3:27 When he reached Seirah, 1 he blew a trumpet 2 in the Ephraimite hill country. The Israelites went down with him from the hill country, with Ehud in the lead. 3
5:14 They came from Ephraim, who uprooted Amalek, 7
they follow 8 after you, Benjamin, with your soldiers.
From Makir leaders came down,
from Zebulun came 9 the ones who march carrying 10 an officer’s staff.
10:1 After Abimelech’s death, 11 Tola son of Puah, grandson 12 of Dodo, from the tribe of Issachar, 13 rose up to deliver Israel. He lived in Shamir in the Ephraimite hill country.
1 tn Heb “When he arrived.”
2 tn That is, “mustered an army.”
3 tn Heb “now he was before them.”
4 tn That is, “consider legal disputes.”
5 map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.
6 tn Heb “for judgment.”
7 tn Heb “From Ephraim their root in Amalek” (the words “they came” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons). Because of the difficulty of the MT, many prefer to follow one of the ancient versions or emend the text. For various proposals see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 252-53. The present translation repoints שָׁרְשָׁם (shorsham, traditionally translated “their root”) as a Piel verb form with enclitic mem (ם). The preposition ב (bet) on עֲמָלֵק (’amaleq) introduces the object (see Job 31:12 for an example of the construction). Ephraim’s territory encompassed the hill country of the Amalekites (Judg 12:15).
8 tn The words “They follow” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
9 tn The word “came” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
10 tn Or possibly “who carry.”
10 tn The word “death” has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
11 tn Heb “son.”
12 tn Heb “a man of Issachar.”
13 tn Heb “the house of Ephraim.”
14 tn Or “Israel experienced great distress.” Perhaps here the verb has the nuance “hemmed in.”
16 tn Heb “He came to the Ephraimite hill country, to Micah’s house, making his way.”