5:1 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this victory song: 1
5:2 “When the leaders took the lead 2 in Israel,
When the people answered the call to war –
Praise the Lord!
5:3 Hear, O kings!
Pay attention, O rulers!
I will sing to the Lord! 3
I will sing 4 to the Lord God of Israel!
5:4 O Lord, when you departed 5 from Seir,
when you marched from Edom’s plains,
the earth shook, the heavens poured down,
the clouds poured down rain. 6
5:5 The mountains trembled 7 before the Lord, the God of Sinai; 8
before the Lord God of Israel.
5:6 In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
in the days of Jael caravans 9 disappeared; 10
travelers 11 had to go on winding side roads.
5:7 Warriors 12 were scarce, 13
they were scarce in Israel,
until you 14 arose, Deborah,
until you arose as a motherly protector 15 in Israel.
5:8 God chose new leaders, 16
then fighters appeared in the city gates; 17
but, I swear, not a shield or spear could be found, 18
among forty military units 19 in Israel.
5:9 My heart went out 20 to Israel’s leaders,
to the people who answered the call to war.
Praise the Lord!
5:10 You who ride on light-colored female donkeys,
who sit on saddle blankets, 21
you who walk on the road, pay attention!
5:11 Hear 22 the sound of those who divide the sheep 23 among the watering places;
there they tell of 24 the Lord’s victorious deeds,
the victorious deeds of his warriors 25 in Israel.
Then the Lord’s people went down to the city gates –
5:12 Wake up, wake up, Deborah!
Wake up, wake up, sing a song!
Get up, Barak!
Capture your prisoners of war, 26 son of Abinoam!
5:13 Then the survivors 27 came down 28 to the mighty ones; 29
the Lord’s people came down to me 30 as 31 warriors.
5:14 They came from Ephraim, who uprooted Amalek, 32
they follow 33 after you, Benjamin, with your soldiers.
From Makir leaders came down,
from Zebulun came 34 the ones who march carrying 35 an officer’s staff.
5:15 Issachar’s leaders were with Deborah,
the men of Issachar 36 supported 37 Barak;
into the valley they were sent under Barak’s command. 38
Among the clans of Reuben there was intense 39 heart searching. 40
5:16 Why do you remain among the sheepfolds, 41
listening to the shepherds playing their pipes 42 for their flocks? 43
As for the clans of Reuben – there was intense searching of heart.
5:17 Gilead stayed put 44 beyond the Jordan River.
As for Dan – why did he seek temporary employment in the shipyards? 45
Asher remained 46 on the seacoast,
he stayed 47 by his harbors. 48
5:18 The men of Zebulun were not concerned about their lives; 49
Naphtali charged on to the battlefields. 50
5:19 Kings came, they fought;
the kings of Canaan fought,
at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, 51
but 52 they took no silver as plunder.
5:20 From the sky 53 the stars 54 fought,
from their paths in the heavens 55 they fought against Sisera.
5:21 The Kishon River carried them off;
the river confronted them 56 – the Kishon River.
Step on the necks of the strong! 57
5:22 The horses’ 58 hooves pounded the ground; 59
the stallions galloped madly. 60
5:23 ‘Call judgment down on 61 Meroz,’ says the Lord’s angelic 62 messenger;
‘Be sure 63 to call judgment down on 64 those who live there,
because they did not come to help in the Lord’s battle, 65
to help in the Lord’s battle against the warriors.’ 66
5:24 The most rewarded 67 of women should be Jael,
the wife of Heber the Kenite!
She should be the most rewarded of women who live in tents.
5:25 He asked for water,
and she gave him milk;
in a bowl fit for a king, 68
she served him curds.
5:26 Her left 69 hand reached for the tent peg,
her right hand for the workmen’s hammer.
She “hammered” 70 Sisera,
she shattered his skull, 71
she smashed his head, 72
she drove the tent peg through his temple. 73
5:27 Between her feet he collapsed,
he fell limp 74 and was lifeless; 75
between her feet he collapsed and fell limp,
in the spot where he collapsed,
there he fell limp – violently murdered! 76
5:28 Through the window she looked;
Sisera’s mother cried out through the lattice:
‘Why is his chariot so slow to return?
Why are the hoofbeats of his chariot-horses 77 delayed?’
5:29 The wisest of her ladies 78 answer;
indeed she even thinks to herself,
5:30 ‘No doubt they are gathering and dividing the plunder 79 –
a girl or two for each man to rape! 80
Sisera is grabbing up colorful cloth, 81
he is grabbing up colorful embroidered cloth, 82
two pieces of colorful embroidered cloth,
for the neck of the plunderer!’ 83
5:31 May all your enemies perish like this, O Lord!
But may those who love you shine
like the rising sun at its brightest!” 84
And the land had rest for forty years.
6:1 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight, 85 so the Lord turned them over to 86 Midian for seven years. 6:2 The Midianites 87 overwhelmed Israel. 88 Because of Midian the Israelites made shelters 89 for themselves in the hills, as well as caves and strongholds. 6:3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, 90 the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east would attack them. 91 6:4 They invaded the land 92 and devoured 93 its crops 94 all the way to Gaza. They left nothing for the Israelites to eat, 95 and they took away 96 the sheep, oxen, and donkeys. 6:5 When they invaded 97 with their cattle and tents, they were as thick 98 as locusts. Neither they nor their camels could be counted. 99 They came to devour 100 the land. 6:6 Israel was so severely weakened by Midian that the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.
