Hakim-hakim 3:18

3:18 After Ehud brought the tribute payment, he dismissed the people who had carried it. ¹ 

Hakim-hakim 19:21

19:21 So he brought him to his house and fed the donkeys. They washed their feet and had a meal. ² 

Hakim-hakim 16:8

16:8 So the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings which had not been dried and they tied him up with them.

Hakim-hakim 6:30

6:30 The men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, so we can execute him! ³  He pulled down the Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole.”

Hakim-hakim 16:21

16:21 The Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They brought him down to Gaza and bound him in bronze chains. He became a grinder in the prison.

Hakim-hakim 19:3

19:3 her husband came ⁴  after her, hoping he could convince her to return. ⁵  He brought with him his servant ⁶  and a pair of donkeys. When she brought him into her father’s house and the girl’s father saw him, he greeted him warmly. ⁷ 

Hakim-hakim 6:18

6:18 Do not leave this place until I come back ⁸  with a gift ⁹  and present it to you.” The Lord said, “I will stay here until you come back.”

Hakim-hakim 21:12

21:12 They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young girls who were virgins – they had never had sexual relations with a male. ¹⁰  They brought them back to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.

Hakim-hakim 2:1

Confrontation and Repentance at Bokim

2:1 The Lord’s angelic messenger ¹¹  went up from Gilgal to Bokim. He said, “I brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land I had solemnly promised to give to your ancestors. ¹²  I said, ‘I will never break my agreement ¹³  with you,

Hakim-hakim 7:25

7:25 They captured the two Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb. ¹⁴  They executed Oreb on the rock of Oreb and Zeeb ¹⁵  in the winepress of Zeeb. They chased the Midianites ¹⁶  and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was now on the other side of the Jordan River. ¹⁷ 

Hakim-hakim 15:1

Samson Versus the Philistines

15:1 Sometime later, during the wheat harvest, ¹⁸  Samson took a young goat as a gift and went to visit his bride. ¹⁹  He said to her father, ²⁰  “I want to have sex with my bride in her bedroom!” ²¹  But her father would not let him enter.

Hakim-hakim 19:22

19:22 They were having a good time, ²²  when suddenly ²³  some men of the city, some good-for-nothings, ²⁴  surrounded the house and kept beating ²⁵  on the door. They said to the old man who owned the house, “Send out the man who came to visit you so we can have sex with him.” ²⁶ 

Hakim-hakim 1:7

1:7 Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings, with thumbs and big toes cut off, used to lick up ²⁷  food scraps ²⁸  under my table. God has repaid me for what I did to them.” ²⁹  They brought him to Jerusalem, ³⁰  where he died.

Hakim-hakim 6:19

6:19 Gideon went and prepared a young goat, ³¹  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 ³²  to him under the oak tree and presented it to him.

Hakim-hakim 19:24

19:24 Here are my virgin daughter and my guest’s ³³  concubine. I will send them out and you can abuse them and do to them whatever you like. ³⁴  But don’t do such a disgraceful thing to this man!”

Hakim-hakim 9:54

9:54 He quickly called to the young man who carried his weapons, ³⁵  “Draw your sword and kill me, so they will not say, ³⁶  ‘A woman killed him.’” So the young man stabbed him and he died.

Hakim-hakim 16:3

16:3 Samson spent half the night with the prostitute; then he got up in the middle of the night and left. ³⁷  He grabbed the doors of the city gate, as well as the two posts, and pulled them right off, bar and all. ³⁸  He put them on his shoulders and carried them up to the top of a hill east of Hebron. ³⁹ 

Hakim-hakim 19:25

19:25 The men refused to listen to him, so the Levite ⁴⁰  grabbed his concubine and made her go outside. ⁴¹  They raped ⁴²  her and abused her all night long until morning. They let her go at dawn.

Hakim-hakim 16:18

16:18 When Delilah saw that he had told her his secret, ⁴³  she sent for ⁴⁴  the rulers of the Philistines, saying, “Come up here again, for he has told me ⁴⁵  his secret.” ⁴⁶  So the rulers of the Philistines went up to visit her, bringing the silver in their hands.

