Hakim-hakim 2:23

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.

Hakim-hakim 5:8

5:8 God chose new leaders, ³ 

then fighters appeared in the city gates; ⁴ 

but, I swear, not a shield or spear could be found, ⁵ 

among forty military units ⁶  in Israel.

Hakim-hakim 5:16

5:16 Why do you remain among the sheepfolds, ⁷ 

listening to the shepherds playing their pipes ⁸  for their flocks? ⁹ 

As for the clans of Reuben – there was intense searching of heart.

Hakim-hakim 8:21

8:21 Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, ¹⁰  “Come on, ¹¹  you strike us, for a man is judged by his strength.” ¹²  So Gideon killed ¹³  Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent-shaped ornaments which were on the necks of their camels.

Hakim-hakim 11:2

11:2 Gilead’s wife also gave ¹⁴  him sons. When his wife’s sons grew up, they made Jephthah leave and said to him, “You are not going to inherit any of our father’s wealth, ¹⁵  because you are another woman’s son.”

Hakim-hakim 11:21

11:21 The Lord God of Israel handed Sihon and his whole army over to Israel and they defeated them. Israel took ¹⁶  all the land of the Amorites who lived in that land.

Hakim-hakim 12:14

12:14 He had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy donkeys. He led Israel for eight years.

Hakim-hakim 19:23

19:23 The man who owned the house went outside and said to them, “No, my brothers! Don’t do this wicked thing! After all, this man is a guest in my house. Don’t do such a disgraceful thing!

Hakim-hakim 20:6

20:6 I grabbed hold of my concubine and carved her up and sent the pieces ¹⁷  throughout the territory occupied by Israel, ¹⁸  because they committed such an unthinkable atrocity ¹⁹  in Israel.

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

[2:23]  ² tn Or “quickly.”

[5:8]  ³ tn Or “warriors.” The Hebrew text reads literally, “He chose God/gods new.” Some take “Israel” as the subject of the verb, “gods” as object, and “new” as an adjective modifying “gods.” This yields the translation, “(Israel) chose new gods.” In this case idolatry is the cause of the trouble alluded to in the context. The present translation takes “God” as subject of the verb and “new” as substantival, referring to the new leaders raised up by God (see v. 9a). For a survey of opinions and a defense of the present translation, see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 239-40.

[5:8]  ⁴ tn The translation of this difficult line is speculative because the second word, לָחֶם (lakhem), appears only here. The line in the Hebrew text literally reads, “Then [?] gates.” Interpretations and emendations of the Hebrew text abound (see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 239-40). The translation assumes a repointing of the form as a Qal participle לֹחֵם (lokhem) from the verbal root לָחַם (lakham, “fight”) and understands a substantival use (“fighter”). “Fighter” is a collective reference to the military leaders or warriors mentioned in the preceding line and in v. 9. (For other occurrences of the Qal of לָחַם, see Pss 35:1; 56:2-3.)

[5:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “A shield, it could not be seen, nor a spear.” The translation assumes that the Hebrew particle אִם (’im) introduces an oath of denial (see GKC 472 §149.e).

[5:8]  ⁶ tn Traditionally “forty thousand,” but this may be an instance where Hebrew term אֶלֶף (’elef) refers to a military unit. This is the view assumed by the translation (“forty military units”).

[5:16]  ⁷ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word מִשְׁפְּתַיִם (mishpÿtayim) is uncertain. Some understand the word to mean “campfires.”

[5:16]  ⁸ tn Or “whistling.”

[5:16]  ⁹ tn Heb “listening to the pipe playing for the flocks.”

[8:21]  ¹⁰ tn The words “to Gideon” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[8:21]  ¹¹ tn Or “Arise.”

[8:21]  ¹² tn Heb “for as the man is his strength.”

[8:21]  ¹³ tn Heb “arose and killed.”

[11:2]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “bore.”

[11:2]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “in the house of our father.”

[11:21]  ¹⁶ tn That is, took as its own possession.

[20:6]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “her”; the referent is more naturally stated in English as “the pieces.”

[20:6]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “throughout all the territory of the inheritance of Israel.”

[20:6]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “a wicked and disgraceful [thing].”