6:7 When the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help because of Midian, 6:8 he 101 sent a prophet 102 to the Israelites. He said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I brought you up from Egypt 103 and took you out of that place of slavery. 104 6:9 I rescued you from Egypt’s power 105 and from the power of all who oppressed you. I drove them out before you and gave their land to you. 6:10 I said to you, “I am the Lord your God! Do not worship 106 the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are now living!” But you have disobeyed me.’” 107
6:11 The Lord’s angelic messenger 108 came and sat down under the oak tree in Ophrah owned by Joash the Abiezrite. He arrived while Joash’s son Gideon 109 was threshing 110 wheat in a winepress 111 so he could hide it from the Midianites. 112 6:12 The Lord’s messenger appeared and said to him, “The Lord is with you, courageous warrior!” 6:13 Gideon said to him, “Pardon me, 113 but if the Lord is with us, why has such disaster 114 overtaken us? Where are all his miraculous deeds our ancestors told us about? They said, 115 ‘Did the Lord not bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.” 6:14 Then the Lord himself 116 turned to him and said, “You have the strength. 117 Deliver Israel from the power of the Midianites! 118 Have I not sent you?” 6:15 Gideon 119 said to him, “But Lord, 120 how 121 can I deliver Israel? Just look! My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my family.” 122 6:16 The Lord said to him, “Ah, but 123 I will be with you! You will strike down the whole Midianite army.” 124 6:17 Gideon 125 said to him, “If you really are pleased with me, 126 then give me 127 a sign as proof that it is really you speaking with me. 6:18 Do not leave this place until I come back 128 with a gift 129 and present it to you.” The Lord said, “I will stay here until you come back.”
6:19 Gideon went and prepared a young goat, 130 along with unleavened bread made from an ephah of flour. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot. He brought the food 131 to him under the oak tree and presented it to him. 6:20 God’s messenger said to him, “Put the meat and unleavened bread on this rock, 132 and pour out the broth.” Gideon did as instructed. 133 6:21 The Lord’s messenger touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of his staff. 134 Fire flared up from the rock and consumed the meat and unleavened bread. The Lord’s messenger then disappeared. 135
6:22 When Gideon realized 136 that it was the Lord’s messenger, he 137 said, “Oh no! 138 Master, Lord! 139 I have seen the Lord’s messenger face to face!” 6:23 The Lord said to him, “You are safe! 140 Do not be afraid! You are not going to die!” 6:24 Gideon built an altar for the Lord there, and named it “The Lord is on friendly terms with me.” 141 To this day it is still there in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
6:25 That night the Lord said to him, “Take the bull from your father’s herd, as well as a second bull, one that is seven years old. 142 Pull down your father’s Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole. 6:26 Then build an altar for the Lord your God on the top of this stronghold according to the proper pattern. 143 Take the second bull and offer it as a burnt sacrifice on the wood from the Asherah pole that you cut down.” 6:27 So Gideon took ten of his servants 144 and did just as the Lord had told him. He was too afraid of his father’s family 145 and the men of the city to do it in broad daylight, so he waited until nighttime. 146
6:28 When the men of the city got up the next morning, they saw 147 the Baal altar pulled down, the nearby Asherah pole cut down, and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar. 6:29 They said to one another, 148 “Who did this?” 149 They investigated the matter thoroughly 150 and concluded 151 that Gideon son of Joash had done it. 6:30 The men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, so we can execute him! 152 He pulled down the Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole.” 6:31 But Joash said to all those who confronted him, 153 “Must you fight Baal’s battles? 154 Must you rescue him? Whoever takes up his cause 155 will die by morning! 156 If he really is a god, let him fight his own battles! 157 After all, it was his altar that was pulled down.” 158 6:32 That very day Gideon’s father named him Jerub-Baal, 159 because he had said, “Let Baal fight with him, for it was his altar that was pulled down.”
6:33 All the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east 160 assembled. They crossed the Jordan River 161 and camped in the Jezreel Valley. 6:34 The Lord’s spirit took control of 162 Gideon. He blew a trumpet, 163 summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. 164 6:35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh and summoned them to follow him as well. 165 He also sent messengers throughout Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet him.
6:36 Gideon said to God, “If you really intend to use me to deliver Israel, 166 as you promised, then give me a sign as proof. 167 6:37 Look, I am putting a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece, and the ground around it 168 is dry, then I will be sure 169 that you will use me to deliver Israel, 170 as you promised.” 6:38 The Lord did as he asked. 171 When he got up the next morning, he squeezed the fleece, and enough dew dripped from it to fill a bowl. 172 6:39 Gideon said to God, “Please do not get angry at me, when I ask for just one more sign. 173 Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make only the fleece dry, while the ground around it is covered with dew.” 174 6:40 That night God did as he asked. 175 Only the fleece was dry and the ground around it was covered with dew.
7:1 Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and his men 176 got up the next morning and camped near the spring of Harod. 177 The Midianites 178 were camped north of them near the hill of Moreh in the valley. 7:2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to hand Midian over to you. 179 Israel might brag, 180 ‘Our own strength has delivered us.’ 181 7:3 Now, announce to the men, 182 ‘Whoever is shaking with fear 183 may turn around and leave Mount Gilead.’” 184 Twenty-two thousand men 185 went home; 186 ten thousand remained. 7:4 The Lord spoke to Gideon again, “There are still too many men. 187 Bring them down to the water and I will thin the ranks some more. 188 When I say, ‘This one should go with you,’ pick him to go; 189 when I say, 190 ‘This one should not go with you,’ do not take him.” 191 7:5 So he brought the men 192 down to the water. Then the Lord said to Gideon, “Separate those who lap the water as a dog laps from those who kneel to drink.” 193 7:6 Three hundred men lapped; 194 the rest of the men 195 kneeled to drink water. 7:7 The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped I will deliver the whole army 196 and I will hand Midian over to you. 197 The rest of the men should go home.” 198 7:8 The men 199 who were chosen 200 took supplies 201 and their trumpets. Gideon 202 sent all the men of Israel back to their homes; 203 he kept only three hundred men. Now the Midianites 204 were camped down below 205 in the valley.
