Judges 13:8

13:8 Manoah prayed to the Lord, ¹  “Please, Lord, allow the man sent from God ²  to visit ³  us again, so he can teach ⁴  us how we should raise ⁵  the child who will be born.”

Judges 21:22

21:22 When their fathers or brothers come and protest to us, ⁶  we’ll say to them, “Do us a favor and let them be, ⁷  for we could not get each one a wife through battle. ⁸  Don’t worry about breaking your oath! ⁹  You would only be guilty if you had voluntarily given them wives.’” ¹⁰ 

[13:8]  ¹ tn The Hebrew text adds “and said.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[13:8]  ² tn Heb “the man of God.”

[13:8]  ³ tn Heb “come to.”

[13:8]  ⁴ tc The LXX has “enlighten,” understanding the Hebrew to read וִיאִירֵנוּ (vi’irenu, “to give light”) rather than the reading of the MT, וְיוֹרֵנוּ (vÿyorenu, “to teach”).

[13:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “what we should do for.”

[21:22]  ⁶ tc The (original) LXX and Vulgate read “to you.”

[21:22]  ⁷ tn The words “and let them be” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[21:22]  ⁸ tn Heb “for we did not take each his wife in battle.”

[21:22]  ⁹ tn This sentence is not in the Hebrew text. It is supplied in the translation to clarify the logic of the statement.

[21:22]  ¹⁰ tc Heb “You did not give to them, now you are guilty.” The MT as it stands makes little sense. It is preferable to emend לֹא (lo’, “not”) to לוּא (lu’, “if”). This particle introduces a purely hypothetical condition, “If you had given to them [but you didn’t].” See G. F. Moore, Judges (ICC), 453-54.