Hakim-hakim 5:29-30

5:29 The wisest of her ladies ¹  answer;

indeed she even thinks to herself,

5:30 ‘No doubt they are gathering and dividing the plunder ²  –

a girl or two for each man to rape! ³ 

Sisera is grabbing up colorful cloth, ⁴ 

he is grabbing up colorful embroidered cloth, ⁵ 

two pieces of colorful embroidered cloth,

for the neck of the plunderer!’ ⁶ 

Hakim-hakim 19:3-6

19:3 her husband came ⁷  after her, hoping he could convince her to return. ⁸  He brought with him his servant ⁹  and a pair of donkeys. When she brought him into her father’s house and the girl’s father saw him, he greeted him warmly. ¹⁰  19:4 His father-in-law, the girl’s father, persuaded him to stay with him for three days, and they ate and drank together, and spent the night there. 19:5 On the fourth day they woke up early and the Levite got ready to leave. ¹¹  But the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Have a bite to eat for some energy, ¹²  then you can go.” 19:6 So the two of them sat down and had a meal together. ¹³  Then the girl’s father said to the man, “Why not stay another night and have a good time!” ¹⁴ 

Hakim-hakim 19:8-9

19:8 He woke up early in the morning on the fifth day so he could leave, but the girl’s father said, “Get some energy. ¹⁵  Wait until later in the day to leave!” ¹⁶  So they ate a meal together. 19:9 When the man got ready to leave ¹⁷  with his concubine and his servant, ¹⁸  his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Look! The day is almost over! ¹⁹  Stay another night! Since the day is over, ²⁰  stay another night here and have a good time. You can get up early tomorrow and start your trip home.” ²¹ 

[5:29]  ¹ tn Or “princesses.”

[5:30]  ² tn Heb “Are they not finding, dividing the plunder?”

[5:30]  ³ 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]  ⁴ tn Heb “the plunder of dyed cloth is for Sisera.”

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

[5:30]  ⁶ tn The translation assumes an emendation of the noun (“plunder”) to a participle, “plunderer.”

[19:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “arose and came.”

[19:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “to speak to her heart to bring her back.”

[19:3]  ⁹ tn Or “young man.”

[19:3]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “he was happy to meet him.”

[19:5]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and he arose to go.”

[19:5]  ¹² tn Heb “Sustain your heart [with] a bit of food.”

[19:6]  ¹³ tn Heb “And they sat and ate, the two of them together, and they drank.”

[19:6]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Be willing and spend the night so that your heart might be good.”

[19:8]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “Sustain your heart.” He is once more inviting him to stay for a meal.

[19:8]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “Wait until the declining of the day.”

[19:9]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the man arose to go.”

[19:9]  ¹⁸ tn Or “young man.”

[19:9]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “the day is sinking to become evening.”

[19:9]  ²⁰ tn Or “declining.”

[19:9]  ²¹ tn Heb “for your way and go to your tent.”