7:9 That night the Lord said to Gideon, 206 “Get up! Attack 207 the camp, for I am handing it over to you. 208 7:10 But if you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with Purah your servant 7:11 and listen to what they are saying. Then you will be brave 209 and attack the camp.” So he went down with Purah his servant to where the sentries were guarding the camp. 210 7:12 Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east covered the valley like a swarm of locusts. 211 Their camels could not be counted; they were as innumerable as the sand on the seashore. 7:13 When Gideon arrived, he heard a man telling another man about a dream he had. 212 The man 213 said, “Look! I had a dream. I saw 214 a stale cake of barley bread rolling into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent so hard it knocked it over and turned it upside down. The tent just collapsed.” 215 7:14 The other man said, 216 “Without a doubt this symbolizes 217 the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God is handing Midian and all the army over to him.”
7:15 When Gideon heard the report of the dream and its interpretation, he praised God. 218 Then he went back to the Israelite camp and said, “Get up, for the Lord is handing the Midianite army over to you!” 7:16 He divided the three hundred men into three units. 219 He gave them all trumpets and empty jars with torches inside them. 220 7:17 He said to them, “Watch me and do as I do. Watch closely! 221 I am going to the edge of the camp. Do as I do! 7:18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, you also blow your trumpets all around the camp. Then say, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’”
7:19 Gideon took a hundred men to the edge of the camp 222 at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guards. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars they were carrying. 223 7:20 All three units blew their trumpets and broke their jars. They held the torches in their left hand and the trumpets in their right. 224 Then they yelled, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 7:21 They stood in order 225 all around the camp. The whole army ran away; they shouted as they scrambled away. 226 7:22 When the three hundred men blew their trumpets, the Lord caused the Midianites to attack one another with their swords 227 throughout 228 the camp. The army fled to Beth Shittah on the way to Zererah. They went 229 to the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 7:23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh answered the call and chased the Midianites. 230
7:24 Now Gideon sent messengers throughout the Ephraimite hill country who announced, “Go down and head off the Midianites. 231 Take control of the fords of the streams 232 all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan River.” 233 When all the Ephraimites had assembled, 234 they took control of the fords 235 all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan River. 7:25 They captured the two Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb. 236 They executed Oreb on the rock of Oreb and Zeeb 237 in the winepress of Zeeb. They chased the Midianites 238 and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was now on the other side of the Jordan River. 239
8:1 The Ephraimites said to him, “Why have you done such a thing to us? You did not summon us 240 when you went to fight the Midianites!” They argued vehemently with him. 8:2 He said to them, “Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Even Ephraim’s leftover grapes 241 are better quality than Abiezer’s harvest! 242 8:3 It was to you that God handed over the Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb! What did I accomplish to rival that?” 243 When he said this, they calmed down. 244
8:4 Now Gideon and his three hundred men had crossed over the Jordan River, and even though they were exhausted, they were still chasing the Midianites. 245 8:5 He said to the men of Succoth, “Give 246 some loaves of bread to the men 247 who are following me, 248 because they are exhausted. I am chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 8:6 The officials of Succoth said, “You have not yet overpowered Zebah and Zalmunna. So why should we give 249 bread to your army?” 250 8:7 Gideon said, “Since you will not help, 251 after the Lord hands Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I will thresh 252 your skin 253 with 254 desert thorns and briers.” 8:8 He went up from there to Penuel and made the same request. 255 The men of Penuel responded the same way the men of Succoth had. 256 8:9 He also threatened 257 the men of Penuel, warning, 258 “When I return victoriously, 259 I will tear down this tower.”
8:10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their armies. There were about fifteen thousand survivors from the army of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand sword-wielding soldiers had been killed. 260 8:11 Gideon went up the road of the nomads 261 east of Nobah and Jogbehah and ambushed the surprised army. 262 8:12 When Zebah and Zalmunna ran away, Gideon 263 chased them and captured the two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. He had surprised 264 their entire army.
8:13 Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by the pass 265 of Heres. 8:14 He captured a young man from Succoth 266 and interrogated him. The young man wrote down for him the names of Succoth’s officials and city leaders – seventy-seven men in all. 267 8:15 He approached the men of Succoth and said, “Look what I have! 268 Zebah and Zalmunna! You insulted me, saying, ‘You have not yet overpowered Zebah and Zalmunna. So why should we give bread to your exhausted men?’” 269 8:16 He seized the leaders 270 of the city, along with some desert thorns and briers; he then “threshed” the men of Succoth with them. 271 8:17 He also tore down the tower of Penuel and executed the city’s men.
8:18 He said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “Describe for me 272 the men you killed at Tabor.” They said, “They were like you. Each one looked like a king’s son.” 273 8:19 He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. I swear, 274 as surely as the Lord is alive, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.” 8:20 He ordered Jether his firstborn son, “Come on! 275 Kill them!” But Jether was too afraid to draw his sword, 276 because he was still young. 8:21 Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, 277 “Come on, 278 you strike us, for a man is judged by his strength.” 279 So Gideon killed 280 Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent-shaped ornaments which were on the necks of their camels.
