Hakim-hakim 5:27

5:27 Between her feet he collapsed,

he fell limp ¹  and was lifeless; ² 

between her feet he collapsed and fell limp,

in the spot where he collapsed,

there he fell limp – violently murdered! ³ 

Hakim-hakim 5:29

5:29 The wisest of her ladies ⁴  answer;

indeed she even thinks to herself,

Hakim-hakim 13:25

13:25 The Lord’s spirit began to control him ⁵  in Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Hakim-hakim 9:23

9:23 God sent a spirit to stir up hostility ⁶  between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. He made the leaders of Shechem disloyal ⁷  to Abimelech.

Hakim-hakim 4:5

4:5 She would sit ⁸  under the Date Palm Tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel ⁹  in the Ephraimite hill country. The Israelites would come up to her to have their disputes settled. ¹⁰ 

Hakim-hakim 11:10

11:10 The leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The Lord will judge any grievance you have against us, ¹¹  if we do not do as you say.” ¹² 

Hakim-hakim 20:16

20:16 Among this army ¹³  were seven hundred specially-trained left-handed soldiers. ¹⁴  Each one could sling a stone and hit even the smallest target. ¹⁵ 

Hakim-hakim 14:3

14:3 But his father and mother said to him, “Certainly you can find a wife among your relatives or among all our ¹⁶  people! You should not have to go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines.” ¹⁷  But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, ¹⁸  because she is the right one for me.” ¹⁹ 

Hakim-hakim 20:38

20:38 The Israelites and the men hiding in ambush had arranged a signal. When the men hiding in ambush ²⁰  sent up a smoke signal from the city,

Hakim-hakim 11:27

11:27 I have not done you wrong, ²¹  but you are doing wrong ²²  by attacking me. May the Lord, the Judge, judge this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites!’”

Hakim-hakim 16:25

16:25 When they really started celebrating, ²³  they said, “Call for Samson so he can entertain us!” So they summoned Samson from the prison and he entertained them. ²⁴  They made him stand between two pillars.

Hakim-hakim 3:4

3:4 They were left to test Israel, so the Lord would know if his people would obey the commands he gave their ancestors through Moses. ²⁵ 

Hakim-hakim 15:4

15:4 Samson went and captured three hundred jackals ²⁶  and got some torches. He tied the jackals in pairs by their tails and then tied a torch to each pair. ²⁷ 

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. ²⁸  They brought them back to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.

Hakim-hakim 16:31

16:31 His brothers and all his family ²⁹  went down and brought him back. ³⁰  They buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had led ³¹  Israel for twenty years.

Hakim-hakim 4:17

4:17 Now Sisera ran away on foot to the tent of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, for King Jabin of Hazor ³²  and the family of Heber the Kenite had made a peace treaty. ³³ 

Hakim-hakim 1:1

Judah Takes the Lead

1:1 After Joshua died, the Israelites asked ³⁴  the Lord, “Who should lead the invasion against the Canaanites and launch the attack?” ³⁵ 

Hakim-hakim 20:8

20:8 All Israel rose up in unison ³⁶  and said, “Not one of us will go home! ³⁷  Not one of us will return ³⁸  to his house!

Hakim-hakim 21:14

21:14 The Benjaminites returned at that time, and the Israelites ³⁹  gave to them the women they had spared from Jabesh Gilead. But there were not enough to go around. ⁴⁰ 

Hakim-hakim 2:12

2:12 They abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors ⁴¹  who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods – the gods of the nations who lived around them. They worshiped ⁴²  them and made the Lord angry.

Hakim-hakim 20:18

20:18 The Israelites went up to Bethel ⁴³  and asked God, ⁴⁴  “Who should lead the charge against the Benjaminites?” ⁴⁵  The Lord said, “Judah should lead.”

Hakim-hakim 21:5

21:5 The Israelites asked, “Who from all the Israelite tribes has not assembled before the Lord?” They had made a solemn oath that whoever did not assemble before the Lord at Mizpah must certainly be executed. ⁴⁶ 

Hakim-hakim 3:15

3:15 When the Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, he ⁴⁷  raised up a deliverer for them. His name was Ehud son of Gera the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. ⁴⁸  The Israelites sent him to King Eglon of Moab with their tribute payment. ⁴⁹ 

Hakim-hakim 5:13

5:13 Then the survivors ⁵⁰  came down ⁵¹  to the mighty ones; ⁵² 

the Lord’s people came down to me ⁵³  as ⁵⁴  warriors.

Hakim-hakim 21:1

600 Brides for 600 Brothers

21:1 The Israelites had taken an oath in Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will allow his daughter to marry a Benjaminite.”

