Hakim-hakim 9:23
Konteks9:23 God sent a spirit to stir up hostility 1 between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. He made the leaders of Shechem disloyal 2 to Abimelech.
Hakim-hakim 20:23
Konteks20:23 The Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until evening. They asked the Lord, “Should we 3 again march out to fight 4 the Benjaminites, our brothers?” 5 The Lord said, “Attack them!” 6
[9:23] 1 tn Heb “an evil spirit.” A nonphysical, spirit being is in view, like the one who volunteered to deceive Ahab (1 Kgs 22:21). The traditional translation, “evil spirit,” implies the being is inherently wicked, perhaps even demonic, but this is not necessarily the case. The Hebrew adjective רָעַה (ra’ah) can have a nonethical sense, “harmful; dangerous; calamitous.” When modifying רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) it may simply indicate that the being in view causes harm to the object of God’s judgment. G. F. Moore (Judges [ICC], 253) here refers to a “mischief-making spirit.”
[9:23] 2 tn Heb “The leaders of Shechem were disloyal.” The words “he made” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[20:23] 3 tn Heb “I” (collective singular).
[20:23] 4 tn Heb “approach for battle.”