8:22 The men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us – you, your son, and your grandson. For you have delivered us from Midian’s power.” 281 8:23 Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” 8:24 Gideon continued, 282 “I would like to make one request. Each of you give me an earring from the plunder you have taken.” 283 (The Midianites 284 had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.) 8:25 They said, “We are happy to give you earrings.” 285 So they 286 spread out a garment, and each one threw an earring from his plunder onto it. 8:26 The total weight of the gold earrings he requested came to seventeen hundred gold shekels. 287 This was in addition to the crescent-shaped ornaments, jewelry, 288 purple clothing worn by the Midianite kings, and the necklaces on the camels. 289 8:27 Gideon used all this to make 290 an ephod, 291 which he put in his hometown of Ophrah. All the Israelites 292 prostituted themselves to it by worshiping it 293 there. It became a snare to Gideon and his family.
8:28 The Israelites humiliated Midian; the Midianites’ fighting spirit was broken. 294 The land had rest for forty years during Gideon’s time. 295 8:29 Then Jerub-Baal son of Joash went home and settled down. 296 8:30 Gideon fathered seventy sons through his many wives. 297 8:31 His concubine, 298 who lived in Shechem, also gave him a son, whom he named Abimelech. 299 8:32 Gideon son of Joash died at a very 300 old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash located in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
8:33 After Gideon died, the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They made Baal-Berith 301 their god. 8:34 The Israelites did not remain true 302 to the Lord their God, who had delivered them from all the enemies who lived around them. 8:35 They did not treat 303 the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) fairly in return for all the good he had done for Israel.
1 tn The words “this victory song” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
2 tn The meaning of the Hebrew expression בִּפְרֹעַ פְּרָעוֹת (bifroa’ pÿra’ot) is uncertain. Numerous proposals are offered by commentators. (For a survey of opinions, see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 223-27.) The next line refers to the people who responded to Barak’s summons to war, so a reference to the leaders who issued the summons would provide a natural poetic parallel. In v. 9 the leaders (חוֹקְקֵי, khoqÿqey) of the people and these same volunteers stand in poetic parallelism, so it is reasonable to assume that the difficult Hebrew term פְּרַעוֹת (pÿra’ot, v. 2a) is synonymous with חוֹקְקֵי (khoqÿqey) of v. 9 (see Lindars, 227).
3 tn Heb “I, to the
4 tn Or “make music.”
4 tn Or “went out.”
5 tn Heb “water.”
5 tn Or “quaked.” The translation assumes the form נָזֹלּוּ (nazollu) from the root זָלַל (zalal, “to quake”; see HALOT 272 s.v. II זלל). The LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Targum also understood the word this way. (See Isa 63:19 and 64:2 for other occurrences of this form.) Some understand here the verb נָזַל (nazul, “to flow [with torrents of rain water]”).
6 tn Heb “this one of Sinai.” The phrase is a divine title, perhaps indicating that the
6 tc The translation assumes the form אֳרְחוֹת (’orÿkhot, “caravans”) rather than אֳרָחוֹת (’orakhot, “roadways”) because it makes a tighter parallel with “travelers” in the next line.
7 tn Or “ceased.”
8 tn Heb “Ones walking on paths.”
7 tn The meaning of the Hebrew noun פְרָזוֹן (fÿrazon) is uncertain. Some understand the meaning as “leaders” or “those living in rural areas.” The singular noun appears to be collective (note the accompanying plural verb). For various options see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 237-38.
8 tn Or “ceased.”
9 tn The translation assumes that the verb is an archaic second feminine singular form. Though Deborah is named as one of the composers of the song (v. 1), she is also addressed within it (v. 12). Many take the verb as first person singular, “I arose” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV).
10 tn Heb “mother.” The translation assumes that the image portrays Deborah as a protector of the people. It is possible that the metaphor points to her prophetic role. Just as a male prophet could be called “father,” so Deborah, a prophetess, is called “mother” (B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 239).
8 tn Or “warriors.” The Hebrew text reads literally, “He chose God/gods new.” Some take “Israel” as the subject of the verb, “gods” as object, and “new” as an adjective modifying “gods.” This yields the translation, “(Israel) chose new gods.” In this case idolatry is the cause of the trouble alluded to in the context. The present translation takes “God” as subject of the verb and “new” as substantival, referring to the new leaders raised up by God (see v. 9a). For a survey of opinions and a defense of the present translation, see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 239-40.
9 tn The translation of this difficult line is speculative because the second word, לָחֶם (lakhem), appears only here. The line in the Hebrew text literally reads, “Then [?] gates.” Interpretations and emendations of the Hebrew text abound (see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 239-40). The translation assumes a repointing of the form as a Qal participle לֹחֵם (lokhem) from the verbal root לָחַם (lakham, “fight”) and understands a substantival use (“fighter”). “Fighter” is a collective reference to the military leaders or warriors mentioned in the preceding line and in v. 9. (For other occurrences of the Qal of לָחַם, see Pss 35:1; 56:2-3.)
10 tn Heb “A shield, it could not be seen, nor a spear.” The translation assumes that the Hebrew particle אִם (’im) introduces an oath of denial (see GKC 472 §149.e).
11 tn Traditionally “forty thousand,” but this may be an instance where Hebrew term אֶלֶף (’elef) refers to a military unit. This is the view assumed by the translation (“forty military units”).
9 tn The words “went out” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
10 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word מִדִּין (middin, “saddle blankets”) in this context is uncertain.
11 tn The word “Hear” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
12 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain. Some translate “those who distribute the water” (HALOT 344 s.v. חצץ pi). For other options see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 246-47.
