So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs. 563
1:16 Now the descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the City of Date Palm Trees to Arad in the desert of Judah, 564 located in the Negev. 565 They went and lived with the people of Judah. 566
1:17 The men of Judah went with their brothers the men of Simeon 567 and defeated the Canaanites living in Zephath. They wiped out Zephath. 568 So people now call the city Hormah. 569 1:18 The men of Judah captured Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, and the territory surrounding each of these cities. 570
1:19 The Lord was with the men of Judah. They conquered 571 the hill country, but they could not 572 conquer the people living in the coastal plain, because they had chariots with iron-rimmed wheels. 573 1:20 Caleb received 574 Hebron, just as Moses had promised. He drove out the three Anakites. 1:21 The men of Benjamin, however, did not conquer the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. 575 The Jebusites live with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this very day. 576
1:22 When the men 577 of Joseph attacked 578 Bethel, 579 the Lord was with them. 1:23 When the men of Joseph spied out Bethel (it used to be called Luz), 1:24 the spies spotted 580 a man leaving the city. They said to him, “If you show us a secret entrance into the city, we will reward you.” 1:25 He showed them a secret entrance into the city, and they put the city to the sword. But they let the man and his extended family leave safely. 1:26 He 581 moved to Hittite country and built a city. He named it Luz, and it has kept that name to this very day.
1:27 The men of Manasseh did not conquer Beth Shan, Taanach, or their surrounding towns. Nor did they conquer the people living in Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo 582 or their surrounding towns. 583 The Canaanites managed 584 to remain in those areas. 585 1:28 Whenever Israel was strong militarily, they forced the Canaanites to do hard labor, but they never totally conquered them.
1:29 The men of Ephraim did not conquer the Canaanites living in Gezer. The Canaanites lived among them in Gezer.
1:30 The men of Zebulun did not conquer the people living in Kitron and Nahalol. 586 The Canaanites lived among them and were forced to do hard labor.
1:31 The men of Asher did not conquer the people living in Acco or Sidon, 587 nor did they conquer Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphek, or Rehob. 588 1:32 The people of Asher live among the Canaanites residing in the land because they did not conquer them.
1:33 The men of Naphtali did not conquer the people living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath. 589 They live among the Canaanites residing in the land. The Canaanites 590 living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were forced to do hard labor for them.
1:34 The Amorites forced the people of Dan to live in the hill country. They did not allow them to live in 591 the coastal plain. 1:35 The Amorites managed 592 to remain in Har Heres, 593 Aijalon, and Shaalbim. Whenever the tribe of Joseph was strong militarily, 594 the Amorites were forced to do hard labor. 1:36 The border of Amorite territory ran from the Scorpion Ascent 595 to Sela and on up. 596
Hakim-hakim 14:1-20
Konteks14:1 Samson went down to Timnah, where a Philistine girl caught his eye. 597 14:2 When he got home, 598 he told his father and mother, “A Philistine girl in Timnah has caught my eye. 599 Now get her for my wife.” 14:3 But his father and mother said to him, “Certainly you can find a wife among your relatives or among all our 600 people! You should not have to go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines.” 601 But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, 602 because she is the right one for me.” 603 14:4 Now his father and mother did not realize this was the Lord’s doing, 604 because he was looking for an opportunity to stir up trouble with the Philistines 605 (for at that time the Philistines were ruling Israel).
14:5 Samson went down to Timnah. When he approached 606 the vineyards of Timnah, he saw a roaring young lion attacking him. 607 14:6 The Lord’s spirit empowered 608 him and he tore the lion 609 in two with his bare hands 610 as easily as one would tear a young goat. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.
14:7 Samson continued on down to Timnah 611 and spoke to the girl. In his opinion, she was just the right one. 612 14:8 Some time later, when he went back to marry 613 her, he turned aside to see the lion’s remains. He saw 614 a swarm of bees in the lion’s carcass, as well as some honey. 14:9 He scooped it up with his hands and ate it as he walked along. When he returned 615 to his father and mother, he offered them some and they ate it. But he did not tell them he had scooped the honey out of the lion’s carcass. 616
14:10 Then Samson’s father accompanied him to Timnah for the marriage. 617 Samson hosted a party 618 there, for this was customary for bridegrooms 619 to do. 14:11 When the Philistines saw he had no attendants, they gave him thirty groomsmen who kept him company. 620 14:12 Samson said to them, “I will give you a riddle. If you really can solve it during the seven days the party lasts, 621 I will give you thirty linen robes and thirty sets 622 of clothes. 14:13 But if you cannot solve it, 623 you will give me thirty linen robes and thirty sets of clothes.” They said to him, “Let us hear your riddle.” 624 14:14 He said to them,
“Out of the one who eats came something to eat;
out of the strong one came something sweet.”
They could not solve the riddle for three days.
14:15 On the fourth 625 day they said to Samson’s bride, “Trick your husband into giving the solution to the riddle. 626 If you refuse, 627 we will burn up 628 you and your father’s family. 629 Did you invite us here 630 to make us poor?” 631 14:16 So Samson’s bride cried on his shoulder 632 and said, “You must 633 hate me; you do not love me! You told the young men 634 a riddle, but you have not told me the solution.” He said to her, “Look, I have not even told my father or mother. Do you really expect me to tell you?” 635 14:17 She cried on his shoulder 636 until the party was almost over. 637 Finally, on the seventh day, he told her because she had nagged him so much. 638 Then she told the young men the solution to the riddle. 639 14:18 On the seventh day, before the sun set, the men of the city said to him,
“What is sweeter than honey?
What is stronger than a lion?”
He said to them,
“If you had not plowed with my heifer, 640
you would not have solved my riddle!”
14:19 The Lord’s spirit empowered him. He went down to Ashkelon and murdered thirty men. He took their clothes 641 and gave them 642 to the men who had solved the riddle. He was furious as he went back home. 643 14:20 Samson’s bride was then given to his best man. 644
[1:1] 1 tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
[1:1] 2 tc The earliest and most important
[1:1] map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.
[1:1] 3 tn Grk “and faithful.” The construction in Greek (as well as Paul’s style [and even if this letter is not by Paul it follows the general style of Paul’s letters, with some modifications]) suggests that the saints are identical to the faithful; hence, the καί (kai) is best left untranslated. See M. Barth, Ephesians (AB 34), 1:68 and ExSyn 282.
[1:2] 4 tn Grk “Grace to you and peace.”
[1:3] 5 sn Eph 1:3-14 comprises one long sentence in Greek, with three major sections. Each section ends with a note of praise for God (vv. 6, 12, 14), focusing on a different member of the Trinity. After an opening summary of all the saints’ spiritual blessings (v. 3), the first section (vv. 4-6) offers up praise that the Father has chosen us in eternity past; the second section (vv. 7-12) offers up praise that the Son has redeemed us in the historical past (i.e., at the cross); the third section (vv. 13-14) offers up praise that the Holy Spirit has sealed us in our personal past, at the point of conversion.
[1:3] 6 tn There is no verb in the Greek text; either the optative (“be”) or the indicative (“is”) can be supplied. The meaning of the term εὐλογητός (euloghtos), the author’s intention at this point in the epistle, and the literary genre of this material must all come into play to determine which is the preferred nuance. εὐλογητός as an adjective can mean either that one is praised or that one is blessed, that is, in a place of favor and benefit. The meaning “blessed” would be more naturally paired with an indicative verb here and would suggest that blessedness is an intrinsic part of God’s character. The meaning “praised” would be more naturally paired with an optative verb here and would suggest that God ought to be praised. Pauline style in the epistles generally moves from statements to obligations, expressing the reality first and then the believer’s necessary response, which would favor the indicative. However, many scholars regard Eph 1:3-14 as a berakah psalm (cf. A. T. Lincoln, Ephesians [WBC], 10-11). Rooted in the OT and Jewish worship, berakah psalms were songs of praise in which the worshiper gave praise to God; this would favor the optative (although not all scholars are agreed on this genre classification here; see H. W. Hoehner, Ephesians, 153-59, for discussion and an alternate conclusion). When considered as a whole, although a decision is difficult, the indicative seems to fit all the factors better. The author seems to be pointing to who God is and what he has done for believers in this section; the indicative more naturally fits that emphasis. Cf. also 2 Cor 1:3; 1 Pet 1:3.
[1:3] 7 tn Or “enriched,” “conferred blessing.”
[1:4] 8 tn Grk “just as.” Eph 1:3-14 are one long sentence in Greek that must be broken up in English translation. Verse 4 expresses the reason why God the Father is blessed (cf. BDAG 494 s.v. καθώς 3).
[1:4] 10 sn The Greek word translated unblemished (ἀμώμους, amwmous) is often used of an acceptable paschal lamb. Christ, as our paschal lamb, is also said to be unblemished (Heb 9:14; 1 Pet 1:19). Since believers are in Christ, God views them positionally and will make them ultimately without blemish as well (Jude 24; Eph 5:27; Col 1:22).
