Hakim-hakim 1:15

1:15 She answered, “Please give me a special present. ¹  Since you have given me land in the Negev, now give me springs of water.” So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs. ² 

Hakim-hakim 1:33

1:33 The men of Naphtali did not conquer the people living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath. ³  They live among the Canaanites residing in the land. The Canaanites ⁴  living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were forced to do hard labor for them.

Hakim-hakim 2:18

2:18 When the Lord raised up leaders for them, the Lord was with each leader and delivered the people ⁵  from their enemies while the leader remained alive. The Lord felt sorry for them ⁶  when they cried out in agony because of what their harsh oppressors did to them. ⁷ 

Hakim-hakim 3:28

3:28 He said to them, “Follow me, for the Lord is about to defeat your enemies, the Moabites!” ⁸  They followed him, captured the fords of the Jordan River ⁹  opposite Moab, ¹⁰  and did not let anyone cross.

Hakim-hakim 4:11

4:11 Now Heber the Kenite had moved away ¹¹  from the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ father-in-law. He lived ¹²  near the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh.

Hakim-hakim 4:14

4:14 Deborah said to Barak, “Spring into action, ¹³  for this is the day the Lord is handing Sisera over to you! ¹⁴  Has the Lord not taken the lead?” ¹⁵  Barak quickly went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him.

Hakim-hakim 6:27-28

6:27 So Gideon took ten of his servants ¹⁶  and did just as the Lord had told him. He was too afraid of his father’s family ¹⁷  and the men of the city to do it in broad daylight, so he waited until nighttime. ¹⁸ 

6:28 When the men of the city got up the next morning, they saw ¹⁹  the Baal altar pulled down, the nearby Asherah pole cut down, and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar.

Hakim-hakim 7:8

7:8 The men ²⁰  who were chosen ²¹  took supplies ²²  and their trumpets. Gideon ²³  sent all the men of Israel back to their homes; ²⁴  he kept only three hundred men. Now the Midianites ²⁵  were camped down below ²⁶  in the valley.

Hakim-hakim 7:19

7:19 Gideon took a hundred men to the edge of the camp ²⁷  at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guards. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars they were carrying. ²⁸ 

Hakim-hakim 9:5

9:5 He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and murdered his half-brothers, ²⁹  the seventy legitimate ³⁰  sons of Jerub-Baal, on one stone. Only Jotham, Jerub-Baal’s youngest son, escaped, ³¹  because he hid.

Hakim-hakim 9:7

Jotham’s Parable

9:7 When Jotham heard the news, ³²  he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim. He spoke loudly to the people below, ³³  “Listen to me, leaders of Shechem, so that God may listen to you!

Hakim-hakim 9:18

9:18 But you have attacked ³⁴  my father’s family ³⁵  today. You murdered his seventy legitimate ³⁶  sons on one stone and made Abimelech, the son of his female slave, king over the leaders of Shechem, just because he is your close relative. ³⁷ 

Hakim-hakim 9:28

9:28 Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerub-Baal, and is not Zebul the deputy he appointed? ³⁸  Serve the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem! But why should we serve Abimelech? ³⁹ 

Hakim-hakim 9:49

9:49 So each of his men also cut off a branch and followed Abimelech. They put the branches ⁴⁰  against the stronghold and set fire to it. ⁴¹  All the people ⁴²  of the Tower of Shechem died – about a thousand men and women.

Hakim-hakim 11:18

11:18 Then Israel ⁴³  went through the desert and bypassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab. They traveled east of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon River; ⁴⁴  they did not go through Moabite territory (the Arnon was Moab’s border).

Hakim-hakim 11:35

11:35 When he saw her, he ripped his clothes and said, “Oh no! My daughter! You have completely ruined me! ⁴⁵  You have brought me disaster! ⁴⁶  I made an oath to the Lord, and I cannot break it.” ⁴⁷ 

Hakim-hakim 12:5

12:5 The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan River ⁴⁸  opposite Ephraim. ⁴⁹  Whenever an Ephraimite fugitive ⁵⁰  said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead asked ⁵¹  him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,”

Hakim-hakim 13:5

13:5 Look, you will conceive and have a son. ⁵²  You must never cut his hair, ⁵³  for the child will be dedicated to God ⁵⁴  from birth. He will begin to deliver Israel from the power ⁵⁵  of the Philistines.”