Hakim-hakim 6:11

Gideon Meets Some Visitors

6:11 The Lord’s angelic messenger ⁴⁷  came and sat down under the oak tree in Ophrah owned by Joash the Abiezrite. He arrived while Joash’s son Gideon ⁴⁸  was threshing ⁴⁹  wheat in a winepress ⁵⁰  so he could hide it from the Midianites. ⁵¹ 

Hakim-hakim 14:6

14:6 The Lord’s spirit empowered ⁵²  him and he tore the lion ⁵³  in two with his bare hands ⁵⁴  as easily as one would tear a young goat. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.

Hakim-hakim 6:8

6:8 he ⁵⁵  sent a prophet ⁵⁶  to the Israelites. He said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I brought you up from Egypt ⁵⁷  and took you out of that place of slavery. ⁵⁸ 

Hakim-hakim 16:31

16:31 His brothers and all his family ⁵⁹  went down and brought him back. ⁶⁰  They buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had led ⁶¹  Israel for twenty years.

Hakim-hakim 15:13

15:13 They said to him, “We promise! ⁶²  We will only take you prisoner and hand you over to them. We promise not to kill you.” They tied him up with two brand new ropes and led him up from the cliff.

Hakim-hakim 7:6

7:6 Three hundred men lapped; ⁶³  the rest of the men ⁶⁴  kneeled to drink water.

Hakim-hakim 9:39

9:39 So Gaal led the leaders of Shechem out ⁶⁵  and fought Abimelech.

Hakim-hakim 18:3

18:3 As they approached ⁶⁶  Micah’s house, they recognized the accent ⁶⁷  of the young Levite. So they stopped ⁶⁸  there and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?” ⁶⁹ 

Hakim-hakim 3:20

3:20 When Ehud approached him, he was sitting in his well-ventilated ⁷⁰  upper room all by himself. Ehud said, “I have a message from God ⁷¹  for you.” When Eglon rose up from his seat, ⁷² 

Hakim-hakim 11:9

11:9 Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, “All right! ⁷³  If you take me back to fight with the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me, ⁷⁴  I will be your leader.” ⁷⁵ 

Hakim-hakim 4:4

4:4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, ⁷⁶  wife of Lappidoth, was ⁷⁷  leading ⁷⁸  Israel at that time.

Hakim-hakim 5:25

5:25 He asked for water,

and she gave him milk;

in a bowl fit for a king, ⁷⁹ 

she served him curds.

Hakim-hakim 7:10

7:10 But if you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with Purah your servant

Hakim-hakim 14:11

14:11 When the Philistines saw he had no attendants, they gave him thirty groomsmen who kept him company. ⁸⁰ 

Hakim-hakim 2:12

2:12 They abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors ⁸¹  who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods – the gods of the nations who lived around them. They worshiped ⁸²  them and made the Lord angry.

Hakim-hakim 4:6

4:6 She summoned ⁸³  Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali. She said to him, “Is it not true that the Lord God of Israel is commanding you? Go, march to Mount Tabor! Take with you ten thousand men from Naphtali and Zebulun!

Hakim-hakim 7:5

7:5 So he brought the men ⁸⁴  down to the water. Then the Lord said to Gideon, “Separate those who lap the water as a dog laps from those who kneel to drink.” ⁸⁵ 

Hakim-hakim 7:4

7:4 The Lord spoke to Gideon again, “There are still too many men. ⁸⁶  Bring them down to the water and I will thin the ranks some more. ⁸⁷  When I say, ‘This one should go with you,’ pick him to go; ⁸⁸  when I say, ⁸⁹  ‘This one should not go with you,’ do not take him.” ⁹⁰ 

Hakim-hakim 5:4

5:4 O Lord, when you departed ⁹¹  from Seir,

when you marched from Edom’s plains,

the earth shook, the heavens poured down,

the clouds poured down rain. ⁹² 

Hakim-hakim 5:19

5:19 Kings came, they fought;

the kings of Canaan fought,

at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, ⁹³ 

but ⁹⁴  they took no silver as plunder.

