Hakim-hakim 1:4

1:4 The men of Judah attacked, ¹  and the Lord handed the Canaanites and Perizzites over to them. They killed ten thousand men at Bezek.

Hakim-hakim 2:3

2:3 At that time I also warned you, ²  ‘If you disobey, ³  I will not drive out the Canaanites ⁴  before you. They will ensnare you ⁵  and their gods will lure you away.’” ⁶ 

Hakim-hakim 2:10

2:10 That entire generation passed away; ⁷  a new generation grew up ⁸  that had not personally experienced the Lord’s presence or seen what he had done for Israel. ⁹ 

Hakim-hakim 2:20

A Divine Decision

2:20 The Lord was furious with Israel. ¹⁰  He said, “This nation ¹¹  has violated the terms of the agreement I made with their ancestors ¹²  by disobeying me. ¹³ 

Hakim-hakim 3:17

3:17 He brought the tribute payment to King Eglon of Moab. (Now Eglon was a very fat man.)

Hakim-hakim 4:2

4:2 The Lord turned them over to ¹⁴  King Jabin of Canaan, who ruled in Hazor. ¹⁵  The general of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. ¹⁶ 

Hakim-hakim 4:7

4:7 I will bring Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to you at the Kishon River, along with his chariots and huge army. ¹⁷  I will hand him over to you.”

Hakim-hakim 4:16

4:16 Now Barak chased the chariots and the army all the way to Harosheth Haggoyim. Sisera’s whole army died ¹⁸  by the edge of the sword; not even one survived! ¹⁹ 

Hakim-hakim 5:23

5:23 ‘Call judgment down on ²⁰  Meroz,’ says the Lord’s angelic ²¹  messenger;

‘Be sure ²²  to call judgment down on ²³  those who live there,

because they did not come to help in the Lord’s battle, ²⁴ 

to help in the Lord’s battle against the warriors.’ ²⁵ 

Hakim-hakim 6:1

Oppression and Confrontation

6:1 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight, ²⁶  so the Lord turned them over to ²⁷  Midian for seven years.

Hakim-hakim 6:18

6:18 Do not leave this place until I come back ²⁸  with a gift ²⁹  and present it to you.” The Lord said, “I will stay here until you come back.”

Hakim-hakim 6:20

6:20 God’s messenger said to him, “Put the meat and unleavened bread on this rock, ³⁰  and pour out the broth.” Gideon did as instructed. ³¹ 

Hakim-hakim 7:7

7:7 The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped I will deliver the whole army ³²  and I will hand Midian over to you. ³³  The rest of the men should go home.” ³⁴ 

Hakim-hakim 8:1

8:1 The Ephraimites said to him, “Why have you done such a thing to us? You did not summon us ³⁵  when you went to fight the Midianites!” They argued vehemently with him.

Hakim-hakim 8:24

8:24 Gideon continued, ³⁶  “I would like to make one request. Each of you give me an earring from the plunder you have taken.” ³⁷  (The Midianites ³⁸  had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)

Hakim-hakim 9:25

9:25 The leaders of Shechem rebelled against Abimelech by putting ³⁹  bandits in ⁴⁰  the hills, who robbed everyone who traveled by on the road. But Abimelech found out about it. ⁴¹ 

Hakim-hakim 9:31

9:31 He sent messengers to Abimelech, who was in Arumah, ⁴²  reporting, “Beware! ⁴³  Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers are coming ⁴⁴  to Shechem and inciting the city to rebel against you. ⁴⁵ 

Hakim-hakim 9:37

9:37 Gaal again said, “Look, men are coming down from the very center ⁴⁶  of the land. A unit ⁴⁷  is coming by way of the Oak Tree of the Diviners.” ⁴⁸ 

Hakim-hakim 10:1

Stability Restored

10:1 After Abimelech’s death, ⁴⁹  Tola son of Puah, grandson ⁵⁰  of Dodo, from the tribe of Issachar, ⁵¹  rose up to deliver Israel. He lived in Shamir in the Ephraimite hill country.

