Imamat 1:1-17
Konteks1:1 Then the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him 1 from the Meeting Tent: 2 1:2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When 3 someone 4 among you presents an offering 5 to the Lord, 6 you 7 must present your offering from the domesticated animals, either from the herd or from the flock. 8
1:3 “‘If his offering is a burnt offering 9 from the herd he must present it as a flawless male; he must present it at the entrance 10 of the Meeting Tent for its 11 acceptance before the Lord. 1:4 He must lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted for him to make atonement 12 on his behalf. 1:5 Then the one presenting the offering 13 must slaughter the bull 14 before the Lord, and the sons of Aaron, the priests, must present the blood and splash 15 the blood against the sides of the altar which is at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. 1:6 Next, the one presenting the offering 16 must skin the burnt offering and cut it into parts, 1:7 and the sons of Aaron, the priest, 17 must put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. 1:8 Then the sons of Aaron, the priests, must arrange the parts with the head and the suet 18 on the wood that is in the fire on the altar. 19 1:9 Finally, the one presenting the offering 20 must wash its entrails and its legs in water and the priest must offer all of it up in smoke on the altar 21 – it is 22 a burnt offering, a gift 23 of a soothing aroma to the Lord.
1:10 “‘If his offering is from the flock for a burnt offering 24 – from the sheep or the goats – he must present a flawless male, 1:11 and must slaughter it on the north side of the altar before the Lord, and the sons of Aaron, the priests, will splash its blood against the altar’s sides. 1:12 Next, the one presenting the offering 25 must cut it into parts, with its head and its suet, and the priest must arrange them on the wood which is in the fire, on the altar. 1:13 Then the one presenting the offering must wash the entrails and the legs in water, and the priest must present all of it and offer it up in smoke on the altar – it is a burnt offering, a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord.
1:14 “‘If his offering to the Lord is a burnt offering from the birds, 26 he must present his offering from the turtledoves or from the young pigeons. 27 1:15 The priest must present it at the altar, pinch off 28 its head and offer the head 29 up in smoke on the altar, and its blood must be drained out against the side of the altar. 1:16 Then the priest 30 must remove its entrails by cutting off its tail feathers, 31 and throw them 32 to the east side of the altar into the place of fatty ashes, 1:17 and tear it open by its wings without dividing it into two parts. 33 Finally, the priest must offer it up in smoke on the altar on the wood which is in the fire – it is a burnt offering, a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord.
Hakim-hakim 5:1-31
Konteks5:1 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this victory song: 34
5:2 “When the leaders took the lead 35 in Israel,
When the people answered the call to war –
Praise the Lord!
5:3 Hear, O kings!
Pay attention, O rulers!
I will sing to the Lord! 36
I will sing 37 to the Lord God of Israel!
5:4 O Lord, when you departed 38 from Seir,
when you marched from Edom’s plains,
the earth shook, the heavens poured down,
the clouds poured down rain. 39
5:5 The mountains trembled 40 before the Lord, the God of Sinai; 41
before the Lord God of Israel.
5:6 In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
in the days of Jael caravans 42 disappeared; 43
travelers 44 had to go on winding side roads.
5:7 Warriors 45 were scarce, 46
they were scarce in Israel,
until you 47 arose, Deborah,
until you arose as a motherly protector 48 in Israel.
then fighters appeared in the city gates; 50
but, I swear, not a shield or spear could be found, 51
among forty military units 52 in Israel.
5:9 My heart went out 53 to Israel’s leaders,
to the people who answered the call to war.
Praise the Lord!
5:10 You who ride on light-colored female donkeys,
who sit on saddle blankets, 54
you who walk on the road, pay attention!
5:11 Hear 55 the sound of those who divide the sheep 56 among the watering places;
there they tell of 57 the Lord’s victorious deeds,
the victorious deeds of his warriors 58 in Israel.
Then the Lord’s people went down to the city gates –
5:12 Wake up, wake up, Deborah!
Wake up, wake up, sing a song!
Get up, Barak!