Hakim-hakim 8:16

8:16 He seized the leaders ⁹⁵  of the city, along with some desert thorns and briers; he then “threshed” the men of Succoth with them. ⁹⁶ 

Hakim-hakim 9:47

9:47 Abimelech heard ⁹⁷  that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were in one place. ⁹⁸ 

Hakim-hakim 18:20

18:20 The priest was happy. He took the ephod, the personal idols, and the carved image and joined the group. ⁹⁹ 

Hakim-hakim 21:13

21:13 The entire assembly sent messengers to the Benjaminites at the cliff of Rimmon and assured them they would not be harmed. ¹⁰⁰ 

Hakim-hakim 3:15

3:15 When the Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, he ¹⁰¹  raised up a deliverer for them. His name was Ehud son of Gera the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. ¹⁰²  The Israelites sent him to King Eglon of Moab with their tribute payment. ¹⁰³ 

Hakim-hakim 3:19

3:19 But he went back ¹⁰⁴  once he reached ¹⁰⁵  the carved images ¹⁰⁶  at Gilgal. He said to Eglon, ¹⁰⁷  “I have a secret message for you, O king.” Eglon ¹⁰⁸  said, “Be quiet!” ¹⁰⁹  All his attendants left.

Hakim-hakim 6:27

6:27 So Gideon took ten of his servants ¹¹⁰  and did just as the Lord had told him. He was too afraid of his father’s family ¹¹¹  and the men of the city to do it in broad daylight, so he waited until nighttime. ¹¹² 

Hakim-hakim 7:11

7:11 and listen to what they are saying. Then you will be brave ¹¹³  and attack the camp.” So he went down with Purah his servant to where the sentries were guarding the camp. ¹¹⁴ 

Hakim-hakim 13:16

13:16 The Lord’s messenger said to Manoah, “If I stay, ¹¹⁵  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.) ¹¹⁶ 

Hakim-hakim 18:27

18:27 Now the Danites ¹¹⁷  took what Micah had made, as well as his priest, and came to Laish, where the people were undisturbed and unsuspecting. They struck them down with the sword and burned the city. ¹¹⁸ 

Hakim-hakim 18:30

18:30 The Danites worshiped ¹¹⁹  the carved image. Jonathan, descendant ¹²⁰  of Gershom, son of Moses, ¹²¹  and his descendants ¹²²  served as priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the exile.

Hakim-hakim 2:11

A Monotonous Cycle

2:11 The Israelites did evil before ¹²³  the Lord by worshiping ¹²⁴  the Baals.

Hakim-hakim 4:13

4:13 he ¹²⁵  ordered ¹²⁶  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 5:14

5:14 They came from Ephraim, who uprooted Amalek, ¹²⁷ 

they follow ¹²⁸  after you, Benjamin, with your soldiers.

From Makir leaders came down,

from Zebulun came ¹²⁹  the ones who march carrying ¹³⁰  an officer’s staff.

Hakim-hakim 6:4

6:4 They invaded the land ¹³¹  and devoured ¹³²  its crops ¹³³  all the way to Gaza. They left nothing for the Israelites to eat, ¹³⁴  and they took away ¹³⁵  the sheep, oxen, and donkeys.

Hakim-hakim 9:43

9:43 he took his men ¹³⁶  and divided them into three units and set an ambush in the field. When he saw the people coming out of the city, ¹³⁷  he attacked and struck them down. ¹³⁸ 

Hakim-hakim 11:11

11:11 So Jephthah went with the leaders of Gilead. The people made him their leader and commander. Jephthah repeated the terms of the agreement ¹³⁹  before the Lord in Mizpah.

Hakim-hakim 13:11

13:11 So Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he met ¹⁴⁰  the man, he said to him, “Are you the man who spoke to my wife?” ¹⁴¹  He said, “Yes.” ¹⁴² 

Hakim-hakim 18:18

18:18 When these men broke into Micah’s house and stole ¹⁴³  the carved image, the ephod, the personal idols, and the metal image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

Hakim-hakim 19:19

19:19 We have enough straw and grain for our donkeys, and there is enough food and wine for me, your female servant, ¹⁴⁴  and the young man who is with your servants. ¹⁴⁵  We lack nothing.”

Hakim-hakim 19:28

19:28 He said to her, “Get up, let’s leave!” But there was no response. He put her on the donkey and went home. ¹⁴⁶ 

Hakim-hakim 20:8

20:8 All Israel rose up in unison ¹⁴⁷  and said, “Not one of us will go home! ¹⁴⁸  Not one of us will return ¹⁴⁹  to his house!