[1:4] 12 tn The prepositional phrase ἐν ἀγάπῃ (en agaph, “in love”) may modify one of three words or phrases: (1) “chose,” (2) “holy and unblemished,” both in v. 4, or (3) “by predestining” in v. 5. If it modifies “chose,” it refers to God’s motivation in that election, but this option is unlikely because of the placement of the prepositional phrase far away from the verb. The other two options are more likely. If it modifies “holy and unblemished,” it specifies that our holiness cannot be divorced from love. This view is in keeping with the author’s use of ἀγάπη to refer often to human love in Ephesians, but the placement of the prepositional phrase not immediately following the words it modifies would be slightly awkward. If it modifies “by predestining” (v. 5), again the motivation of God’s choice is love. This would fit the focus of the passage on God’s gracious actions toward believers, but it could be considered slightly redundant in that God’s predestination itself proves his love.
[1:5] 13 tn Grk “by predestining.” Verse 5 begins with an aorist participle dependent on the main verb in v. 4 (“chose”).
[1:5] sn By predestining. The aorist participle may be translated either causally (“because he predestined,” “having predestined”) or instrumentally (“by predestining”). A causal nuance would suggest that God’s predestination of certain individuals prompted his choice of them. An instrumental nuance would suggest that the means by which God’s choice was accomplished was by predestination. The instrumental view is somewhat more likely in light of normal Greek syntax (i.e., an aorist participle following an aorist main verb is more likely to be instrumental than causal).
[1:5] 14 tn Grk “to himself” after “through Jesus Christ.”
[1:5] 15 tn The Greek term υἱοθεσία (Juioqesia) was originally a legal technical term for adoption as a son with full rights of inheritance. BDAG 1024 s.v. notes, “a legal t.t. of ‘adoption’ of children, in our lit., i.e. in Paul, only in a transferred sense of a transcendent filial relationship between God and humans (with the legal aspect, not gender specificity, as major semantic component).” Although some modern translations remove the filial sense completely and render the term merely “adoption” (cf. NAB, ESV), the retention of this component of meaning was accomplished in the present translation by the phrase “as…sons.”
[1:5] sn Adoption as his sons is different from spiritual birth as children. All true believers have been born as children of God and will be adopted as sons of God. The adoption is both a future reality, and in some sense, already true. To be adopted as a son means to have the full rights of an heir. Thus, although in the ancient world, only boys could be adopted as sons, in God’s family all children – both male and female – are adopted.
[1:5] 16 tn Or “good pleasure.”
[1:6] 17 tn Or “to the praise of his glorious grace.” Many translations translate δόξης τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ (doxh" th" carito" autou, literally “of the glory of his grace”) with τῆς χάριτος as an attributed genitive (cf., e.g., NIV, NRSV, ESV). The translation above has retained a literal rendering in order to make clear the relationship of this phrase to the other two similar phrases in v. 12 and 14, which affect the way one divides the material in the passage.
[1:6] 18 tn Grk “the beloved.” The term ἠγαπημένῳ (hgaphmenw) means “beloved,” but often bears connotations of “only beloved” in an exclusive sense. “His dearly loved Son” picks up this connotation.
[1:6] sn God’s grace can be poured out on believers only because of what Christ has done for them. Hence, he bestows his grace on us because we are in his dearly loved Son.
[1:7] 19 tn Grk “in whom” (the relative clause of v. 7 is subordinate to v. 6). The “him” refers to Christ.
[1:7] 20 sn In this context his blood, the blood of Jesus Christ, refers to the price paid for believers’ redemption, which is the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross.
[1:9] 21 tn Or “He did this by revealing”; Grk “making known, revealing.” Verse 9 begins with a participle dependent on “lavished” in v. 8; the adverbial participle could be understood as temporal (“when he revealed”), which would be contemporaneous to the action of the finite verb “lavished,” or as means (“by revealing”). The participle has been translated here with the temporal nuance to allow for means to also be a possible interpretation. If the translation focused instead upon means, the temporal nuance would be lost as the time frame for the action of the participle would become indistinct.
[1:9] 22 tn Or “mystery.” In the NT μυστήριον (musthrion) refers to a divine secret previously undisclosed.
[1:9] 23 tn Or “purposed,” “publicly displayed.” Cf. Rom 3:25.
[1:9] 24 tn Grk “in him”; the referent (Christ) has been specified in the translation for the sake of clarity.
[1:9] sn In Christ. KJV has “in himself” as though the antecedent were God the Father. Although possible, the notion of the verb set forth (Greek προτίθημι, protiqhmi) implies a plan that is carried out in history (cf. Rom 1:13; 3:25) and thus more likely refers to Christ.
[1:10] 25 tn The precise meaning of the infinitive ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι (anakefalaiwsasqai) in v. 10 is difficult to determine since it was used relatively infrequently in Greek literature and only twice in the NT (here and Rom 13:9). While there have been several suggestions, three deserve mention: (1) “To sum up.” In Rom 13:9, using the same term, the author there says that the law may be “summarized in one command, to love your neighbor as yourself.” The idea then in Eph 1:10 would be that all things in heaven and on earth can be summed up and made sense out of in relation to Christ. (2) “To renew.” If this is the nuance of the verb then all things in heaven and earth, after their plunge into sin and ruin, are renewed by the coming of Christ and his redemption. (3) “To head up.” In this translation the idea is that Christ, in the fullness of the times, has been exalted so as to be appointed as the ruler (i.e., “head”) over all things in heaven and earth (including the church). That this is perhaps the best understanding of the verb is evidenced by the repeated theme of Christ’s exaltation and reign in Ephesians and by the connection to the κεφαλή- (kefalh-) language of 1:22 (cf. Schlier, TDNT 3:682; L&N 63.8; M. Barth, Ephesians [AB 34], 1:89-92; contra A. T. Lincoln, Ephesians [WBC], 32-33).
[1:10] 26 tn Grk “the heavens.”
[1:10] 27 sn And the things on earth. Verse 10 ends with “in him.” The redundancy keeps the focus on Christ at the expense of good Greek style. Verse 11 repeats the reference with a relative pronoun (“in whom”) – again, at the expense of good Greek style. Although the syntax is awkward, the theology is rich. This is not the first time that a NT writer was so overcome with awe for his Lord that he seems to have lost control of his pen. Indeed, it happened frequently enough that some have labeled their christologically motivated solecisms an “apostolic disease.”
[1:11] 28 tn Grk “in whom,” as a continuation of the previous verse.
[1:11] 29 tn Grk “we were appointed by lot.” The notion of the verb κληρόω (klhrow) in the OT was to “appoint a portion by lot” (the more frequent cognate verb κληρονομέω [klhronomew] meant “obtain a portion by lot”). In the passive, as here, the idea is that “we were appointed [as a portion] by lot” (BDAG 548 s.v. κληρόω 1). The words “God’s own” have been supplied in the translation to clarify this sense of the verb. An alternative interpretation is that believers receive a portion as an inheritance: “In Christ we too have been appointed a portion of the inheritance.” See H. W. Hoehner, Ephesians, 226-27, for discussion on this interpretive issue.
[1:11] sn God’s own possession. Although God is not mentioned explicitly in the Greek text, it is clear from the context that he has chosen believers for himself. Just as with the nation Israel, the church is God’s chosen portion or possession (cf. Deut 32:8-9).
[1:12] 30 tn Or “who had already hoped.”
[1:12] 31 tn Or “the Messiah.”
[1:13] 32 tn Grk “in whom you also, when…” (continuing the sentence from v. 12).
[1:13] 33 tn Grk “in whom also having believed.” The relative pronoun “whom” has been replaced in the translation with its antecedent (“Christ”) to improve the clarity.
[1:13] 34 tn Or “you were sealed.”
[1:13] 35 tn Grk “the Holy Spirit of promise.” Here ἐπαγγελίας (epangelias, “of promise”) has been translated as an attributive genitive.
[1:14] 36 tn Or “first installment,” “pledge,” “deposit.”
[1:14] sn Down payment. The Greek word ἀρραβών (arrabwn) denotes the first payment or first installment of money or goods which serves as a guarantee or pledge for the completion of the transaction. In the NT the term is used only figuratively of the Holy Spirit as the down payment of the blessings promised by God (it is used also in 2 Cor 1:22 and 5:5). In the “already – not yet” scheme of the NT the possession of the Spirit now by believers (“already”) can be viewed as a guarantee that God will give them the balance of the promised blessings in the future (“not yet”).
[1:14] 37 tn Grk “the possession.”
[1:15] 38 sn The conjunctive phrase For this reason points back to the preceding section, vv. 3-14, which is also summed up in this verse in the expression because I have heard of your faith. In other words, the author’s prayer can be made for his audience because he knows that they are true believers.
[1:15] 40 tn Grk “having also heard.”
[1:15] 41 tc Ì46 א* A B P 33 1739 1881 2464 Hier lack “your love” (τὴν ἀγάπην, thn agaphn), while various other groups of
[1:16] 42 tn Grk “making mention [of you].”
[1:17] 43 tn The words “I pray” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied to clarify the meaning; v. 17 is a subordinate clause to v. 16 (“I pray” in v. 17 is implied from v. 16). Eph 1:15-23 constitutes one sentence in Greek, but a new sentence was started here in the translation in light of contemporary English usage.
[1:17] 44 tn Or “glorious Father.” The genitive phrase “of glory” is most likely an attributive genitive. The literal translation “Father of glory” has been retained because of the parallelism with the first line of the verse: “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory.”