Hakim-hakim 21:18

21:18 But we can’t allow our daughters to marry them, ⁵⁵  for the Israelites took an oath, saying, ‘Whoever gives a woman to a Benjaminite will be destroyed!’ ⁵⁶ 

Hakim-hakim 21:8

21:8 So they asked, “Who from all the Israelite tribes did not assemble before the Lord at Mizpah?” Now it just so happened no one from Jabesh Gilead had come to the gathering. ⁵⁷ 

Hakim-hakim 5:16

5:16 Why do you remain among the sheepfolds, ⁵⁸ 

listening to the shepherds playing their pipes ⁵⁹  for their flocks? ⁶⁰ 

As for the clans of Reuben – there was intense searching of heart.

Hakim-hakim 21:15

21:15 The people regretted what had happened to ⁶¹  Benjamin because the Lord had weakened ⁶²  the Israelite tribes.

Hakim-hakim 20:12

20:12 The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe ⁶³  of Benjamin, saying, “How could such a wicked thing take place? ⁶⁴ 

Hakim-hakim 11:4

11:4 It was some time after this when the Ammonites fought with Israel.

Hakim-hakim 5:8

5:8 God chose new leaders, ⁶⁵ 

then fighters appeared in the city gates; ⁶⁶ 

but, I swear, not a shield or spear could be found, ⁶⁷ 

among forty military units ⁶⁸  in Israel.

Hakim-hakim 1:29

1:29 The men of Ephraim did not conquer the Canaanites living in Gezer. The Canaanites lived among them in Gezer.

Hakim-hakim 3:5

3:5 The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

Hakim-hakim 5:9

5:9 My heart went out ⁶⁹  to Israel’s leaders,

to the people who answered the call to war.

Praise the Lord!

Hakim-hakim 6:15

6:15 Gideon ⁷⁰  said to him, “But Lord, ⁷¹  how ⁷²  can I deliver Israel? Just look! My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my family.” ⁷³ 

Hakim-hakim 1:32

1:32 The people of Asher live among the Canaanites residing in the land because they did not conquer them.

Hakim-hakim 20:6

20:6 I grabbed hold of my concubine and carved her up and sent the pieces ⁷⁴  throughout the territory occupied by Israel, ⁷⁵  because they committed such an unthinkable atrocity ⁷⁶  in Israel.

Hakim-hakim 1:30

1:30 The men of Zebulun did not conquer the people living in Kitron and Nahalol. ⁷⁷  The Canaanites lived among them and were forced to do hard labor.

Hakim-hakim 5:7

5:7 Warriors ⁷⁸  were scarce, ⁷⁹ 

they were scarce in Israel,

until you ⁸⁰  arose, Deborah,

until you arose as a motherly protector ⁸¹  in Israel.

Hakim-hakim 21:3

21:3 They said, “Why, O Lord God of Israel, has this happened in Israel?” An entire ⁸²  tribe has disappeared from Israel today!”

Hakim-hakim 21:25

21:25 In those days Israel had no king. Each man did what he considered to be right. ⁸³ 

Hakim-hakim 9:22

God Fulfills Jotham’s Curse

9:22 Abimelech commanded ⁸⁴  Israel for three years.

Hakim-hakim 20:10

20:10 We will take ten of every group of a hundred men from all the tribes of Israel (and a hundred of every group of a thousand, and a thousand of every group of ten thousand) to get supplies for the army. ⁸⁵  When they arrive in Gibeah of Benjamin they will punish them for the atrocity which they committed in Israel.” ⁸⁶ 

Hakim-hakim 11:39

11:39 After two months she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. She died a virgin. ⁸⁷  Her tragic death gave rise to a custom in Israel. ⁸⁸ 

Hakim-hakim 1:33

1:33 The men of Naphtali did not conquer the people living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath. ⁸⁹  They live among the Canaanites residing in the land. The Canaanites ⁹⁰  living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were forced to do hard labor for them.

Hakim-hakim 18:1

The Tribe of Dan Finds an Inheritance

18:1 In those days Israel had no king. And in those days the Danite tribe was looking for a place ⁹¹  to settle, because at that time they did not yet have a place to call their own among the tribes of Israel. ⁹² 

Hakim-hakim 21:16

21:16 The leaders ⁹³  of the assembly said, “How can we find wives for those who are left? ⁹⁴  After all, the Benjaminite women have been wiped out.

Hakim-hakim 1:31

1:31 The men of Asher did not conquer the people living in Acco or Sidon, ⁹⁵  nor did they conquer Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphek, or Rehob. ⁹⁶ 

Hakim-hakim 6:36

6:36 Gideon said to God, “If you really intend to use me to deliver Israel, ⁹⁷  as you promised, then give me a sign as proof. ⁹⁸ 

Hakim-hakim 9:40

9:40 Abimelech chased him, and Gaal ⁹⁹  ran from him. Many Shechemites ¹⁰⁰  fell wounded at the entrance of the gate.

