Hakim-hakim 1:19

1:19 The Lord was with the men of Judah. They conquered ¹  the hill country, but they could not ²  conquer the people living in the coastal plain, because they had chariots with iron-rimmed wheels. ³ 

Hakim-hakim 5:30

5:30 ‘No doubt they are gathering and dividing the plunder ⁴  –

a girl or two for each man to rape! ⁵ 

Sisera is grabbing up colorful cloth, ⁶ 

he is grabbing up colorful embroidered cloth, ⁷ 

two pieces of colorful embroidered cloth,

for the neck of the plunderer!’ ⁸ 

Hakim-hakim 8:19

8:19 He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. I swear, ⁹  as surely as the Lord is alive, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.”

Hakim-hakim 9:46

9:46 When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem ¹⁰  heard the news, they went to the stronghold ¹¹  of the temple of El-Berith. ¹² 

Hakim-hakim 13:25

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

[1:19]  ¹ tn Or “seized possession of”; or “occupied.”

[1:19]  ² tc Several textual witnesses support the inclusion of this verb.

[1:19]  ³ tn Regarding the translation “chariots with iron-rimmed wheels,” see Y. Yadin, The Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands, 255, and the article by R. Drews, “The ‘Chariots of Iron’ of Joshua and Judges,” JSOT 45 (1989): 15-23.

[5:30]  ⁴ tn Heb “Are they not finding, dividing the plunder?”

[5:30]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ tn Heb “the plunder of dyed cloth is for Sisera.”

[5:30]  ⁷ tn Heb “the plunder of embroidered cloth.”

[5:30]  ⁸ tn The translation assumes an emendation of the noun (“plunder”) to a participle, “plunderer.”

[8:19]  ⁹ tn The words “I swear” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:46]  ¹⁰ sn Perhaps the Tower of Shechem was a nearby town, distinct from Shechem proper, or a tower within the city.

[9:46]  ¹¹ tn Apparently this rare word refers here to the most inaccessible area of the temple, perhaps the inner sanctuary or an underground chamber. It appears only here and in 1 Sam 13:6, where it is paired with “cisterns” and refers to subterranean or cave-like hiding places.

[9:46]  ¹² sn The name El-Berith means “God of the Covenant.” It is probably a reference to the Canaanite high god El.

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