Hakim-hakim 5:30

5:30 ‘No doubt they are gathering and dividing the plunder ¹⁵⁰  –

a girl or two for each man to rape! ¹⁵¹ 

Sisera is grabbing up colorful cloth, ¹⁵² 

he is grabbing up colorful embroidered cloth, ¹⁵³ 

two pieces of colorful embroidered cloth,

for the neck of the plunderer!’ ¹⁵⁴ 

Hakim-hakim 7:8

7:8 The men ¹⁵⁵  who were chosen ¹⁵⁶  took supplies ¹⁵⁷  and their trumpets. Gideon ¹⁵⁸  sent all the men of Israel back to their homes; ¹⁵⁹  he kept only three hundred men. Now the Midianites ¹⁶⁰  were camped down below ¹⁶¹  in the valley.

Hakim-hakim 7:20

7:20 All three units blew their trumpets and broke their jars. They held the torches in their left hand and the trumpets in their right. ¹⁶²  Then they yelled, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”

Hakim-hakim 9:5

9:5 He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and murdered his half-brothers, ¹⁶³  the seventy legitimate ¹⁶⁴  sons of Jerub-Baal, on one stone. Only Jotham, Jerub-Baal’s youngest son, escaped, ¹⁶⁵  because he hid.

Hakim-hakim 9:49

9:49 So each of his men also cut off a branch and followed Abimelech. They put the branches ¹⁶⁶  against the stronghold and set fire to it. ¹⁶⁷  All the people ¹⁶⁸  of the Tower of Shechem died – about a thousand men and women.

Hakim-hakim 12:9

12:9 He had thirty sons. He arranged for thirty of his daughters to be married outside his extended family, ¹⁶⁹  and he arranged for thirty young women to be brought from outside as wives for his sons. ¹⁷⁰  Ibzan ¹⁷¹  led ¹⁷²  Israel for seven years;

Hakim-hakim 15:12

15:12 They said to him, “We have come down to take you prisoner so we can hand you over to the Philistines.” Samson said to them, “Promise me ¹⁷³  you will not kill ¹⁷⁴  me.”

Hakim-hakim 15:14

15:14 When he arrived in Lehi, the Philistines shouted as they approached him. But the Lord’s spirit empowered ¹⁷⁵  him. The ropes around his arms were like flax dissolving in ¹⁷⁶  fire, and they ¹⁷⁷  melted away from his hands.

Hakim-hakim 16:24

16:24 When the people saw him, ¹⁷⁸  they praised their god, saying, “Our god has handed our enemy over to us, the one who ruined our land and killed so many of us!” ¹⁷⁹ 

Hakim-hakim 17:4

17:4 When he gave the silver back to his mother, she ¹⁸⁰  took two hundred pieces of silver ¹⁸¹  to a silversmith, who made them into a carved image and a metal image. She then put them in Micah’s house. ¹⁸² 

Hakim-hakim 20:31

20:31 The Benjaminites attacked ¹⁸³  the army, leaving the city unguarded. ¹⁸⁴  They began to strike down their enemy ¹⁸⁵  just as they had done before. On the main roads (one leads to Bethel, ¹⁸⁶  the other to Gibeah) and in the field, they struck down ¹⁸⁷  about thirty Israelites.

Hakim-hakim 21:10

21:10 So the assembly sent 12,000 capable warriors ¹⁸⁸  against Jabesh Gilead. ¹⁸⁹  They commanded them, “Go and kill with your swords ¹⁹⁰  the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead, including the women and little children.

Hakim-hakim 21:21

21:21 and keep your eyes open. ¹⁹¹  When you see ¹⁹²  the daughters of Shiloh coming out to dance in the celebration, ¹⁹³  jump out from the vineyards. Each one of you, catch yourself a wife from among the daughters of Shiloh and then go home to the land of Benjamin.

Hakim-hakim 21:23

21:23 The Benjaminites did as instructed. ¹⁹⁴  They abducted two hundred of the dancing girls to be their wives. ¹⁹⁵  They went home ¹⁹⁶  to their own territory, ¹⁹⁷  rebuilt their cities, and settled down. ¹⁹⁸ 

Hakim-hakim 6:13

6:13 Gideon said to him, “Pardon me, ¹⁹⁹  but if the Lord is with us, why has such disaster ²⁰⁰  overtaken us? Where are all his miraculous deeds our ancestors told us about? They said, ²⁰¹  ‘Did the Lord not bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.”

[3:18]  ¹ tn Heb “the tribute payment.”

[19:21]  ² tn Heb “ate and drank.”

[6:30]  ³ tn Heb “and let him die.” The jussive form with vav after the imperative is best translated as a purpose clause.

[19:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “arose and came.”

