Hakim-hakim 8:33

Israel Returns to Baal-Worship

8:33 After Gideon died, the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They made Baal-Berith ¹  their god.

Hakim-hakim 9:46

9:46 When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem ²  heard the news, they went to the stronghold ³  of the temple of El-Berith. ⁴ 

Hakim-hakim 11:38

11:38 He said, “You may go.” He permitted her to leave ⁵  for two months. She went with her friends and mourned her virginity as she walked through the hills. ⁶ 

[8:33]  ¹ 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.

[9:46]  ² sn Perhaps the Tower of Shechem was a nearby town, distinct from Shechem proper, or a tower within the city.

[9:46]  ³ 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]  ⁴ sn The name El-Berith means “God of the Covenant.” It is probably a reference to the Canaanite high god El.

[11:38]  ⁵ tn Heb “he sent her.”

[11:38]  ⁶ tn Heb “on the hills.” The words “as she walked” are supplied.