Hakim-hakim 13:16

13:16 The Lord’s messenger said to Manoah, “If I stay, ⁵⁶  I will not eat your food. But if you want to make a burnt sacrifice to the Lord, you should offer it.” (He said this because Manoah did not know that he was the Lord’s messenger.) ⁵⁷ 

Hakim-hakim 14:3

14:3 But his father and mother said to him, “Certainly you can find a wife among your relatives or among all our ⁵⁸  people! You should not have to go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines.” ⁵⁹  But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, ⁶⁰  because she is the right one for me.” ⁶¹ 

Hakim-hakim 14:9

14:9 He scooped it up with his hands and ate it as he walked along. When he returned ⁶²  to his father and mother, he offered them some and they ate it. But he did not tell them he had scooped the honey out of the lion’s carcass. ⁶³ 

Hakim-hakim 14:17

14:17 She cried on his shoulder ⁶⁴  until the party was almost over. ⁶⁵  Finally, on the seventh day, he told her because she had nagged him so much. ⁶⁶  Then she told the young men the solution to the riddle. ⁶⁷ 

Hakim-hakim 15:12

15:12 They said to him, “We have come down to take you prisoner so we can hand you over to the Philistines.” Samson said to them, “Promise me ⁶⁸  you will not kill ⁶⁹  me.”

Hakim-hakim 16:20

16:20 She said, “The Philistines are here, ⁷⁰  Samson!” He woke up ⁷¹  and thought, ⁷²  “I will do as I did before ⁷³  and shake myself free.” But he did not realize that the Lord had left him.

Hakim-hakim 16:23

Samson’s Death and Burial

16:23 The rulers of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate. They said, “Our god has handed Samson, our enemy, over to us.”

Hakim-hakim 17:4

17:4 When he gave the silver back to his mother, she ⁷⁴  took two hundred pieces of silver ⁷⁵  to a silversmith, who made them into a carved image and a metal image. She then put them in Micah’s house. ⁷⁶ 

Hakim-hakim 18:9

18:9 They said, “Come on, let’s attack them, ⁷⁷  for ⁷⁸  we saw their land and it is very good. You seem lethargic, ⁷⁹  but don’t hesitate ⁸⁰  to invade and conquer ⁸¹  the land.

Hakim-hakim 18:30

18:30 The Danites worshiped ⁸²  the carved image. Jonathan, descendant ⁸³  of Gershom, son of Moses, ⁸⁴  and his descendants ⁸⁵  served as priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the exile.

Hakim-hakim 19:9

19:9 When the man got ready to leave ⁸⁶  with his concubine and his servant, ⁸⁷  his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Look! The day is almost over! ⁸⁸  Stay another night! Since the day is over, ⁸⁹  stay another night here and have a good time. You can get up early tomorrow and start your trip home.” ⁹⁰ 

Hakim-hakim 20:26

20:26 So all the Israelites, the whole army, ⁹¹  went up to ⁹²  Bethel. ⁹³  They wept and sat there before the Lord; they did not eat anything ⁹⁴  that day until evening. They offered up burnt sacrifices and tokens of peace ⁹⁵  to the Lord.

Hakim-hakim 20:31

20:31 The Benjaminites attacked ⁹⁶  the army, leaving the city unguarded. ⁹⁷  They began to strike down their enemy ⁹⁸  just as they had done before. On the main roads (one leads to Bethel, ⁹⁹  the other to Gibeah) and in the field, they struck down ¹⁰⁰  about thirty Israelites.

Hakim-hakim 20:35

20:35 The Lord annihilated Benjamin before Israel; the Israelites struck down that day 25,100 sword-wielding Benjaminites. ¹⁰¹ 

[1:15]  ¹ tn Elsewhere the Hebrew word בְרָכָה (vÿrakhah) is often translated “blessing,” but here it refers to a gift (as in Gen 33:11; 1 Sam 25:27; 30:26; and 2 Kgs 5:15).

[1:15]  ² tn Some translations regard the expressions “springs of water” (גֻּלֹּת מָיִם, gullot mayim) and “springs” (גֻּלֹּת) as place names here (cf. NRSV).

[1:33]  ³ tn Heb “the people living in Beth Shemesh or the people living in Beth Anath.”

[1:33]  ⁴ tn The term “Canaanites” is supplied here both for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[2:18]  ⁵ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:18]  ⁶ tn The phrase “for them” is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[2:18]  ⁷ tn Heb “the ones oppressing them and afflicting them.” The synonyms “oppressing” and “afflicting” are joined together in the translation as “harsh oppressors” to emphasize the cruel character of their enemies.