[19:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “to speak to her heart to bring her back.”

[19:3]  ⁶ tn Or “young man.”

[19:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “he was happy to meet him.”

[6:18]  ⁸ tn The Hebrew text adds “to you,” but this has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[6:18]  ⁹ 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.

[21:12]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “who had not known a man with respect to the bed of a male.”

[2:1]  ¹¹ sn See Exod 14:19; 23:20.

[2:1]  ¹² tn Heb “the land that I had sworn to your fathers.”

[2:1]  ¹³ tn Or “covenant” (also in the following verse).

[7:25]  ¹⁴ sn The names Oreb and Zeeb, which mean “Raven” and “Wolf” respectively, are appropriate because the Midianites had been like scavengers and predators to Israel.

[7:25]  ¹⁵ tn The Hebrew text repeats the verb “executed.” This has not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:25]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “Midian.”

[7:25]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “beyond the Jordan.” The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for clarity (also in 8:4).

[15:1]  ¹⁸ sn The wheat harvest took place during the month of May. See O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 37, 88.

[15:1]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “Samson visited his wife with a young goat.”

[15:1]  ²⁰ tn The words “to her father” are supplied in the translation (see the end of the verse).

[15:1]  ²¹ tn Heb “I will go to my wife in the bedroom.” The Hebrew idiom בּוֹא אֶל (bo’ ’el, “to go to”) often has sexual connotations. The cohortative form used by Samson can be translated as indicating resolve (“I want to go”) or request (“let me go”).

[19:22]  ²² tn Heb “they were making their heart good.”

[19:22]  ²³ tn Heb “and look.”

[19:22]  ²⁴ tn Heb “the men of the city, men, the sons of wickedness.” The phrases are in apposition; the last phrase specifies what type of men they were. It is not certain if all the men of the city are in view, or just a group of troublemakers. In 20:5 the town leaders are implicated in the crime, suggesting that all the men of the city were involved. If so, the implication is that the entire male population of the town were good-for-nothings.

[19:22]  ²⁵ tn The Hitpael verb form appears to have an iterative force here, indicating repeated action.

[19:22]  ²⁶ tn Heb “so we can know him.” On the surface one might think they simply wanted to meet the visitor and get to know him, but their hostile actions betray their double-talk. The old man, who has been living with them long enough to know what they are like, seems to have no doubts about the meaning of their words (see v. 23).

[1:7]  ²⁷ tn Elsewhere this verb usually carries the sense of “to gather; to pick up; to glean,” but “lick up” seems best here in light of the peculiar circumstances described by Adoni-Bezek.

[1:7]  ²⁸ tn The words “food scraps” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

[1:7]  ²⁹ tn Heb “Just as I did, so God has repaid me.” Note that the phrase “to them” has been supplied in the translation to clarify what is meant.

[1:7]  ³⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[6:19]  ³¹ tn Heb “a kid from among the goats.”

[6:19]  ³² 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.

[19:24]  ³³ tn Heb “his”; the referent (the visiting Levite) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:24]  ³⁴ tn Heb “what is good in your eyes.”

[9:54]  ³⁵ tn The Hebrew text adds, “and said to him.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[9:54]  ³⁶ tn The Hebrew text adds, “concerning me.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[16:3]  ³⁷ tn Heb “And Samson lay until the middle of the night and arose in the middle of the night.”

[16:3]  ³⁸ tn Heb “with the bar.”

[16:3]  ³⁹ tn Heb “which is upon the face of Hebron.”

[19:25]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Levite) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:25]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “and he caused [her] to go outside to them.”

[19:25]  ⁴² tn Heb “knew,” in the sexual sense.

[16:18]  ⁴³ tn Heb “all his heart.”

[16:18]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “she sent and summoned.”

[16:18]  ⁴⁵ tc The translation follows the Qere, לִי (li, “to me”) rather than the Kethib, לָהּ (lah, “to her”).

[16:18]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “all his heart.”

[6:11]  ⁴⁷ tn The adjective “angelic” is interpretive.

[6:11]  sn The Lord’s angelic messenger is also mentioned in Judg 2:1.

[6:11]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “Now Gideon his son…” The Hebrew circumstantial clause (note the pattern vav [ו] + subject + predicate) breaks the narrative sequence and indicates that the angel’s arrival coincided with Gideon’s threshing.

[6:11]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “beating out.”

