Hakim-hakim 2:11

A Monotonous Cycle

2:11 The Israelites did evil before ¹  the Lord by worshiping ²  the Baals.

Hakim-hakim 2:13

2:13 They abandoned the Lord and worshiped Baal and the Ashtars. ³ 

Hakim-hakim 2:19

2:19 When a leader died, the next generation ⁴  would again ⁵  act more wickedly than the previous one. ⁶  They would follow after other gods, worshiping them ⁷  and bowing down to them. They did not give up ⁸  their practices or their stubborn ways.

[2:11]  ¹ tn Heb “in the eyes of.”

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

[2:13]  ³ 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.

[2:19]  ⁴ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the next generation) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:19]  ⁵ tn The verb שׁוּב (shuv, “to return; to turn”) is sometimes translated “turn back” here, but it is probably used in an adverbial sense, indicating that the main action (“act wickedly”) is being repeated.

[2:19]  ⁶ tn Heb “their fathers.”

[2:19]  sn The statement the next generation would again act more wickedly than the previous one must refer to the successive sinful generations after Joshua, not Joshua’s godly generation (cf. vv. 7, 17).

[2:19]  ⁷ tn Or “serving [them]”; or “following [them].”

[2:19]  ⁸ tn Or “drop.”