Judges 9:28-29

9:28 Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerub-Baal, and is not Zebul the deputy he appointed? ¹  Serve the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem! But why should we serve Abimelech? ²  9:29 If only these men ³  were under my command, ⁴  I would get rid of Abimelech!” He challenged Abimelech, ⁵  “Muster ⁶  your army and come out for battle!” ⁷ 

Judges 9:2

9:2 “Tell ⁸  all the leaders of Shechem this: ‘Why would you want ⁹  to have seventy men, all Jerub-Baal’s sons, ruling over you, when you can have just one ruler? Recall that I am your own flesh and blood.’” ¹⁰ 

Judges 2:1

Confrontation and Repentance at Bokim

2:1 The Lord’s angelic messenger ¹¹  went up from Gilgal to Bokim. He said, “I brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land I had solemnly promised to give to your ancestors. ¹²  I said, ‘I will never break my agreement ¹³  with you,

Judges 2:1-2

Confrontation and Repentance at Bokim

2:1 The Lord’s angelic messenger ¹⁴  went up from Gilgal to Bokim. He said, “I brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land I had solemnly promised to give to your ancestors. ¹⁵  I said, ‘I will never break my agreement ¹⁶  with you, 2:2 but you must not make an agreement with the people who live in this land. You should tear down the altars where they worship.’ ¹⁷  But you have disobeyed me. ¹⁸  Why would you do such a thing? ¹⁹ 

Judges 14:8-14

14:8 Some time later, when he went back to marry ²⁰  her, he turned aside to see the lion’s remains. He saw ²¹  a swarm of bees in the lion’s carcass, as well as some honey. 14:9 He scooped it up with his hands and ate it as he walked along. When he returned ²²  to his father and mother, he offered them some and they ate it. But he did not tell them he had scooped the honey out of the lion’s carcass. ²³ 

14:10 Then Samson’s father accompanied him to Timnah for the marriage. ²⁴  Samson hosted a party ²⁵  there, for this was customary for bridegrooms ²⁶  to do. 14:11 When the Philistines saw he had no attendants, they gave him thirty groomsmen who kept him company. ²⁷  14:12 Samson said to them, “I will give you a riddle. If you really can solve it during the seven days the party lasts, ²⁸  I will give you thirty linen robes and thirty sets ²⁹  of clothes. 14:13 But if you cannot solve it, ³⁰  you will give me thirty linen robes and thirty sets of clothes.” They said to him, “Let us hear your riddle.” ³¹  14:14 He said to them,

“Out of the one who eats came something to eat;

out of the strong one came something sweet.”

They could not solve the riddle for three days.

Jeremiah 2:28

2:28 But where are the gods you made for yourselves?

Let them save you when you are in trouble.

The sad fact is that ³²  you have as many gods

as you have towns, Judah.

¹ tn Heb “and Zebul his appointee.”

² tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abimelech) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³ tn Heb “people.”

⁴ tn Heb “in my hand.”

⁵ tn Heb “said to Abimelech.” On the other hand, the preposition ל (lamed) prefixed to the proper name may be vocative (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 178). If so, one could translate, “He boasted, ‘Abimelech…’”

⁶ tn Heb “Make numerous.”

⁷ tn The words “for battle” are interpretive.

⁵ tn Heb “Speak into the ears of.”

⁶ tn Heb “What good is it to you?”

⁷ tn Heb “your bone and your flesh.”

⁷ sn See Exod 14:19; 23:20.

⁸ tn Heb “the land that I had sworn to your fathers.”

⁹ tn Or “covenant” (also in the following verse).

⁹ sn See Exod 14:19; 23:20.

¹⁰ tn Heb “the land that I had sworn to your fathers.”

¹¹ tn Or “covenant” (also in the following verse).

¹¹ tn Heb “their altars.”

¹² tn Heb “you have not listened to my voice.”

¹³ tn Heb “What is this you have done?”

¹³ tn Heb “get.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “and look, a swarm of bees…”

¹⁵ tn Heb “went.” Samson apparently went home to his parents before going to Timnah for the marriage. Seeing and tasting the honey appears to encourage Manoah to go with his son to Timnah. Perhaps both Samson and his father viewed the honey as a good omen of future blessing. Possibly Samson considered it a symbol of sexual pleasure or an aphrodisiac. Note the use of honey imagery in Song 4:11 and 5:1.

¹⁶ sn Touching the carcass of a dead animal undoubtedly violated Samson’s Nazirite status. See Num 6:6.

¹⁷ tn Heb “And his father went down to the woman.”

¹⁸ tn Or “[wedding] feast.”

¹⁹ tn Heb “the young men.”

¹⁹ tn Heb “When they saw him, they gave him thirty companions and they were with him.” Instead of כִּרְאוֹתָם (kir’otam, “when they saw”) some ancient witnesses (e.g., some mss of the LXX) assume the reading בְּיִרְאָתָם (bÿyir’atam, “because they feared”).

²¹ tn Heb “If you really can tell it to me [during] the seven days of the feast and you find [its answer].”

²² tn Heb “changes.”

²³ tn Heb “you are unable to tell me.”

²⁴ tn Heb “Give your riddle so we can hear it.”

²⁵ tn This is an attempt to render the Hebrew particle כִּי (ki, “for, indeed”) contextually.