Judges 14:20

14:20 Samson’s bride was then given to his best man. ¹ 

Judges 19:2

19:2 However, she ²  got angry at him ³  and went home ⁴  to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. When she had been there four months,

Judges 3:10

3:10 The Lord’s spirit empowered him ⁵  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. ⁶ 

Judges 11:29

A Foolish Vow Spells Death for a Daughter

11:29 The Lord’s spirit empowered ⁷  Jephthah. He passed through Gilead and Manasseh and went ⁸  to Mizpah in Gilead. From there he approached the Ammonites. ⁹ 

Judges 11:39

11:39 After two months she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. She died a virgin. ¹⁰  Her tragic death gave rise to a custom in Israel. ¹¹ 

¹ tn Heb “to his companion who had been his attendant.”

² tn Heb “and his concubine.” The pronoun (“she”) has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.

³ tn Or “was unfaithful to him.” Many have understood the Hebrew verb וַתִּזְנֶה (vattizneh) as being from זָנָה (zanah, “to be a prostitute”), but it may be derived from a root meaning “to be angry; to hate” attested in Akkadian (see HALOT 275 s.v. II זנה).

⁴ tn Heb “went from him.”

³ tn Heb “was on him.”

⁴ tn Heb “his hand was strong against Cushan-Rishathaim.”

⁴ tn Heb “was on.”

⁵ tn Heb “passed through.”

⁶ tn Heb “From Mizpah in Gilead he passed through [to] the Ammonites.”

⁵ tn Heb “She had never known a man.” Some understand this to mean that her father committed her to a life of celibacy, but the disjunctive clause (note the vav + subject + verb pattern) more likely describes her condition at the time the vow was fulfilled. (See G. F. Moore, Judges [ICC], 302-3; C. F. Burney, Judges, 324.) She died a virgin and never experienced the joys of marriage and motherhood.

⁶ tn Heb “There was a custom in Israel.”