Hakim-hakim 3:2

3:2 He left those nations simply because he wanted to teach the subsequent generations of Israelites, who had not experienced the earlier battles, how to conduct holy war. ¹ 

Hakim-hakim 10:12

10:12 the Sidonians, Amalek, and Midian ²  when they oppressed you? ³  You cried out for help to me, and I delivered you from their power. ⁴ 

Hakim-hakim 13:21

13:21 The Lord’s messenger did not appear again to Manoah and his wife. After all this happened Manoah realized that the visitor had been the Lord’s messenger. ⁵ 

Hakim-hakim 21:11

21:11 Do this: ⁶  exterminate every male, as well as every woman who has had sexual relations with a male. ⁷  But spare the lives of any virgins.” So they did as instructed. ⁸ 

[3:2]  ¹ tn The Hebrew syntax of v. 2 is difficult. The Hebrew text reads literally, “only in order that the generations of the Israelites might know, to teach them war – only those who formerly did not know them.”

[3:2]  sn The stated purpose for leaving the nations (to teach the subsequent generations…how to conduct holy war) seems to contradict 2:22 and 3:4, which indicate the nations were left to test Israel’s loyalty to the Lord. However, the two stated purposes can be harmonized. The willingness of later generations to learn and engage in holy war would measure their allegiance to the Lord (see B. G. Webb, Judges [JSOTSup], 114-15).

[10:12]  ² tc The translation follows the LXX which reads “Midian”; the Hebrew text has “Maon.”

[10:12]  ³ tn The words “Did I not deliver you” are interpretive. The Hebrew text simply reads, “Is it not from Egypt…when they oppressed you?” Perhaps the incomplete sentence reflects the Lord’s frustration.

[10:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “hand.”

[13:21]  ⁵ tn Heb “Then Manoah knew that he was the Lord’s messenger.”

[21:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “And this is the thing that you will do.”

[21:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “every woman who is familiar with the bed of a male.”

[21:11]  ⁸ tc Some Greek witnesses (notably Codex Vaticanus [B]) add the words, “‘But the virgins you should keep alive.’ And they did so.” These additional words, which probably represent the original Hebrew text, can be retroverted: וְאֶת־הַבְּתוּלוֹת תְּחַיּוּ וַיַּעֲשׂוּ כֵן (ve’et-habbÿtulot tÿkhayyu vayya’asu khen). It is likely that a scribe’s eye jumped from the vav (ו) on וְאֶת (vÿ’et) to the initial vav of v. 11, accidentally leaving out the intervening letters. The present translation is based on this reconstruction.