[1:17] 45 tn Or “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation,” or “a spirit of wisdom and revelation.” Verse 17 involves a complex exegetical problem revolving around the Greek term πνεῦμα (pneuma). Some take it to mean “the Spirit,” others “a spirit,” and still others “spiritual.” (1) If “the Spirit” is meant, the idea must be a metonymy of cause for effect, because the author had just indicated in vv. 13-14 that the Spirit was already given (hence, there is no need for him to pray that he be given again). But the effect of the Spirit is wisdom and revelation. (2) If “a spirit” is meant, the idea may be that the readers will have the ability to gain wisdom and insight as they read Paul’s letters, but the exact meaning of “a spirit” remains ambiguous. (3) To take the genitives following πνεῦμα as attributed genitives (see ExSyn 89-91), in which the head noun (“S/spirit”) functions semantically like an adjective (“spiritual”) is both grammatically probable and exegetically consistent.
[1:17] 46 tn Grk “in the knowledge of him.”
[1:17] sn The point of the knowledge of him has nothing to do with what God knows, but with what believers are to know (hence, “your…knowledge”). Further, the author’s prayer is that this knowledge of God would increase, not simply be initiated, since he is writing to believers who already know God (hence, “your growing knowledge of him”).
[1:18] 47 tc ‡ Most witnesses, especially of the Byzantine and Western texttypes, though with a few important Alexandrian witnesses (א A D F G Ψ 0278 Ï latt sy), add ὑμῶν (Jumwn, “your”) after καρδίας (kardias, “heart”), though it is clearly implied in the shorter (Alexandrian) reading (found in Ì46 B 6 33 1175 1739 1881 pc). The longer reading thus looks to be a clarifying gloss, as is frequently found in the Byzantine and Western traditions. The translation above also uses “your” because of English requirements, not because of textual basis.
[1:18] tn Grk “the.”
[1:18] 48 tn The perfect participle πεφωτισμένους (pefwtismenou") may either be part of the prayer (“that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened”) or part of the basis of the prayer (“since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened”). Although the participle follows the ἵνα (Jina) of v. 17, it is awkward grammatically in the clause. Further, perfect adverbial participles are usually causal in NT Greek. Finally, the context both here and throughout Ephesians seems to emphasize the motif of light as a property belonging to believers. Thus, it seems that the author is saying, “I know that you are saved, that you have had the blinders of the devil removed; because of this, I can now pray that you will fully understand and see the light of God’s glorious revelation.” Hence, the translation takes the participle to form a part of the basis for the prayer.
[1:18] 49 tn Or “the hope to which he has called you.”
[1:18] sn The hope of his calling. The translation is more formally equivalent for this and the following two phrases, because of the apparently intentional literary force of the original. There is a natural cadence to the three genitive expressions (hope of his calling, wealth of his glorious inheritance, and extraordinary greatness of his power). The essence of the prayer is seen here. Paraphrased it reads as follows: “Since you are enlightened by God’s Spirit, I pray that you may comprehend the hope to which he has called you, the spiritual riches that await the saints in glory, and the spiritual power that is available to the saints now.” Thus, the prayer focuses on all three temporal aspects of our salvation as these are embedded in the genitives – the past (calling), the future (inheritance), and the present (power toward us who believe).
[1:18] 50 tn Grk “of the glory of his inheritance.” Here “inheritance” is taken as an attributed genitive and the head noun, “glory,” is thus translated as an adjective, “glorious inheritance.”
[1:19] 51 tn Or “immeasurable, surpassing”
[1:19] 53 tn Grk “according to.”
[1:19] 54 tn Grk “according to the exercise of the might of his strength.”
[1:19] sn What has been translated as exercise is a term used only of supernatural power in the NT, ἐνέργεια (energeia).
[1:20] 55 tn Grk “which” (v. 20 is a subordinate clause to v. 19).
[1:20] 56 tn The verb “exercised” (the aorist of ἐνεργέω, energew) has its nominal cognate in “exercise” in v. 19 (ἐνέργεια, energeia).
[1:20] 57 tn Or “This power he exercised in Christ by raising him”; Grk “raising him.” The adverbial participle ἐγείρας (egeiras) could be understood as temporal (“when he raised [him]”), which would be contemporaneous to the action of the finite verb “he exercised” earlier in the verse, or as means (“by raising [him]”). The participle has been translated here with the temporal nuance to allow for means to also be a possible interpretation. If the translation focused instead upon means, the temporal nuance would be lost as the time frame for the action of the participle would become indistinct.
[1:20] 58 tc The majority of
[1:20] 59 sn Eph 1:19-20. The point made in these verses is that the power required to live a life pleasing to God is the same power that raised Christ from the dead. For a similar thought, cf. John 15:1-11.
[1:22] 60 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:22] 62 tn Grk “his”; the referent (Christ) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:22] 63 sn An allusion to Ps 8:6.
[1:22] 64 tn Grk “and he gave him as head over all things to the church.”
[1:23] 65 tn Grk “which is.” The antecedent of “which” is easily lost in English, though in Greek it is quite clear. In the translation “church” is repeated to clarify the referent.
[1:23] 66 tn Or perhaps, “who is filled entirely.”
[1:23] sn The idea of all in all is either related to the universe (hence, he fills the whole universe entirely) or the church universal (hence, Christ fills the church entirely with his presence and power).
[6:1] 67 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[6:1] 68 tn Heb “gave them into the hand of.”
[6:2] 69 tn Heb “the hand of Midian.”
[6:2] 70 tn Heb “The hand of Midian was strong against Israel.”
[6:2] 71 tn Or possibly “secret storage places.” The Hebrew word occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible.
[6:3] 72 tn Heb “Whenever Israel sowed seed.”
[6:3] 73 tn Heb “Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east would go up, they would go up against him.” The translation assumes that וְעָלוּ (vÿ’alu) is dittographic (note the following עָלָיו, ’alayv).
[6:4] 74 tn Heb “They encamped against them.”
[6:4] 76 tn Heb “the crops of the land.”
[6:4] 77 tn Heb “They left no sustenance in Israel.”
[6:4] 78 tn The words “they took away” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[6:5] 81 tn Heb “To them and to their camels there was no number.”
[6:5] 82 tn Heb “destroy.” The translation “devour” carries through the imagery of a locust plague earlier in this verse.
[6:8] 83 tn Heb “the
[6:8] 84 tn Heb “a man, a prophet.” Hebrew idiom sometimes puts a generic term before a more specific designation.
[6:8] 85 tc Some ancient witnesses read “from the land of Egypt.” מֵאֶרֶץ (me’erets, “from the land [of]”) could have been accidentally omitted by homoioarcton (note the following מִמִּצְרַיִם [mimmitsrayim, “from Egypt”]).
[6:8] 86 tn Heb “of the house of slavery.”
[6:9] 87 tn Heb “hand” (also a second time later in this verse).
[6:10] 88 tn Heb “Do not fear.”
[6:10] 89 tn Heb “you have not listened to my voice.”
[6:11] 90 tn The adjective “angelic” is interpretive.
[6:11] sn The
[6:11] 91 tn Heb “Now Gideon his son…” The Hebrew circumstantial clause (note the pattern vav [ו] + subject + predicate) breaks the narrative sequence and indicates that the angel’s arrival coincided with Gideon’s threshing.
[6:11] 92 tn Heb “beating out.”
[6:11] 93 sn Threshing wheat in a winepress. One would normally thresh wheat at the threshing floor outside the city. Animals and a threshing sledge would be employed. Because of the Midianite threat, Gideon was forced to thresh with a stick in a winepress inside the city. For further discussion see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 63.
[6:13] 95 tn Heb “But my lord.”
[6:14] 98 sn Some interpreters equate the
[6:14] 99 tn Heb “Go in this strength of yours.”
[6:14] 100 tn Heb “the hand of Midian.”
[6:15] 101 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:15] 102 tn Note the switch to אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “Lord”). Gideon seems aware that he is speaking to someone other than, and superior to, the messenger, whom he addressed as אֲדֹנִי (’adoniy, “my lord”) in v. 13.
[6:15] 103 tn Heb “with what.”
[6:15] 104 tn Heb “in my father’s house.”
[6:16] 106 tn Heb “You will strike down Midian as one man.” The idiom “as one man” emphasizes the collective unity of a group (see Judg 20:8, 11). Here it may carry the force, “as if they were just one man.”
[6:17] 107 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:17] 108 tn Heb “If I have found favor in your eyes.”
[6:17] 109 tn Heb “perform for me.”
[6:18] 110 tn The Hebrew text adds “to you,” but this has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[6:18] 111 tn Heb “and I will bring out my gift.” The precise nuance of the Hebrew word מִנְחָה (minkhah, “gift”) is uncertain in this context. It may refer to a gift offered as a sign of goodwill or submission. In some cases it is used of a gift offered to appease someone whom the offerer has offended. The word can also carry a sacrificial connotation.
[6:19] 112 tn Heb “a kid from among the goats.”
[6:19] 113 tn The words “the food” are not in the Hebrew text (an implied direct object). They are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[6:20] 114 tn Heb “Take the meat…and put [it] on this rock.”
[6:20] 115 tn Heb “and he did so.”
[6:21] 116 tn Heb “extended the tip of the staff which was in his hand and touched the meat and unleavened bread.”