Capture your prisoners of war, 59 son of Abinoam!
5:13 Then the survivors 60 came down 61 to the mighty ones; 62
the Lord’s people came down to me 63 as 64 warriors.
5:14 They came from Ephraim, who uprooted Amalek, 65
they follow 66 after you, Benjamin, with your soldiers.
From Makir leaders came down,
from Zebulun came 67 the ones who march carrying 68 an officer’s staff.
5:15 Issachar’s leaders were with Deborah,
the men of Issachar 69 supported 70 Barak;
into the valley they were sent under Barak’s command. 71
Among the clans of Reuben there was intense 72 heart searching. 73
5:16 Why do you remain among the sheepfolds, 74
listening to the shepherds playing their pipes 75 for their flocks? 76
As for the clans of Reuben – there was intense searching of heart.
5:17 Gilead stayed put 77 beyond the Jordan River.
As for Dan – why did he seek temporary employment in the shipyards? 78
Asher remained 79 on the seacoast,
he stayed 80 by his harbors. 81
5:18 The men of Zebulun were not concerned about their lives; 82
Naphtali charged on to the battlefields. 83
5:19 Kings came, they fought;
the kings of Canaan fought,
at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, 84
but 85 they took no silver as plunder.
5:20 From the sky 86 the stars 87 fought,
from their paths in the heavens 88 they fought against Sisera.
5:21 The Kishon River carried them off;
the river confronted them 89 – the Kishon River.
Step on the necks of the strong! 90
5:22 The horses’ 91 hooves pounded the ground; 92
the stallions galloped madly. 93
5:23 ‘Call judgment down on 94 Meroz,’ says the Lord’s angelic 95 messenger;
‘Be sure 96 to call judgment down on 97 those who live there,
because they did not come to help in the Lord’s battle, 98
to help in the Lord’s battle against the warriors.’ 99
5:24 The most rewarded 100 of women should be Jael,
the wife of Heber the Kenite!
She should be the most rewarded of women who live in tents.
5:25 He asked for water,
and she gave him milk;
in a bowl fit for a king, 101
she served him curds.
5:26 Her left 102 hand reached for the tent peg,
her right hand for the workmen’s hammer.
She “hammered” 103 Sisera,
she shattered his skull, 104
she smashed his head, 105
she drove the tent peg through his temple. 106
5:27 Between her feet he collapsed,
he fell limp 107 and was lifeless; 108
between her feet he collapsed and fell limp,
in the spot where he collapsed,
there he fell limp – violently murdered! 109
5:28 Through the window she looked;
Sisera’s mother cried out through the lattice:
‘Why is his chariot so slow to return?
Why are the hoofbeats of his chariot-horses 110 delayed?’
5:29 The wisest of her ladies 111 answer;
indeed she even thinks to herself,
5:30 ‘No doubt they are gathering and dividing the plunder 112 –
a girl or two for each man to rape! 113
Sisera is grabbing up colorful cloth, 114
he is grabbing up colorful embroidered cloth, 115
two pieces of colorful embroidered cloth,
for the neck of the plunderer!’ 116
5:31 May all your enemies perish like this, O Lord!
But may those who love you shine
like the rising sun at its brightest!” 117
And the land had rest for forty years.
[1:1] 1 tn Heb “And he (the
[1:1] sn The best explanation for the MT of Lev 1:1 arises from its function as a transition from Exod 40 to Lev 1. The first clause, “And he (the
[1:1] 2 sn The second clause of v. 1, “and the
[1:2] 3 tn “When” here translates the MT’s כִּי (ki, “if, when”), which regularly introduces main clauses in legislative contexts (see, e.g., Lev 2:1, 4; 4:2, etc.) in contrast to אִם (’im, “if”), which usually introduces subordinate sections (see, e.g., Lev 1:3, 10, 14; 2:5, 7, 14; 4:3, 13, etc.; cf. כִּי in Exod 21:2 and 7 as opposed to אִם in vv. 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, and 11).
