Judges 5:23

5:23 ‘Call judgment down on ¹  Meroz,’ says the Lord’s angelic ²  messenger;

‘Be sure ³  to call judgment down on ⁴  those who live there,

because they did not come to help in the Lord’s battle, ⁵ 

to help in the Lord’s battle against the warriors.’ ⁶ 

Judges 11:15

11:15 and said to him, “This is what Jephthah says, ‘Israel did not steal ⁷  the land of Moab and the land of the Ammonites.

Judges 15:2

15:2 Her father said, “I really thought ⁸  you absolutely despised ⁹  her, so I gave her to your best man. Her younger sister is more attractive than she is. Take her instead!” ¹⁰ 

¹ tn Heb “Curse Meroz.”

² tn The adjective “angelic” is interpretive.

³ tn Heb “Curse, cursing.” The Hebrew construction is emphatic.

⁴ tn Heb “[to] curse.”

⁵ tn Heb “to the help of the Lord” (the same Hebrew phrase occurs in the following line). Another option is to read “to aid the Lord’s cause.”

⁶ tn Or “along with the other warriors.”

⁷ tn Or “take”; or “seize.”

¹³ tn Heb “saying, I said.” The first person form of אָמַר (’amar, “to say”) sometimes indicates self-reflection. The girl’s father uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis.

¹⁴ tn Heb “hating, you hated.” Once again the girl’s father uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis.

¹⁵ tn Heb “Is her younger sister not better than her? Let her [i.e., the younger sister] be yours instead of her [i.e., Samson’s ‘bride’]).”