[3:28]  ⁸ tn Heb “for the Lord has given your enemies, Moab, into your hand.” The verb form (a Hebrew perfect, indicating completed action from the standpoint of the speaker) emphasizes the certainty of the event. Though it had not yet taken place, the Lord speaks of it as a “done deal.”

[3:28]  ⁹ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for clarity.

[3:28]  ¹⁰ tn Or “against Moab,” that is, so as to prevent the Moabites from crossing.

[4:11]  ¹¹ tn Or “separated.”

[4:11]  ¹² tn Heb “pitched his tent.”

[4:14]  ¹³ tn Heb “Arise!”

[4:14]  ¹⁴ tn The verb form (a Hebrew perfect, indicating completed action from the standpoint of the speaker) emphasizes the certainty of the event. Though it had not yet taken place, the Lord speaks of it as a “done deal.”

[4:14]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “Has the Lord not gone out before you?”

[6:27]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “men from among his servants.”

[6:27]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “house.”

[6:27]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “so he did it at night.”

[6:28]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “look!” The narrator uses this word to invite his audience/readers to view the scene through the eyes of the men.

[7:8]  ²⁰ tn Heb “The people.”

[7:8]  ²¹ tn The words “who were chosen” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[7:8]  ²² tn The Hebrew text has “in their hands.”

[7:8]  ²³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:8]  ²⁴ tn Heb “tents.”

[7:8]  ²⁵ tn Heb “Midian.”

[7:8]  ²⁶ tn The Hebrew text adds “him” (i.e., Gideon).

[7:19]  ²⁷ tn Heb “Gideon went, along with the hundred men who were with him, to the edge of the camp.”

[7:19]  ²⁸ tn Heb “that were in their hands.”

[9:5]  ²⁹ tn Heb “his brothers.”

[9:5]  ³⁰ tn The word “legitimate” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:5]  ³¹ tn Heb “remained.”

[9:7]  ³² tn Heb “And they reported to Jotham.” The subject of the plural verb is indefinite.

[9:7]  ³³ tn Heb “He lifted his voice and called and said to them.”

[9:18]  ³⁴ tn Heb “have risen up against.”

[9:18]  ³⁵ tn Heb “house.”

[9:18]  ³⁶ tn The word “legitimate” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:18]  ³⁷ tn Heb “your brother.”

[9:28]  ³⁸ tn Heb “and Zebul his appointee.”

[9:28]  ³⁹ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abimelech) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:49]  ⁴⁰ tn The words “the branches” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:49]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “they kindled over them the stronghold with fire.”

[9:49]  ⁴² tn Or “men,” but the word seems to have a more general sense here, as the conclusion to the sentence suggests.

[11:18]  ⁴³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Israel; the pronoun in the Hebrew text represents a collective singular) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:18]  ⁴⁴ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[11:35]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “you have brought me very low,” or “you have knocked me to my knees.” The infinitive absolute precedes the verb for emphasis.

[11:35]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “You are among [or “like”] those who trouble me.”

[11:35]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “I opened my mouth to the Lord and I am not able to return.”

[12:5]  ⁴⁸ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[12:5]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “against Ephraim,” that is, so as to prevent Ephraim from crossing.

[12:5]  ⁵⁰ tn The Hebrew text has a plural form here.

[12:5]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “say to.”

[13:5]  ⁵² tn Another option is to translate, “you are already pregnant and will have a son.” The earlier reference to her being infertile (v. 3) suggests that her conception is still future, but it is possible that the earlier statement only reflects her perspective (as far as she is concerned, she is infertile). According to this interpretation, in v. 5 the angel reveals the truth to her – actually she has recently conceived and is now pregnant (see the translation in R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 217). Usage favors this interpretation. The predicate adjective הָרָה (harah, “[be/become] pregnant”) elsewhere has a past (1 Sam 4:19) or present (Gen 16:11; 38:25; 2 Sam 11:5) translation value. (The usage in Isa 7:14 is debated, but a present translation is definitely possible there.) A final, but less likely possibility, is that she miraculously conceived during the angel’s speech, sometime between his statements recorded in vv. 3 and 5.

[13:5]  ⁵³ tn Heb “a razor should not go up on his head.”

[13:5]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “set apart to God.” Traditionally the Hebrew term נָזִיר (nazir) has been translated “Nazirite.” The word is derived from the verb נָזַר (nazar, “to dedicate; to consecrate; to set apart”).

[13:5]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “hand.”

[13:16]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “If you detain me.”