[6:21] 117 tn Heb “went from his eyes.”
[6:22] 119 tn Heb “Gideon.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[6:22] 121 tn The Hebrew text reads אֲדֹנַי יְהוִה (’adonay yÿhvih, “Lord [the same title used in v. 15],
[6:23] 122 tn Heb “Peace to you.” For a similar use of this idiom to introduce a reassuring word, see Gen 43:23.
[6:24] 123 tn Heb “The
[6:25] 124 tn Or “Take a bull from your father’s herd, the second one, the one seven years old.” Apparently Gideon would need the bulls to pull down the altar.
[6:26] 125 tn Possibly “in a row” or “in a layer,” perhaps referring to the arrangement of the stones used in the altar’s construction.
[6:27] 126 tn Heb “men from among his servants.”
[6:27] 128 tn Heb “so he did it at night.”
[6:28] 129 tn Heb “look!” The narrator uses this word to invite his audience/readers to view the scene through the eyes of the men.
[6:29] 130 tn Heb “each one to his neighbor.”
[6:29] 131 tn Heb “this thing.”
[6:29] 132 tn Heb “they inquired and searched.” The synonyms are joined to emphasize the care with which they conducted their inquiry.
[6:29] 133 tn Heb “and said.” Perhaps the plural subject is indefinite. If so, it could be translated, “they were told.”
[6:30] 134 tn Heb “and let him die.” The jussive form with vav after the imperative is best translated as a purpose clause.
[6:31] 135 tn Heb “to all who stood against him.”
[6:31] 136 tn Heb “Do you fight for Baal?”
[6:31] 137 tn Heb “fights for him.”
[6:31] 138 sn Whoever takes up his cause will die by morning. This may be a warning to the crowd that Joash intends to defend his son and to kill anyone who tries to execute Gideon. Then again, it may be a sarcastic statement about Baal’s apparent inability to defend his own honor. Anyone who takes up Baal’s cause may end up dead, perhaps by the same hand that pulled down the pagan god’s altar.
[6:31] 139 tn Heb “fight for himself.”
[6:31] 140 tn Heb “for he pulled down his altar.” The subject of the verb, if not Gideon, is indefinite (in which case a passive translation is permissible).
[6:32] 141 tn Heb “He called him on that day Jerub-Baal.” The name means, at least by popular etymology, “Let Baal fight!”
[6:33] 142 tn Heb “Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east.”
[6:33] 143 tn The words “the Jordan River” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[6:34] 145 tn That is, “mustered an army.”
[6:34] 146 tn Heb “Abiezer was summoned after him.”
[6:35] 147 tn Heb “and he also was summoned after him.”
[6:36] 148 tn More literally, “you are about to deliver Israel by my hand.”
[6:36] 149 tn The words “then give me a sign as proof” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[6:37] 150 tn Heb “all the ground.”
[6:37] 152 tn Heb “you will deliver Israel by my hand.”
[6:38] 153 tn Heb “And it was so.”
[6:38] 154 tn Heb “dew dripped from the fleece – a bowl full of water.”
[6:39] 155 tn Heb “Let your anger not rage at me, so that I might speak only this once.”
[6:39] 156 tn Heb “let the fleece alone be dry, while dew is on all the ground.”
[6:40] 157 tn Heb “God did so that night.”
[7:1] 158 tn Heb “and all the people who were with him.”
[7:1] 159 sn The name Harod means, ironically, “trembling.”
[7:1] 160 tn Heb “Midian.” The LXX reads “and Amalek” (cf. v. 12; 6:33).
[7:2] 161 tn Heb “the people who are with you are too numerous for me to give Midian into their hand.”
[7:2] 162 tn Heb “might glorify itself against me.”
[7:2] 163 tn Heb “my hand has delivered me.”
[7:3] 164 tn Heb “call into the ears of the people.”
[7:3] 165 tn Heb “afraid and shaking.”
[7:3] 166 tc Many interpreters reject the MT reading “and leave Mount Gilead” for geographical reasons. A possible alternative, involving rather radical emendation of the Hebrew text, would be, “So Gideon tested them” (i.e., thinned the ranks in this manner).
[7:3] 167 tn Heb “people.” The translation uses “men” because warriors are in view, and in ancient Israelite culture these would be only males. (This is also the case in vv. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.)
[7:3] 168 tn Or “turned around, back.”
[7:4] 169 tn Heb “too many people.”
[7:4] 170 tn Heb “test them for you there.”
[7:4] 171 tn Heb “he should go with you.”
[7:4] 172 tn Heb also has “to you.”
[7:4] 173 tn Heb “he should not go.”
[7:5] 174 tn Heb “the people.”
[7:5] 175 tn Heb “Everyone who laps with his tongue from the water, as a dog laps, put him by himself, as well as the one who gets down on his knees to drink.”
[7:6] 176 tc The Hebrew text adds, “with their hands to their mouths,” This makes no sense in light of v. 5, which distinguishes between dog-like lappers (who would not use their hands to drink) and those who kneel (who would use their hands). It seems likely that the words “with their hands to their mouths” have been misplaced from v. 6. They fit better at the end of v. 5 or v. 6. Perhaps these words were originally a marginal scribal note which was later accidentally inserted into the text in the wrong place.
[7:6] 177 tn Heb “the people.”
[7:7] 178 tn Heb “you.” The Hebrew pronoun is masculine plural, probably referring to the entire army.
[7:7] 179 tn The Hebrew pronoun here is singular.
[7:7] 180 tn Heb “All the people should go, each to his place.”
[7:8] 181 tn Heb “The people.”
[7:8] 182 tn The words “who were chosen” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[7:8] 183 tn The Hebrew text has “in their hands.”
[7:8] 184 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:8] 187 tn The Hebrew text adds “him” (i.e., Gideon).
[7:9] 188 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:9] 189 tn Heb “Go down against.”
[7:9] 190 tn The Hebrew verbal form is a perfect, emphasizing the certainty of the promise.
[7:11] 191 tn Heb “your hands will be strengthened.”
[7:11] 192 tn Heb “to the edge of the ones in battle array who were in the camp.”
[7:12] 193 tn Heb “Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east were falling in the valley like locusts in great number.”
[7:13] 194 tn Heb “And Gideon came, and, look, a man was relating to his friend a dream.”
[7:13] 195 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man mentioned in the previous clause) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:13] 196 tn Heb “Look!” The repetition of this interjection, while emphatic in Hebrew, would be redundant in the English translation.
[7:13] 197 tn Heb “It came to the tent and struck it and it fell. It turned it upside down and the tent fell.”
[7:14] 198 tn Heb “answered and said.”
[7:14] 199 tn Heb “This can be nothing but.”
[7:15] 200 tn Heb “he bowed down” or “worshiped.”
[7:16] 202 tn Heb “the jars.” The noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“them”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[7:16] sn They hid the torches inside the earthenware jars to disguise their approach and to keep the torches from being extinguished by the breeze.
[7:19] 204 tn Heb “Gideon went, along with the hundred men who were with him, to the edge of the camp.”
[7:19] 205 tn Heb “that were in their hands.”
[7:20] 206 tn The Hebrew text adds, “in order to blow [them].” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[7:21] 207 tn Heb “each in his place.”
[7:22] 209 tn Heb “the
[7:22] 210 tc MT has “and throughout the camp,” but the conjunction (“and”) is due to dittography and should be dropped. Compare the ancient versions, which lack the conjunction here.
[7:22] 211 tn The words “they went” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[7:24] 213 tn Heb “to meet Midian.”
[7:24] 214 tn Heb “capture before them the waters.”
[7:24] 215 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification (also later in this verse).
[7:24] 216 tn Heb “And all the men of Ephraim were summoned.”
[7:24] 217 tn Heb “they captured the waters.”
[7:25] 218 sn The names Oreb and Zeeb, which mean “Raven” and “Wolf” respectively, are appropriate because the Midianites had been like scavengers and predators to Israel.
[7:25] 219 tn The Hebrew text repeats the verb “executed.” This has not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[7:25] 221 tn Heb “beyond the Jordan.” The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for clarity (also in 8:4).
[8:1] 222 tn Heb “by not summoning us.”
[8:2] 224 sn Ephraim’s leftover grapes are better quality than Abiezer’s harvest. Gideon employs an agricultural metaphor. He argues that Ephraim’s mopping up operations, though seemingly like the inferior grapes which are missed initially by the harvesters or left for the poor, are actually more noteworthy than the military efforts of Gideon’s family.
[8:3] 225 tn Heb “What was I able to do compared to you?”
[8:3] 226 tn Heb “Then their spirits relaxed from against him, when he spoke this word.”
[8:4] 227 tn Heb “And Gideon arrived at the Jordan, crossing over, he and the three hundred men who were with him, exhausted and chasing.” The English past perfect (“had crossed”) is used because this verse flashes back chronologically to an event that preceded the hostile encounter described in vv. 1-3. (Note that 7:25 assumes Gideon had already crossed the Jordan.)
[8:5] 228 tn Or perhaps, “sell.”
[8:5] 229 tn Heb “people.” The translation uses “men” because these were warriors and in ancient Israelite culture would have been exclusively males.
[8:5] 230 tn Heb “who are at my feet.”
[8:6] 231 tn Or perhaps, “sell.”