[6:11]  ⁵⁰ sn Threshing wheat in a winepress. One would normally thresh wheat at the threshing floor outside the city. Animals and a threshing sledge would be employed. Because of the Midianite threat, Gideon was forced to thresh with a stick in a winepress inside the city. For further discussion see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 63.

[6:11]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “Midian.”

[14:6]  ⁵² tn Heb “rushed on.”

[14:6]  ⁵³ tn Heb “him” or “it”; the referent (the lion) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:6]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “and there was nothing in his hand.”

[6:8]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “the Lord”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[6:8]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “a man, a prophet.” Hebrew idiom sometimes puts a generic term before a more specific designation.

[6:8]  ⁵⁷ tc Some ancient witnesses read “from the land of Egypt.” מֵאֶרֶץ (me’erets, “from the land [of]”) could have been accidentally omitted by homoioarcton (note the following מִמִּצְרַיִם [mimmitsrayim, “from Egypt”]).

[6:8]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “of the house of slavery.”

[16:31]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “and all the house of his father.”

[16:31]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “and lifted him up and brought up.”

[16:31]  ⁶¹ tn Traditionally, “judged.”

[15:13]  ⁶² tn Heb “No,” meaning that they will not harm him.

[7:6]  ⁶³ tc The Hebrew text adds, “with their hands to their mouths,” This makes no sense in light of v. 5, which distinguishes between dog-like lappers (who would not use their hands to drink) and those who kneel (who would use their hands). It seems likely that the words “with their hands to their mouths” have been misplaced from v. 6. They fit better at the end of v. 5 or v. 6. Perhaps these words were originally a marginal scribal note which was later accidentally inserted into the text in the wrong place.

[7:6]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “the people.”

[9:39]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem.”

[18:3]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “When they were near.”

[18:3]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “voice.” This probably means that “his speech was Judahite [i.e., southern] like their own, not Israelite [i.e., northern]” (R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 263).

[18:3]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “turned aside.”

[18:3]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “What [is there] to you here?”

[3:20]  ⁷⁰ 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]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “word of [i.e., from] God.”

[3:20]  ⁷² tn Or “throne.”

[11:9]  ⁷³ tn “All right” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[11:9]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “places them before me.”

[11:9]  ⁷⁵ tn Some translate the final statement as a question, “will I really be your leader?” An affirmative sentence is preferable. Jephthah is repeating the terms of the agreement in an official manner. In v. 10 the leaders legally agree to these terms.

[4:4]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “ a woman, a prophetess.” In Hebrew idiom the generic “woman” sometimes precedes the more specific designation. See GKC 437-38 §135.b.

[4:4]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “she was.” The pronoun refers back to the nominative absolute “Deborah.” Hebrew style sometimes employs such resumptive pronouns when lengthy qualifiers separate the subject from the verb.

[4:4]  ⁷⁸ tn Or “judging.”

[5:25]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “for mighty ones.”

[14:11]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “When they saw him, they gave him thirty companions and they were with him.” Instead of כִּרְאוֹתָם (kir’otam, “when they saw”) some ancient witnesses (e.g., some mss of the LXX) assume the reading בְּיִרְאָתָם (bÿyir’atam, “because they feared”).

[2:12]  ⁸¹ tn Or “fathers.”

[2:12]  ⁸² tn Or “bowed before” (the same expression occurs in the following verse).

[4:6]  ⁸³ tn Heb “sent and summoned.”

[7:5]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “the people.”

[7:5]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “Everyone who laps with his tongue from the water, as a dog laps, put him by himself, as well as the one who gets down on his knees to drink.”

[7:4]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “too many people.”

[7:4]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “test them for you there.”

[7:4]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “he should go with you.”

[7:4]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb also has “to you.”

[7:4]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “he should not go.”

[5:4]  ⁹¹ tn Or “went out.”

[5:4]  ⁹² tn Heb “water.”

[5:19]  ⁹³ map For location see Map1 D4; Map2 C1; Map4 C2; Map5 F2; Map7 B1.

[5:19]  ⁹⁴ tn The contrastive conjunction “but” is interpretive.

[8:16]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “elders.”

[8:16]  ⁹⁶ tc The translation follows the reading of several ancient versions (LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate) in assuming the form וַיָּדָשׁ (vayyadash) from the verb דּוֹשׁ (dosh, “thresh”) as in v. 7. The MT reads instead the form וַיֹּדַע (vayyoda’, “make known”), a Hiphil form of יָדַע (yadah). In this case one could translate, “he used them [i.e., the thorns and briers] to teach the men of Succoth a lesson.”