Hakim-hakim 10:16

10:16 They threw away the foreign gods they owned ¹⁰¹  and worshiped ¹⁰²  the Lord. Finally the Lord grew tired of seeing Israel suffer so much. ¹⁰³ 

Hakim-hakim 17:6

17:6 In those days Israel had no king. Each man did what he considered to be right. ¹⁰⁴ 

Hakim-hakim 20:21

20:21 The Benjaminites attacked from Gibeah and struck down twenty-two thousand Israelites that day. ¹⁰⁵ 

Hakim-hakim 20:43

20:43 They surrounded the Benjaminites, chased them from Nohah, ¹⁰⁶  and annihilated ¹⁰⁷  them all the way to a spot east of Geba. ¹⁰⁸ 

Hakim-hakim 21:17

21:17 The ¹⁰⁹  remnant of Benjamin must be preserved. An entire Israelite tribe should not be wiped out. ¹¹⁰ 

Hakim-hakim 14:8

14:8 Some time later, when he went back to marry ¹¹¹  her, he turned aside to see the lion’s remains. He saw ¹¹²  a swarm of bees in the lion’s carcass, as well as some honey.

Hakim-hakim 18:19

18:19 They said to him, “Shut up! Put your hand over your mouth and come with us! You can be our adviser ¹¹³  and priest. Wouldn’t it be better to be a priest for a whole Israelite tribe than for just one man’s family?” ¹¹⁴ 

Hakim-hakim 20:13

20:13 Now, hand over the good-for-nothings ¹¹⁵  in Gibeah so we can execute them and purge Israel of wickedness.” ¹¹⁶  But the Benjaminites refused to listen to their Israelite brothers.

Hakim-hakim 20:31

20:31 The Benjaminites attacked ¹¹⁷  the army, leaving the city unguarded. ¹¹⁸  They began to strike down their enemy ¹¹⁹  just as they had done before. On the main roads (one leads to Bethel, ¹²⁰  the other to Gibeah) and in the field, they struck down ¹²¹  about thirty Israelites.

Hakim-hakim 20:45

20:45 The rest ¹²²  turned and ran toward the wilderness, heading toward the cliff of Rimmon. But the Israelites ¹²³  caught ¹²⁴  five thousand of them on the main roads. They stayed right on their heels ¹²⁵  all the way to Gidom and struck down two thousand more.

Hakim-hakim 2:20

A Divine Decision

2:20 The Lord was furious with Israel. ¹²⁶  He said, “This nation ¹²⁷  has violated the terms of the agreement I made with their ancestors ¹²⁸  by disobeying me. ¹²⁹ 

Hakim-hakim 2:22

2:22 Joshua left those nations ¹³⁰  to test ¹³¹  Israel. I wanted to see ¹³²  whether or not the people ¹³³  would carefully walk in the path ¹³⁴  marked out by ¹³⁵  the Lord, as their ancestors ¹³⁶  were careful to do.”

Hakim-hakim 5:11

5:11 Hear ¹³⁷  the sound of those who divide the sheep ¹³⁸  among the watering places;

there they tell of ¹³⁹  the Lord’s victorious deeds,

the victorious deeds of his warriors ¹⁴⁰  in Israel.

Then the Lord’s people went down to the city gates –

Hakim-hakim 5:14-15

5:14 They came from Ephraim, who uprooted Amalek, ¹⁴¹ 

they follow ¹⁴²  after you, Benjamin, with your soldiers.

From Makir leaders came down,

from Zebulun came ¹⁴³  the ones who march carrying ¹⁴⁴  an officer’s staff.

5:15 Issachar’s leaders were with Deborah,

the men of Issachar ¹⁴⁵  supported ¹⁴⁶  Barak;

into the valley they were sent under Barak’s command. ¹⁴⁷ 

Among the clans of Reuben there was intense ¹⁴⁸  heart searching. ¹⁴⁹ 

Hakim-hakim 5:23

5:23 ‘Call judgment down on ¹⁵⁰  Meroz,’ says the Lord’s angelic ¹⁵¹  messenger;

‘Be sure ¹⁵²  to call judgment down on ¹⁵³  those who live there,

because they did not come to help in the Lord’s battle, ¹⁵⁴ 

to help in the Lord’s battle against the warriors.’ ¹⁵⁵ 

Hakim-hakim 8:23

8:23 Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.”

Hakim-hakim 10:18

10:18 The leaders ¹⁵⁶  of Gilead said to one another, “Who is willing to lead the charge ¹⁵⁷  against the Ammonites? He will become the leader of all who live in Gilead!”

