Judges 13:25

13:25 The Lord’s spirit began to control him ¹  in Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Judges 9:23

9:23 God sent a spirit to stir up hostility ²  between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. He made the leaders of Shechem disloyal ³  to Abimelech.

Judges 14:6

14:6 The Lord’s spirit empowered ⁴  him and he tore the lion ⁵  in two with his bare hands ⁶  as easily as one would tear a young goat. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.

Judges 3:10

3:10 The Lord’s spirit empowered him ⁷  and he led Israel. When he went to do battle, the Lord handed over to him King Cushan-Rishathaim of Aram and he overpowered him. ⁸ 

Judges 11:29

A Foolish Vow Spells Death for a Daughter

11:29 The Lord’s spirit empowered ⁹  Jephthah. He passed through Gilead and Manasseh and went ¹⁰  to Mizpah in Gilead. From there he approached the Ammonites. ¹¹ 

Judges 14:19

14:19 The Lord’s spirit empowered him. He went down to Ashkelon and murdered thirty men. He took their clothes ¹²  and gave them ¹³  to the men who had solved the riddle. He was furious as he went back home. ¹⁴ 

Judges 15:14

15:14 When he arrived in Lehi, the Philistines shouted as they approached him. But the Lord’s spirit empowered ¹⁵  him. The ropes around his arms were like flax dissolving in ¹⁶  fire, and they ¹⁷  melted away from his hands.

[13:25]  ¹ tn Or “move him to action”; or “stir him.”

[9:23]  ² tn Heb “an evil spirit.” A nonphysical, spirit being is in view, like the one who volunteered to deceive Ahab (1 Kgs 22:21). The traditional translation, “evil spirit,” implies the being is inherently wicked, perhaps even demonic, but this is not necessarily the case. The Hebrew adjective רָעַה (ra’ah) can have a nonethical sense, “harmful; dangerous; calamitous.” When modifying רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) it may simply indicate that the being in view causes harm to the object of God’s judgment. G. F. Moore (Judges [ICC], 253) here refers to a “mischief-making spirit.”

[9:23]  ³ tn Heb “The leaders of Shechem were disloyal.” The words “he made” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:6]  ³ tn Heb “rushed on.”

[14:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “him” or “it”; the referent (the lion) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “and there was nothing in his hand.”

[3:10]  ⁴ tn Heb “was on him.”

[3:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “his hand was strong against Cushan-Rishathaim.”

[11:29]  ⁵ tn Heb “was on.”

[11:29]  ⁶ tn Heb “passed through.”

[11:29]  ⁷ tn Heb “From Mizpah in Gilead he passed through [to] the Ammonites.”

[14:19]  ⁶ tn Heb “equipment”; or “gear.”

[14:19]  ⁷ tn Heb “changes [of clothes].”

[14:19]  ⁸ tn Heb “he went up to his father’s house.”

[15:14]  ⁷ tn Heb “rushed on.”

[15:14]  ⁸ tn Heb “burned with.”

[15:14]  ⁹ tn Heb “his bonds.”