[8:6] 232 tn Heb “Are the palms of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give to your army bread?” Perhaps the reference to the kings’ “palms” should be taken literally. The officials of Succoth may be alluding to the practice of mutilating prisoners or enemy corpses (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 155).
[8:6] sn The officials of Succoth are hesitant to give (or sell) food to Gideon’s forces because they are not sure of the outcome of the battle. Perhaps they had made an alliance with the Midianites which demanded their loyalty.
[8:7] 234 sn I will thresh. The metaphor is agricultural. Threshing was usually done on a hard threshing floor. As farm animals walked over the stalks, pulling behind them a board embedded with sharp stones, the stalks and grain would be separated. See O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 63-65. Gideon threatens to use thorns and briers on his sledge.
[8:7] 236 tn This is apparently a rare instrumental use of the Hebrew preposition אֵת (’et, note the use of ב [bet] in v. 16). Some, however, argue that אֵת more naturally indicates accompaniment (“together with”). In this case Gideon envisions threshing their skin along with thorns and briers, just as the stalks and grain are intermingled on the threshing floor. See C. F. Burney, Judges, 229-30.
[8:8] 237 tn Heb “and spoke to them in the same way.”
[8:8] 238 tn Heb “The men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth answered.”
[8:9] 239 tn Heb “said to.” The translation “threatened” is interpretive, but is clearly indicated by the context.
[8:9] 241 tn Or “safely.” Heb “in peace.”
[8:10] 242 tn Heb “About fifteen thousand [in number] were all the ones remaining from the army of the sons of the east. The fallen ones were a hundred and twenty thousand [in number], men drawing the sword.”
[8:11] 243 tn Heb “the ones living in tents.”
[8:11] 244 tn Heb “and attacked the army, while the army was secure.” The Hebrew term בֶטַח (vetakh, “secure”) probably means the army was undefended (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 156), not suspecting an attack at that time and place.
[8:12] 245 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:12] 246 tn Or “routed”; Heb “caused to panic.”
[8:14] 248 tn Heb “from the men of Succoth.”
[8:14] 249 tn Heb “wrote down for him the officials of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men.”
[8:15] 250 tn Heb “Look!” The words “what I have” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[8:15] 251 tn Heb “Are the palms of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give to your exhausted men bread?”
[8:15] sn Gideon changes their actual statement (see v. 6) by saying exhausted men rather than “army.” In this way he emphasizes the crisis his men were facing and highlights the insensitivity of the men of Succoth.
[8:16] 253 tc The translation follows the reading of several ancient versions (LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate) in assuming the form וַיָּדָשׁ (vayyadash) from the verb דּוֹשׁ (dosh, “thresh”) as in v. 7. The MT reads instead the form וַיֹּדַע (vayyoda’, “make known”), a Hiphil form of יָדַע (yadah). In this case one could translate, “he used them [i.e., the thorns and briers] to teach the men of Succoth a lesson.”
[8:18] 254 tn Heb “Where are?”
[8:18] 255 tn Heb “each one like the appearance of sons of the king.”
[8:19] 256 tn The words “I swear” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[8:20] 258 tn Heb “did not draw his sword for he was afraid.”
[8:21] 259 tn The words “to Gideon” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[8:21] 261 tn Heb “for as the man is his strength.”
[8:21] 262 tn Heb “arose and killed.”
[8:24] 264 tn Heb “said to them.”
[8:24] 265 tn Heb “Give to me, each one, an earring from his plunder.”
[8:24] 266 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Midianites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:25] 267 tn Heb “We will indeed give.”
[8:25] 268 tc In the LXX the subject of this verb is singular, referring to Gideon rather than to the Israelites.
[8:26] 269 sn Seventeen hundred gold shekels would be about 42.7 pounds (19.4 kilograms) of gold.
[8:26] 271 tn Heb “the ornaments which were on the necks of their camels.”
[8:27] 272 tn Heb “made it into.”
[8:27] 273 sn In Exod 28:4-6 and several other texts an ephod is described as a priestly or cultic garment. In some cases an ephod is used to obtain a divine oracle (1 Sam 23:9; 30:7). Here the ephod is made of gold and is described as being quite heavy (70-75 lbs?). Some identify it as an idol, but it was more likely a cultic object fashioned in the form of a garment which was used for oracular purposes. For discussion of the ephod in the OT, see C. F. Burney, Judges, 236-43, and R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 349-52.
[8:27] 274 tn Heb “Israel” (a collective singular).
[8:27] 275 tn The words “by worshiping it” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[8:28] 276 tn Heb “Midian was humbled before the Israelites, and they no longer lifted their heads.”
[8:28] 277 tn Heb “in the days of Gideon.”
[8:29] 278 tn Heb “went and lived in his house.”
[8:30] 279 tn Heb “Gideon had seventy sons who went out from his thigh, for he had many wives.” The Hebrew word יָרֵךְ (yarekh, “thigh”) is a euphemism here for the penis.
[8:31] 280 sn A concubine was a slave woman in ancient Near Eastern societies who was the legal property of her master, but who could have legitimate sexual relations with her master. A concubine’s status was more elevated than a mere servant, but she was not free and did not have the legal rights of a free wife. The children of a concubine could, in some instances, become equal heirs with the children of the free wife. After the period of the Judges concubines may have become more of a royal prerogative (2 Sam 21:10-14; 1 Kgs 11:3).
[8:31] 281 sn The name Abimelech means “my father is king.”
[8:33] 283 sn Baal-Berith was a local manifestation of the Canaanite storm god. The name means, ironically, “Baal of the covenant.” Israel’s covenant allegiance had indeed shifted.
[8:35] 285 tn Heb “did not do loyalty with,” or “did not act faithfully toward.”
[9:1] 287 tn Heb “to all the extended family of the house of the father of his mother.”
[9:2] 288 tn Heb “Speak into the ears of.”
[9:2] 289 tn Heb “What good is it to you?”
[9:2] 290 tn Heb “your bone and your flesh.”
[9:3] 292 tn Heb “into the ears of.”
[9:3] 293 tn Heb “and all these words.”
[9:3] 294 tn Heb “Their heart was inclined after Abimelech.”
[9:3] 295 tn Heb “our brother.”
[9:4] 296 tn Heb “empty and reckless.”
[9:4] 297 tn Heb “and they followed him.”
[9:5] 298 tn Heb “his brothers.”
[9:5] 299 tn The word “legitimate” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[9:6] 301 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] 302 tn Heb “And they reported to Jotham.” The subject of the plural verb is indefinite.
[9:7] 303 tn Heb “He lifted his voice and called and said to them.”
[9:8] 304 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] 305 tn Heb “to anoint [with oil] over them a king.”
[9:8] 306 tn Or “Rule over us!”
[9:9] 307 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] 308 tn Or “and rule over us!”
[9:11] 309 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] 310 tn Or “and rule over us!”
[9:13] 311 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] 312 tn Or “and rule over us!”
[9:15] 313 tn Heb “are about to anoint [with oil].”
[9:15] 314 tn Heb “in my shade.”
[9:16] 317 tn Heb “if according to the deeds of his hands you have done to him.”
[9:17] 318 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] 320 tn Heb “have risen up against.”
[9:18] 322 tn The word “legitimate” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[9:18] 323 tn Heb “your brother.”
[9:19] 325 tn Heb “then rejoice in Abimelech, and may he also rejoice in you.”
[9:21] 326 tn Heb “fled and ran away and went.”
[9:21] 327 tn Heb “from before.”
[9:21] 328 tn Heb “his brother.”
[9:22] 329 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] 330 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] 331 tn Heb “The leaders of Shechem were disloyal.” The words “he made” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[9:24] 332 tn Heb “their brother.”
[9:24] 333 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] 334 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] 335 tn Heb “on the tops of.”
[9:25] 336 tn Heb “It was told to Abimelech.”
[9:26] 337 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] 338 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] 339 tn Heb “vineyards.”
[9:27] 340 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] 342 tn Heb “and Zebul his appointee.”
[9:28] 343 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abimelech) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:29] 345 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] 346 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] 347 tn Heb “Make numerous.”
[9:29] 348 tn The words “for battle” are interpretive.
[9:30] 349 tn Heb “his anger burned.”
[9:31] 350 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] 352 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] 353 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] 355 tn Heb “you and the people who are with you.”
[9:32] 356 tn The words “outside the city” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[9:33] 357 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] 358 tn Heb “and all the people who were with him arose.”
[9:34] 359 tn Heb “four heads.” The words “they divided into” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[9:36] 360 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] 361 tn Heb “the shadow on the hills you are seeing, like men.”
[9:37] 362 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] 364 tn Some English translations simply transliterated this as a place name (Heb “Elon-meonenim”); cf. NAB, NRSV.
[9:38] 365 tn Heb “is your mouth that says.”
[9:38] 366 tn Heb “the people.”
[9:39] 368 tn Heb “So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem.”
[9:40] 369 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gaal) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:40] 370 tn The word “Shechemites” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for clarification.
[9:41] 371 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] 372 tn Heb “drove…out from dwelling in Shechem.”
[9:42] 373 tn Heb “the people”; the referent (the Shechemites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:42] 374 tn Heb “And they told Abimelech.”
[9:43] 375 tn Heb “his people.”