Hakim-hakim 11:33

11:33 He defeated them from Aroer all the way to Minnith – twenty cities in all, even as far as Abel Keramim! He wiped them out! ¹⁵⁸  The Israelites humiliated the Ammonites. ¹⁵⁹ 

Hakim-hakim 12:2

12:2 Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were entangled in controversy with the Ammonites. ¹⁶⁰  I asked for your help, but you did not deliver me from their power. ¹⁶¹ 

Hakim-hakim 15:8

15:8 He struck them down and defeated them. ¹⁶²  Then he went down and lived for a time in the cave in the cliff of Etam.

Hakim-hakim 17:7

Micah Hires a Professional

17:7 There was a young man from Bethlehem ¹⁶³  in Judah. He was a Levite who had been temporarily residing among the tribe of Judah. ¹⁶⁴ 

Hakim-hakim 18:25

18:25 The Danites said to him, “Don’t say another word to us, or some very angry men ¹⁶⁵  will attack you, and you and your family will die.” ¹⁶⁶ 

Hakim-hakim 20:25

20:25 The Benjaminites again attacked them from Gibeah and struck down eighteen thousand sword-wielding Israelite soldiers. ¹⁶⁷ 

Hakim-hakim 20:47

20:47 Six hundred survivors turned and ran away to the wilderness, to the cliff of Rimmon. They stayed there four months.

Hakim-hakim 1:16

1:16 Now the descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the City of Date Palm Trees to Arad in the desert of Judah, ¹⁶⁸  located in the Negev. ¹⁶⁹  They went and lived with the people of Judah. ¹⁷⁰ 

Hakim-hakim 2:1

Confrontation and Repentance at Bokim

2:1 The Lord’s angelic messenger ¹⁷¹  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. ¹⁷²  I said, ‘I will never break my agreement ¹⁷³  with you,

Hakim-hakim 3:1

3:1 These were the nations the Lord permitted to remain so he could use them to test Israel – he wanted to test all those who had not experienced battle against the Canaanites. ¹⁷⁴ 

Hakim-hakim 6:37

6:37 Look, I am putting a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece, and the ground around it ¹⁷⁵  is dry, then I will be sure ¹⁷⁶  that you will use me to deliver Israel, ¹⁷⁷  as you promised.”

Hakim-hakim 7:22

7:22 When the three hundred men blew their trumpets, the Lord caused the Midianites to attack one another with their swords ¹⁷⁸  throughout ¹⁷⁹  the camp. The army fled to Beth Shittah on the way to Zererah. They went ¹⁸⁰  to the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath.

Hakim-hakim 11:26

11:26 Israel has been living in Heshbon and its nearby towns, in Aroer and its nearby towns, and in all the cities along the Arnon for three hundred years! Why did you not reclaim them during that time?

Hakim-hakim 15:1

Samson Versus the Philistines

15:1 Sometime later, during the wheat harvest, ¹⁸¹  Samson took a young goat as a gift and went to visit his bride. ¹⁸²  He said to her father, ¹⁸³  “I want to have sex with my bride in her bedroom!” ¹⁸⁴  But her father would not let him enter.

Hakim-hakim 16:24

16:24 When the people saw him, ¹⁸⁵  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!” ¹⁸⁶ 

Hakim-hakim 18:2

18:2 The Danites sent out from their whole tribe five representatives, ¹⁸⁷  capable men ¹⁸⁸  from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. They said to them, “Go, explore the land.” They came to the Ephraimite hill country and spent the night at Micah’s house. ¹⁸⁹ 

Hakim-hakim 20:35

20:35 The Lord annihilated Benjamin before Israel; the Israelites struck down that day 25,100 sword-wielding Benjaminites. ¹⁹⁰ 

Hakim-hakim 20:42

20:42 They retreated before the Israelites, taking the road to the wilderness. But the battle overtook ¹⁹¹  them as men from the surrounding cities struck them down. ¹⁹² 

Hakim-hakim 21:10

21:10 So the assembly sent 12,000 capable warriors ¹⁹³  against Jabesh Gilead. ¹⁹⁴  They commanded them, “Go and kill with your swords ¹⁹⁵  the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead, including the women and little children.

Hakim-hakim 21:19

21:19 However, there is an annual festival to the Lord in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel ¹⁹⁶  (east of the main road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem) and south of Lebonah.”

Hakim-hakim 21:21

21:21 and keep your eyes open. ¹⁹⁷  When you see ¹⁹⁸  the daughters of Shiloh coming out to dance in the celebration, ¹⁹⁹  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. ²⁰⁰  They abducted two hundred of the dancing girls to be their wives. ²⁰¹  They went home ²⁰²  to their own territory, ²⁰³  rebuilt their cities, and settled down. ²⁰⁴ 

[5:27]  ¹ tn Heb “he fell.” The same Hebrew expression occurs two more times in this verse.