Hakim-hakim 11:11

11:11 So Jephthah went with the leaders of Gilead. The people made him their leader and commander. Jephthah repeated the terms of the agreement ⁵²  before the Lord in Mizpah.

Hakim-hakim 11:24

11:24 You have the right to take what Chemosh your god gives you, but we will take the land of all whom the Lord our God has driven out before us. ⁵³ 

Hakim-hakim 16:14

16:14 So she made him go to sleep, wove the seven braids of his hair into the fabric on the loom, fastened it with the pin, and said to him, “The Philistines are here, ⁵⁴  Samson!” ⁵⁵  He woke up ⁵⁶  and tore away the pin of the loom and the fabric.

Hakim-hakim 16:19

16:19 She made him go to sleep on her lap ⁵⁷  and then called a man in to shave off ⁵⁸  the seven braids of his hair. ⁵⁹  She made him vulnerable ⁶⁰  and his strength left him.

Hakim-hakim 17:8

17:8 This man left the town of Bethlehem in Judah to find another place to live. He came to the Ephraimite hill country and made his way to Micah’s house. ⁶¹ 

Hakim-hakim 18:25

18:25 The Danites said to him, “Don’t say another word to us, or some very angry men ⁶²  will attack you, and you and your family will die.” ⁶³ 

Hakim-hakim 19:6

19:6 So the two of them sat down and had a meal together. ⁶⁴  Then the girl’s father said to the man, “Why not stay another night and have a good time!” ⁶⁵ 

Hakim-hakim 19:19

19:19 We have enough straw and grain for our donkeys, and there is enough food and wine for me, your female servant, ⁶⁶  and the young man who is with your servants. ⁶⁷  We lack nothing.”

Hakim-hakim 20:36

20:36 Then the Benjaminites saw they were defeated.

The Israelites retreated before ⁶⁸  Benjamin, because they had confidence in the men they had hid in ambush outside Gibeah.

[1:4]  ¹ tn Heb “Judah went up.”

[2:3]  ² tn Heb “And I also said.” The use of the perfect tense here suggests that the messenger is recalling an earlier statement (see Josh 23:12-13). However, some translate, “And I also say,” understanding the following words as an announcement of judgment upon those gathered at Bokim.

[2:3]  ³ tn The words “If you disobey” are supplied in the translation for clarity. See Josh 23:12-13.

[2:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the Canaanites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:3]  ⁵ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word צִדִּים (tsiddim) is uncertain in this context. It may be related to an Akkadian cognate meaning “snare.” If so, a more literal translation would be “they will become snares to you.” Normally the term in question means “sides,” but this makes no sense here. On the basis of Num 33:55 some suggest the word for “thorns” has been accidentally omitted. If this word is added, the text would read, “they will become [thorns] in your sides” (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT).

[2:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “their gods will become a snare to you.”

[2:10]  ⁷ tn Heb “All that generation were gathered to their fathers.”

[2:10]  ⁸ tn Heb “arose after them.”

[2:10]  ⁹ tn Heb “that did not know the Lord or the work which he had done for Israel.” The expressions “personally experienced” and “seen” are interpretive.

[2:20]  ¹⁰ tn Or “The Lord’s anger burned [or “raged”] against Israel.”

[2:20]  ¹¹ tn Heb “Because this nation.”

[2:20]  ¹² tn Heb “my covenant which I commanded their fathers.”

[2:20]  ¹³ tn Heb “and has not listened to my voice.” The expression “to not listen to [God’s] voice” is idiomatic here for disobeying him.

[4:2]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the Lord sold them into the hands of.”

[4:2]  ¹⁵ tn Or “King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite ruler.”

[4:2]  map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 D3; Map3 A2; Map4 C1.

[4:2]  ¹⁶ tn Or “Harosheth of the Pagan Nations”; cf. KJV “Harosheth of the Gentiles.”

[4:7]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “horde”; “multitude.”

[4:16]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “fell.”

[4:16]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “was left.”

[5:23]  ²⁰ tn Heb “Curse Meroz.”

[5:23]  ²¹ tn The adjective “angelic” is interpretive.

