Judges 2:19

2:19 When a leader died, the next generation ¹  would again ²  act more wickedly than the previous one. ³  They would follow after other gods, worshiping them ⁴  and bowing down to them. They did not give up ⁵  their practices or their stubborn ways.

Judges 2:22

2:22 Joshua left those nations ⁶  to test ⁷  Israel. I wanted to see ⁸  whether or not the people ⁹  would carefully walk in the path ¹⁰  marked out by ¹¹  the Lord, as their ancestors ¹²  were careful to do.”

Judges 19:5

19:5 On the fourth day they woke up early and the Levite got ready to leave. ¹³  But the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Have a bite to eat for some energy, ¹⁴  then you can go.”

Judges 19:8

19:8 He woke up early in the morning on the fifth day so he could leave, but the girl’s father said, “Get some energy. ¹⁵  Wait until later in the day to leave!” ¹⁶  So they ate a meal together.

Judges 19:27

19:27 When her master ¹⁷  got up in the morning, opened the doors of the house, and went outside to start on his journey, there was the woman, his concubine, sprawled out on the doorstep of the house with her hands on the threshold.

¹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the next generation) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tn The verb שׁוּב (shuv, “to return; to turn”) is sometimes translated “turn back” here, but it is probably used in an adverbial sense, indicating that the main action (“act wickedly”) is being repeated.

³ tn Heb “their fathers.”

⁴ tn Or “serving [them]”; or “following [them].”

⁵ tn Or “drop.”

⁶ tn The words “Joshua left those nations” are interpretive. The Hebrew text of v. 22 simply begins with “to test.” Some subordinate this phrase to “I will no longer remove” (v. 21). In this case the Lord announces that he has now decided to leave these nations as a test for Israel. Another possibility is to subordinate “to test” to “He said” (v. 20; see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 111). In this case the statement recorded in vv. 20b-21 is the test in that it forces Israel to respond either positively (through repentance) or negatively to the Lord’s declaration. A third possibility (the one reflected in the present translation) is to subordinate “to test” to “left unconquered” (v. 21). In this case the Lord recalls that Joshua left these nations as a test. Israel has failed the test (v. 20), so the Lord announces that the punishment threatened earlier (Josh 23:12-13; see also Judg 2:3) will now be implemented. As B. G. Webb (Judges [JSOTSup], 115) observes, “The nations which were originally left as a test are now left as a punishment.” This view best harmonizes v. 23, which explains that the Lord did not give all the nations to Joshua, with v. 22. (For a grammatical parallel, where the infinitive construct of נָסָה [nasah] is subordinated to the perfect of עָזַב [’azav], see 2 Chr 32:31.)

⁷ tn The Hebrew text includes the phrase “by them,” but this is somewhat redundant in English and has been omitted from the translation for stylistic reasons.

⁸ tn The words “I [i.e., the Lord] wanted to see” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

⁹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁰ tn Or “way [of life].”

¹¹ tn “The words “marked out by” are interpretive.

¹² tn Or “fathers.”

¹¹ tn Heb “and he arose to go.”

¹² tn Heb “Sustain your heart [with] a bit of food.”

¹⁶ tn Heb “Sustain your heart.” He is once more inviting him to stay for a meal.

¹⁷ tn Heb “Wait until the declining of the day.”

²¹ tn The Hebrew term here translated “master,” is plural. The plural indicates degree here and emphasizes the Levite’s absolute sovereignty over the woman.