[5:27]  ² tn Heb “and he lay.

[5:27]  ³ tn Or “dead, murdered.”

[5:29]  ⁴ tn Or “princesses.”

[13:25]  ⁵ tn Or “move him to action”; or “stir him.”

[9:23]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tn Heb “The leaders of Shechem were disloyal.” The words “he made” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[4:5]  ⁸ tn That is, “consider legal disputes.”

[4:5]  ⁹ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[4:5]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “for judgment.”

[11:10]  ¹¹ tn Heb “The Lord will be the one who hears between us.” For the idiom שָׁמַע בַּיִן (shama’ bayin, “to hear between”), see Deut 1:16.

[11:10]  ¹² sn The Lord will judge…if we do not do as you say. The statement by the leaders of Gilead takes the form of a legally binding oath, which obligates them to the terms of the agreement.

[20:16]  ¹³ tn Heb “And from all this people.”

[20:16]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “seven hundred choice men, bound/restricted in the right hand.” On the significance of the idiom, “bound/restricted in the right hand,” see the translator’s note on 3:15.

[20:16]  ¹⁵ tn “at a single hair and not miss.”

[14:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “my.” The singular may seem strange, since the introduction to the quotation attributes the words to his father and mother. But Samson’s father apparently speaks for both himself and his wife. However, the Lucianic recension of the LXX and the Syriac Peshitta have a second person pronoun here (“you”), and this may represent the original reading.

[14:3]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “Is there not among the daughters of your brothers or among all my people a woman that you have to go to get a wife among the uncircumcised Philistines?”

[14:3]  ¹⁸ tn “Her” is first in the Hebrew word order for emphasis. Samson wanted this Philistine girl, no one else. See C. F. Burney, Judges, 357.

[14:3]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “because she is right in my eyes.”

[20:38]  ²⁰ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men hiding in ambush) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:27]  ²¹ tn Or “sinned against you.”

[11:27]  ²² tn Or “evil.”

[16:25]  ²³ tn Heb “When their heart was good.”

[16:25]  ²⁴ tn Heb “before them.”

[3:4]  ²⁵ tn Heb “to know if they would hear the commands of the Lord which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.”

[15:4]  ²⁶ tn Traditionally, “foxes.”

[15:4]  ²⁷ tn Heb “He turned tail to tail and placed one torch between the two tails in the middle.”

[21:12]  ²⁸ tn Heb “who had not known a man with respect to the bed of a male.”

[16:31]  ²⁹ tn Heb “and all the house of his father.”

[16:31]  ³⁰ tn Heb “and lifted him up and brought up.”

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

[4:17]  ³² map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 D3; Map3 A2; Map4 C1.

[4:17]  ³³ tn Heb “for there was peace between.”

[1:1]  ³⁴ tn The Hebrew verb translated “asked” (שָׁאַל, sha’al) refers here to consulting the Lord through a prophetic oracle; cf. NAB “consulted.”

[1:1]  ³⁵ tn Heb “Who should first go up for us against the Canaanites to attack them?”

[20:8]  ³⁶ tn Heb “as one man.”

[20:8]  ³⁷ tn Heb “to his tent.”

[20:8]  ³⁸ tn Or “turn aside.”

[21:14]  ³⁹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Israelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:14]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “but they did not find for them enough.”

[2:12]  ⁴¹ tn Or “fathers.”

[2:12]  ⁴² tn Or “bowed before” (the same expression occurs in the following verse).

[20:18]  ⁴³ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[20:18]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “They arose and went up to Bethel and asked God, and the Israelites said.”

[20:18]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “Who should go up for us first for battle against the sons of Benjamin?”

[21:5]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “A great oath there was concerning the one who did not go up before the Lord at Mizpah, saying, ‘He must surely be put to death.’”

[3:15]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “the Lord.” This has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[3:15]  ⁴⁸ 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]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “The Israelites sent by his hand an offering to Eglon, king of Moab.”

[5:13]  ⁵⁰ tn This probably refers to those who responded to the call for war. They were “survivors” of the Canaanite oppression (see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 250).

[5:13]  ⁵¹ tn The translation assumes a repointing of the verb as a perfect or imperfect/preterite form of יָרַד (yarad, “to go down”). The form as pointed in the MT appears to be from רָדָה (radah, “to rule”). See GKC 188 §69.g. The same form, translated “came down,” occurs in the next line as well.

[5:13]  ⁵² sn The expression mighty ones probably refers to the leaders of the army.

[5:13]  ⁵³ sn The speaker may be Deborah here.

[5:13]  ⁵⁴ tn The translation assumes the preposition ב (bet) prefixed to “warriors” has the force of “in the capacity of.” For this use of the preposition, see GKC 379 §119.i.