[5:23]  ²² tn Heb “Curse, cursing.” The Hebrew construction is emphatic.

[5:23]  ²³ tn Heb “[to] curse.”

[5:23]  ²⁴ tn Heb “to the help of the Lord” (the same Hebrew phrase occurs in the following line). Another option is to read “to aid the Lord’s cause.”

[5:23]  ²⁵ tn Or “along with the other warriors.”

[6:1]  ²⁶ tn Heb “in the eyes of.”

[6:1]  ²⁷ tn Heb “gave them into the hand of.”

[6:18]  ²⁸ tn The Hebrew text adds “to you,” but this has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[6:18]  ²⁹ tn Heb “and I will bring out my gift.” The precise nuance of the Hebrew word מִנְחָה (minkhah, “gift”) is uncertain in this context. It may refer to a gift offered as a sign of goodwill or submission. In some cases it is used of a gift offered to appease someone whom the offerer has offended. The word can also carry a sacrificial connotation.

[6:20]  ³⁰ tn Heb “Take the meat…and put [it] on this rock.”

[6:20]  ³¹ tn Heb “and he did so.”

[7:7]  ³² tn Heb “you.” The Hebrew pronoun is masculine plural, probably referring to the entire army.

[7:7]  ³³ tn The Hebrew pronoun here is singular.

[7:7]  ³⁴ tn Heb “All the people should go, each to his place.”

[8:1]  ³⁵ tn Heb “by not summoning us.”

[8:24]  ³⁶ tn Heb “said to them.”

[8:24]  ³⁷ tn Heb “Give to me, each one, an earring from his plunder.”

[8:24]  ³⁸ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Midianites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:25]  ³⁹ tn Heb “set against him bandits.”

[9:25]  sn Putting bandits in the hills. This piracy certainly interrupted or discouraged trade, and probably deprived Abimelech of tariffs or tribute. See C. F. Burney, Judges, 277; G. F. Moore, Judges (ICC), 253.

[9:25]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “on the tops of.”

[9:25]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “It was told to Abimelech.”

[9:31]  ⁴² tn The form בְּתָרְמָה (bÿtarmah) in the Hebrew text, which occurs only here, has traditionally been understood to mean “secretly” or “with deception.” If this is correct, it is derived from II רָמָה (ramah, “to deceive”). Some interpreters object, pointing out that this would imply Zebul was trying to deceive Abimelech, which is clearly not the case in this context. But this objection is unwarranted. If retained, the phrase would refer instead to deceptive measures used by Zebul to avoid the suspicion of Gaal when he dispatched the messengers from Shechem. The present translation assumes an emendation to “in Arumah” (בָּארוּמָה, ba’rumah), a site mentioned in v. 41 as the headquarters of Abimelech. Confusion of alef and tav in archaic Hebrew script, while uncommon, is certainly not unimaginable.

[9:31]  ⁴³ tn Heb “Look!”

[9:31]  ⁴⁴ tn The participle, as used here, suggests Gaal and his brothers are in the process of arriving, but the preceding verses imply they have already settled in. Perhaps Zebul uses understatement to avoid the appearance of negligence on his part. After all, if he made the situation sound too bad, Abimelech, when he was informed, might ask why he had allowed this rebellion to reach such a stage.

[9:31]  ⁴⁵ tn The words “to rebel” are interpretive. The precise meaning of the Hebrew verb צוּר (tsur) is unclear here. It is best to take it in the sense of “to instigate; to incite; to provoke” (see Deut 2:9, 19 and R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 178).

[9:37]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “navel.” On the background of the Hebrew expression “the navel of the land,” see R. G. Boling, Judges (AB), 178-79.

[9:37]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “head.”

[9:37]  ⁴⁸ tn Some English translations simply transliterated this as a place name (Heb “Elon-meonenim”); cf. NAB, NRSV.

[10:1]  ⁴⁹ tn The word “death” has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[10:1]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “son.”

[10:1]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “a man of Issachar.”