[9:47]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “and it was told to Abimelech.”

[9:47]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “were assembled.”

[18:20]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “and went into the midst of the people.”

[21:13]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “And all the assembly sent and spoke to the sons of Benjamin who were at the cliff of Rimmon and they proclaimed to them peace.”

[3:15]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “the Lord.” This has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[3:15]  ¹⁰² 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]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “The Israelites sent by his hand an offering to Eglon, king of Moab.”

[3:19]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Or “returned” (i.e., to Eglon’s palace).

[3:19]  ¹⁰⁵ tn The words “when he reached” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text simply reads “from.”

[3:19]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Or “idols.”

[3:19]  ¹⁰⁷ tn The words “to Eglon” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[3:19]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eglon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:19]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Or “Hush!”

[6:27]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “men from among his servants.”

[6:27]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “house.”

[6:27]  ¹¹² tn Heb “so he did it at night.”

[7:11]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “your hands will be strengthened.”

[7:11]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “to the edge of the ones in battle array who were in the camp.”

[13:16]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “If you detain me.”

[13:16]  ¹¹⁶ 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).

[18:27]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Danites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:27]  ¹¹⁸ tn The Hebrew adds “with fire.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons, because it is redundant in English.

[18:30]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “erected for themselves.”

[18:30]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “son.”

[18:30]  ¹²¹ tc Several ancient textual witnesses, including some LXX mss and the Vulgate, support the reading “Moses” (מֹשֶׁה, mosheh) here. Many Hebrew mss have a nun (נ) suspended above the name between the first two letters (מנשׁה), suggesting the name Manasseh (מְנַשֶּׁה, mÿnasheh). This is probably a scribal attempt to protect Moses’ reputation. For discussion, see G. F. Moore, Judges (ICC), 401-2.

[18:30]  ¹²² tn Heb “sons.”

[2:11]  ¹²³ tn Heb “in the eyes of.”

[2:11]  ¹²⁴ tn Or “serving”; or “following.”

[4:13]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “Sisera.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[4:13]  ¹²⁶ tn Or “summoned.”

[5:14]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “From Ephraim their root in Amalek” (the words “they came” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons). Because of the difficulty of the MT, many prefer to follow one of the ancient versions or emend the text. For various proposals see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 252-53. The present translation repoints שָׁרְשָׁם (shorsham, traditionally translated “their root”) as a Piel verb form with enclitic mem (ם). The preposition ב (bet) on עֲמָלֵק (’amaleq) introduces the object (see Job 31:12 for an example of the construction). Ephraim’s territory encompassed the hill country of the Amalekites (Judg 12:15).

[5:14]  ¹²⁸ tn The words “They follow” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[5:14]  ¹²⁹ tn The word “came” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[5:14]  ¹³⁰ tn Or possibly “who carry.”

[6:4]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “They encamped against them.”

[6:4]  ¹³² tn Heb “destroyed.”

[6:4]  ¹³³ tn Heb “the crops of the land.”

[6:4]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “They left no sustenance in Israel.”

[6:4]  ¹³⁵ tn The words “they took away” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:43]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “his people.”

[9:43]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “And he saw and, look, the people were coming out of the city.”

[9:43]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “he arose against them and struck them.”

[11:11]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “spoke all his words.” This probably refers to the “words” recorded in v. 9. Jephthah repeats the terms of the agreement at the Lord’s sanctuary, perhaps to ratify the contract or to emphasize the Gileadites’ obligation to keep their part of the bargain. Another option is to translate, “Jephthah conducted business before the Lord in Mizpah.” In this case, the statement is a general reference to the way Jephthah ruled. He recognized the Lord’s authority and made his decisions before the Lord.

[13:11]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “came to.”

[13:11]  ¹⁴¹ tn Heb “the woman.”

[13:11]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “I [am].”

[18:18]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “These went into Micah’s house and took.”

[19:19]  ¹⁴⁴ tn By calling his concubine the old man’s “female servant,” the Levite emphasizes their dependence on him for shelter.

[19:19]  ¹⁴⁵ tc Some Hebrew mss and ancient witnesses read the singular, “your servant,” which would refer to the Levite. If one retains the plural, then both the Levite and his wife are in view. In either case the pronominal suffix emphasizes their dependence on the old man for shelter.

