1 tn Heb “the young man became like one of his sons.”
2 tn Heb “filled the hand of.”
3 tn Heb “turned aside.”
4 tn Heb “Micah’s house.”
5 tn Heb “they asked him concerning peace.”
4 tn Heb “do good for me.”
5 tn Heb “The man, the Levite.”
6 tn Heb “came to.”
7 tn Heb “which belongs to Benjamin.”
6 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).
7 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.
7 tn Or “When they were near.”
8 tn Heb “voice.” This probably means that “his speech was Judahite [i.e., southern] like their own, not Israelite [i.e., northern]” (R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 263).
9 tn Heb “turned aside.”
10 tn Heb “What [is there] to you here?”