Hakim-hakim 2:5

2:5 They named that place Bokim ¹  and offered sacrifices to the Lord there.

Hakim-hakim 13:19

13:19 Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and offered them on a rock to the Lord. The Lord’s messenger did an amazing thing as Manoah and his wife watched. ² 

Hakim-hakim 6:18

6:18 Do not leave this place until I come back ³  with a gift ⁴  and present it to you.” The Lord said, “I will stay here until you come back.”

Hakim-hakim 16:23

Samson’s Death and Burial

16:23 The rulers of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate. They said, “Our god has handed Samson, our enemy, over to us.”

Hakim-hakim 2:17

2:17 But they did not obey ⁵  their leaders. Instead they prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped ⁶  them. They quickly turned aside from the path ⁷  their ancestors ⁸  had walked. Their ancestors had obeyed the Lord’s commands, but they did not. ⁹ 

Hakim-hakim 2:19

2:19 When a leader died, the next generation ¹⁰  would again ¹¹  act more wickedly than the previous one. ¹²  They would follow after other gods, worshiping them ¹³  and bowing down to them. They did not give up ¹⁴  their practices or their stubborn ways.

Hakim-hakim 13:23

13:23 But his wife said to him, “If the Lord wanted to kill us, he would not have accepted the burnt offering and the grain offering from us. ¹⁵  He would not have shown us all these things, or have spoken to us like this just now.”

Hakim-hakim 3:18

3:18 After Ehud brought the tribute payment, he dismissed the people who had carried it. ¹⁶ 

Hakim-hakim 21:4

21:4 The next morning the people got up early and built an altar there. They offered up burnt sacrifices and token of peace. ¹⁷ 

Hakim-hakim 10:13

10:13 But since you abandoned me and worshiped ¹⁸  other gods, I will not deliver you again.

Hakim-hakim 2:11

A Monotonous Cycle

2:11 The Israelites did evil before ¹⁹  the Lord by worshiping ²⁰  the Baals.

Hakim-hakim 7:15

Gideon Routs the Enemy

7:15 When Gideon heard the report of the dream and its interpretation, he praised God. ²¹  Then he went back to the Israelite camp and said, “Get up, for the Lord is handing the Midianite army over to you!”

Hakim-hakim 11:31

11:31 then whoever is the first to come through ²²  the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from fighting the Ammonites – he ²³  will belong to the Lord and ²⁴  I will offer him up as a burnt sacrifice.”

Hakim-hakim 2:12

2:12 They abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors ²⁵  who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods – the gods of the nations who lived around them. They worshiped ²⁶  them and made the Lord angry.

Hakim-hakim 10:6

The Lord’s Patience Runs Short

10:6 The Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight. ²⁷  They worshiped ²⁸  the Baals and the Ashtars, ²⁹  as well as the gods of Syria, Sidon, ³⁰  Moab, the Ammonites, and the Philistines. ³¹  They abandoned the Lord and did not worship ³²  him.

Hakim-hakim 13:16

13:16 The Lord’s messenger said to Manoah, “If I stay, ³³  I will not eat your food. But if you want to make a burnt sacrifice to the Lord, you should offer it.” (He said this because Manoah did not know that he was the Lord’s messenger.) ³⁴ 

Hakim-hakim 20:26

20:26 So all the Israelites, the whole army, ³⁵  went up to ³⁶  Bethel. ³⁷  They wept and sat there before the Lord; they did not eat anything ³⁸  that day until evening. They offered up burnt sacrifices and tokens of peace ³⁹  to the Lord.

Hakim-hakim 3:6

3:6 They took the Canaanites’ daughters as wives and gave their daughters to the Canaanites; ⁴⁰  they worshiped ⁴¹  their gods as well.

Hakim-hakim 6:10

6:10 I said to you, “I am the Lord your God! Do not worship ⁴²  the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are now living!” But you have disobeyed me.’” ⁴³ 

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 ⁴⁴  the Baals.”

Hakim-hakim 5:2

5:2 “When the leaders took the lead ⁴⁵  in Israel,

When the people answered the call to war –

Praise the Lord!