[13:16]  ⁵⁷ tn The words “he said this” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Manoah should have known from these words that the messenger represented the Lord. In the preceding narrative the narrator has informed the reader that the visitor is the Lord’s messenger, but Manoah and his wife did not perceive this. In vv. 5 and 7 the angel refers to “God” (אֱלֹהִים, ’elohim), not the Lord (יְהוַה, yÿhvah). Manoah’s wife calls the visitor “a man sent from God” and “God’s messenger” (v. 6), while Manoah prays to the “Lord” (אֲדוֹנָי, ’adonay) and calls the visitor “a man sent from God” (v. 8).

[14:3]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “my.” The singular may seem strange, since the introduction to the quotation attributes the words to his father and mother. But Samson’s father apparently speaks for both himself and his wife. However, the Lucianic recension of the LXX and the Syriac Peshitta have a second person pronoun here (“you”), and this may represent the original reading.

[14:3]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “Is there not among the daughters of your brothers or among all my people a woman that you have to go to get a wife among the uncircumcised Philistines?”

[14:3]  ⁶⁰ tn “Her” is first in the Hebrew word order for emphasis. Samson wanted this Philistine girl, no one else. See C. F. Burney, Judges, 357.

[14:3]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “because she is right in my eyes.”

[14:9]  ⁶² tn Heb “went.” Samson apparently went home to his parents before going to Timnah for the marriage. Seeing and tasting the honey appears to encourage Manoah to go with his son to Timnah. Perhaps both Samson and his father viewed the honey as a good omen of future blessing. Possibly Samson considered it a symbol of sexual pleasure or an aphrodisiac. Note the use of honey imagery in Song 4:11 and 5:1.

[14:9]  ⁶³ sn Touching the carcass of a dead animal undoubtedly violated Samson’s Nazirite status. See Num 6:6.

[14:17]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “on him.”

[14:17]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “the seven days [during] which they held the party.” This does not mean she cried for the entire seven days; v. 15 indicates otherwise. She cried for the remainder of the seven day period, beginning on the fourth day.

[14:17]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “because she forced him.”

[14:17]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “she told the riddle to the sons of her people.”

[15:12]  ⁶⁸ tn Or “swear to me.”

[15:12]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “meet [with hostility]”; “harm.” In light of v. 13, “kill” is an appropriate translation.

[16:20]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “are upon you.”

[16:20]  ⁷¹ tn The Hebrew adds, “from his sleep.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[16:20]  ⁷² tn Heb “and said.”

[16:20]  ⁷³ tn Heb “I will go out as before.”

[17:4]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “his mother.” The pronoun (“she”) has been substituted for the noun (“mother”) in the translation because of English style.

[17:4]  ⁷⁵ tn The Hebrew text has “and gave it.” The referent (the pieces of silver) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:4]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “and it was in Micah’s house.”

[18:9]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “Arise, and let us go up against them.”

[18:9]  ⁷⁸ tc Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the LXX adds “we entered and walked around in the land as far as Laish and.”

[18:9]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “But you are inactive.”

[18:9]  ⁸⁰ tn Or “be lazy.”

[18:9]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “to go”; “to enter”; “to possess.”

[18:30]  ⁸² tn Heb “erected for themselves.”

[18:30]  ⁸³ tn Heb “son.”

[18:30]  ⁸⁴ tc Several ancient textual witnesses, including some LXX mss and the Vulgate, support the reading “Moses” (מֹשֶׁה, mosheh) here. Many Hebrew mss have a nun (נ) suspended above the name between the first two letters (מנשׁה), suggesting the name Manasseh (מְנַשֶּׁה, mÿnasheh). This is probably a scribal attempt to protect Moses’ reputation. For discussion, see G. F. Moore, Judges (ICC), 401-2.

[18:30]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “sons.”

[19:9]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “the man arose to go.”

[19:9]  ⁸⁷ tn Or “young man.”

[19:9]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “the day is sinking to become evening.”

[19:9]  ⁸⁹ tn Or “declining.”

[19:9]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “for your way and go to your tent.”

[20:26]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “and all the people.”

[20:26]  ⁹² tn Heb “went up and came [to].”

[20:26]  ⁹³ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[20:26]  ⁹⁴ tn Traditionally, “fasted.”

[20:26]  ⁹⁵ tn Or “peace offerings.”

[20:31]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “went out to meet.”

[20:31]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “and they were drawn away from the city.”

[20:31]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “from the army wounded ones.”

[20:31]  ⁹⁹ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[20:31]  ¹⁰⁰ tn The words “they struck down” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[20:35]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “And the sons of Israel struck down in Benjamin that day 25,100 men, all of these wielding the sword.”