Hakim-hakim 2:18

2:18 When the Lord raised up leaders for them, the Lord was with each leader and delivered the people ¹  from their enemies while the leader remained alive. The Lord felt sorry for them ²  when they cried out in agony because of what their harsh oppressors did to them. ³ 

Hakim-hakim 12:3

12:3 When I saw that you were not going to help, ⁴  I risked my life ⁵  and advanced against ⁶  the Ammonites, and the Lord handed them over to me. Why have you come up ⁷  to fight with me today?”

Hakim-hakim 13:5

13:5 Look, you will conceive and have a son. ⁸  You must never cut his hair, ⁹  for the child will be dedicated to God ¹⁰  from birth. He will begin to deliver Israel from the power ¹¹  of the Philistines.”

[2:18]  ¹ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:18]  ² tn The phrase “for them” is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[2:18]  ³ tn Heb “the ones oppressing them and afflicting them.” The synonyms “oppressing” and “afflicting” are joined together in the translation as “harsh oppressors” to emphasize the cruel character of their enemies.

[12:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “you were no deliverer.” Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the LXX has “no one was helping.”

[12:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “I put my life in my hand.”

[12:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “crossed over to.”

[12:3]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew adds “against me” here. This is redundant in English and has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[13:5]  ⁸ tn Another option is to translate, “you are already pregnant and will have a son.” The earlier reference to her being infertile (v. 3) suggests that her conception is still future, but it is possible that the earlier statement only reflects her perspective (as far as she is concerned, she is infertile). According to this interpretation, in v. 5 the angel reveals the truth to her – actually she has recently conceived and is now pregnant (see the translation in R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 217). Usage favors this interpretation. The predicate adjective הָרָה (harah, “[be/become] pregnant”) elsewhere has a past (1 Sam 4:19) or present (Gen 16:11; 38:25; 2 Sam 11:5) translation value. (The usage in Isa 7:14 is debated, but a present translation is definitely possible there.) A final, but less likely possibility, is that she miraculously conceived during the angel’s speech, sometime between his statements recorded in vv. 3 and 5.

[13:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “a razor should not go up on his head.”

[13:5]  ¹⁰ tn Or “set apart to God.” Traditionally the Hebrew term נָזִיר (nazir) has been translated “Nazirite.” The word is derived from the verb נָזַר (nazar, “to dedicate; to consecrate; to set apart”).

[13:5]  ¹¹ tn Heb “hand.”