Judges 3:19-20

3:19 But he went back ¹  once he reached ²  the carved images ³  at Gilgal. He said to Eglon, ⁴  “I have a secret message for you, O king.” Eglon ⁵  said, “Be quiet!” ⁶  All his attendants left. 3:20 When Ehud approached him, he was sitting in his well-ventilated ⁷  upper room all by himself. Ehud said, “I have a message from God ⁸  for you.” When Eglon rose up from his seat, ⁹ 

Judges 9:33

9:33 In the morning at sunrise quickly attack the city. When he and his men come out to fight you, do what you can to him.” ¹⁰ 

Judges 11:8

11:8 The leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That may be true, ¹¹  but now we pledge to you our loyalty. ¹²  Come with us and fight with the Ammonites. Then you will become the leader ¹³  of all who live in Gilead.” ¹⁴ 

¹ tn Or “returned” (i.e., to Eglon’s palace).

² tn The words “when he reached” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text simply reads “from.”

³ tn Or “idols.”

⁴ tn The words “to Eglon” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eglon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁶ tn Or “Hush!”

⁷ tn Or “cool.” This probably refers to a room with latticed windows which allowed the breeze to pass through. See B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 144.

⁸ tn Heb “word of [i.e., from] God.”

⁹ tn Or “throne.”

¹³ tn Heb “Look! He and the people who are with him will come out to you, and you will do to him what your hand finds [to do].”

¹⁹ tn Heb “therefore”; “even so.” For MT לָכֵן (lakhen, “therefore”) the LXX has an opposite reading, “not so,” which seems to be based on the Hebrew words לֹא כֵן (lo’ khen).

²⁰ tn Heb “we have returned to you.” For another example of שׁוּב אֶל (shuv ’el) in the sense of “give allegiance to,” see 1 Kgs 12:27b.

²¹ sn Then you will become the leader. The leaders of Gilead now use the word רֹאשׁ (ro’sh, “head, leader”), the same term that appeared in their original, general offer (see 10:18). In their initial offer to Jephthah they had simply invited him to be their קָצִין (qatsin, “commander”; v. 6). When he resists they must offer him a more attractive reward – rulership over the region. See R. G. Boling, Judges (AB), 198.

²² tn Heb “leader of us and all who live in Gilead.”