Hakim-hakim 3:2

3:2 He left those nations simply because he wanted to teach the subsequent generations of Israelites, who had not experienced the earlier battles, how to conduct holy war. ¹ 

Hakim-hakim 13:8

13:8 Manoah prayed to the Lord, ²  “Please, Lord, allow the man sent from God ³  to visit ⁴  us again, so he can teach ⁵  us how we should raise ⁶  the child who will be born.”

Hakim-hakim 8:16

8:16 He seized the leaders ⁷  of the city, along with some desert thorns and briers; he then “threshed” the men of Succoth with them. ⁸ 

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 ⁹  men as his followers. ¹⁰ 

[3:2]  ¹ tn The Hebrew syntax of v. 2 is difficult. The Hebrew text reads literally, “only in order that the generations of the Israelites might know, to teach them war – only those who formerly did not know them.”

[3:2]  sn The stated purpose for leaving the nations (to teach the subsequent generations…how to conduct holy war) seems to contradict 2:22 and 3:4, which indicate the nations were left to test Israel’s loyalty to the Lord. However, the two stated purposes can be harmonized. The willingness of later generations to learn and engage in holy war would measure their allegiance to the Lord (see B. G. Webb, Judges [JSOTSup], 114-15).

[13:8]  ² tn The Hebrew text adds “and said.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[13:8]  ³ tn Heb “the man of God.”

[13:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “come to.”

[13:8]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ tn Heb “what we should do for.”

[8:16]  ⁷ tn Heb “elders.”

[8:16]  ⁸ 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.”

[9:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “empty and reckless.”

[9:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and they followed him.”