Hakim-hakim 2:23--3:1

2:23 This is why ¹  the Lord permitted these nations to remain and did not conquer them immediately; ²  he did not hand them over to Joshua.

3:1 These were the nations the Lord permitted to remain so he could use them to test Israel – he wanted to test all those who had not experienced battle against the Canaanites. ³ 

Hakim-hakim 4:13

4:13 he ⁴  ordered ⁵  all his chariotry – nine hundred chariots with iron-rimmed wheels – and all the troops he had with him to go from Harosheth-Haggoyim to the River Kishon.

Hakim-hakim 6:14

6:14 Then the Lord himself ⁶  turned to him and said, “You have the strength. ⁷  Deliver Israel from the power of the Midianites! ⁸  Have I not sent you?”

Hakim-hakim 6:30

6:30 The men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, so we can execute him! ⁹  He pulled down the Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole.”

Hakim-hakim 9:6

9:6 All the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo assembled and then went and made Abimelech king by the oak near the pillar ¹⁰  in Shechem.

Hakim-hakim 9:35

9:35 When Gaal son of Ebed came out and stood at the entrance to the city’s gate, Abimelech and his men got up from their hiding places.

Hakim-hakim 10:8

10:8 They ruthlessly oppressed ¹¹  the Israelites that eighteenth year ¹²  – that is, all the Israelites living east of the Jordan in Amorite country in Gilead.

Hakim-hakim 18:22

18:22 After they had gone a good distance from Micah’s house, Micah’s neighbors ¹³  gathered together and caught up with the Danites.

[2:23]  ¹ tn The words “this is why” are interpretive.

[2:23]  ² tn Or “quickly.”

[3:1]  ³ tn Heb “did not know the wars of Canaan.”

[4:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “Sisera.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[4:13]  ⁵ tn Or “summoned.”

[6:14]  ⁶ sn Some interpreters equate the Lord and the messenger in this story, but they are more likely distinct. In vv. 22-23 the Lord and Gideon continue to carry on a conversation after the messenger has vanished (v. 21).

[6:14]  ⁷ tn Heb “Go in this strength of yours.”

[6:14]  ⁸ tn Heb “the hand of Midian.”

[6:30]  ⁹ tn Heb “and let him die.” The jussive form with vav after the imperative is best translated as a purpose clause.

[9:6]  ¹⁰ tc The translation assumes that the form in the Hebrew text (מֻצָּב, mutsav) is a corruption of an original מַצֵּבָה (matsevah, “pillar”). The reference is probably to a pagan object of worship (cf. LXX).

[10:8]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² 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.

[18:22]  ¹³ tn Heb “the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house.”