Hakim-hakim 2:3

2:3 At that time I also warned you, ¹  ‘If you disobey, ²  I will not drive out the Canaanites ³  before you. They will ensnare you ⁴  and their gods will lure you away.’” ⁵ 

Hakim-hakim 2:19

2:19 When a leader died, the next generation ⁶  would again ⁷  act more wickedly than the previous one. ⁸  They would follow after other gods, worshiping them ⁹  and bowing down to them. They did not give up ¹⁰  their practices or their stubborn ways.

Hakim-hakim 3:7

Othniel: A Model Leader

3:7 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. ¹¹  They forgot the Lord their God and worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs. ¹² 

Hakim-hakim 5:8

5:8 God chose new leaders, ¹³ 

then fighters appeared in the city gates; ¹⁴ 

but, I swear, not a shield or spear could be found, ¹⁵ 

among forty military units ¹⁶  in Israel.

Hakim-hakim 6:20

6:20 God’s messenger said to him, “Put the meat and unleavened bread on this rock, ¹⁷  and pour out the broth.” Gideon did as instructed. ¹⁸ 

Hakim-hakim 6:40

6:40 That night God did as he asked. ¹⁹  Only the fleece was dry and the ground around it was covered with dew.

Hakim-hakim 8:33-34

Israel Returns to Baal-Worship

8:33 After Gideon died, the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They made Baal-Berith ²⁰  their god. 8:34 The Israelites did not remain true ²¹  to the Lord their God, who had delivered them from all the enemies who lived around them.

Hakim-hakim 9:9

9:9 But the olive tree said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my oil, which is used to honor gods and men, just to sway above the other trees!’ ²² 

Hakim-hakim 9:13

9:13 But the grapevine said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my wine, which makes gods and men so happy, just to sway above the other trees!’ ²³ 

Hakim-hakim 9:23

9:23 God sent a spirit to stir up hostility ²⁴  between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. He made the leaders of Shechem disloyal ²⁵  to Abimelech.

Hakim-hakim 9:27

9:27 They went out to the field, harvested their grapes, ²⁶  squeezed out the juice, ²⁷  and celebrated. They came to the temple ²⁸  of their god and ate, drank, and cursed Abimelech.

Hakim-hakim 9:57

9:57 God also repaid the men of Shechem for their evil deeds. The curse spoken by Jotham son of Jerub-Baal fell ²⁹  on them.

Hakim-hakim 10:10

10:10 The Israelites cried out for help to the Lord: “We have sinned against you. We abandoned our God and worshiped ³⁰  the Baals.”

Hakim-hakim 17:5

17:5 Now this man Micah owned a shrine. ³¹  He made an ephod ³²  and some personal idols and hired one of his sons to serve as a priest. ³³ 

Hakim-hakim 18:24

18:24 He said, “You stole my gods that I made, as well as this priest, and then went away. What do I have left? How can you have the audacity to say to me, ‘What do you want?’” ³⁴ 

Hakim-hakim 18:31

18:31 They worshiped ³⁵  Micah’s carved image ³⁶  the whole time God’s authorized shrine ³⁷  was in Shiloh.

Hakim-hakim 20:2

20:2 The leaders ³⁸  of all the people from all the tribes of Israel took their places in the assembly of God’s people, which numbered ³⁹  four hundred thousand sword-wielding foot soldiers.

Hakim-hakim 21:2-3

21:2 So the people came to Bethel ⁴⁰  and sat there before God until evening, weeping loudly and uncontrollably. ⁴¹  21:3 They said, “Why, O Lord God of Israel, has this happened in Israel?” An entire ⁴²  tribe has disappeared from Israel today!”

[2:3]  ¹ tn Heb “And I also said.” The use of the perfect tense here suggests that the messenger is recalling an earlier statement (see Josh 23:12-13). However, some translate, “And I also say,” understanding the following words as an announcement of judgment upon those gathered at Bokim.