Hakim-hakim 5:9

5:9 My heart went out ⁴⁶  to Israel’s leaders,

to the people who answered the call to war.

Praise the Lord!

Hakim-hakim 6:36

6:36 Gideon said to God, “If you really intend to use me to deliver Israel, ⁴⁷  as you promised, then give me a sign as proof. ⁴⁸ 

Hakim-hakim 8:33

Israel Returns to Baal-Worship

8:33 After Gideon died, the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They made Baal-Berith ⁴⁹  their god.

Hakim-hakim 11:30

11:30 Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, saying, “If you really do hand the Ammonites over to me,

Hakim-hakim 20:23

20:23 The Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until evening. They asked the Lord, “Should we ⁵⁰  again march out to fight ⁵¹  the Benjaminites, our brothers?” ⁵²  The Lord said, “Attack them!” ⁵³ 

Hakim-hakim 6:39

6:39 Gideon said to God, “Please do not get angry at me, when I ask for just one more sign. ⁵⁴  Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make only the fleece dry, while the ground around it is covered with dew.” ⁵⁵ 

Hakim-hakim 1:1

Judah Takes the Lead

1:1 After Joshua died, the Israelites asked ⁵⁶  the Lord, “Who should lead the invasion against the Canaanites and launch the attack?” ⁵⁷ 

Hakim-hakim 3:17

3:17 He brought the tribute payment to King Eglon of Moab. (Now Eglon was a very fat man.)

Hakim-hakim 6:17

6:17 Gideon ⁵⁸  said to him, “If you really are pleased with me, ⁵⁹  then give me ⁶⁰  a sign as proof that it is really you speaking with me.

Hakim-hakim 6:22

6:22 When Gideon realized ⁶¹  that it was the Lord’s messenger, he ⁶²  said, “Oh no! ⁶³  Master, Lord! ⁶⁴  I have seen the Lord’s messenger face to face!”

Hakim-hakim 9:4

9:4 They paid him seventy silver shekels out of the temple of Baal-Berith. Abimelech then used the silver to hire some lawless, dangerous ⁶⁵  men as his followers. ⁶⁶ 

Hakim-hakim 10:15

10:15 But the Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. You do to us as you see fit, ⁶⁷  but deliver us today!” ⁶⁸ 

Hakim-hakim 20:28

20:28 Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was serving the Lord ⁶⁹  in those days), “Should we ⁷⁰  once more march out to fight the Benjaminites our brothers, ⁷¹  or should we ⁷²  quit?” The Lord said, “Attack, for tomorrow I will hand them ⁷³  over to you.”

Hakim-hakim 5:25

5:25 He asked for water,

and she gave him milk;

in a bowl fit for a king, ⁷⁴ 

she served him curds.

Hakim-hakim 3:19

3:19 But he went back ⁷⁵  once he reached ⁷⁶  the carved images ⁷⁷  at Gilgal. He said to Eglon, ⁷⁸  “I have a secret message for you, O king.” Eglon ⁷⁹  said, “Be quiet!” ⁸⁰  All his attendants left.

Hakim-hakim 6:26

6:26 Then build an altar for the Lord your God on the top of this stronghold according to the proper pattern. ⁸¹  Take the second bull and offer it as a burnt sacrifice on the wood from the Asherah pole that you cut down.”

Hakim-hakim 8:27

8:27 Gideon used all this to make ⁸²  an ephod, ⁸³  which he put in his hometown of Ophrah. All the Israelites ⁸⁴  prostituted themselves to it by worshiping it ⁸⁵  there. It became a snare to Gideon and his family.