[11:11]  ⁵² tn Heb “spoke all his words.” This probably refers to the “words” recorded in v. 9. Jephthah repeats the terms of the agreement at the Lord’s sanctuary, perhaps to ratify the contract or to emphasize the Gileadites’ obligation to keep their part of the bargain. Another option is to translate, “Jephthah conducted business before the Lord in Mizpah.” In this case, the statement is a general reference to the way Jephthah ruled. He recognized the Lord’s authority and made his decisions before the Lord.

[11:24]  ⁵³ tn Heb “Is it not so that what Chemosh your god causes you to possess, you possess, and all whom the Lord our God dispossesses before us we will possess?” Jephthah speaks of Chemosh as if he is on a par with the Lord God of Israel. This does not necessarily mean that Jephthah is polytheistic or that he recognizes the Lord as only a local deity. He may simply be assuming the Ammonite king’s perspective for the sake of argument. Other texts, as well as the extrabiblical Mesha inscription, associate Chemosh with Moab, while Milcom is identified as the god of the Ammonites. Why then does Jephthah refer to Chemosh as the Ammonite god? Ammon had likely conquered Moab and the Ammonite king probably regarded himself as heir of all territory formerly held by Moab. Originally Moab had owned the disputed territory (cf. Num 21:26-29), meaning that Chemosh was regarded as the god of the region (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 203-4). Jephthah argues that Chemosh had long ago relinquished claim to the area (by allowing Sihon to conquer it), while the Lord had long ago established jurisdiction over it (by taking it from Sihon and giving it to Israel). Both sides should abide by the decisions of the gods which had stood firm for three hundred years.

[16:14]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “are upon you.”

[16:14]  ⁵⁵ tc The MT of vv. 13b-14a reads simply, “He said to her, ‘If you weave the seven braids of my head with the web.’ And she fastened with the pin and said to him.” The additional words in the translation, “and secure it with the pin, I will become weak and be like any other man.’ 16:14 So she made him go to sleep, wove the seven braids of his hair into the fabric on the loom,” which without doubt represent the original text, are supplied from the ancient Greek version. (In both vv. 13b and 14a the Greek version has “to the wall” after “with the pin,” but this is an interpretive addition that reflects a misunderstanding of ancient weaving equipment. See G. F. Moore, Judges [ICC], 353-54.) The Hebrew textual tradition was accidentally shortened during the copying process. A scribe’s eye jumped from the first instance of “with the web” to the second, causing him to leave out inadvertently the intervening words.

[16:14]  ⁵⁶ tn The Hebrew adds, “from his sleep.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[16:19]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “on her knees.” The expression is probably euphemistic for sexual intercourse. See HALOT 160-61 s.v. בֶּרֶךְ.

[16:19]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “she called for a man and she shaved off.” The point seems to be that Delilah acted through the instrumentality of the man. See J. A. Soggin, Judges (OTL), 254.

[16:19]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “head.” By metonymy the hair of his head is meant.

[16:19]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “She began to humiliate him.” Rather than referring to some specific insulting action on Delilah’s part after Samson’s hair was shaved off, this statement probably means that she, through the devious actions just described, began the process of Samson’s humiliation which culminates in the following verses.

[17:8]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “He came to the Ephraimite hill country, to Micah’s house, making his way.”

[18:25]  ⁶² tn Heb “bitter in spirit.” This phrase is used in 2 Sam 17:8 of David and his warriors, who are compared to a bear robbed of her cubs.

[18:25]  ⁶³ tn Heb “and you will gather up your life and the life of your house.”

[19:6]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “And they sat and ate, the two of them together, and they drank.”

[19:6]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “Be willing and spend the night so that your heart might be good.”

[19:19]  ⁶⁶ tn By calling his concubine the old man’s “female servant,” the Levite emphasizes their dependence on him for shelter.

[19:19]  ⁶⁷ tc Some Hebrew mss and ancient witnesses read the singular, “your servant,” which would refer to the Levite. If one retains the plural, then both the Levite and his wife are in view. In either case the pronominal suffix emphasizes their dependence on the old man for shelter.

[20:36]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “gave place to.”