13 tn Or perhaps “repeat.”
14 tn See the note on the term “warriors” in v. 7.
12 tn Heb “take captive your captives.” (The Hebrew text uses a cognate accusative here.)
13 tn This probably refers to those who responded to the call for war. They were “survivors” of the Canaanite oppression (see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 250).
14 tn The translation assumes a repointing of the verb as a perfect or imperfect/preterite form of יָרַד (yarad, “to go down”). The form as pointed in the MT appears to be from רָדָה (radah, “to rule”). See GKC 188 §69.g. The same form, translated “came down,” occurs in the next line as well.
15 sn The expression mighty ones probably refers to the leaders of the army.
16 sn The speaker may be Deborah here.
17 tn The translation assumes the preposition ב (bet) prefixed to “warriors” has the force of “in the capacity of.” For this use of the preposition, see GKC 379 §119.i.
14 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).
15 tn The words “They follow” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
16 tn The word “came” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
17 tn Or possibly “who carry.”
15 tn Heb “Issachar.” The words “the men of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
16 tn Or “was true to.”
17 tn Heb “at his feet.”
18 tn Heb “great was.”
19 tc The great majority of Hebrew
16 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word מִשְׁפְּתַיִם (mishpÿtayim) is uncertain. Some understand the word to mean “campfires.”
17 tn Or “whistling.”
18 tn Heb “listening to the pipe playing for the flocks.”
17 tn Heb “lived” or “settled down.”
18 tn Heb “Dan, why did he live as a resident alien, ships.” The verb גּוּר (gur) usually refers to taking up residence outside one’s native land. Perhaps the Danites, rather than rallying to Barak, were content to move to the Mediterranean coast and work in the shipyards. For further discussion, see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 262.
19 tn Heb “lived.”
20 tn Heb “lived” or “settled down.”
21 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word מִפְרָץ (mifrats) is uncertain, but the parallelism (note “seacoast”) suggests “harbors.”
18 tn Heb “Zebulun was a people which despised its life even unto death.”
19 tn Heb “Naphtali was on the heights of the field.”
19 map For location see Map1-D4; Map2-C1; Map4-C2; Map5-F2; Map7-B1.
20 tn The contrastive conjunction “but” is interpretive.
20 tn Or “from heaven.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
21 tn The MT takes “the stars” with what follows rather than with the first colon of v. 20. But for metrical reasons it seems better to move the atnach and read the colon as indicated in the translation.
22 tn The words “in the heavens” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
21 tn Possibly “the ancient river,” but it seems preferable in light of the parallel line (which has a verb) to emend the word (attested only here) to a verb (קָדַם, qadam) with pronominal object suffix.
22 tn This line is traditionally taken as the poet-warrior’s self-exhortation, “March on, my soul, in strength!” The present translation (a) takes the verb (a second feminine singular form) as addressed to Deborah (cf. v. 12), (b) understands נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) in its well-attested sense of “throat; neck” (cf. Jonah 2:6), (c) takes the final yod (י) on נַפְשִׁי (nafshiy) as an archaic construct indicator (rather than a suffix), and (d) interprets עֹז (’oz, “strength”) as an attributive genitive (literally, “necks of strength,” i.e., “strong necks”). For fuller discussion and various proposals, see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 270-71.
22 tc The MT as it stands has a singular noun, but if one moves the prefixed mem (מ) from the beginning of the next word to the end of סוּס (sus), the expected plural form is achieved. Another possibility is to understand an error of scribal haplography here, in which case the letter mem should appear in both places.
23 tn The words “the ground” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.
24 tn Heb “galloped, galloped.” The repetition is for emphasis and is more appropriately indicated in English with an adverb.
23 tn Heb “Curse Meroz.”
24 tn The adjective “angelic” is interpretive.
25 tn Heb “Curse, cursing.” The Hebrew construction is emphatic.
26 tn Heb “[to] curse.”
27 tn Heb “to the help of the
28 tn Or “along with the other warriors.”
24 tn Or “blessed.”
25 tn Or “for mighty ones.”
26 tn The adjective “left” is interpretive, based on the context. Note that the next line pictures Jael holding the hammer with her right hand.
27 tn The verb used here is from the same root as the noun “hammer” in the preceding line.
28 tn Or “head.”
29 tn The phrase “his head” (an implied direct object) is supplied in the translation for clarification.
30 tn Heb “she pierced his temple.”
27 tn Heb “he fell.” The same Hebrew expression occurs two more times in this verse.
28 tn Heb “and he lay.
29 tn Or “dead, murdered.”
28 tn Heb “chariots.”
29 tn Or “princesses.”
30 tn Heb “Are they not finding, dividing the plunder?”
31 tn Heb “a womb or two for each man.” The words “to rape” are interpretive. The Hebrew noun translated “girl” means literally “womb” (BDB 933 s.v. I. רַחַם), but in this context may refer by extension to the female genitalia. In this case the obscene language of Sisera’s mother alludes to the sexual brutality which typified the aftermath of battle.
32 tn Heb “the plunder of dyed cloth is for Sisera.”
33 tn Heb “the plunder of embroidered cloth.”
34 tn The translation assumes an emendation of the noun (“plunder”) to a participle, “plunderer.”
31 tn Heb “But may those who love him be like the going forth of the sun in its strength.”
32 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
33 tn Heb “gave them into the hand of.”
33 tn Heb “the hand of Midian.”
34 tn Heb “The hand of Midian was strong against Israel.”
35 tn Or possibly “secret storage places.” The Hebrew word occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible.