Hakim-hakim 17:3

17:3 When he gave back to his mother the eleven hundred pieces of silver, his mother said, “I solemnly dedicate ⁸⁶  this silver to the Lord. It will be for my son’s benefit. We will use it to make a carved image and a metal image.” ⁸⁷ 

Hakim-hakim 3:7

Othniel: A Model Leader

3:7 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. ⁸⁸  They forgot the Lord their God and worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs. ⁸⁹ 

Hakim-hakim 10:16

10:16 They threw away the foreign gods they owned ⁹⁰  and worshiped ⁹¹  the Lord. Finally the Lord grew tired of seeing Israel suffer so much. ⁹² 

Hakim-hakim 17:5

17:5 Now this man Micah owned a shrine. ⁹³  He made an ephod ⁹⁴  and some personal idols and hired one of his sons to serve as a priest. ⁹⁵ 

Hakim-hakim 18:31

18:31 They worshiped ⁹⁶  Micah’s carved image ⁹⁷  the whole time God’s authorized shrine ⁹⁸  was in Shiloh.

Hakim-hakim 21:3

21:3 They said, “Why, O Lord God of Israel, has this happened in Israel?” An entire ⁹⁹  tribe has disappeared from Israel today!”

Hakim-hakim 13:8

13:8 Manoah prayed to the Lord, ¹⁰⁰  “Please, Lord, allow the man sent from God ¹⁰¹  to visit ¹⁰²  us again, so he can teach ¹⁰³  us how we should raise ¹⁰⁴  the child who will be born.”

Hakim-hakim 16:28

16:28 Samson called to the Lord, “O Master, Lord, ¹⁰⁵  remember me! Strengthen me just one more time, O God, so I can get swift revenge ¹⁰⁶  against the Philistines for my two eyes!”

Hakim-hakim 20:18

20:18 The Israelites went up to Bethel ¹⁰⁷  and asked God, ¹⁰⁸  “Who should lead the charge against the Benjaminites?” ¹⁰⁹  The Lord said, “Judah should lead.”

Hakim-hakim 2:3

2:3 At that time I also warned you, ¹¹⁰  ‘If you disobey, ¹¹¹  I will not drive out the Canaanites ¹¹²  before you. They will ensnare you ¹¹³  and their gods will lure you away.’” ¹¹⁴ 

Hakim-hakim 2:10

2:10 That entire generation passed away; ¹¹⁵  a new generation grew up ¹¹⁶  that had not personally experienced the Lord’s presence or seen what he had done for Israel. ¹¹⁷ 

Hakim-hakim 3:20

3:20 When Ehud approached him, he was sitting in his well-ventilated ¹¹⁸  upper room all by himself. Ehud said, “I have a message from God ¹¹⁹  for you.” When Eglon rose up from his seat, ¹²⁰ 

Hakim-hakim 5:8

5:8 God chose new leaders, ¹²¹ 

then fighters appeared in the city gates; ¹²² 

but, I swear, not a shield or spear could be found, ¹²³ 

among forty military units ¹²⁴  in Israel.

Hakim-hakim 6:1

Oppression and Confrontation

6:1 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight, ¹²⁵  so the Lord turned them over to ¹²⁶  Midian for seven years.

Hakim-hakim 6:15

6:15 Gideon ¹²⁷  said to him, “But Lord, ¹²⁸  how ¹²⁹  can I deliver Israel? Just look! My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my family.” ¹³⁰ 

Hakim-hakim 9:27

9:27 They went out to the field, harvested their grapes, ¹³¹  squeezed out the juice, ¹³²  and celebrated. They came to the temple ¹³³  of their god and ate, drank, and cursed Abimelech.

Hakim-hakim 13:1

Samson’s Birth

13:1 The Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight, ¹³⁴  so the Lord handed them over to the Philistines for forty years.

Hakim-hakim 16:27

16:27 Now the temple ¹³⁵  was filled with men and women, and all the rulers of the Philistines were there. There were three thousand men and women on the roof watching Samson entertain.

Hakim-hakim 6:13

6:13 Gideon said to him, “Pardon me, ¹³⁶  but if the Lord is with us, why has such disaster ¹³⁷  overtaken us? Where are all his miraculous deeds our ancestors told us about? They said, ¹³⁸  ‘Did the Lord not bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.”

