Hakim-hakim 5:14

5:14 They came from Ephraim, who uprooted Amalek, ¹ 

they follow ²  after you, Benjamin, with your soldiers.

From Makir leaders came down,

from Zebulun came ³  the ones who march carrying ⁴  an officer’s staff.

Hakim-hakim 6:4

6:4 They invaded the land ⁵  and devoured ⁶  its crops ⁷  all the way to Gaza. They left nothing for the Israelites to eat, ⁸  and they took away ⁹  the sheep, oxen, and donkeys.

Hakim-hakim 6:17

6:17 Gideon ¹⁰  said to him, “If you really are pleased with me, ¹¹  then give me ¹²  a sign as proof that it is really you speaking with me.

Hakim-hakim 8:18

8:18 He said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “Describe for me ¹³  the men you killed at Tabor.” They said, “They were like you. Each one looked like a king’s son.” ¹⁴ 

Hakim-hakim 10:8

10:8 They ruthlessly oppressed ¹⁵  the Israelites that eighteenth year ¹⁶  – that is, all the Israelites living east of the Jordan in Amorite country in Gilead.

Hakim-hakim 11:24

11:24 You have the right to take what Chemosh your god gives you, but we will take the land of all whom the Lord our God has driven out before us. ¹⁷ 

Hakim-hakim 14:4

14:4 Now his father and mother did not realize this was the Lord’s doing, ¹⁸  because he was looking for an opportunity to stir up trouble with the Philistines ¹⁹  (for at that time the Philistines were ruling Israel).

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?’” ²⁰ 

Hakim-hakim 20:32

20:32 Then the Benjaminites said, “They are defeated just as before.” But the Israelites said, “Let’s retreat ²¹  and lure them ²²  away from the city into the main roads.”

[5:14]  ¹ 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]  ² tn The words “They follow” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[5:14]  ³ tn The word “came” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[5:14]  ⁴ tn Or possibly “who carry.”

[6:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “They encamped against them.”

[6:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “destroyed.”

[6:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “the crops of the land.”

[6:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “They left no sustenance in Israel.”

[6:4]  ⁹ tn The words “they took away” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[6:17]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:17]  ¹¹ tn Heb “If I have found favor in your eyes.”

[6:17]  ¹² tn Heb “perform for me.”

[8:18]  ¹³ tn Heb “Where are?”

[8:18]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “each one like the appearance of sons of the king.”

[10:8]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “shattered and crushed.” The repetition of similar sounding synonyms (רָעַץ [ra’ats] and רָצַץ [ratsats]) is for emphasis; רָצַץ appears in the Polel, adding further emphasis to the affirmation.

[10:8]  ¹⁶ tn The phrase שְׁמֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה (shemoneh ’esreh shanah) could be translated “eighteen years,” but this would be difficult after the reference to “that year.” It is possible that v. 8b is parenthetical, referring to an eighteen year long period of oppression east of the Jordan which culminated in hostilities against all Israel (including Judah, see v. 9) in the eighteenth year. It is simpler to translate the phrase as an ordinal number, though the context does not provide the point of reference. (See Gen 14:4-5 and R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 191-92.) In this case, the following statement specifies which “Israelites” are in view.

[11:24]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “Is it not so that what Chemosh your god causes you to possess, you possess, and all whom the Lord our God dispossesses before us we will possess?” Jephthah speaks of Chemosh as if he is on a par with the Lord God of Israel. This does not necessarily mean that Jephthah is polytheistic or that he recognizes the Lord as only a local deity. He may simply be assuming the Ammonite king’s perspective for the sake of argument. Other texts, as well as the extrabiblical Mesha inscription, associate Chemosh with Moab, while Milcom is identified as the god of the Ammonites. Why then does Jephthah refer to Chemosh as the Ammonite god? Ammon had likely conquered Moab and the Ammonite king probably regarded himself as heir of all territory formerly held by Moab. Originally Moab had owned the disputed territory (cf. Num 21:26-29), meaning that Chemosh was regarded as the god of the region (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 203-4). Jephthah argues that Chemosh had long ago relinquished claim to the area (by allowing Sihon to conquer it), while the Lord had long ago established jurisdiction over it (by taking it from Sihon and giving it to Israel). Both sides should abide by the decisions of the gods which had stood firm for three hundred years.

[14:4]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “this was from the LORD.”

[14:4]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “for an opportunity he was seeking from the Philistines.”

[18:24]  ²⁰ tn Heb “What is this you say to me, ‘What to you?’”

[20:32]  ²¹ tn Or “run away.”

[20:32]  ²² tn Heb “him” (collective singular).