34 tn Heb “Whenever Israel sowed seed.”
35 tn Heb “Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east would go up, they would go up against him.” The translation assumes that וְעָלוּ (vÿ’alu) is dittographic (note the following עָלָיו, ’alayv).
35 tn Heb “They encamped against them.”
36 tn Heb “destroyed.”
37 tn Heb “the crops of the land.”
38 tn Heb “They left no sustenance in Israel.”
39 tn The words “they took away” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
36 tn Heb “came up.”
37 tn Heb “numerous.”
38 tn Heb “To them and to their camels there was no number.”
39 tn Heb “destroy.” The translation “devour” carries through the imagery of a locust plague earlier in this verse.
37 tn Heb “the
38 tn Heb “a man, a prophet.” Hebrew idiom sometimes puts a generic term before a more specific designation.
39 tc Some ancient witnesses read “from the land of Egypt.” מֵאֶרֶץ (me’erets, “from the land [of]”) could have been accidentally omitted by homoioarcton (note the following מִמִּצְרַיִם [mimmitsrayim, “from Egypt”]).
40 tn Heb “of the house of slavery.”
38 tn Heb “hand” (also a second time later in this verse).
39 tn Heb “Do not fear.”
40 tn Heb “you have not listened to my voice.”
40 tn The adjective “angelic” is interpretive.
41 tn Heb “Now Gideon his son…” The Hebrew circumstantial clause (note the pattern vav [ו] + subject + predicate) breaks the narrative sequence and indicates that the angel’s arrival coincided with Gideon’s threshing.
42 tn Heb “beating out.”
43 sn Threshing wheat in a winepress. One would normally thresh wheat at the threshing floor outside the city. Animals and a threshing sledge would be employed. Because of the Midianite threat, Gideon was forced to thresh with a stick in a winepress inside the city. For further discussion see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 63.
44 tn Heb “Midian.”
41 tn Heb “But my lord.”
42 tn Heb “all this.”
43 tn Heb “saying.”
42 sn Some interpreters equate the
43 tn Heb “Go in this strength of yours.”
44 tn Heb “the hand of Midian.”
43 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
44 tn Note the switch to אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “Lord”). Gideon seems aware that he is speaking to someone other than, and superior to, the messenger, whom he addressed as אֲדֹנִי (’adoniy, “my lord”) in v. 13.
45 tn Heb “with what.”
46 tn Heb “in my father’s house.”
44 tn Or “certainly.”
45 tn Heb “You will strike down Midian as one man.” The idiom “as one man” emphasizes the collective unity of a group (see Judg 20:8, 11). Here it may carry the force, “as if they were just one man.”
45 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
46 tn Heb “If I have found favor in your eyes.”
47 tn Heb “perform for me.”
46 tn The Hebrew text adds “to you,” but this has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
47 tn Heb “and I will bring out my gift.” The precise nuance of the Hebrew word מִנְחָה (minkhah, “gift”) is uncertain in this context. It may refer to a gift offered as a sign of goodwill or submission. In some cases it is used of a gift offered to appease someone whom the offerer has offended. The word can also carry a sacrificial connotation.
47 tn Heb “a kid from among the goats.”
48 tn The words “the food” are not in the Hebrew text (an implied direct object). They are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
48 tn Heb “Take the meat…and put [it] on this rock.”
49 tn Heb “and he did so.”
49 tn Heb “extended the tip of the staff which was in his hand and touched the meat and unleavened bread.”
50 tn Heb “went from his eyes.”
50 tn Heb “saw.”
51 tn Heb “Gideon.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
52 tn Or “Ah!”
53 tn The Hebrew text reads אֲדֹנַי יְהוִה (’adonay yÿhvih, “Lord [the same title used in v. 15],
51 tn Heb “Peace to you.” For a similar use of this idiom to introduce a reassuring word, see Gen 43:23.
52 tn Heb “The
53 tn Or “Take a bull from your father’s herd, the second one, the one seven years old.” Apparently Gideon would need the bulls to pull down the altar.
54 tn Possibly “in a row” or “in a layer,” perhaps referring to the arrangement of the stones used in the altar’s construction.
55 tn Heb “men from among his servants.”
56 tn Heb “house.”
57 tn Heb “so he did it at night.”
56 tn Heb “look!” The narrator uses this word to invite his audience/readers to view the scene through the eyes of the men.
57 tn Heb “each one to his neighbor.”
58 tn Heb “this thing.”
59 tn Heb “they inquired and searched.” The synonyms are joined to emphasize the care with which they conducted their inquiry.
60 tn Heb “and said.” Perhaps the plural subject is indefinite. If so, it could be translated, “they were told.”
58 tn Heb “and let him die.” The jussive form with vav after the imperative is best translated as a purpose clause.
59 tn Heb “to all who stood against him.”
60 tn Heb “Do you fight for Baal?”
61 tn Heb “fights for him.”
62 sn Whoever takes up his cause will die by morning. This may be a warning to the crowd that Joash intends to defend his son and to kill anyone who tries to execute Gideon. Then again, it may be a sarcastic statement about Baal’s apparent inability to defend his own honor. Anyone who takes up Baal’s cause may end up dead, perhaps by the same hand that pulled down the pagan god’s altar.
63 tn Heb “fight for himself.”
64 tn Heb “for he pulled down his altar.” The subject of the verb, if not Gideon, is indefinite (in which case a passive translation is permissible).
60 tn Heb “He called him on that day Jerub-Baal.” The name means, at least by popular etymology, “Let Baal fight!”
61 tn Heb “Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east.”