Hakim-hakim 3:15

3:15 When the Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, he ¹³⁹  raised up a deliverer for them. His name was Ehud son of Gera the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. ¹⁴⁰  The Israelites sent him to King Eglon of Moab with their tribute payment. ¹⁴¹ 

Hakim-hakim 6:19

6:19 Gideon went and prepared a young goat, ¹⁴²  along with unleavened bread made from an ephah of flour. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot. He brought the food ¹⁴³  to him under the oak tree and presented it to him.

Hakim-hakim 6:28

6:28 When the men of the city got up the next morning, they saw ¹⁴⁴  the Baal altar pulled down, the nearby Asherah pole cut down, and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar.

Hakim-hakim 13:20

13:20 As the flame went up from the altar toward the sky, the Lord’s messenger went up in it ¹⁴⁵  while Manoah and his wife watched. They fell facedown ¹⁴⁶  to the ground.

Hakim-hakim 15:18

15:18 He was very thirsty, so he cried out to the Lord and said, “You have given your servant ¹⁴⁷  this great victory. But now must I die of thirst and fall into hands of the Philistines?” ¹⁴⁸ 

Hakim-hakim 16:30

16:30 Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” He pushed hard ¹⁴⁹  and the temple collapsed on the rulers and all the people in it. He killed many more people in his death than he had killed during his life. ¹⁵⁰ 

[2:5]  ¹ sn Bokim means “weeping ones” and is derived from the Hebrew verb בָּכָא (bakha’, “to weep”).

[13:19]  ² tc Heb “Doing an extraordinary deed while Manoah and his wife were watching.” The subject of the participle is missing. The translation assumes that the phrase “the Lord’s messenger” was lost by homoioteleuton. If the text originally read לַיהוָה מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה (layhavah mal’akh yÿhvah), the scribe’s eye could have jumped from the first יְהוָה to the second, accidentally omitting two of the three words. Later the conjunction וּ (shureq) would have been added to the following מַפְלִא (mafli’) for syntactical reasons. Another possibility is that a pronominal subject (הוּא, hu’) has been lost in the MT due to haplography.

[6:18]  ³ tn The Hebrew text adds “to you,” but this has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[6:18]  ⁴ tn Heb “and I will bring out my gift.” The precise nuance of the Hebrew word מִנְחָה (minkhah, “gift”) is uncertain in this context. It may refer to a gift offered as a sign of goodwill or submission. In some cases it is used of a gift offered to appease someone whom the offerer has offended. The word can also carry a sacrificial connotation.

[2:17]  ⁵ tn Or “did not listen to.”

[2:17]  ⁶ tn Or “bowed before.”

[2:17]  ⁷ tn Or “way [of life].”

[2:17]  ⁸ tn Or “fathers.”

[2:17]  ⁹ tn Heb “…walked, obeying the Lord’s commands. They did not do this.”

[2:19]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the next generation) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:19]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² 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]  ¹³ tn Or “serving [them]”; or “following [them].”

[2:19]  ¹⁴ tn Or “drop.”

[13:23]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “our hand.”

[3:18]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “the tribute payment.”

[21:4]  ¹⁷ tn Or “peace offerings.”

[10:13]  ¹⁸ tn Or “served”; or “followed.”

[2:11]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “in the eyes of.”

[2:11]  ²⁰ tn Or “serving”; or “following.”

[7:15]  ²¹ tn Heb “he bowed down” or “worshiped.”

[11:31]  ²² tn Heb “the one coming out, who comes out from.” The text uses a masculine singular participle with prefixed article, followed by a relative pronoun and third masculine singular verb. The substantival masculine singular participle הַיּוֹצֵא (hayyotse’, “the one coming out”) is used elsewhere of inanimate objects (such as a desert [Num 21:13] or a word [Num 32:24]) or persons (Jer 5:6; 21:9; 38:2). In each case context must determine the referent. Jephthah may have envisioned an animal meeting him, since the construction of Iron Age houses would allow for an animal coming through the doors of a house (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 208). But the fact that he actually does offer up his daughter indicates the language of the vow is fluid enough to encompass human beings, including women. He probably intended such an offering from the very beginning, but he obviously did not expect his daughter to meet him first.

