Hakim-hakim 8:10-12

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. ¹  8:11 Gideon went up the road of the nomads ²  east of Nobah and Jogbehah and ambushed the surprised army. ³  8:12 When Zebah and Zalmunna ran away, Gideon ⁴  chased them and captured the two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. He had surprised ⁵  their entire army.

Hakim-hakim 8:18-21

8:18 He said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “Describe for me ⁶  the men you killed at Tabor.” They said, “They were like you. Each one looked like a king’s son.” ⁷  8:19 He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. I swear, ⁸  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! ⁹  Kill them!” But Jether was too afraid to draw his sword, ¹⁰  because he was still young. 8:21 Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, ¹¹  “Come on, ¹²  you strike us, for a man is judged by his strength.” ¹³  So Gideon killed ¹⁴  Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent-shaped ornaments which were on the necks of their camels.

[8:10]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Heb “the ones living in tents.”

[8:11]  ³ 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]  ⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:12]  ⁵ tn Or “routed”; Heb “caused to panic.”

[8:18]  ⁶ tn Heb “Where are?”

[8:18]  ⁷ tn Heb “each one like the appearance of sons of the king.”

[8:19]  ⁸ tn The words “I swear” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[8:20]  ⁹ tn Or “Arise!”

[8:20]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “did not draw his sword for he was afraid.”

[8:21]  ¹¹ tn The words “to Gideon” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[8:21]  ¹² tn Or “Arise.”

[8:21]  ¹³ tn Heb “for as the man is his strength.”

[8:21]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “arose and killed.”