[19:28]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “And the man took her on the donkey and arose and went to his place.”

[20:8]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “as one man.”

[20:8]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “to his tent.”

[20:8]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Or “turn aside.”

[5:30]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “Are they not finding, dividing the plunder?”

[5:30]  ¹⁵¹ tn Heb “a womb or two for each man.” The words “to rape” are interpretive. The Hebrew noun translated “girl” means literally “womb” (BDB 933 s.v. I. רַחַם), but in this context may refer by extension to the female genitalia. In this case the obscene language of Sisera’s mother alludes to the sexual brutality which typified the aftermath of battle.

[5:30]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “the plunder of dyed cloth is for Sisera.”

[5:30]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “the plunder of embroidered cloth.”

[5:30]  ¹⁵⁴ tn The translation assumes an emendation of the noun (“plunder”) to a participle, “plunderer.”

[7:8]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “The people.”

[7:8]  ¹⁵⁶ tn The words “who were chosen” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[7:8]  ¹⁵⁷ tn The Hebrew text has “in their hands.”

[7:8]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:8]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “tents.”

[7:8]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “Midian.”

[7:8]  ¹⁶¹ tn The Hebrew text adds “him” (i.e., Gideon).

[7:20]  ¹⁶² tn The Hebrew text adds, “in order to blow [them].” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[9:5]  ¹⁶³ tn Heb “his brothers.”

[9:5]  ¹⁶⁴ tn The word “legitimate” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:5]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “remained.”

[9:49]  ¹⁶⁶ tn The words “the branches” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:49]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “they kindled over them the stronghold with fire.”

[9:49]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Or “men,” but the word seems to have a more general sense here, as the conclusion to the sentence suggests.

[12:9]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “thirty daughters he sent off outside.” Another option is to translate, “He arranged for his thirty daughters…” It is not clear if he had more than the “thirty daughters” mentioned in the text.

[12:9]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “and thirty daughters he brought for his sons from the outside.”

[12:9]  ¹⁷¹ tn Heb “He”; the referent (Ibzan) has been specified in the translation for clarity and for English stylistic reasons.

[12:9]  ¹⁷² tn Traditionally, “judged.”

[15:12]  ¹⁷³ tn Or “swear to me.”

[15:12]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Heb “meet [with hostility]”; “harm.” In light of v. 13, “kill” is an appropriate translation.

[15:14]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Heb “rushed on.”

[15:14]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “burned with.”

[15:14]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Heb “his bonds.”

[16:24]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Most interpret this as a reference to Samson, but this seems premature, since v. 25 suggests he was not yet standing before them. Consequently some prefer to see this statement as displaced and move it to v. 25 (see C. F. Burney, Judges, 387). It seems more likely that the pronoun refers to an image of Dagon.

[16:24]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “multiplied our dead.”

[17:4]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “his mother.” The pronoun (“she”) has been substituted for the noun (“mother”) in the translation because of English style.

[17:4]  ¹⁸¹ tn The Hebrew text has “and gave it.” The referent (the pieces of silver) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:4]  ¹⁸² tn Heb “and it was in Micah’s house.”

[20:31]  ¹⁸³ tn Heb “went out to meet.”

[20:31]  ¹⁸⁴ tn Heb “and they were drawn away from the city.”

[20:31]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “from the army wounded ones.”

[20:31]  ¹⁸⁶ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[20:31]  ¹⁸⁷ tn The words “they struck down” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[21:10]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Heb “men, sons of strength.”

[21:10]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “there.”

[21:10]  ¹⁹⁰ tn Heb “the edge of the sword.”

[21:21]  ¹⁹¹ tn Heb “and look.”

[21:21]  ¹⁹² tn Heb “and look, when.”

[21:21]  ¹⁹³ tn Heb “in the dances.”

[21:23]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Heb “did so.”

[21:23]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Heb “And they took wives according to their number from the dancing girls whom they abducted.”

[21:23]  ¹⁹⁶ tn Heb “went and returned.”

[21:23]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Heb “inheritance.”

[21:23]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Heb “and lived in them.”

[6:13]  ¹⁹⁹ tn Heb “But my lord.”

[6:13]  ²⁰⁰ tn Heb “all this.”

[6:13]  ²⁰¹ tn Heb “saying.”