[11:31]  ²³ tn The language is fluid enough to include women and perhaps even animals, but the translation uses the masculine pronoun because the Hebrew form is grammatically masculine.

[11:31]  ²⁴ tn Some translate “or,” suggesting that Jephthah makes a distinction between humans and animals. According to this view, if a human comes through the door, then Jephthah will commit him/her to the Lord’s service, but if an animal comes through the doors, he will offer it up as a sacrifice. However, it is far more likely that the Hebrew construction (vav [ו] + perfect) specifies how the subject will become the Lord’s, that is, by being offered up as a sacrifice. For similar constructions, where the apodosis of a conditional sentence has at least two perfects (each with vav) in sequence, see Gen 34:15-16; Exod 18:16.

[2:12]  ²⁵ tn Or “fathers.”

[2:12]  ²⁶ tn Or “bowed before” (the same expression occurs in the following verse).

[10:6]  ²⁷ tn Heb “in the eyes of the Lord.”

[10:6]  ²⁸ tn Or “served;” or “followed.”

[10:6]  ²⁹ sn The Ashtars were local manifestations of the goddess Ashtar (i.e., Astarte).

[10:6]  ³⁰ map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[10:6]  ³¹ tn Heb “the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines.”

[10:6]  ³² tn Or “serve”; or “follow.”

[13:16]  ³³ tn Heb “If you detain me.”

[13:16]  ³⁴ tn The words “he said this” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Manoah should have known from these words that the messenger represented the Lord. In the preceding narrative the narrator has informed the reader that the visitor is the Lord’s messenger, but Manoah and his wife did not perceive this. In vv. 5 and 7 the angel refers to “God” (אֱלֹהִים, ’elohim), not the Lord (יְהוַה, yÿhvah). Manoah’s wife calls the visitor “a man sent from God” and “God’s messenger” (v. 6), while Manoah prays to the “Lord” (אֲדוֹנָי, ’adonay) and calls the visitor “a man sent from God” (v. 8).

[20:26]  ³⁵ tn Heb “and all the people.”

[20:26]  ³⁶ tn Heb “went up and came [to].”

[20:26]  ³⁷ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[20:26]  ³⁸ tn Traditionally, “fasted.”

[20:26]  ³⁹ tn Or “peace offerings.”

[3:6]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “to their sons.”

[3:6]  ⁴¹ tn Or “served”; or “followed” (this term occurs in the following verse as well).

[6:10]  ⁴² tn Heb “Do not fear.”

[6:10]  ⁴³ tn Heb “you have not listened to my voice.”

[10:10]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “served”; or “followed.”

[5:2]  ⁴⁵ tn The meaning of the Hebrew expression בִּפְרֹעַ פְּרָעוֹת (bifroa’ pÿra’ot) is uncertain. Numerous proposals are offered by commentators. (For a survey of opinions, see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 223-27.) The next line refers to the people who responded to Barak’s summons to war, so a reference to the leaders who issued the summons would provide a natural poetic parallel. In v. 9 the leaders (חוֹקְקֵי, khoqÿqey) of the people and these same volunteers stand in poetic parallelism, so it is reasonable to assume that the difficult Hebrew term פְּרַעוֹת (pÿra’ot, v. 2a) is synonymous with חוֹקְקֵי (khoqÿqey) of v. 9 (see Lindars, 227).

[5:9]  ⁴⁶ tn The words “went out” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[6:36]  ⁴⁷ tn More literally, “you are about to deliver Israel by my hand.”

[6:36]  ⁴⁸ tn The words “then give me a sign as proof” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[8:33]  ⁴⁹ 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.

[20:23]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “I” (collective singular).

[20:23]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “approach for battle.”

[20:23]  ⁵² tn Heb “my brother” (collective singular).

[20:23]  ⁵³ tn Heb “Go up against him” (collective singular).

[6:39]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “Let your anger not rage at me, so that I might speak only this once.”

[6:39]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “let the fleece alone be dry, while dew is on all the ground.”