[1:2] sn Lev 1:1-2 serves as a heading for Lev 1-3 (i.e., the basic regulations regarding the presentation of the burnt, grain, and peace offerings) and, at the same time, leads directly into the section on “burnt offerings” in Lev 1:3. In turn, Lev 1:3-17 divides into three subsections, all introduced by אִם “if” (Lev 1:3-9, 10-13, and 14-17, respectively). Similar patterns are discernible throughout Lev 1:2-6:7 [5:26 HT].
[1:2] 4 tn Heb “a man, human being” (אָדָם, ’adam), which in this case refers to any person among “mankind,” male or female, since women could also bring such offerings (see, e.g., Lev 12:6-8; 15:29-30; cf. HALOT 14 s.v. I אָדָם); cf. NIV “any of you.”
[1:2] 5 tn The verb “presents” is cognate to the noun “offering” in v. 2 and throughout the book of Leviticus (both from the root קרב [qrb]). One could translate the verb “offers,” but this becomes awkward and, in fact, inaccurate in some passages. For example, in Lev 9:9 this verb is used for the presenting or giving of the blood to Aaron so that he could offer it to the
[1:2] 6 tn The whole clause reads more literally, “A human being (אָדָם, ’adam), if he brings from among you an offering to the
[1:2] 7 tn The shift to the second person plural verb here corresponds to the previous second person plural pronoun “among you.” It is distinct from the regular pattern of third person singular verbs throughout the rest of Lev 1-3. This too labels Lev 1:1-2 as an introduction to all of Lev 1-3, not just the burnt offering regulations in Lev 1 (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:146; cf. note 3 above).
[1:2] 8 tn Heb “from the domesticated animal, from the herd, and from the flock.” It is clear from the subsequent division between animals from the “herd” (בָּקָר, baqar, in Lev 1:3-9) and the “flock” (צֹאן, tso’n; see Lev 1:10-13) that the term for “domesticated animal” (בְּהֵמָה, bÿhemah) is a general term meant to introduce the category of pastoral quadrupeds. The stronger disjunctive accent over בְּהֵמָה in the MT as well as the lack of a vav (ו) between it and בָּקָר also suggest בְּהֵמָה is an overall category that includes both “herd” and “flock” quadrupeds.
[1:2] sn The bird category (Lev 1:14-17) is not included in this introduction because bird offerings were, by and large, concessions to the poor (cf., e.g., Lev 5:7-10; 12:8; 14:21-32) and, therefore, not considered to be one of the primary categories of animal offerings.
[1:3] 9 sn The burnt offering (עֹלָה, ’olah) was basically a “a gift of a soothing aroma to the
[1:3] 10 tn Heb “door” (so KJV, ASV); NASB “doorway” (likewise throughout the book of Leviticus). The translation “door” or “doorway” may suggest a framed door in a casing to the modern reader, but here the term refers to the entrance to a tent.
[1:3] 11 tn The NIV correctly has “it” in the text, referring to the acceptance of the animal (cf., e.g., RSV, NEB, NLT), but “he” in the margin, referring to the acceptance of the offerer (cf. ASV, NASB, JB). The reference to a “flawless male” in the first half of this verse suggests that the issue here is the acceptability of the animal to make atonement on behalf of the offerer (Lev 1:4; cf. NRSV “for acceptance in your behalf”).
[1:4] 12 tn “To make atonement” is the standard translation of the Hebrew term כִּפֶּר, (kipper); cf. however TEV “as a sacrifice to take away his sins” (CEV similar). The English word derives from a combination of “at” plus Middle English “one[ment],” referring primarily to reconciliation or reparation that is made in order to accomplish reconciliation. The primary meaning of the Hebrew verb, however, is “to wipe [something off (or on)]” (see esp. the goal of the sin offering, Lev 4, “to purge” the tabernacle from impurities), but in some cases it refers metaphorically to “wiping away” anything that might stand in the way of good relations by bringing a gift (see, e.g., Gen 32:20 [21 HT], “to appease; to pacify” as an illustration of this). The translation “make atonement” has been retained here because, ultimately, the goal of either purging or appeasing was to maintain a proper relationship between the
[1:5] 13 tn Heb “Then he”; the referent (the offerer) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The LXX has “they” rather than “he,” suggesting that the priests, not the offerer, were to slaughter the bull (cf. the notes on vv. 6a and 9a).
