Judges 1:16

1:16 Now the descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the City of Date Palm Trees to Arad in the desert of Judah, ¹  located in the Negev. ²  They went and lived with the people of Judah. ³ 

Judges 9:7

Jotham’s Parable

9:7 When Jotham heard the news, ⁴  he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim. He spoke loudly to the people below, ⁵  “Listen to me, leaders of Shechem, so that God may listen to you!

Judges 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 ⁶  before the Lord in Mizpah.

Judges 11:18

11:18 Then Israel ⁷  went through the desert and bypassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab. They traveled east of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon River; ⁸  they did not go through Moabite territory (the Arnon was Moab’s border).

Judges 15:4

15:4 Samson went and captured three hundred jackals ⁹  and got some torches. He tied the jackals in pairs by their tails and then tied a torch to each pair. ¹⁰ 

Judges 17:10

17:10 Micah said to him, “Stay with me. Become my adviser ¹¹  and priest. I will give you ten pieces of silver per year, plus clothes and food.” ¹² 

Judges 19:3

19:3 her husband came ¹³  after her, hoping he could convince her to return. ¹⁴  He brought with him his servant ¹⁵  and a pair of donkeys. When she brought him into her father’s house and the girl’s father saw him, he greeted him warmly. ¹⁶ 

¹ tc Part of the Greek ms tradition lacks the words “of Judah.”

² tn Heb “[to] the Desert of Judah in the Negev, Arad.”

³ tn The phrase “of Judah” is supplied here in the translation. Some ancient textual witnesses read, “They went and lived with the Amalekites.” This reading, however, is probably influenced by 1 Sam 15:6 (see also Num 24:20-21).

⁴ tn Heb “And they reported to Jotham.” The subject of the plural verb is indefinite.

⁵ tn Heb “He lifted his voice and called and said to them.”

⁷ 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.

¹⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Israel; the pronoun in the Hebrew text represents a collective singular) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹¹ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

¹³ tn Traditionally, “foxes.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “He turned tail to tail and placed one torch between the two tails in the middle.”

¹⁶ tn Heb “father.” “Father” is here a title of honor that suggests the priest will give advice and protect the interests of the family, primarily by divining God’s will in matters, perhaps through the use of the ephod. (See R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 257; also Gen 45:8, where Joseph, who was a diviner and interpreter of dreams, is called Pharaoh’s “father,” and 2 Kgs 6:21; 13:14, where a prophet is referred to as a “father.” Note also 2 Kgs 8:9, where a king identifies himself as a prophet’s “son.” One of a prophet’s main functions was to communicate divine oracles. Cf. 2 Kgs 8:9ff.; 13:14-19).

¹⁷ tn The Hebrew text expands with the phrase: “and the Levite went.” This only makes sense if taken with “to live” in the next verse. Apparently “the Levite went” and “the Levite agreed” are alternative readings which have been juxtaposed in the text.

¹⁹ tn Heb “arose and came.”

²⁰ tn Heb “to speak to her heart to bring her back.”

²¹ tn Or “young man.”

²² tn Heb “he was happy to meet him.”