Hakim-hakim 2:3

2:3 At that time I also warned you, ¹  ‘If you disobey, ²  I will not drive out the Canaanites ³  before you. They will ensnare you ⁴  and their gods will lure you away.’” ⁵ 

Hakim-hakim 3:10

3:10 The Lord’s spirit empowered him ⁶  and he led Israel. When he went to do battle, the Lord handed over to him King Cushan-Rishathaim of Aram and he overpowered him. ⁷ 

Hakim-hakim 3:12

Deceit, Assassination, and Deliverance

3:12 The Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight. ⁸  The Lord gave King Eglon of Moab control over Israel ⁹  because they had done evil in the Lord’s sight.

Hakim-hakim 6:33

Gideon Summons an Army and Seeks Confirmation

6:33 All the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east ¹⁰  assembled. They crossed the Jordan River ¹¹  and camped in the Jezreel Valley.

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 ¹²  when you went to fight the Midianites!” They argued vehemently with him.

Hakim-hakim 9:29

9:29 If only these men ¹³  were under my command, ¹⁴  I would get rid of Abimelech!” He challenged Abimelech, ¹⁵  “Muster ¹⁶  your army and come out for battle!” ¹⁷ 

Hakim-hakim 9:45

9:45 Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed all the people in it. Then he leveled ¹⁸  the city and spread salt over it. ¹⁹ 

Hakim-hakim 11:9

11:9 Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, “All right! ²⁰  If you take me back to fight with the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me, ²¹  I will be your leader.” ²² 

Hakim-hakim 11:20

11:20 But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. He ²³  assembled his whole army, ²⁴  camped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel.

Hakim-hakim 11:25

11:25 Are you really better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he dare to quarrel with Israel? Did he dare to fight with them? ²⁵ 

Hakim-hakim 11:27

11:27 I have not done you wrong, ²⁶  but you are doing wrong ²⁷  by attacking me. May the Lord, the Judge, judge this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites!’”

Hakim-hakim 20:5

20:5 The leaders of Gibeah attacked me and at night surrounded the house where I was staying. ²⁸  They wanted to kill me; instead they abused my concubine so badly that she died.

Hakim-hakim 20:22

20:22 The Israelite army ²⁹  took heart ³⁰  and once more arranged their battle lines, in the same place where they had taken their positions the day before.

Hakim-hakim 20:27-28

20:27 The Israelites asked the Lord (for the ark of God’s covenant was there in those days; 20:28 Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was serving the Lord ³¹  in those days), “Should we ³²  once more march out to fight the Benjaminites our brothers, ³³  or should we ³⁴  quit?” The Lord said, “Attack, for tomorrow I will hand them ³⁵  over to you.”

[2:3]  ¹ 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]  ² tn The words “If you disobey” are supplied in the translation for clarity. See Josh 23:12-13.

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

[2:3]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn Heb “their gods will become a snare to you.”

[3:10]  ⁶ tn Heb “was on him.”

[3:10]  ⁷ tn Heb “his hand was strong against Cushan-Rishathaim.”

[3:12]  ⁸ tn Heb “in the eyes of the Lord” (also later in this verse).

[3:12]  ⁹ tn Heb “strengthened Eglon…against Israel.”

[6:33]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east.”

[6:33]  ¹¹ tn The words “the Jordan River” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[8:1]  ¹² tn Heb “by not summoning us.”

[9:29]  ¹³ tn Heb “people.”

[9:29]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “in my hand.”

[9:29]  sn If only these men were under my command. One might assume from v. 26b that the men were already at his disposal, but perhaps that was not one of the terms of the agreement. Another possibility is that v. 26 is a general summary statement, with vv. 27-29 then detailing how the alliance with Gaal came about.

[9:29]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “said to Abimelech.” On the other hand, the preposition ל (lamed) prefixed to the proper name may be vocative (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 178). If so, one could translate, “He boasted, ‘Abimelech…’”

[9:29]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “Make numerous.”

[9:29]  ¹⁷ tn The words “for battle” are interpretive.

[9:45]  ¹⁸ tn Or “destroyed.”

[9:45]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “sowed it with salt.”

[9:45]  sn The spreading of salt over the city was probably a symbolic act designed to place the site under a curse, deprive it of fertility, and prevent any future habitation. The practice is referred to outside the Bible as well. For example, one of the curses in the Aramaic Sefire treaty states concerning Arpad: “May Hadad sow in them salt and weeds, and may it not be mentioned again!” See J. A. Fitzmyer, The Aramaic Inscriptions of Sefire (BibOr), 15, 53. Deut 29:23, Jer 17:6, and Zeph 2:9 associate salt flats or salty regions with infertility and divine judgment.

[11:9]  ²⁰ tn “All right” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[11:9]  ²¹ tn Heb “places them before me.”

[11:9]  ²² tn Some translate the final statement as a question, “will I really be your leader?” An affirmative sentence is preferable. Jephthah is repeating the terms of the agreement in an official manner. In v. 10 the leaders legally agree to these terms.

[11:20]  ²³ tn Heb “Sihon.” The proper name (“Sihon”) has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) because of English style; a repetition of the proper name here would be redundant in English.

[11:20]  ²⁴ tn Heb “all his people” (also in the following verse).

[11:25]  ²⁵ tn The Hebrew grammatical constructions of all three rhetorical questions indicate emphasis, which “really” and “dare to” are intended to express in the translation.

[11:25]  sn Jephthah argues that the Ammonite king should follow the example of Balak, who, once thwarted in his attempt to bring a curse on Israel, refused to attack Israel and returned home (Num 22-24).

[11:27]  ²⁶ tn Or “sinned against you.”

[11:27]  ²⁷ tn Or “evil.”

[20:5]  ²⁸ tn Heb “arose against me and surrounded against me the house at night.”

[20:22]  ²⁹ tn Heb “The people, the men of Israel.”

[20:22]  ³⁰ tn Or “encouraged one another.”

[20:28]  ³¹ tn Heb “standing before him.”

[20:28]  ³² tn Heb “I” (collective singular).

[20:28]  ³³ tn Heb “my brother” (collective singular).

[20:28]  ³⁴ tn Heb “I” (collective singular).

[20:28]  ³⁵ tn Heb “him” (collective singular).