[1:5] 14 tn Heb “the son of the herd”; cf. KJV “bullock”; NASB, NIV “young bull.”
[1:5] 15 tn “Splash” (cf. NAB) or “dash” (cf. NRSV) is better than “sprinkle,” which is the common English translation of this verb (זָרַק, zaraq; see, e.g., KJV, NASB, NIV, NLT). “Sprinkle” is not strong enough (contrast נָזָה [nazah], which does indeed mean “to sprinkle” or “to splatter”; cf. Lev 4:6).
[1:6] 16 tn Heb “Then he”; the referent (the offerer) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The LXX and Smr have “they” rather than “he” in both halves of this verse, suggesting that the priests, not the offerer, were to skin and cut the carcass of the bull into pieces (cf. the notes on vv. 5a and 9a).
[1:7] 17 tc A few medieval Hebrew
[1:8] 18 tc A few Hebrew
[1:8] sn “Suet” is the specific term used for the hard, fatty tissues found around the kidneys of sheep and cattle. A number of modern English versions have simplified this to “fat” (e.g., NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).
[1:8] 19 tn Heb “on the wood, which is on the fire, which is on the altar.” Cf. NIV “on the burning wood”; NLT “on the wood fire.”
[1:9] 20 tn Heb “Finally, he”; the referent (the offerer) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Once again, the MT assigns the preparation of the offering (here the entrails and legs) to the offerer because it did not bring him into direct contact with the altar, but reserves the actual placing of the sacrifice on the altar for the officiating priest (cf. the notes on vv. 5a and 6a).
[1:9] 21 tn Heb “toward the altar,” but the so-called locative ה (hey) attached to the word for “altar” can indicate the place where something is or happens (GKC 250 §90.d and GKC 373-74 §118.g; cf. also J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:161). This is a standard way of expressing “on/at the altar” with the verb “to offer up in smoke” (Hiphil of קָטַר [qatar]; cf. also Exod 29:13, 18, 25; Lev 1:9, 13, 15, 17; 2:2, etc.).
[1:9] 22 tc A few Hebrew
[1:9] 23 sn The standard English translation of “gift” (אִשֶּׁה, ’isheh) is “an offering [made] by fire” (cf. KJV, ASV). It is based on a supposed etymological relationship to the Hebrew word for “fire” (אֵשׁ, ’esh) and is still maintained in many versions (e.g., NIV, RSV, NRSV, NLT; B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 7-8). For various reasons, including the fact that some offerings referred to by this term are not burned on the altar (see, e.g., Lev 24:9), it is probably better to understand the term to mean “gift” (J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 22) or “food gift” (“food offering” in NEB and TEV; J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:161-62). See R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 1:540-49 for a complete discussion.
[1:10] 24 tn Heb “And if from the flock is his offering, from the sheep or from the goats, for a burnt offering.” Here “flock” specifies the broad category, with “sheep or goats” giving specific examples.
[1:12] 25 tn Heb “Then he”; the referent (the offerer) has been specified in the translation for clarity (so also in v. 13).
[1:14] 26 tn Heb “from the [category] ‘bird.’”
[1:14] 27 tn Heb “from the sons of the pigeon,” referring either to “young pigeons” (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NLT) or “various species of pigeon” (contrast J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:168, with J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 14).
[1:15] 28 tn The action here seems to involve both a twisting action, breaking the neck of the bird and severing its vertebrae, as well as pinching or nipping the skin to sever the head from the main body. Cf. NASB, NRSV “wring off its head”; NAB “snap its head loose”; NLT “twist off its head.”