62 tn The words “the Jordan River” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.
62 tn Heb “clothed.”
63 tn That is, “mustered an army.”
64 tn Heb “Abiezer was summoned after him.”
63 tn Heb “and he also was summoned after him.”
64 tn More literally, “you are about to deliver Israel by my hand.”
65 tn The words “then give me a sign as proof” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
65 tn Heb “all the ground.”
66 tn Or “know.”
67 tn Heb “you will deliver Israel by my hand.”
66 tn Heb “And it was so.”
67 tn Heb “dew dripped from the fleece – a bowl full of water.”
67 tn Heb “Let your anger not rage at me, so that I might speak only this once.”
68 tn Heb “let the fleece alone be dry, while dew is on all the ground.”
68 tn Heb “God did so that night.”
69 tn Heb “and all the people who were with him.”
70 sn The name Harod means, ironically, “trembling.”
71 tn Heb “Midian.” The LXX reads “and Amalek” (cf. v. 12; 6:33).
70 tn Heb “the people who are with you are too numerous for me to give Midian into their hand.”
71 tn Heb “might glorify itself against me.”
72 tn Heb “my hand has delivered me.”
71 tn Heb “call into the ears of the people.”
72 tn Heb “afraid and shaking.”
73 tc Many interpreters reject the MT reading “and leave Mount Gilead” for geographical reasons. A possible alternative, involving rather radical emendation of the Hebrew text, would be, “So Gideon tested them” (i.e., thinned the ranks in this manner).
74 tn Heb “people.” The translation uses “men” because warriors are in view, and in ancient Israelite culture these would be only males. (This is also the case in vv. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.)
75 tn Or “turned around, back.”
72 tn Heb “too many people.”
73 tn Heb “test them for you there.”
74 tn Heb “he should go with you.”
75 tn Heb also has “to you.”
76 tn Heb “he should not go.”
73 tn Heb “the people.”
74 tn Heb “Everyone who laps with his tongue from the water, as a dog laps, put him by himself, as well as the one who gets down on his knees to drink.”
74 tc The Hebrew text adds, “with their hands to their mouths,” This makes no sense in light of v. 5, which distinguishes between dog-like lappers (who would not use their hands to drink) and those who kneel (who would use their hands). It seems likely that the words “with their hands to their mouths” have been misplaced from v. 6. They fit better at the end of v. 5 or v. 6. Perhaps these words were originally a marginal scribal note which was later accidentally inserted into the text in the wrong place.
75 tn Heb “the people.”
75 tn Heb “you.” The Hebrew pronoun is masculine plural, probably referring to the entire army.
76 tn The Hebrew pronoun here is singular.
77 tn Heb “All the people should go, each to his place.”
76 tn Heb “The people.”
77 tn The words “who were chosen” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
78 tn The Hebrew text has “in their hands.”
79 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
80 tn Heb “tents.”
81 tn Heb “Midian.”
82 tn The Hebrew text adds “him” (i.e., Gideon).
77 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
78 tn Heb “Go down against.”
79 tn The Hebrew verbal form is a perfect, emphasizing the certainty of the promise.
78 tn Heb “your hands will be strengthened.”
79 tn Heb “to the edge of the ones in battle array who were in the camp.”
79 tn Heb “Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east were falling in the valley like locusts in great number.”
80 tn Heb “And Gideon came, and, look, a man was relating to his friend a dream.”
81 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man mentioned in the previous clause) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
82 tn Heb “Look!” The repetition of this interjection, while emphatic in Hebrew, would be redundant in the English translation.
83 tn Heb “It came to the tent and struck it and it fell. It turned it upside down and the tent fell.”
81 tn Heb “answered and said.”
82 tn Heb “This can be nothing but.”
82 tn Heb “he bowed down” or “worshiped.”
83 tn Heb “heads.”
84 tn Heb “the jars.” The noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“them”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
84 tn Or “look.”
85 tn Heb “Gideon went, along with the hundred men who were with him, to the edge of the camp.”
86 tn Heb “that were in their hands.”
86 tn The Hebrew text adds, “in order to blow [them].” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
87 tn Heb “each in his place.”
88 tn Or “fled.”
88 tn Heb “the
89 tc MT has “and throughout the camp,” but the conjunction (“and”) is due to dittography and should be dropped. Compare the ancient versions, which lack the conjunction here.
90 tn The words “they went” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
89 tn Heb “Midian.”
90 tn Heb “to meet Midian.”
91 tn Heb “capture before them the waters.”
92 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification (also later in this verse).
93 tn Heb “And all the men of Ephraim were summoned.”
94 tn Heb “they captured the waters.”
91 sn The names Oreb and Zeeb, which mean “Raven” and “Wolf” respectively, are appropriate because the Midianites had been like scavengers and predators to Israel.
92 tn The Hebrew text repeats the verb “executed.” This has not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.
93 tn Heb “Midian.”
94 tn Heb “beyond the Jordan.” The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for clarity (also in 8:4).
92 tn Heb “by not summoning us.”
93 tn Heb “gleanings.”
94 sn Ephraim’s leftover grapes are better quality than Abiezer’s harvest. Gideon employs an agricultural metaphor. He argues that Ephraim’s mopping up operations, though seemingly like the inferior grapes which are missed initially by the harvesters or left for the poor, are actually more noteworthy than the military efforts of Gideon’s family.
94 tn Heb “What was I able to do compared to you?”
95 tn Heb “Then their spirits relaxed from against him, when he spoke this word.”