[9:43] 376 tn Heb “And he saw and, look, the people were coming out of the city.”
[9:43] 377 tn Heb “he arose against them and struck them.”
[9:44] 378 tn Or possibly, “the unit that was with him.”
[9:44] 379 tn Heb “stood [at].”
[9:45] 381 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] 382 sn Perhaps the Tower of Shechem was a nearby town, distinct from Shechem proper, or a tower within the city.
[9:46] 383 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] 384 sn The name El-Berith means “God of the Covenant.” It is probably a reference to the Canaanite high god El.
[9:47] 385 tn Heb “and it was told to Abimelech.”
[9:47] 386 tn Heb “were assembled.”
[9:48] 387 tn Heb “his people.”
[9:48] 388 tn Heb “Abimelech.” The proper name has been replaced with the pronoun (“he”) due to considerations of English style.
[9:48] 389 tn The Hebrew text has the plural here.
[9:48] 390 tn Heb “he lifted it and put [it].”
[9:48] 391 tn Heb “What you have seen me do, quickly do like me.”
[9:49] 392 tn The words “the branches” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[9:49] 393 tn Heb “they kindled over them the stronghold with fire.”
[9:49] 394 tn Or “men,” but the word seems to have a more general sense here, as the conclusion to the sentence suggests.
[9:50] 396 tn Heb “he camped near Thebez and captured it.”
[9:51] 398 tn Or “fortress.” The same Hebrew term occurs once more in this verse and twice in v. 52.
[9:53] 399 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] 400 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] 401 tn The Hebrew text adds, “and said to him.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[9:54] 402 tn The Hebrew text adds, “concerning me.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[9:55] 403 tn Heb “each to his own place.”
[9:56] 404 tn Heb “seventy brothers.”
[10:1] 406 tn The word “death” has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
[10:1] 408 tn Heb “a man of Issachar.”
[10:2] 409 tn Traditionally, “judged.”
[10:4] 410 sn The name Habboth Jair means “tent villages of Jair” in Hebrew.
[10:4] 411 tn Heb “they call them Havvoth Jair to this day – which are in the land of Gilead.”
[10:6] 412 tn Heb “in the eyes of the
[10:6] 413 tn Or “served;” or “followed.”
[10:6] 414 sn The Ashtars were local manifestations of the goddess Ashtar (i.e., Astarte).
[10:6] 415 map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[10:6] 416 tn Heb “the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines.”
[10:6] 417 tn Or “serve”; or “follow.”
[10:7] 418 tn Or “the
[10:7] 419 tn Heb “sold them into the hands of.”
[10:8] 420 tn Heb “shattered and crushed.” The repetition of similar sounding synonyms (רָעַץ [ra’ats] and רָצַץ [ratsats]) is for emphasis; רָצַץ appears in the Polel, adding further emphasis to the affirmation.
[10:8] 421 tn The phrase שְׁמֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה (shemoneh ’esreh shanah) could be translated “eighteen years,” but this would be difficult after the reference to “that year.” It is possible that v. 8b is parenthetical, referring to an eighteen year long period of oppression east of the Jordan which culminated in hostilities against all Israel (including Judah, see v. 9) in the eighteenth year. It is simpler to translate the phrase as an ordinal number, though the context does not provide the point of reference. (See Gen 14:4-5 and R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 191-92.) In this case, the following statement specifies which “Israelites” are in view.
[10:9] 422 tn Heb “the house of Ephraim.”
[10:9] 423 tn Or “Israel experienced great distress.” Perhaps here the verb has the nuance “hemmed in.”
[10:10] 424 tn Or “served”; or “followed.”
[10:12] 425 tc The translation follows the LXX which reads “Midian”; the Hebrew text has “Maon.”
[10:12] 426 tn The words “Did I not deliver you” are interpretive. The Hebrew text simply reads, “Is it not from Egypt…when they oppressed you?” Perhaps the incomplete sentence reflects the
[10:13] 428 tn Or “served”; or “followed.”
[10:14] 429 tn Heb “in your time of trouble.”
[10:15] 430 tn Heb “according to all whatever is good in your eyes.”
[10:15] 431 sn You do to us as you see fit, but deliver us today. The request seems contradictory, but it can be explained in one of two ways. They may be asking for relief from their enemies and direct discipline from God’s hand. Or they may mean, “In the future you can do whatever you like to us, but give us relief from what we’re suffering right now.”
[10:16] 432 tn Heb “from their midst.”
[10:16] 433 tn Or “served”; or “followed.”
[10:16] 434 tn Heb “And his spirit grew short [i.e., impatient] with the suffering of Israel.” The Hebrew noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) also appears as the subject of the verb קָצַר (qatsar) in Num 21:4 (the Israelites grow impatient wandering in the wilderness), Judg 16:16 (Samson grows impatient with Delilah’s constant nagging), and Zech 11:8 (Zechariah grows impatient with the three negligent “shepherds”).
[10:17] 435 tn Or “were summoned;” or “were mustered.”
[10:18] 436 tn Heb “the people, the officers.”
[10:18] 437 tn Heb “Who is the man who will begin fighting.”
[11:1] 438 tn Heb “Now he was the son of a woman, a prostitute, and Gilead fathered Jephthah.”
[11:2] 440 tn Heb “in the house of our father.”
[11:3] 443 tn Heb “Empty men joined themselves to Jephthah and went out with him.”
[11:5] 444 tn Heb “When the Ammonites fought with Israel.”
[11:5] 446 tn Heb “went to take Jephthah.”
[11:6] 447 tn Heb “to Jephthah.”
[11:7] 448 tn Heb “Did you not hate me and make me leave?”
[11:8] 449 tn Heb “therefore”; “even so.” For MT לָכֵן (lakhen, “therefore”) the LXX has an opposite reading, “not so,” which seems to be based on the Hebrew words לֹא כֵן (lo’ khen).
[11:8] 450 tn Heb “we have returned to you.” For another example of שׁוּב אֶל (shuv ’el) in the sense of “give allegiance to,” see 1 Kgs 12:27b.
[11:8] 451 sn Then you will become the leader. The leaders of Gilead now use the word רֹאשׁ (ro’sh, “head, leader”), the same term that appeared in their original, general offer (see 10:18). In their initial offer to Jephthah they had simply invited him to be their קָצִין (qatsin, “commander”; v. 6). When he resists they must offer him a more attractive reward – rulership over the region. See R. G. Boling, Judges (AB), 198.
[11:8] 452 tn Heb “leader of us and all who live in Gilead.”
[11:9] 453 tn “All right” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[11:9] 454 tn Heb “places them before me.”
[11:9] 455 tn Some translate the final statement as a question, “will I really be your leader?” An affirmative sentence is preferable. Jephthah is repeating the terms of the agreement in an official manner. In v. 10 the leaders legally agree to these terms.
[11:10] 456 tn Heb “The
[11:10] 457 sn The
[11:11] 458 tn Heb “spoke all his words.” This probably refers to the “words” recorded in v. 9. Jephthah repeats the terms of the agreement at the
[11:12] 459 tn Heb “What to me and to you that…?”
[11:13] 460 tn Or “took”; or “seized.”
[11:13] 461 tn Heb “he” (a collective singular).
[11:13] 462 tn Heb “from the Arnon to the Jabbok and to the Jordan.” The word “River” has been supplied in the translation with “Arnon” and “Jabbok,” because these are less familiar to modern readers than the Jordan.
[11:13] 463 tc The translation assumes a singular suffix (“[return] it”); the Hebrew text has a plural suffix (“[return] them”), which, if retained, might refer to the cities of the land.
[11:15] 464 tn Or “take”; or “seize.”
[11:16] 465 tn Heb “For when they went up from.”
[11:17] 467 tn Heb “me.” (Collective Israel is the speaker.)
[11:17] 468 tn Heb “did not listen.”
[11:17] 469 tn Heb “Also to the king of Moab he sent, but he was unwilling.”
[11:18] 470 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Israel; the pronoun in the Hebrew text represents a collective singular) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:18] 471 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[11:19] 472 tn Heb “to my place.”
[11:20] 473 tn Heb “Sihon.” The proper name (“Sihon”) has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) because of English style; a repetition of the proper name here would be redundant in English.
[11:20] 474 tn Heb “all his people” (also in the following verse).
[11:21] 475 tn That is, took as its own possession.
[11:22] 476 tn Heb “from the Arnon to the Jabbok, and from the desert to the Jordan.” The word “River” has been supplied in the translation with “Arnon” and “Jabbok,” because these are less familiar to modern readers than the Jordan.
[11:23] 478 tn Or “dispossessed.”
[11:23] 479 tn Heb “will you dispossess him [i.e., Israel; or possibly “it,” i.e., the territory]?” There is no interrogative marker in the Hebrew text.
[11:24] 480 tn Heb “Is it not so that what Chemosh your god causes you to possess, you possess, and all whom the
[11:25] 481 tn The Hebrew grammatical constructions of all three rhetorical questions indicate emphasis, which “really” and “dare to” are intended to express in the translation.
[11:25] sn Jephthah argues that the Ammonite king should follow the example of Balak, who, once thwarted in his attempt to bring a curse on Israel, refused to attack Israel and returned home (Num 22-24).
[11:27] 482 tn Or “sinned against you.”
