Hakim-hakim 2:3

2:3 At that time I also warned you, ¹  ‘If you disobey, ²  I will not drive out the Canaanites ³  before you. They will ensnare you ⁴  and their gods will lure you away.’” ⁵ 

Hakim-hakim 2:11-15

A Monotonous Cycle

2:11 The Israelites did evil before ⁶  the Lord by worshiping ⁷  the Baals. 2:12 They abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors ⁸  who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods – the gods of the nations who lived around them. They worshiped ⁹  them and made the Lord angry. 2:13 They abandoned the Lord and worshiped Baal and the Ashtars. ¹⁰ 

2:14 The Lord was furious with Israel ¹¹  and handed them over to robbers who plundered them. ¹²  He turned them over to ¹³  their enemies who lived around them. They could not withstand their enemies’ attacks. ¹⁴  2:15 Whenever they went out to fight, ¹⁵  the Lord did them harm, ¹⁶  just as he had warned and solemnly vowed he would do. ¹⁷  They suffered greatly. ¹⁸ 

Hakim-hakim 4:2-3

4:2 The Lord turned them over to ¹⁹  King Jabin of Canaan, who ruled in Hazor. ²⁰  The general of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. ²¹  4:3 The Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, because Sisera ²²  had nine hundred chariots with iron-rimmed wheels, ²³  and he cruelly ²⁴  oppressed the Israelites for twenty years.

Hakim-hakim 10:7-10

10:7 The Lord was furious with Israel ²⁵  and turned them over to ²⁶  the Philistines and Ammonites. 10:8 They ruthlessly oppressed ²⁷  the Israelites that eighteenth year ²⁸  – 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. ²⁹  Israel suffered greatly. ³⁰ 

10:10 The Israelites cried out for help to the Lord: “We have sinned against you. We abandoned our God and worshiped ³¹  the Baals.”

Hakim-hakim 14:4

14:4 Now his father and mother did not realize this was the Lord’s doing, ³²  because he was looking for an opportunity to stir up trouble with the Philistines ³³  (for at that time the Philistines were ruling Israel).

Hakim-hakim 15:11-12

15:11 Three thousand men of Judah went down to the cave in the cliff of Etam and said to Samson, “Do you not know that the Philistines rule over us? Why have you done this to us?” He said to them, “I have only done to them what they have done to me.” 15:12 They said to him, “We have come down to take you prisoner so we can hand you over to the Philistines.” Samson said to them, “Promise me ³⁴  you will not kill ³⁵  me.”

[2:3]  ¹ tn Heb “And I also said.” The use of the perfect tense here suggests that the messenger is recalling an earlier statement (see Josh 23:12-13). However, some translate, “And I also say,” understanding the following words as an announcement of judgment upon those gathered at Bokim.

[2:3]  ² tn The words “If you disobey” are supplied in the translation for clarity. See Josh 23:12-13.

[2:3]  ³ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the Canaanites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:3]  ⁴ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word צִדִּים (tsiddim) is uncertain in this context. It may be related to an Akkadian cognate meaning “snare.” If so, a more literal translation would be “they will become snares to you.” Normally the term in question means “sides,” but this makes no sense here. On the basis of Num 33:55 some suggest the word for “thorns” has been accidentally omitted. If this word is added, the text would read, “they will become [thorns] in your sides” (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT).

[2:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “their gods will become a snare to you.”

[2:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “in the eyes of.”

[2:11]  ⁷ tn Or “serving”; or “following.”

[2:12]  ⁸ tn Or “fathers.”

[2:12]  ⁹ tn Or “bowed before” (the same expression occurs in the following verse).

[2:13]  ¹⁰ tn Some English translations simply transliterate the plural Hebrew term (“Ashtaroth,” cf. NAB, NASB), pluralize the transliterated Hebrew singular form (“Ashtoreths,” cf. NIV), or use a variation of the name (“Astartes,” cf. NRSV).

[2:13]  sn The Ashtars were local manifestations of the goddess Astarte.

[2:14]  ¹¹ tn Or “The Lord’s anger burned [or “raged”] against Israel.”

[2:14]  ¹² tn Heb “robbers who robbed them.” (The verb שָׁסָה [shasah] appears twice in the verse.)

[2:14]  sn The expression robbers who plundered them is a derogatory reference to the enemy nations, as the next line indicates.

[2:14]  ¹³ tn Heb “sold them into the hands of.”

[2:14]  ¹⁴ tn The word “attacks” is supplied in the translation both for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[2:15]  ¹⁵ tn The expression “to fight” is interpretive.

[2:15]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “the Lord’s hand was against them for harm.”

[2:15]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “just as he had said and just as he had sworn to them.”

[2:15]  ¹⁸ tn Or “they experienced great distress.”

[4:2]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “the Lord sold them into the hands of.”

[4:2]  ²⁰ tn Or “King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite ruler.”

[4:2]  map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 D3; Map3 A2; Map4 C1.

[4:2]  ²¹ tn Or “Harosheth of the Pagan Nations”; cf. KJV “Harosheth of the Gentiles.”

[4:3]  ²² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Sisera) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:3]  ²³ 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.

[4:3]  ²⁴ tn Heb “with strength.”

[10:7]  ²⁵ tn Or “the Lord’s anger burned [or “raged”] against Israel.”

[10:7]  ²⁶ tn Heb “sold them into the hands of.”

[10:8]  ²⁷ 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]  ²⁸ 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]  ²⁹ tn Heb “the house of Ephraim.”

[10:9]  ³⁰ tn Or “Israel experienced great distress.” Perhaps here the verb has the nuance “hemmed in.”

[10:10]  ³¹ tn Or “served”; or “followed.”

[14:4]  ³² tn Heb “this was from the LORD.”

[14:4]  ³³ tn Heb “for an opportunity he was seeking from the Philistines.”

[15:12]  ³⁴ tn Or “swear to me.”

[15:12]  ³⁵ tn Heb “meet [with hostility]”; “harm.” In light of v. 13, “kill” is an appropriate translation.