95 tn Heb “And Gideon arrived at the Jordan, crossing over, he and the three hundred men who were with him, exhausted and chasing.” The English past perfect (“had crossed”) is used because this verse flashes back chronologically to an event that preceded the hostile encounter described in vv. 1-3. (Note that 7:25 assumes Gideon had already crossed the Jordan.)
96 tn Or perhaps, “sell.”
97 tn Heb “people.” The translation uses “men” because these were warriors and in ancient Israelite culture would have been exclusively males.
98 tn Heb “who are at my feet.”
97 tn Or perhaps, “sell.”
98 tn Heb “Are the palms of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give to your army bread?” Perhaps the reference to the kings’ “palms” should be taken literally. The officials of Succoth may be alluding to the practice of mutilating prisoners or enemy corpses (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 155).
98 tn Heb “Therefore.”
99 sn I will thresh. The metaphor is agricultural. Threshing was usually done on a hard threshing floor. As farm animals walked over the stalks, pulling behind them a board embedded with sharp stones, the stalks and grain would be separated. See O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 63-65. Gideon threatens to use thorns and briers on his sledge.
100 tn Or “flesh.”
101 tn This is apparently a rare instrumental use of the Hebrew preposition אֵת (’et, note the use of ב [bet] in v. 16). Some, however, argue that אֵת more naturally indicates accompaniment (“together with”). In this case Gideon envisions threshing their skin along with thorns and briers, just as the stalks and grain are intermingled on the threshing floor. See C. F. Burney, Judges, 229-30.
99 tn Heb “and spoke to them in the same way.”
100 tn Heb “The men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth answered.”
100 tn Heb “said to.” The translation “threatened” is interpretive, but is clearly indicated by the context.
101 tn Heb “saying.”
102 tn Or “safely.” Heb “in peace.”
101 tn Heb “About fifteen thousand [in number] were all the ones remaining from the army of the sons of the east. The fallen ones were a hundred and twenty thousand [in number], men drawing the sword.”
102 tn Heb “the ones living in tents.”
103 tn Heb “and attacked the army, while the army was secure.” The Hebrew term בֶטַח (vetakh, “secure”) probably means the army was undefended (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 156), not suspecting an attack at that time and place.
103 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
104 tn Or “routed”; Heb “caused to panic.”
104 tn Or “ascent.”
105 tn Heb “from the men of Succoth.”
106 tn Heb “wrote down for him the officials of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men.”
106 tn Heb “Look!” The words “what I have” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
107 tn Heb “Are the palms of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give to your exhausted men bread?”
107 tn Heb “elders.”
108 tc The translation follows the reading of several ancient versions (LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate) in assuming the form וַיָּדָשׁ (vayyadash) from the verb דּוֹשׁ (dosh, “thresh”) as in v. 7. The MT reads instead the form וַיֹּדַע (vayyoda’, “make known”), a Hiphil form of יָדַע (yadah). In this case one could translate, “he used them [i.e., the thorns and briers] to teach the men of Succoth a lesson.”
108 tn Heb “Where are?”
109 tn Heb “each one like the appearance of sons of the king.”
109 tn The words “I swear” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
110 tn Or “Arise!”
111 tn Heb “did not draw his sword for he was afraid.”
111 tn The words “to Gideon” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
112 tn Or “Arise.”
113 tn Heb “for as the man is his strength.”
114 tn Heb “arose and killed.”
112 tn Heb “hand.”
113 tn Heb “said to them.”
114 tn Heb “Give to me, each one, an earring from his plunder.”
115 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Midianites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
114 tn Heb “We will indeed give.”
115 tc In the LXX the subject of this verb is singular, referring to Gideon rather than to the Israelites.
115 sn Seventeen hundred gold shekels would be about 42.7 pounds (19.4 kilograms) of gold.
116 tn Or “pendants.”
117 tn Heb “the ornaments which were on the necks of their camels.”
116 tn Heb “made it into.”
117 sn In Exod 28:4-6 and several other texts an ephod is described as a priestly or cultic garment. In some cases an ephod is used to obtain a divine oracle (1 Sam 23:9; 30:7). Here the ephod is made of gold and is described as being quite heavy (70-75 lbs?). Some identify it as an idol, but it was more likely a cultic object fashioned in the form of a garment which was used for oracular purposes. For discussion of the ephod in the OT, see C. F. Burney, Judges, 236-43, and R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 349-52.
118 tn Heb “Israel” (a collective singular).
119 tn The words “by worshiping it” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
117 tn Heb “Midian was humbled before the Israelites, and they no longer lifted their heads.”
118 tn Heb “in the days of Gideon.”
118 tn Heb “went and lived in his house.”
119 tn Heb “Gideon had seventy sons who went out from his thigh, for he had many wives.” The Hebrew word יָרֵךְ (yarekh, “thigh”) is a euphemism here for the penis.
120 sn A concubine was a slave woman in ancient Near Eastern societies who was the legal property of her master, but who could have legitimate sexual relations with her master. A concubine’s status was more elevated than a mere servant, but she was not free and did not have the legal rights of a free wife. The children of a concubine could, in some instances, become equal heirs with the children of the free wife. After the period of the Judges concubines may have become more of a royal prerogative (2 Sam 21:10-14; 1 Kgs 11:3).
121 sn The name Abimelech means “my father is king.”
121 tn Heb “good.”
122 sn Baal-Berith was a local manifestation of the Canaanite storm god. The name means, ironically, “Baal of the covenant.” Israel’s covenant allegiance had indeed shifted.
123 tn Heb “remember.”
124 tn Heb “did not do loyalty with,” or “did not act faithfully toward.”