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 7:6

7:6 Three hundred men lapped; ²  the rest of the men ³  kneeled to drink water.

Hakim-hakim 20:4

20:4 The Levite, ⁴  the husband of the murdered woman, spoke up, “I and my concubine stopped in ⁵  Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin ⁶  to spend the night.

Hakim-hakim 20:33

20:33 ⁷  All the men of Israel got up from their places and took their positions at Baal Tamar, while the Israelites hiding in ambush jumped out of their places west of Gibeah.

Hakim-hakim 21:2

21:2 So the people came to Bethel ⁸  and sat there before God until evening, weeping loudly and uncontrollably. ⁹ 

[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).

[7:6]  ² tc The Hebrew text adds, “with their hands to their mouths,” This makes no sense in light of v. 5, which distinguishes between dog-like lappers (who would not use their hands to drink) and those who kneel (who would use their hands). It seems likely that the words “with their hands to their mouths” have been misplaced from v. 6. They fit better at the end of v. 5 or v. 6. Perhaps these words were originally a marginal scribal note which was later accidentally inserted into the text in the wrong place.

[7:6]  ³ tn Heb “the people.”

[20:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “The man, the Levite.”

[20:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “came to.”

[20:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “which belongs to Benjamin.”

[20:33]  ⁷ sn Verses 33-36a give a condensed account of the battle from this point on, while vv. 36b-48 offer a more detailed version of how the ambush contributed to Gibeah’s defeat.

[21:2]  ⁸ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[21:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “and they lifted up their voice[s] and wept with great weeping.” Both the cognate accusative בְּכִי (bekhi, “weeping”) and the attributive adjective גָדוֹל (gadol, “great”) emphasize their degree of sorrow.