Hakim-hakim 8:27

8:27 Gideon used all this to make ¹  an ephod, ²  which he put in his hometown of Ophrah. All the Israelites ³  prostituted themselves to it by worshiping it ⁴  there. It became a snare to Gideon and his family.

Hakim-hakim 9:48

9:48 He and all his men ⁵  went up on Mount Zalmon. He ⁶  took an ax ⁷  in his hand and cut off a tree branch. He put it ⁸  on his shoulder and said to his men, “Quickly, do what you have just seen me do!” ⁹ 

Hakim-hakim 20:31

20:31 The Benjaminites attacked ¹⁰  the army, leaving the city unguarded. ¹¹  They began to strike down their enemy ¹²  just as they had done before. On the main roads (one leads to Bethel, ¹³  the other to Gibeah) and in the field, they struck down ¹⁴  about thirty Israelites.

¹ tn Heb “made it into.”

² sn In Exod 28:4-6 and several other texts an ephod is described as a priestly or cultic garment. In some cases an ephod is used to obtain a divine oracle (1 Sam 23:9; 30:7). Here the ephod is made of gold and is described as being quite heavy (70-75 lbs?). Some identify it as an idol, but it was more likely a cultic object fashioned in the form of a garment which was used for oracular purposes. For discussion of the ephod in the OT, see C. F. Burney, Judges, 236-43, and R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 349-52.

³ tn Heb “Israel” (a collective singular).

⁴ tn The words “by worshiping it” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

⁵ tn Heb “his people.”

⁶ tn Heb “Abimelech.” The proper name has been replaced with the pronoun (“he”) due to considerations of English style.

⁷ tn The Hebrew text has the plural here.

⁸ tn Heb “he lifted it and put [it].”

⁹ tn Heb “What you have seen me do, quickly do like me.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “went out to meet.”

¹¹ tn Heb “and they were drawn away from the city.”

¹² tn Heb “from the army wounded ones.”

¹³ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

¹⁴ tn The words “they struck down” are supplied in the translation for clarification.