[1:15] 29 tn Many English versions have “it” here, referring to the head of the bird, which the priest immediately tossed on the altar fire. However, “it” could be misunderstood to refer to the bird’s body, so “head” is repeated in the present translation for clarity. As the following lines show, certain things needed to be done to the body of the bird before it could be placed on the altar.
[1:16] 30 tn Heb “Then he”; the referent (apparently still the priest) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:16] 31 tn This translation (“remove its entrails by [cutting off] its tail feathers”) is based on the discussion in J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:169-71, although he translates, “remove its crissum by its feathers.” Others possibilities include “its crop with its contents” (Tg. Onq., cf. NIV, NRSV; J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 23) or “its crop with its feathers” (LXX, NASB, RSV; “crop” refers to the enlarged part of a bird’s gullet that serves a pouch for the preliminary maceration of food).
[1:16] 32 tn The pronoun “them” here is feminine singular in Hebrew and refers collectively to the entrails and tail wing which have been removed.
[1:17] 33 tn Heb “he shall not divide it.” Several Hebrew
[5:1] 34 tn The words “this victory song” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[5:2] 35 tn The meaning of the Hebrew expression בִּפְרֹעַ פְּרָעוֹת (bifroa’ pÿra’ot) is uncertain. Numerous proposals are offered by commentators. (For a survey of opinions, see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 223-27.) The next line refers to the people who responded to Barak’s summons to war, so a reference to the leaders who issued the summons would provide a natural poetic parallel. In v. 9 the leaders (חוֹקְקֵי, khoqÿqey) of the people and these same volunteers stand in poetic parallelism, so it is reasonable to assume that the difficult Hebrew term פְּרַעוֹת (pÿra’ot, v. 2a) is synonymous with חוֹקְקֵי (khoqÿqey) of v. 9 (see Lindars, 227).
[5:3] 36 tn Heb “I, to the
[5:5] 40 tn Or “quaked.” The translation assumes the form נָזֹלּוּ (nazollu) from the root זָלַל (zalal, “to quake”; see HALOT 272 s.v. II זלל). The LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Targum also understood the word this way. (See Isa 63:19 and 64:2 for other occurrences of this form.) Some understand here the verb נָזַל (nazul, “to flow [with torrents of rain water]”).
[5:5] 41 tn Heb “this one of Sinai.” The phrase is a divine title, perhaps indicating that the
[5:6] 42 tc The translation assumes the form אֳרְחוֹת (’orÿkhot, “caravans”) rather than אֳרָחוֹת (’orakhot, “roadways”) because it makes a tighter parallel with “travelers” in the next line.
[5:6] 44 tn Heb “Ones walking on paths.”
[5:7] 45 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] 47 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] 48 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).
[5:8] 49 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] 50 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] 51 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] 52 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] 53 tn The words “went out” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[5:10] 54 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word מִדִּין (middin, “saddle blankets”) in this context is uncertain.
[5:11] 55 tn The word “Hear” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[5:11] 56 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] 57 tn Or perhaps “repeat.”
[5:11] 58 tn See the note on the term “warriors” in v. 7.
[5:12] 59 tn Heb “take captive your captives.” (The Hebrew text uses a cognate accusative here.)
[5:13] 60 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] 61 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] 62 sn The expression mighty ones probably refers to the leaders of the army.
[5:13] 63 sn The speaker may be Deborah here.
[5:13] 64 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.
[5:14] 65 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] 66 tn The words “They follow” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[5:14] 67 tn The word “came” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[5:14] 68 tn Or possibly “who carry.”
[5:15] 69 tn Heb “Issachar.” The words “the men of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[5:15] 70 tn Or “was true to.”
[5:15] 71 tn Heb “at his feet.”
[5:15] 73 tc The great majority of Hebrew
[5:16] 74 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word מִשְׁפְּתַיִם (mishpÿtayim) is uncertain. Some understand the word to mean “campfires.”
[5:16] 76 tn Heb “listening to the pipe playing for the flocks.”
[5:17] 77 tn Heb “lived” or “settled down.”