[11:28] 484 tn Heb “did not listen to.”
[11:28] 485 tn Heb “Jephthah’s words which he sent to him.”
[11:29] 487 tn Heb “passed through.”
[11:29] 488 tn Heb “From Mizpah in Gilead he passed through [to] the Ammonites.”
[11:31] 489 tn Heb “the one coming out, who comes out from.” The text uses a masculine singular participle with prefixed article, followed by a relative pronoun and third masculine singular verb. The substantival masculine singular participle הַיּוֹצֵא (hayyotse’, “the one coming out”) is used elsewhere of inanimate objects (such as a desert [Num 21:13] or a word [Num 32:24]) or persons (Jer 5:6; 21:9; 38:2). In each case context must determine the referent. Jephthah may have envisioned an animal meeting him, since the construction of Iron Age houses would allow for an animal coming through the doors of a house (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 208). But the fact that he actually does offer up his daughter indicates the language of the vow is fluid enough to encompass human beings, including women. He probably intended such an offering from the very beginning, but he obviously did not expect his daughter to meet him first.
[11:31] 490 tn The language is fluid enough to include women and perhaps even animals, but the translation uses the masculine pronoun because the Hebrew form is grammatically masculine.
[11:31] 491 tn Some translate “or,” suggesting that Jephthah makes a distinction between humans and animals. According to this view, if a human comes through the door, then Jephthah will commit him/her to the
[11:32] 492 tn Heb “passed over to.”
[11:33] 493 tn Heb “with a very great slaughter.”
[11:33] 494 tn Heb “The Ammonites were humbled before the Israelites.”
[11:34] 495 tn Heb “Look! His daughter was coming out.”
[11:34] 496 tn Heb “with tambourines and dancing.”
[11:35] 497 tn Heb “you have brought me very low,” or “you have knocked me to my knees.” The infinitive absolute precedes the verb for emphasis.
[11:35] 498 tn Heb “You are among [or “like”] those who trouble me.”
[11:35] 499 tn Heb “I opened my mouth to the
[11:36] 500 tn The conjunction “since” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[11:36] 501 tn Heb “you opened your mouth to the
[11:36] 502 tn Or “has given you vengeance against.”
[11:37] 503 tn Heb “Let this thing be done for me.”
[11:37] 504 tn Heb “Leave me alone for two months so I can go and go down on the hills and weep over my virginity – I and my friends.”
[11:38] 505 tn Heb “he sent her.”
[11:38] 506 tn Heb “on the hills.” The words “as she walked” are supplied.
[11:39] 507 tn Heb “She had never known a man.” Some understand this to mean that her father committed her to a life of celibacy, but the disjunctive clause (note the vav + subject + verb pattern) more likely describes her condition at the time the vow was fulfilled. (See G. F. Moore, Judges [ICC], 302-3; C. F. Burney, Judges, 324.) She died a virgin and never experienced the joys of marriage and motherhood.
[11:39] 508 tn Heb “There was a custom in Israel.”
[11:40] 509 tn Heb “From days to days,” a Hebrew idiom for “annually.”
[11:40] 510 tn Heb “go to commemorate.” The rare Hebrew verb תָּנָה (tanah, “to tell; to repeat; to recount”) occurs only here and in 5:11.
[11:40] 511 tn The Hebrew text adds, “in the year.” This is redundant (note “every year” at the beginning of the verse) and has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[12:1] 512 tn Heb “the men of Ephraim were summoned [or “were mustered”].”
[12:1] 513 tn Heb “cross over to fight.”
[12:1] 514 tn Or “calling”; or “summoning.”
[12:1] 515 tn Heb “Your house we will burn over you with fire.”
[12:2] 516 tn Heb A man of great strife I was and my people and the Ammonites.”
[12:3] 518 tn Heb “you were no deliverer.” Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the LXX has “no one was helping.”
[12:3] 519 tn Heb “I put my life in my hand.”
[12:3] 520 tn Heb “crossed over to.”
[12:3] 521 tn The Hebrew adds “against me” here. This is redundant in English and has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[12:4] 522 tn Heb “because they said.”
[12:4] 523 tc Heb “Refugees of Ephraim are you, O Gilead, in the midst of Ephraim and in the midst of Manasseh.” The LXX omits the entire second half of the verse (beginning with “because”). The words כִּי אָמְרוּ פְּלִיטֵי אֶפְרַיִם (ki ’amru pÿlitey ’efrayim, “because they said, ‘Refugees of Ephraim’”) may have been accidentally copied from the next verse (cf. כִּי יֹאמְרוּ פְּלִיטֵי אֶפְרַיִם, ki yo’mÿru pelitey ’efrayim) and the following words (“you, O Gilead…Manasseh”) then added in an attempt to make sense of the verse. See G. F. Moore, Judges (ICC), 307-8, and C. F. Burney, Judges, 327. If the Hebrew text is retained, then the Ephraimites appear to be insulting the Gileadites by describing them as refugees who are squatting on Ephraim’s and Manasseh’s land. The present translation assumes that “Ephraim” is a genitive of location after “refugees.”
[12:5] 524 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[12:5] 525 tn Or “against Ephraim,” that is, so as to prevent Ephraim from crossing.
[12:5] 526 tn The Hebrew text has a plural form here.
[12:6] 528 sn The inability of the Ephraimites to pronounce the word shibboleth the way the Gileadites did served as an identifying test. It illustrates that during this period there were differences in pronunciation between the tribes. The Hebrew word shibboleth itself means “stream” or “flood,” and was apparently chosen simply as a test case without regard to its meaning.
[12:6] 529 tn Heb “and could not prepare to speak.” The precise meaning of יָכִין (yakhin) is unclear. Some understand it to mean “was not careful [to say it correctly]”; others emend to יָכֹל (yakhol, “was not able [to say it correctly]”) or יָבִין (yavin, “did not understand [that he should say it correctly]”), which is read by a few Hebrew
[12:7] 530 tn Traditionally, “judged.”
[12:7] 531 tn Heb “Jephthah the Gileadite.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[12:7] 532 tc The Hebrew text has “in the cities of Gilead.” The present translation has support from some ancient Greek textual witnesses.
[12:8] 533 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[12:8] 534 tn Traditionally, “judged.”
[12:9] 535 tn Heb “thirty daughters he sent off outside.” Another option is to translate, “He arranged for his thirty daughters…” It is not clear if he had more than the “thirty daughters” mentioned in the text.
[12:9] 536 tn Heb “and thirty daughters he brought for his sons from the outside.”
[12:9] 537 tn Heb “He”; the referent (Ibzan) has been specified in the translation for clarity and for English stylistic reasons.
[12:9] 538 tn Traditionally, “judged.”
[12:10] 539 tn Heb “Ibzan.” The pronoun “he” is used in the translation in keeping with English style, which tends to use a proper name first in a sentence followed by a pronoun rather than vice versa.
[12:11] 540 tn Traditionally, “judged.”
[12:11] 541 tn Heb “…led Israel. He led Israel for ten years.”
[12:13] 542 tn Traditionally, “judged.”
[1:1] 543 tn The Hebrew verb translated “asked” (שָׁאַל, sha’al) refers here to consulting the
[1:1] 544 tn Heb “Who should first go up for us against the Canaanites to attack them?”
[1:2] 545 tn Heb “Judah should go up.”
[1:2] 546 tn The Hebrew exclamation הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally, “Behold”), translated “Be sure of this,” draws attention to the following statement. The verb form in the following statement (a Hebrew perfect, indicating completed action from the standpoint of the speaker) emphasizes the certainty of the event. Though it had not yet taken place, the
[1:3] 547 tn Heb “Judah said to Simeon, his brother.”
[1:3] 548 tn Heb “Come up with me into our allotted land and let us attack the Canaanites.”
[1:3] 549 tn Heb “I.” The Hebrew pronoun is singular, agreeing with the collective singular “Judah” earlier in the verse. English style requires a plural pronoun here, however.
[1:4] 550 tn Heb “Judah went up.”
[1:7] 552 tn Elsewhere this verb usually carries the sense of “to gather; to pick up; to glean,” but “lick up” seems best here in light of the peculiar circumstances described by Adoni-Bezek.
[1:7] 553 tn The words “food scraps” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.
[1:7] 554 tn Heb “Just as I did, so God has repaid me.” Note that the phrase “to them” has been supplied in the translation to clarify what is meant.
[1:7] 555 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:9] 556 tn Or “foothills”; Heb “the Shephelah.”
[1:11] 557 tn Heb “they went from there against the inhabitants of Debir.” The LXX reads the verb as “they went up,” which suggests that the Hebrew text translated by the LXX read וַיַּעַל (vayya’al) rather than the MT’s וַיֵּלֶךְ (vayyelekh). It is possible that this is the text to be preferred in v. 11. Cf. Josh 15:15.
[1:13] 558 tn “Caleb’s younger brother” may refer to Othniel or to Kenaz (in which case Othniel was Caleb’s nephew; so CEV).
