18:7 So the five men journeyed on 3 and arrived in Laish. They noticed that the people there 4 were living securely, like the Sidonians do, 5 undisturbed and unsuspecting. No conqueror was troubling them in any way. 6 They lived far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone. 7
1 tn Heb “the ones living in tents.”
2 tn Heb “and attacked the army, while the army was secure.” The Hebrew term בֶטַח (vetakh, “secure”) probably means the army was undefended (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 156), not suspecting an attack at that time and place.
3 tn Or “went.”
4 tn Heb “who were in its midst.”
5 tn Heb “according to the custom of the Sidonians.”
6 tn Heb “and there was no one humiliating anything in the land, one taking possession [by] force.”
7 tc Heb “and a thing there was not to them with men.” Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the LXX and Symmachus read “Syria” here rather than the MT’s “men.” This reading presupposes a Hebrew Vorlage אֲרָם (’aram, “Aram,” i.e., Arameans) rather than the MT reading אָדָם (’adam). This reading is possibly to be preferred over the MT.