[5:17] sn Apparently the people of Gilead remained on the other side of the river and did not participate in the battle.
[5:17] 78 tn Heb “Dan, why did he live as a resident alien, ships.” The verb גּוּר (gur) usually refers to taking up residence outside one’s native land. Perhaps the Danites, rather than rallying to Barak, were content to move to the Mediterranean coast and work in the shipyards. For further discussion, see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 262.
[5:17] 80 tn Heb “lived” or “settled down.”
[5:17] 81 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word מִפְרָץ (mifrats) is uncertain, but the parallelism (note “seacoast”) suggests “harbors.”
[5:18] 82 tn Heb “Zebulun was a people which despised its life even unto death.”
[5:18] 83 tn Heb “Naphtali was on the heights of the field.”
[5:19] 84 map For location see Map1 D4; Map2 C1; Map4 C2; Map5 F2; Map7 B1.
[5:19] 85 tn The contrastive conjunction “but” is interpretive.
[5:20] 86 tn Or “from heaven.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
[5:20] 87 tn The MT takes “the stars” with what follows rather than with the first colon of v. 20. But for metrical reasons it seems better to move the atnach and read the colon as indicated in the translation.
[5:20] 88 tn The words “in the heavens” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[5:21] 89 tn Possibly “the ancient river,” but it seems preferable in light of the parallel line (which has a verb) to emend the word (attested only here) to a verb (קָדַם, qadam) with pronominal object suffix.
[5:21] 90 tn This line is traditionally taken as the poet-warrior’s self-exhortation, “March on, my soul, in strength!” The present translation (a) takes the verb (a second feminine singular form) as addressed to Deborah (cf. v. 12), (b) understands נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) in its well-attested sense of “throat; neck” (cf. Jonah 2:6), (c) takes the final yod (י) on נַפְשִׁי (nafshiy) as an archaic construct indicator (rather than a suffix), and (d) interprets עֹז (’oz, “strength”) as an attributive genitive (literally, “necks of strength,” i.e., “strong necks”). For fuller discussion and various proposals, see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 270-71.
[5:22] 91 tc The MT as it stands has a singular noun, but if one moves the prefixed mem (מ) from the beginning of the next word to the end of סוּס (sus), the expected plural form is achieved. Another possibility is to understand an error of scribal haplography here, in which case the letter mem should appear in both places.
[5:22] 92 tn The words “the ground” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[5:22] 93 tn Heb “galloped, galloped.” The repetition is for emphasis and is more appropriately indicated in English with an adverb.
[5:23] 94 tn Heb “Curse Meroz.”
[5:23] 95 tn The adjective “angelic” is interpretive.
[5:23] 96 tn Heb “Curse, cursing.” The Hebrew construction is emphatic.
[5:23] 97 tn Heb “[to] curse.”
[5:23] 98 tn Heb “to the help of the
[5:23] 99 tn Or “along with the other warriors.”
[5:25] 101 tn Or “for mighty ones.”
[5:26] 102 tn The adjective “left” is interpretive, based on the context. Note that the next line pictures Jael holding the hammer with her right hand.
[5:26] 103 tn The verb used here is from the same root as the noun “hammer” in the preceding line.
[5:26] 105 tn The phrase “his head” (an implied direct object) is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[5:26] 106 tn Heb “she pierced his temple.”
[5:27] 107 tn Heb “he fell.” The same Hebrew expression occurs two more times in this verse.
[5:27] 108 tn Heb “and he lay.
[5:27] 109 tn Or “dead, murdered.”
[5:29] 111 tn Or “princesses.”
[5:30] 112 tn Heb “Are they not finding, dividing the plunder?”
[5:30] 113 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] 114 tn Heb “the plunder of dyed cloth is for Sisera.”
[5:30] 115 tn Heb “the plunder of embroidered cloth.”
[5:30] 116 tn The translation assumes an emendation of the noun (“plunder”) to a participle, “plunderer.”
[5:31] 117 tn Heb “But may those who love him be like the going forth of the sun in its strength.”