[1:1]  ⁵⁶ tn The Hebrew verb translated “asked” (שָׁאַל, sha’al) refers here to consulting the Lord through a prophetic oracle; cf. NAB “consulted.”

[1:1]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “Who should first go up for us against the Canaanites to attack them?”

[6:17]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:17]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “If I have found favor in your eyes.”

[6:17]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “perform for me.”

[6:22]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “saw.”

[6:22]  ⁶² tn Heb “Gideon.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[6:22]  ⁶³ tn Or “Ah!”

[6:22]  ⁶⁴ tn The Hebrew text reads אֲדֹנַי יְהוִה (’adonay yÿhvih, “Lord [the same title used in v. 15], Lord”).

[9:4]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “empty and reckless.”

[9:4]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “and they followed him.”

[10:15]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “according to all whatever is good in your eyes.”

[10:15]  ⁶⁸ sn You do to us as you see fit, but deliver us today. The request seems contradictory, but it can be explained in one of two ways. They may be asking for relief from their enemies and direct discipline from God’s hand. Or they may mean, “In the future you can do whatever you like to us, but give us relief from what we’re suffering right now.”

[20:28]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “standing before him.”

[20:28]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “I” (collective singular).

[20:28]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “my brother” (collective singular).

[20:28]  ⁷² tn Heb “I” (collective singular).

[20:28]  ⁷³ tn Heb “him” (collective singular).

[5:25]  ⁷⁴ tn Or “for mighty ones.”

[3:19]  ⁷⁵ tn Or “returned” (i.e., to Eglon’s palace).

[3:19]  ⁷⁶ tn The words “when he reached” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text simply reads “from.”

[3:19]  ⁷⁷ tn Or “idols.”

[3:19]  ⁷⁸ tn The words “to Eglon” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[3:19]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eglon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:19]  ⁸⁰ tn Or “Hush!”

[6:26]  ⁸¹ tn Possibly “in a row” or “in a layer,” perhaps referring to the arrangement of the stones used in the altar’s construction.

[8:27]  ⁸² tn Heb “made it into.”

[8:27]  ⁸³ sn In Exod 28:4-6 and several other texts an ephod is described as a priestly or cultic garment. In some cases an ephod is used to obtain a divine oracle (1 Sam 23:9; 30:7). Here the ephod is made of gold and is described as being quite heavy (70-75 lbs?). Some identify it as an idol, but it was more likely a cultic object fashioned in the form of a garment which was used for oracular purposes. For discussion of the ephod in the OT, see C. F. Burney, Judges, 236-43, and R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 349-52.

[8:27]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “Israel” (a collective singular).

[8:27]  ⁸⁵ tn The words “by worshiping it” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[17:3]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “dedicating, I dedicate.” In this case the emphatic infinitive absolute lends a mood of solemnity to the statement.

[17:3]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “to the LORD from my hand for my son to make a carved image and cast metal image.” She cannot mean that she is now taking the money from her hand and giving it back to her son so he can make an image. Verses 4-6 indicate she took back the money and used a portion of it to hire a silversmith to make an idol for her son to use. The phrase “a carved image and cast metal image” is best taken as referring to two idols (see 18:17-18), even though the verb at the end of v. 4, וַיְהִי (vayÿhi, “and it was [in the house of Micah]”), is singular.

[3:7]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “in the eyes of the Lord.”

[3:7]  ⁸⁹ sn The Asherahs were local manifestations of the Canaanite goddess Asherah.

[10:16]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “from their midst.”

[10:16]  ⁹¹ tn Or “served”; or “followed.”

[10:16]  ⁹² tn Heb “And his spirit grew short [i.e., impatient] with the suffering of Israel.” The Hebrew noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) also appears as the subject of the verb קָצַר (qatsar) in Num 21:4 (the Israelites grow impatient wandering in the wilderness), Judg 16:16 (Samson grows impatient with Delilah’s constant nagging), and Zech 11:8 (Zechariah grows impatient with the three negligent “shepherds”).

[17:5]  ⁹³ tn Heb “house of God.”

