Hakim-hakim 4:5

4:5 She would sit ¹  under the Date Palm Tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel ²  in the Ephraimite hill country. The Israelites would come up to her to have their disputes settled. ³ 

Hakim-hakim 9:23

9:23 God sent a spirit to stir up hostility ⁴  between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. He made the leaders of Shechem disloyal ⁵  to Abimelech.

[4:5]  ¹ tn That is, “consider legal disputes.”

[4:5]  ² map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[4:5]  ³ tn Heb “for judgment.”

[9:23]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn Heb “The leaders of Shechem were disloyal.” The words “he made” are supplied in the translation for clarification.