[21:18]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “But we are not able to give to them wives from our daughters.”

[21:18]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “is cursed.”

[21:8]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “Look, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh Gilead to the assembly.”

[5:16]  ⁵⁸ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word מִשְׁפְּתַיִם (mishpÿtayim) is uncertain. Some understand the word to mean “campfires.”

[5:16]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “whistling.”

[5:16]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “listening to the pipe playing for the flocks.”

[21:15]  ⁶¹ tn Or “felt sorry for.”

[21:15]  ⁶² tn Heb “had made a gaping hole in.” The narrator uses imagery that compares Israel to a wall that has been breached.

[20:12]  ⁶³ tc The MT reads the plural, but surely the singular (which is supported by the LXX and Vulgate) is preferable here.

[20:12]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “What is this wicked thing which happened among you?”

[5:8]  ⁶⁵ 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]  ⁶⁶ 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]  ⁶⁷ 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]  ⁶⁸ 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”).

[5:9]  ⁶⁹ tn The words “went out” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[6:15]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:15]  ⁷¹ 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]  ⁷² tn Heb “with what.”

[6:15]  ⁷³ tn Heb “in my father’s house.”

[20:6]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “her”; the referent is more naturally stated in English as “the pieces.”

[20:6]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “throughout all the territory of the inheritance of Israel.”

[20:6]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “a wicked and disgraceful [thing].”

[1:30]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “the people living in Kitron and the people living in Nahalol.”

[5:7]  ⁷⁸ tn The meaning of the Hebrew noun פְרָזוֹן (fÿrazon) is uncertain. Some understand the meaning as “leaders” or “those living in rural areas.” The singular noun appears to be collective (note the accompanying plural verb). For various options see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 237-38.

[5:7]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “ceased.”

[5:7]  ⁸⁰ tn The translation assumes that the verb is an archaic second feminine singular form. Though Deborah is named as one of the composers of the song (v. 1), she is also addressed within it (v. 12). Many take the verb as first person singular, “I arose” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV).

[5:7]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “mother.” The translation assumes that the image portrays Deborah as a protector of the people. It is possible that the metaphor points to her prophetic role. Just as a male prophet could be called “father,” so Deborah, a prophetess, is called “mother” (B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 239).

[21:3]  ⁸² tn Heb “one.”

[21:25]  ⁸³ tn Heb “Each was doing what was right in his [own] eyes.”

[21:25]  sn Each man did what he considered to be right. The Book of Judges closes with this note, which summarizes the situation of the Israelite tribes during this period.

[9:22]  ⁸⁴ tn The Hebrew verb translated “commanded” (שָׂרַר, sarar), which appears only here in Judges, differs from the ones employed earlier in this chapter (מָשַׁל [mashal] and מָלַךְ [malakh]).

[9:22]  sn Abimelech commanded Israel. Perhaps while ruling as king over the city-state of Shechem, Abimelech also became a leader of the Israelite tribal alliance (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 175).

[20:10]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “people.”

[20:10]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “to do at their arrival in Geba of Benjamin according to all the disgraceful [thing] which he [collective = “Benjamin”] did in Israel.” Here “Geba” must be an error for “Gibeah.”

[11:39]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “She had never known a man.” Some understand this to mean that her father committed her to a life of celibacy, but the disjunctive clause (note the vav + subject + verb pattern) more likely describes her condition at the time the vow was fulfilled. (See G. F. Moore, Judges [ICC], 302-3; C. F. Burney, Judges, 324.) She died a virgin and never experienced the joys of marriage and motherhood.

[11:39]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “There was a custom in Israel.”

[1:33]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “the people living in Beth Shemesh or the people living in Beth Anath.”

[1:33]  ⁹⁰ tn The term “Canaanites” is supplied here both for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[18:1]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “an inheritance.”

[18:1]  ⁹² tn Heb “because there had not fallen to them by that day in the midst of the tribes of Israel an inheritance.”

[21:16]  ⁹³ tn Or “elders.”

[21:16]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “What should we do for the remaining ones concerning wives?”

[1:31]  ⁹⁵ map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[1:31]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “The men of Asher did not conquer the people living in Acco, the people living in Sidon, Ahlab, Acco, Helbah, Aphek, or Rehob.”

[6:36]  ⁹⁷ tn More literally, “you are about to deliver Israel by my hand.”

[6:36]  ⁹⁸ tn The words “then give me a sign as proof” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:40]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gaal) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:40]  ¹⁰⁰ tn The word “Shechemites” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for clarification.

[10:16]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “from their midst.”

[10:16]  ¹⁰² tn Or “served”; or “followed.”

[10:16]  ¹⁰³ 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”).