[1:13] 559 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Caleb) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:14] 560 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Acsah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:14] 561 tn Heb “him.” The pronoun could refer to Othniel, in which case one would translate, “she incited him [Othniel] to ask her father for a field.” This is problematic, however, for Acsah, not Othniel, makes the request in v. 15. The LXX has “he [Othniel] urged her to ask her father for a field.” This appears to be an attempt to reconcile the apparent inconsistency and probably does not reflect the original text. If Caleb is understood as the referent of the pronoun, the problem disappears. For a fuller discussion of the issue, see P. G. Mosca, “Who Seduced Whom? A Note on Joshua 15:18 // Judges 1:14,” CBQ 46 (1984): 18-22. The translation takes Caleb to be the referent, specified as “her father.”
[1:15] 562 tn Elsewhere the Hebrew word בְרָכָה (vÿrakhah) is often translated “blessing,” but here it refers to a gift (as in Gen 33:11; 1 Sam 25:27; 30:26; and 2 Kgs 5:15).
[1:15] 563 tn Some translations regard the expressions “springs of water” (גֻּלֹּת מָיִם, gullot mayim) and “springs” (גֻּלֹּת) as place names here (cf. NRSV).
[1:16] 564 tc Part of the Greek
[1:16] 565 tn Heb “[to] the Desert of Judah in the Negev, Arad.”
[1:16] 566 tn The phrase “of Judah” is supplied here in the translation. Some ancient textual witnesses read, “They went and lived with the Amalekites.” This reading, however, is probably influenced by 1 Sam 15:6 (see also Num 24:20-21).
[1:17] 567 tn Heb “Judah went with Simeon, his brother.”
[1:17] 568 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the city of Zephath) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:17] 569 sn The name Hormah (חָרְמָה, khormah) sounds like the Hebrew verb translated “wipe out” (חָרַם, kharam).
[1:18] 570 tn Heb “The men of Judah captured Gaza and its surrounding territory, Ashkelon and its surrounding territory, and Ekron and its surrounding territory.”
[1:19] 571 tn Or “seized possession of”; or “occupied.”
[1:19] 572 tc Several textual witnesses support the inclusion of this verb.
[1:19] 573 tn Regarding the translation “chariots with iron-rimmed wheels,” see Y. Yadin, The Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands, 255, and the article by R. Drews, “The ‘Chariots of Iron’ of Joshua and Judges,” JSOT 45 (1989): 15-23.
[1:20] 574 tn Heb “they gave to Caleb.”
[1:21] 575 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:21] 576 sn The statement to this very day reflects the perspective of the author, who must have written prior to David’s conquest of the Jebusites (see 2 Sam 5:6-7).
[1:22] 577 tn Heb “house.” This is a metonymy for the warriors from the tribe.
[1:22] 579 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[1:27] 582 map For location see Map1 D4; Map2 C1; Map4 C2; Map5 F2; Map7 B1.
[1:27] 583 tn Heb “The men of Manasseh did not conquer Beth Shan and its surrounding towns, Taanach and its surrounding towns, the people living in Dor and its surrounding towns, the people living in Ibleam and its surrounding towns, or the people living in Megiddo and its surrounding towns.”
[1:27] 584 tn Or “were determined.”
[1:27] 585 tn Heb “in this land.”
[1:30] 586 tn Heb “the people living in Kitron and the people living in Nahalol.”
[1:31] 587 map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[1:31] 588 tn Heb “The men of Asher did not conquer the people living in Acco, the people living in Sidon, Ahlab, Acco, Helbah, Aphek, or Rehob.”
[1:33] 589 tn Heb “the people living in Beth Shemesh or the people living in Beth Anath.”
[1:33] 590 tn The term “Canaanites” is supplied here both for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[1:34] 591 tn Heb “come down into.”
[1:35] 592 tn Or “were determined.”
[1:35] 593 tn Or “Mount Heres”; the term הַר (har) means “mount” or “mountain” in Hebrew.
[1:35] 594 tn Heb “Whenever the hand of the tribe of Joseph was heavy.”
[1:36] 595 tn Or “the Ascent of Scorpions” (עַקְרַבִּים [’aqrabbim] means “scorpions” in Hebrew).
[1:36] 596 tn Or “Amorite territory started at the Pass of the Scorpions at Sela and then went on up.”
[14:1] 597 tn Heb “and he saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines.”
[14:2] 598 tn Heb “and he went up.”
[14:2] 599 tn Heb “I have seen a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines.”
[14:3] 600 tn Heb “my.” The singular may seem strange, since the introduction to the quotation attributes the words to his father and mother. But Samson’s father apparently speaks for both himself and his wife. However, the Lucianic recension of the LXX and the Syriac Peshitta have a second person pronoun here (“you”), and this may represent the original reading.
[14:3] 601 tn Heb “Is there not among the daughters of your brothers or among all my people a woman that you have to go to get a wife among the uncircumcised Philistines?”
[14:3] 602 tn “Her” is first in the Hebrew word order for emphasis. Samson wanted this Philistine girl, no one else. See C. F. Burney, Judges, 357.
[14:3] 603 tn Heb “because she is right in my eyes.”
[14:4] 604 tn Heb “this was from the LORD.”
[14:4] 605 tn Heb “for an opportunity he was seeking from the Philistines.”
[14:5] 606 tc The MT reads, “Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah. When they approached…” Verse 6b states that Samson did not tell his parents about his encounter with the lion (vv. 5b-6a), but v. 5a gives the impression they would have seen the entire episode. One could assume that Samson separated from his parents prior to the lion’s attack, but the Hebrew text does not indicate this. It seems more likely that the words “with his father and his mother” were accidentally copied into the text, perhaps under the influence of v. 4a, where the same phrase appears. An original singular verb (“he approached”) may have been changed to the plural form (“they approached”) after the words “his father and his mother” were accidentally added to the text.
[14:5] 607 tn Heb “and look, a young lion of the lions was roaring to meet him.”
[14:6] 608 tn Heb “rushed on.”
[14:6] 609 tn Heb “him” or “it”; the referent (the lion) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:6] 610 tn Heb “and there was nothing in his hand.”
[14:7] 611 tn Heb “He went down.”
[14:7] 612 tn Heb “She was the right one in the eyes of Samson.”
[14:8] 614 tn Heb “and look, a swarm of bees…”
[14:9] 615 tn Heb “went.” Samson apparently went home to his parents before going to Timnah for the marriage. Seeing and tasting the honey appears to encourage Manoah to go with his son to Timnah. Perhaps both Samson and his father viewed the honey as a good omen of future blessing. Possibly Samson considered it a symbol of sexual pleasure or an aphrodisiac. Note the use of honey imagery in Song 4:11 and 5:1.
[14:9] 616 sn Touching the carcass of a dead animal undoubtedly violated Samson’s Nazirite status. See Num 6:6.
[14:10] 617 tn Heb “And his father went down to the woman.”
[14:10] 618 tn Or “[wedding] feast.”
[14:10] 619 tn Heb “the young men.”
[14:11] 620 tn Heb “When they saw him, they gave him thirty companions and they were with him.” Instead of כִּרְאוֹתָם (kir’otam, “when they saw”) some ancient witnesses (e.g., some
[14:12] 621 tn Heb “If you really can tell it to me [during] the seven days of the feast and you find [its answer].”
[14:13] 623 tn Heb “you are unable to tell me.”
[14:13] 624 tn Heb “Give your riddle so we can hear it.”
[14:15] 625 tc The MT reads “seventh.” In Hebrew there is a difference of only one letter between the words רְבִיעִי (rÿvi’i, “fourth”) and שְׁבִיעִי (shÿvi’i, “seventh”). Some ancient textual witnesses (e.g., LXX and the Syriac Peshitta) read “fourth,” here, which certainly harmonizes better with the preceding verse (cf. “for three days”) and with v. 17. Another option is to change שְׁלֹשֶׁת (shÿloshet, “three”) at the end of v. 14 to שֵׁשֶׁת (sheshet, “six”), but the resulting scenario does not account as well for v. 17, which implies the bride had been hounding Samson for more than one day.
[14:15] 626 tn Heb “Entice your husband so that he might tell us the riddle.”
[14:15] 628 tn The Hebrew text expands the statement: “burn up with fire.” The words “with fire” are redundant in English and have been omitted from the translation for stylistic reasons.
[14:15] 630 tc The translation assumes the Hebrew form הֲלֹם (halom, “here,” attested in five Hebrew
[14:15] 631 tn For discussion of this difficult form, see C. F. Burney, Judges, 364.
[14:16] 633 tn Heb “only”; or “simply.”
[14:16] 634 tn Heb “the sons of my people.”
[14:16] 635 tn Heb “Should I tell you?”
[14:17] 637 tn Heb “the seven days [during] which they held the party.” This does not mean she cried for the entire seven days; v. 15 indicates otherwise. She cried for the remainder of the seven day period, beginning on the fourth day.
[14:17] 638 tn Heb “because she forced him.”
[14:17] 639 tn Heb “she told the riddle to the sons of her people.”
[14:18] 640 sn Plowed with my heifer. This statement emphasizes that the Philistines had utilized a source of information which should have been off-limits to them. Heifers were used in plowing (Hos 10:11), but one typically used one’s own farm animals, not another man’s.
[14:19] 641 tn Heb “equipment”; or “gear.”
[14:19] 642 tn Heb “changes [of clothes].”
[14:19] 643 tn Heb “he went up to his father’s house.”
[14:20] 644 tn Heb “to his companion who had been his attendant.”