[2:3]  ² tn The words “If you disobey” are supplied in the translation for clarity. See Josh 23:12-13.

[2:3]  ³ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the Canaanites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:3]  ⁴ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word צִדִּים (tsiddim) is uncertain in this context. It may be related to an Akkadian cognate meaning “snare.” If so, a more literal translation would be “they will become snares to you.” Normally the term in question means “sides,” but this makes no sense here. On the basis of Num 33:55 some suggest the word for “thorns” has been accidentally omitted. If this word is added, the text would read, “they will become [thorns] in your sides” (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT).

[2:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “their gods will become a snare to you.”

[2:19]  ⁶ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the next generation) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:19]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ tn Or “serving [them]”; or “following [them].”

[2:19]  ¹⁰ tn Or “drop.”

[3:7]  ¹¹ tn Heb “in the eyes of the Lord.”

[3:7]  ¹² sn The Asherahs were local manifestations of the Canaanite goddess Asherah.

[5:8]  ¹³ 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]  ¹⁴ 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]  ¹⁵ 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]  ¹⁶ 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”).

[6:20]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “Take the meat…and put [it] on this rock.”

[6:20]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and he did so.”

[6:40]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “God did so that night.”

[8:33]  ²⁰ 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.

[8:34]  ²¹ tn Heb “remember.”

[9:9]  ²² tn Heb “Should I stop my abundance, with which they honor gods and men, and go to sway over the trees?” The negative sentence in the translation reflects the force of the rhetorical question.

[9:13]  ²³ tn Heb “Should I stop my wine, which makes happy gods and men, and go to sway over the trees?” The negative sentence in the translation reflects the force of the rhetorical question.

[9:23]  ²⁴ tn Heb “an evil spirit.” A nonphysical, spirit being is in view, like the one who volunteered to deceive Ahab (1 Kgs 22:21). The traditional translation, “evil spirit,” implies the being is inherently wicked, perhaps even demonic, but this is not necessarily the case. The Hebrew adjective רָעַה (ra’ah) can have a nonethical sense, “harmful; dangerous; calamitous.” When modifying רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) it may simply indicate that the being in view causes harm to the object of God’s judgment. G. F. Moore (Judges [ICC], 253) here refers to a “mischief-making spirit.”

[9:23]  ²⁵ tn Heb “The leaders of Shechem were disloyal.” The words “he made” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:27]  ²⁶ tn Heb “vineyards.”

[9:27]  ²⁷ tn Heb “stomped” or “trampled.” This refers to the way in which the juice was squeezed out in the wine vats by stepping on the grapes with one’s bare feet. For a discussion of grape harvesting in ancient Israel, see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 110-14.

[9:27]  ²⁸ tn Heb “house.”

[9:57]  ²⁹ tn Heb “came.”

[10:10]  ³⁰ tn Or “served”; or “followed.”

[17:5]  ³¹ tn Heb “house of God.”

[17:5]  ³² sn Here an ephod probably refers to a priestly garment (cf. Exod 28:4-6).

[17:5]  ³³ tn Heb “and he filled the hand of one of his sons and he became his priest.”

[18:24]  ³⁴ tn Heb “What is this you say to me, ‘What to you?’”

[18:31]  ³⁵ tn Heb “they set up for themselves.”

[18:31]  ³⁶ tn Heb “the carved image that Micah had made.”

[18:31]  ³⁷ tn Heb “the house of God.”

[20:2]  ³⁸ tn Heb “the cornerstones”; or “the supports.” The word is used of leaders in only three other texts – 1 Sam 14:38; Isa 19:13; Zech 10:4.

[20:2]  ³⁹ tn The words “which numbered” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[21:2]  ⁴⁰ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[21:2]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “and they lifted up their voice[s] and wept with great weeping.” Both the cognate accusative בְּכִי (bekhi, “weeping”) and the attributive adjective גָדוֹל (gadol, “great”) emphasize their degree of sorrow.

[21:3]  ⁴² tn Heb “one.”