[17:6]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “Each was doing what was right in his [own] eyes.”

[20:21]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “The sons of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and they struck down in Israel that day twenty-two thousand men to the ground.”

[20:43]  ¹⁰⁶ tc The translation assumes the reading מִנּוֹחָה (minnokhah, “from Nohah”; cf. 1 Chr 8:2) rather than the MT’s מְנוּחָה (mÿnukhah, “resting place”).

[20:43]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “tread down, walk on.”

[20:43]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “unto the opposite of Gibeah toward the east.” Gibeah cannot be correct here, since the Benjaminites retreated from there toward the desert and Rimmon (see v. 45). A slight emendation yields the reading “Geba.”

[21:17]  ¹⁰⁹ tn The Hebrew text has “and they said” at the beginning of the verse. For stylistic reasons the translation treats v. 17 as a continuation of the remarks of the leaders in v. 16.

[21:17]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “An inheritance for the remnant belonging to Benjamin, and a tribe from Israel will not be wiped away.” The first statement lacks a verb. Some prefer to emend the text to read, “How can an inheritance remain for the remnant of Benjamin?”

[14:8]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “get.”

[14:8]  ¹¹² tn Heb “and look, a swarm of bees…”

[18:19]  ¹¹³ tn See the note on the word “adviser” in 17:10.

[18:19]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “Is it better for you to be priest for the house of one man or for you to be priest for a tribe, for a clan in Israel?”

[20:13]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “the men, sons of wickedness.”

[20:13]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “and burn away wickedness from Israel.”

[20:31]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “went out to meet.”

[20:31]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “and they were drawn away from the city.”

[20:31]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “from the army wounded ones.”

[20:31]  ¹²⁰ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[20:31]  ¹²¹ tn The words “they struck down” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[20:45]  ¹²² tn Heb “they”; the referent (the rest [of the Benjaminites]) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:45]  ¹²³ tn Heb “and they”; the referent (the Israelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:45]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “gleaned.” The word is an agricultural term which pictures Israelites picking off the Benjaminites as easily as one picks grapes from the vine.

[20:45]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “stuck close after them.”

[2:20]  ¹²⁶ tn Or “The Lord’s anger burned [or “raged”] against Israel.”

[2:20]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “Because this nation.”

[2:20]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “my covenant which I commanded their fathers.”

[2:20]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “and has not listened to my voice.” The expression “to not listen to [God’s] voice” is idiomatic here for disobeying him.

[2:22]  ¹³⁰ tn The words “Joshua left those nations” are interpretive. The Hebrew text of v. 22 simply begins with “to test.” Some subordinate this phrase to “I will no longer remove” (v. 21). In this case the Lord announces that he has now decided to leave these nations as a test for Israel. Another possibility is to subordinate “to test” to “He said” (v. 20; see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 111). In this case the statement recorded in vv. 20b-21 is the test in that it forces Israel to respond either positively (through repentance) or negatively to the Lord’s declaration. A third possibility (the one reflected in the present translation) is to subordinate “to test” to “left unconquered” (v. 21). In this case the Lord recalls that Joshua left these nations as a test. Israel has failed the test (v. 20), so the Lord announces that the punishment threatened earlier (Josh 23:12-13; see also Judg 2:3) will now be implemented. As B. G. Webb (Judges [JSOTSup], 115) observes, “The nations which were originally left as a test are now left as a punishment.” This view best harmonizes v. 23, which explains that the Lord did not give all the nations to Joshua, with v. 22. (For a grammatical parallel, where the infinitive construct of נָסָה [nasah] is subordinated to the perfect of עָזַב [’azav], see 2 Chr 32:31.)

[2:22]  ¹³¹ tn The Hebrew text includes the phrase “by them,” but this is somewhat redundant in English and has been omitted from the translation for stylistic reasons.

[2:22]  ¹³² tn The words “I [i.e., the Lord] wanted to see” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[2:22]  ¹³³ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:22]  ¹³⁴ tn Or “way [of life].”

[2:22]  ¹³⁵ tn “The words “marked out by” are interpretive.

[2:22]  ¹³⁶ tn Or “fathers.”

[5:11]  ¹³⁷ tn The word “Hear” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[5:11]  ¹³⁸ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain. Some translate “those who distribute the water” (HALOT 344 s.v. חצץ pi). For other options see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 246-47.

[5:11]  ¹³⁹ tn Or perhaps “repeat.”

[5:11]  ¹⁴⁰ tn See the note on the term “warriors” in v. 7.

[5:14]  ¹⁴¹ 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]  ¹⁴² tn The words “They follow” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[5:14]  ¹⁴³ tn The word “came” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[5:14]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Or possibly “who carry.”