[17:5]  ⁹⁴ sn Here an ephod probably refers to a priestly garment (cf. Exod 28:4-6).

[17:5]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “and he filled the hand of one of his sons and he became his priest.”

[18:31]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “they set up for themselves.”

[18:31]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “the carved image that Micah had made.”

[18:31]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “the house of God.”

[21:3]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “one.”

[13:8]  ¹⁰⁰ tn The Hebrew text adds “and said.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[13:8]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “the man of God.”

[13:8]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “come to.”

[13:8]  ¹⁰³ tc The LXX has “enlighten,” understanding the Hebrew to read וִיאִירֵנוּ (vi’irenu, “to give light”) rather than the reading of the MT, וְיוֹרֵנוּ (vÿyorenu, “to teach”).

[13:8]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “what we should do for.”

[16:28]  ¹⁰⁵ tn The Hebrew has אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה (’adonay yehovih, “Lord Yahweh”).

[16:28]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “so I can get revenge with one act of vengeance.”

[20:18]  ¹⁰⁷ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[20:18]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “They arose and went up to Bethel and asked God, and the Israelites said.”

[20:18]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “Who should go up for us first for battle against the sons of Benjamin?”

[2:3]  ¹¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹¹ tn The words “If you disobey” are supplied in the translation for clarity. See Josh 23:12-13.

[2:3]  ¹¹² tn Heb “them”; the referent (the Canaanites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:3]  ¹¹³ 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]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “their gods will become a snare to you.”

[2:10]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “All that generation were gathered to their fathers.”

[2:10]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “arose after them.”

[2:10]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “that did not know the Lord or the work which he had done for Israel.” The expressions “personally experienced” and “seen” are interpretive.

[3:20]  ¹¹⁸ tn Or “cool.” This probably refers to a room with latticed windows which allowed the breeze to pass through. See B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 144.

[3:20]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “word of [i.e., from] God.”

[3:20]  ¹²⁰ tn Or “throne.”

[5:8]  ¹²¹ 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]  ¹²² 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]  ¹²³ 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]  ¹²⁴ 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”).

[6:1]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “in the eyes of.”

[6:1]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “gave them into the hand of.”

[6:15]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:15]  ¹²⁸ tn Note the switch to אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “Lord”). Gideon seems aware that he is speaking to someone other than, and superior to, the messenger, whom he addressed as אֲדֹנִי (’adoniy, “my lord”) in v. 13.

[6:15]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “with what.”

[6:15]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “in my father’s house.”

[9:27]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “vineyards.”

[9:27]  ¹³² 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]  ¹³³ tn Heb “house.”

[13:1]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “in the eyes of.”

[16:27]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “house.”

[6:13]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “But my lord.”

[6:13]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “all this.”

[6:13]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “saying.”

[3:15]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “the Lord.” This has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[3:15]  ¹⁴⁰ tn The phrase, which refers to Ehud, literally reads “bound/restricted in the right hand,” apparently a Hebrew idiom for a left-handed person. See Judg 20:16, where 700 Benjaminites are described in this way. Perhaps the Benjaminites purposely trained several of their young men to be left-handed warriors by restricting the use of the right hand from an early age so the left hand would become dominant. Left-handed men would have a distinct military advantage, especially when attacking city gates. See B. Halpern, “The Assassination of Eglon: The First Locked-Room Murder Mystery,” BRev 4 (1988): 35.

[3:15]  ¹⁴¹ tn Heb “The Israelites sent by his hand an offering to Eglon, king of Moab.”

[6:19]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “a kid from among the goats.”

[6:19]  ¹⁴³ tn The words “the food” are not in the Hebrew text (an implied direct object). They are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[6:28]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “look!” The narrator uses this word to invite his audience/readers to view the scene through the eyes of the men.

[13:20]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “in the flame from the altar.”

[13:20]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “on their faces.”

[15:18]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “you have placed into the hand of your servant.”

[15:18]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “the uncircumcised,” which in context refers to the Philistines.

[16:30]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “he stretched out with strength.”

[16:30]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “And the ones whom he killed in his death were many more than he killed in his life.”