[5:15]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “Issachar.” The words “the men of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:15]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Or “was true to.”

[5:15]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “at his feet.”

[5:15]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “great was.”

[5:15]  ¹⁴⁹ tc The great majority of Hebrew mss have “resolves of heart,” but a few mss read “searchings of heart,” which is preferable in light of v. 16.

[5:23]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “Curse Meroz.”

[5:23]  ¹⁵¹ tn The adjective “angelic” is interpretive.

[5:23]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “Curse, cursing.” The Hebrew construction is emphatic.

[5:23]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “[to] curse.”

[5:23]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “to the help of the Lord” (the same Hebrew phrase occurs in the following line). Another option is to read “to aid the Lord’s cause.”

[5:23]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Or “along with the other warriors.”

[10:18]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “the people, the officers.”

[10:18]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “Who is the man who will begin fighting.”

[11:33]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “with a very great slaughter.”

[11:33]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “The Ammonites were humbled before the Israelites.”

[12:2]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Heb A man of great strife I was and my people and the Ammonites.”

[12:2]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “hand.”

[15:8]  ¹⁶² tn Heb “He struck them, calf on thigh, [with] a great slaughter.” The precise meaning of the phrase “calf on thigh” is uncertain.

[17:7]  ¹⁶³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

[17:7]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Heb “There was a young man from Bethlehem of Judah, from the tribe of Judah, and he was a Levite, and he was temporarily residing there.”

[18:25]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “bitter in spirit.” This phrase is used in 2 Sam 17:8 of David and his warriors, who are compared to a bear robbed of her cubs.

[18:25]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Heb “and you will gather up your life and the life of your house.”

[20:25]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “And Benjamin went out to meet them from Gibeah the second day, and they struck down among the sons of Israel eighteen thousand men to the ground, all of these were wielding the sword.”

[1:16]  ¹⁶⁸ tc Part of the Greek ms tradition lacks the words “of Judah.”

[1:16]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “[to] the Desert of Judah in the Negev, Arad.”

[1:16]  ¹⁷⁰ tn The phrase “of Judah” is supplied here in the translation. Some ancient textual witnesses read, “They went and lived with the Amalekites.” This reading, however, is probably influenced by 1 Sam 15:6 (see also Num 24:20-21).

[2:1]  ¹⁷¹ sn See Exod 14:19; 23:20.

[2:1]  ¹⁷² tn Heb “the land that I had sworn to your fathers.”

[2:1]  ¹⁷³ tn Or “covenant” (also in the following verse).

[3:1]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Heb “did not know the wars of Canaan.”

[6:37]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Heb “all the ground.”

[6:37]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Or “know.”

[6:37]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Heb “you will deliver Israel by my hand.”

[7:22]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “the Lord set the sword of each one against his friend.”

[7:22]  ¹⁷⁹ tc MT has “and throughout the camp,” but the conjunction (“and”) is due to dittography and should be dropped. Compare the ancient versions, which lack the conjunction here.

[7:22]  ¹⁸⁰ tn The words “they went” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[15:1]  ¹⁸¹ sn The wheat harvest took place during the month of May. See O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 37, 88.

[15:1]  ¹⁸² tn Heb “Samson visited his wife with a young goat.”

[15:1]  ¹⁸³ tn The words “to her father” are supplied in the translation (see the end of the verse).

[15:1]  ¹⁸⁴ 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”).

[16:24]  ¹⁸⁵ 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]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Heb “multiplied our dead.”

[18:2]  ¹⁸⁷ tn Heb “The Danites sent from their tribe five men, from their borders.”

[18:2]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Heb “men, sons of strength.”

[18:2]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “They came to the Ephraimite hill country, to Micah’s house, and spent the night there.”

[20:35]  ¹⁹⁰ tn Heb “And the sons of Israel struck down in Benjamin that day 25,100 men, all of these wielding the sword.”

[20:42]  ¹⁹¹ tn Heb “clung to”; or “stuck close.”

[20:42]  ¹⁹² tn Heb “and those from the cities were striking them down in their midst.”

[21:10]  ¹⁹³ tn Heb “men, sons of strength.”

[21:10]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Heb “there.”

[21:10]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Heb “the edge of the sword.”

[21:19]  ¹⁹⁶ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[21:21]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Heb “and look.”

[21:21]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Heb “and look, when.”

[21:21]  ¹⁹⁹ tn Heb “in the dances.”

[21:23]  ²⁰⁰ tn Heb “did so.”

[21:23]  ²⁰¹ tn Heb “And they took wives according to their number from the dancing girls whom they abducted.”

[21:23]  ²⁰² tn Heb “went and returned.”

[21:23]  ²⁰³ tn Heb “inheritance.”

[21:23]  ²⁰⁴ tn Heb “and lived in them.”